AKRON
School open house
AKRON: The Lippman School will host an open house at 1 p.m. Oct. 28.
Enrollment is open at the independent school, at 750 White Pond Drive. It enrolls boys and girls in grades K-8.
Personal tours also are available.
For more information, call 330-836-0419 or go to www.thelippmanschool.org.
Heroin seized
AKRON: Akron police say a five-month investigation by its narcotics unit ended in a raid of a home in the 1400 block of Gurley Avenue.
Authorities say they recovered about one-half pound of heroin with an estimated street value of more than $200,000.
Michael Dandridge, 22, and Lavon Williams, 30, face charges of possession of heroin, trafficking in heroin and possession of criminal tools.
Dandridge was already out on bond from a previous heroin arrest in Cuyahoga Falls.
Clemency denied
COLUMBUS: The Ohio Parole Board has declined to recommend mercy for a condemned inmate sentenced to die next month for stabbing an Akron woman more than 100 times, then cutting off her hands.
The 9-0 decision by the parole board Thursday is the third time clemency has been rejected for Brett Hartmann, who has had two previous execution dates postponed.
The board, as it has twice before, cited the brutality of the Sept. 9, 1997, slaying of 46-year-old Winda Snipes and the “overwhelming evidence” of Hartmann’s guilt.
Hartmann, 38, came within about a week of execution in 2009 before federal courts allowed him to pursue an innocence claim.
Another execution date last year was postponed because of a federal lawsuit over Ohio’s execution policy.
Hartman’s execution is scheduled for Nov. 13.
— Associated Press
CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Rides to voting site
AKRON: A group of local pastors plans to offer early voters free rides to the polls at the Summit County Board of Elections beginning Tuesday.
The Coalition of Concerned Clergy, Community Leaders and Citizens will provide the rides Tuesdays and Thursdays from several Akron sites until the Nov. 6 election. The schedule, pick-up days and locations might change, based on demand.
The initial schedule is:
• 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., the W.O.M.B., 915 E. Market St.
• 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., East Akron Community House, 550 S. Arlington St.
• 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., North Hill branch library, 183 E. Cuyahoga Falls Ave.
• 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Maple Valley branch library, 1187 Copley Road.
• 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., Vern Odom library branch, 600 Vern Odom Blvd.
In-person early voting will be offered at all county elections boards until Nov. 5.
For more information on the rides, call 330-299-VOTE (8683).
Waterloo levy
ATWATER TWP.: Waterloo Community Action Committee will host a school levy question and answer open forum at 7 p.m. Monday at Waterloo Middle School, 1646 Industry Road.
The meeting will provide information regarding Issue 42, the district’s five-year emergency operating levy that will be on the Nov. 6 ballot.
COPLEY TOWNSHIP
Renovation planned
COPLEY TWP.: A planned $20,000 renovation of the town hall reception office is expected to increase work space and provide an office for Systems Director David Sattler.
Township trustees approved the expenditure Wednesday.
Service Director Mark Mitchell said the renovation would increase office work stations from three to four. Once a contractor is hired, he said, the renovation will probably take no more than seven to 10 days.
Mitchell estimated that office furniture would arrive about four to six weeks after the order is placed.
Halloween event
COPLEY TWP.: Goblins and ghouls will gather in Copley Community Park from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Oct. 27 for the annual “Halloween in the Park” event, which is sponsored by the Copley Police Department.
Trick-or-treat in the township will be 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 28.
KENT
Help for felons
KENT: A workshop to explain how residents can take advantage of Ohio’s new “Second Chance” law will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday in Kent City Council chambers, 217 E. Summit St.
The program is free and open to the public.
The law, approved this year, seeks to help up to 2 million Ohioans with criminal records find employment.
Recognizing that there are many individuals who have steady work histories and/or strong technical skills that are locked out of the job market because of past mistakes, Senate Bill 337 modified some of those restrictions.
The law affects these areas: juvenile justice, sealing expansion, driver’s licenses, child support, possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as casino and security guard employment restrictions.
For example, the legislation reduces the number of actual laws that preclude someone with nonviolent convictions from working in specific industries because of their criminal history.
MEDINA COUNTY
Office closed
MEDINA: The Medina County Health Department will be closed from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 31 for a staff training session.
Normal operating hours, which are weekdays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will resume at 1 p.m.
For more information, call 330-723-9688 or 888-723-9688,, or go to www.medinahealth.org.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Myanmar is topic
The Barberton, Norton, Wadsworth Peace Group will meet Tuesday at Grace United Church of Christ, 3285 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road in Norton, with life in Myanmar (Burma) as the main topic
Mel Vye, a recent visitor to the country, will speak. Oscar, a member of the minority Karen ethnic group in Myanmar, will share his experiences and perspective.
The meeting will begin with refreshments and conversation at 7 p.m.
The formal meeting will begin at 7:30.
The public is invited.
PLAIN SCHOOLS
Revenue reduction
PLAIN TWP.: Plain Local Treasurer/CFO Kathy Jordan told the Board of Education on Wednesday that current projections show a loss in real estate property tax collections of $914,244 for this year.
She cited the reappraisal of property values.
Jordan said the district also has lost significant money from the state, but has taken strong steps to balance revenue with expenditures.
The board awarded an honorary high school diploma to Edward William Smith, who left Glenwood High School in 1958 due to family circumstances, then joined the U.S. Army. He served from March 1963 until February 1965, when he received an honorable discharge.
STARK COUNTY
Judge disciplined
COLUMBUS: The state Supreme Court on Thursday suspended the law license of Massillon Municipal Judge Edward J. Elum for six months for violating the judicial code of conduct in his handling of two cases.
The court, however, also stayed the suspension.
In a 7-0 decision, the court adopted findings by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and Discipline that Elum improperly interceded in the case of a parole violator.
In another case, he improperly interjected himself into an internal police investigation of misconduct by an officer.
“In light of Elum’s 35 years of law practice without prior disciplinary infractions, lack of a selfish or dishonest motive, full and free disclosure of his misconduct, cooperation with disciplinary authorities, and evidence of his good reputation in the community, the court adopted the board’s recommended sanction of a six-month suspension with all six months stayed on condition of good conduct during that period,” the court wrote in a news release issued Thursday.
— Associated Press
Mentors needed
CANTON: Stark County Common Pleas Court will hold mentor training for its Honor Court from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Stark County Office Building, Room 315. The court is seeking military veterans willing to serve as mentors.
For more information, contact Terry Rowles at the Veterans Service Commission at 330-341-9889, or Judge Taryn Heath at 330-451-7708.