AKRON
Fatal crash
AKRON: The Akron Police traffic bureau is investigating a fatal traffic accident Wednesday afternoon.
Police say Otis Ryce, 82, was unresponsive around 4:30 p.m. in a parking lot in the 400 block of East Waterloo Road.
Ryce struck a stop sign and then a tree. He was taken to Akron City Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Authorities say it appears Ryce suffered a medical ailment before the crash.
Prison for attack
AKRON: An Akron man was sentenced to 51 years in prison for attacking a woman with a box-cutter.
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Alison McCarty sentenced Anthony Kirby, 40, of Akron, to a total of 51 years for the 2006 attack.
A jury found him guilty earlier this month of kidnapping and assaulting the victim with a box-cutter as he raped her.
Authorities say the incident began as a consensual sexual encounter for money.
The victim, who was sliced with the box-cutter, went to the hospital and reported the attack.
She did not know her attacker’s identity and DNA was taken from the rape kit.
The attacker’s DNA was entered into the Ohio Attorney General’s DNA database where it matched Kirby, who was serving a six-year sentence for assaulting another woman with a box-cutter in a similar fashion in November of 2006.
His sentence on the prior case is now over.
“I’ve been a part of the criminal justice system for a long time Mr. Kirby, and I’ve seen a lot, but you are the worst of the worst,” McCarty said she told Kirby in court. “You are every woman’s nightmare.”
Teen expo
AKRON: The Akron PeaceMakers’ fifth annual Teen Expo will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Lock 3.
Exhibitors will provide teens with information on education, teen health, safety and volunteer opportunities in the Akron area.
The event will include two interactive game trucks, an Iron Man Obstacle Course, the Basketball Switch Game, volleyball, cornhole and carnival games. Entertainment will be provided by teen-oriented bands, capped off by Akron inspirational and hip-hop artist Emmanuel.
The event is free and open to all teens in Northeast Ohio.
The PeaceMakers is a youth civic/anti-crime program that promotes positive lifestyles for teens.
It is made up of about 85 high school students from Akron and surrounding areas.
The group is seeking new members.
Applications for the Aug. 6 PeaceMakers orientation will be provided at the expo.
For more information, visit akronpeacemakers.org or call 330-365-2660 or 330-375-2712.
HUDSON
New park planned
HUDSON: Officials of Metro Parks, Serving Summit County, will unveil plans for the first metro park in Hudson on Aug. 5.
The open house on Wood Hollow Metro Park will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Hudson Library, 96 Library St.
The park district is working in cooperation with city officials on the development of the 177-acre property at Barlow and Stow roads.
It could include a 2-mile loop trail for hiking, a parking lot for 50 cars, an open-air shelter, restrooms and an information kiosk.
People attending the meeting will be able to see the plans and ask questions of the park district and the city’s parks and recreation department.
An anonymous donor gave Metro Parks nearly 150 acres to start the park several years ago.
The name was inspired by large rotted beech and sugar maple trees.
For more information, call 330-867-5511 or go to www.summitmetroparks.org.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP
Threats halt traffic
JACKSON TWP.: The Ohio Highway Patrol was forced to close Interstate 77 in Jackson Township Thursday afternoon.
Dispatchers said someone had threatened to jump from the Pro Football Hall of Fame Bridge that spans the interstate. Traffic backed up for miles in both directions during the closure.
MEDINA
Burger ban
MEDINA: A picky eater from Medina has found himself banned from McDonalds.
Medina police were called to the North Court McDonalds Wednesday night after a customer attempted to return a half-eaten meal.
Police say the restaurant’s manager complained that the man was “continually trying to return food from other McDonalds after half eaten for full refund.”
The manager told the officers that the man, along with a female companion, have been “doing this at several McDonalds for several months from Brunswick to Medina.”
Police say a trespass letter has been filed banning the man from the restaurant.
NORTON
Sewer issue
NORTON: The Ohio Elections Commission found probable cause Thursday that a Norton group pushing for a charter change may have violated election laws regarding campaign finances, but dismissed other complaints against the group.
The commission will have a hearing Aug. 22 on the campaign finance issue.
Don Nicolard, the Ward 2 Norton councilman, filed a complaint with the commission, claiming Citizens 4 Norton has violated several state laws pertaining to electioneering, collection of money to influence an election and making false statements.
The commission dismissed all of the allegations besides Nicolard’s assertion that Citizens 4 Norton didn’t follow the required procedures for a group engaged in political activity, said Phil Richter, the commission’s executive director.
Citizens 4 Norton circulated petitions to get Issue 1 on the Aug. 6 special election ballot, a charter change that would require the city to pay for sewer and water projects, rather than property owners.
City officials say the change would trigger cuts to services and layoffs, including of police.
Proponents say the assessments property owners are being charged are too high.
PLAIN SCHOOLS
New hires
PLAIN TWP.: The Plain school board has hired new administrators.
Chicola Whitfield was named principal for the Arts and Communication and Environmental Sciences Academy at GlenOak High School.
Whitfield was previously at Massillon schools where she was a teacher and administrator for 15 years.
Ann Bartley was named principal at Barr Elementary School. She was previously a teacher and principal with Canton City Schools.
James Easterling was named assistant principal at Oakwood Middle School. He previously taught for 11 years at Manchester Middle School and was the varsity wrestling coach at Manchester High School.
SOUTH EUCLID
College prize
SOUTH EUCLID: Notre Dame College will give away a $40,000 scholarship during the FEST 2013, a free family Christian festival noon to 10 p.m. Aug. 4 in Wickliffe.
The second-annual FEST Scholarship is valid for a full-time undergraduate who enrolls beginning in 2014, 2015 or 2016. It is worth $10,000 a year, renewable for up to four years.
To enter for a chance to win the scholarship, prospective students can visit NotreDameCollege.edu/admissions/the-fest/Inquiry and fill out the contact form.
The winner will be announced at the FEST on Aug. 4.
The FEST will be held at the Center for Pastoral Leadership at 28700 Euclid Ave., Wickliffe.
Notre Dame is a sponsor of the event.
SUMMIT COUNTY
Scholarship offer
AKRON: The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges’ Bridges Program is offering scholarship opportunities to incoming ninth-grade students.
Students will attend two sessions this summer and the following summers until their high school graduation.
The bridges program is a college access and readiness program that focuses minority students on planning and preparation for post-secondary education.
To be eligible for this program, students must be going to the ninth grade.
Space is limited to 40 students.
Students can register and receive more information by calling Brandon Scarborough at 330-957-2474 or email scarborough@ofic.org by Monday.