AKRON
Wells memorial
AKRON: A memorial service for Alex Wells, whose shooting death nearly two years ago remains unsolved, will be held tonight at Reality Sports Bar & Grill, 1225 E. Tallmadge Ave.
Family and friends of Wells are expected to begin gathering at 4 p.m. They plan to host a candlelight vigil later in the evening outside the bar.
Wells’ brother, Calvin, is hosting the event. They share the same Sept. 4 birthday.
Alex Wells, 46, was killed Christmas night in 2011. His body was found outside his Hardesty Avenue home. A suspect has never been identified, and no arrest has been made.
Anyone with information about the case may contact Akron police at 330-375-2490.
MEDINA COUNTY
Hiking begins
MEDINA: The Medina County Park District’s hiking series Trekking Through Autumn is underway.
Hikers must complete eight of 19 designated trails by Nov. 30 to earn awards.
Backpacks are awarded to first-time hikers. Hiking pins go to veteran hikers.
Awards are free for Medina County residents. Out-of-county residents must pay $10 for backpacks and $2 for pins.
Details are posted at www.medinacountyparks.com. Click on Programs and Activities, then on Trekking Through Autumn.
All parks are open from dawn until dark.
For more information, call 330-722-9364.
SUMMIT COUNTY
11 years for rape
AKRON: A Cleveland man received the maximum sentence of 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in Summit County Common Pleas Court to one count of rape, authorities said Tuesday.
Larry McGowan, 37, of East 105th Street, also was placed in the most serious category for sex offenders, Tier III, which requires lifetime registration of his address with the sheriff’s office.
Prosecutors said that in November a mutual acquaintance arranged a meeting between McGowan and the victim. An attack and sexual assault subsequently occurred in the victim’s Summit County home.
Afterward, prosecutors said, the victim grabbed a knife and forced McGowan to leave her home. She remained there until Akron police arrived.
TALLMADGE
New office hours
TALLMADGE: The city’s Passport Acceptance Agency has new operating hours.
New passport applications will be processed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in the Clerk of Council Office.
Appointments are required by calling 330-633-0856.
The clerk’s office is located at 46 North Ave. in the City Building.
STATE NEWS
Signatures filed
COLUMBUS: Opponents of an Ohio law that effectively bans storefront sweepstakes parlors have submitted enough signatures to block the law from taking effect today.
The Committee to Protect Ohio Jobs filed almost 434,000 signatures with the secretary of state on Tuesday in its effort to have voters repeal the measure next year.
Those signatures must still be verified by local elections boards. The group needs more than 231,000 valid signatures to place a referendum on the November 2014 ballot.
The committee wants legislators to pass a new law that regulates the industry and shuts down what it calls rogue operators.
The law’s supporters say Internet cafes harbor illegal gambling. The group Ohioans Against Illegal Gambling is urging county boards to scrutinize the signatures.
— Associated Press
Mandel responds
COLUMBUS: Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel said Tuesday he trusts that his team followed all campaign finance laws regarding a vehicle from his 2012 U.S. Senate bid that was still in use months after the campaign and was involved in a crash.
Mandel lost his bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown in November. In March, the vehicle, a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee purchased with Senate campaign funds, collided with a highway barrier on icy roads on I-75 near Toledo.
Federal campaign finance law prohibited using the vehicle for personal purposes or to campaign for another office, such as treasurer.
— Associated Press