AKRON
Recycling winners
AKRON: Voris Community Learning Center, St. Bernard-St. Mary School and North High School were the big winners in Keep Akron Beautiful’s monthlong mixed paper recycling drive.
A total of 35.88 tons of paper were recycled, an increase of 2,900 pounds from the 2011 competition, Keep Akron Beautiful reported.
The schools won cash prizes, a pizza party and a field trip from the River Valley Paper Co. that handled the paper.
Mason Community Learning Center also won a $250 cash prize from Keep Akron Beautiful by returning all pledge cards to recycle more from students, faculty and staff.
The competition from Oct. 15 through Nov. 9 involved 24 Akron public schools and nine private schools.
Citizenship help
AKRON: A free Citizenship Assistance Workshop will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 1 at the International Institute at 207 E. Tallmadge Ave. in Akron.
Volunteer attorneys and immigration counselors will help applicants apply for U.S. citizenship. Low-income applicants can apply for a waiver of fees. Participants should bring their permanent resident card (green card), two passport photos and evidence of income. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Citizenship.
For more information, call 330-376-5106, ext. 15. Go to www.iiakron.org for more on the International Institute.
NORTHEAST OHIO
Agency cuts hours
COLUMBUS: Social Security offices in Ohio are curtailing hours by 30 minutes a day.
The offices will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning Jan. 2, the offices also will further reduce hours on Wednesdays by closing at noon.
Officials said agency employees will continue to work regular hours, but the move to shorten public window hours will allow for more time for the workers to complete face-to-face interviews and to process claims work. The move should reduce the amount of overtime pay the agency spends.
The move, officials said, is the result of “significantly reduced funding provided by Congress under the continuing resolution for the first six months of the fiscal year.” The funding set aside for the agency is forcing overtime cuts.
Most Social Security services do not require a visit to a local office. Many services, including applying for retirement, disability or Medicare benefits, signing up for direct deposit, replacing a Medicare card, obtaining a proof of income letter or informing the agency of a change of address or telephone number are available at www.socialsecurity.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
WINDHAM
Murder charges
WINDHAM: A Shalersville Township man and the estranged wife of a Windham village man were arrested early Friday in connection with the suspected homicide of her 37-year-old husband.
Windham police discovered Blake Wolfe’s body about 4 p.m. Thursday at his home in the 9300 block of West Center Street. Officers called the Portage County Sheriff’s Department and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation for assistance in the investigation.
The estranged wife of the victim, Traci Wolfe, 40, of Oak Street in Paris Township, and Thomas W. Walters, 42, of Polly Road in Shalersville Township, were arrested and charged with aggravated murder.
The two are being held without bond at the Portage County Jail. They are scheduled for arraignment in Ravenna Municipal Court at 1:15 p.m. Monday. The sheriff’s department did not report an apparent cause of death.
An autopsy was scheduled for Friday at the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office.