This week our 1590 WAKR Male Student Athlete of the Week is Cameron Fitzsimmons, a senior wrestler from Barberton High School.
Winter Storm Harper dumped more than a foot of snow across most of Akron Saturday and into Sunday, leaving a lot of residents stuck over the weekend.
It's understandable, especially when it comes all at once as the snow did over the weekend.
Monday was the Martin Luther King holiday for Akron Public Schools and Tuesday was declared a "snow day" by Superintendent David James. By Wednesday, students were ready to head back to school, but the city wasn't. By the end of the day Wednesday, a report from APS spokesman Mark Williamson was that a total of 19 school buses wound up stuck in snow and needed assistance getting out. (Update: Thursday morning 8 more school buses were stuck, according to Williamson.) Williamson said not only is it up to the city to clear the streets, but it's also up to Akron residents to clear their sidewalks, to help the students who walk to school get their safely. Otherwise, Williamson tells us, there are students walking in the streets, which is obviously dangerous.
Back to the roads, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan spoke with the Ray Horner Morning Show on 1590 WAKR, saying there is no excuse for the excess snow that remained through the holiday and into Wednesday, and that the city is doing everything to prevent a repeat.
Read the full statement from the City of Akron below:
First, an apology. We have failed to provide a timely level of service to all City streets in response to this storm, and we are sorry.
We apologize to the Akron community for the inconvenience and frustration our response has caused. The level of service we provided has fallen short of what our residents rightly expect. While we have devoted 100% of our available City resources 24/7 to plow and salt all primary, secondary and residential streets following Winter Storm Harper, the results of these efforts have been unacceptable. We appreciate the patience the Akron community has extended this week. We have heard your concerns and we will do better in the future.
Mayor Horrigan has directed the City to immediately reassess every policy, procedure, agreement and route and to make necessary changes to our approach to ensure that future snow events are addressed effectively and efficiently from day one.
What we are doing right now:
The City has deployed every single vehicle and piece of City equipment capable of removing snow and ice to work to clear City streets and plow every residential neighborhood as soon as possible. The City has deployed 7 private contractors to augment the City’s efforts and plow residential streets in tandem with our crews. They will use graders, backhoes, plow trucks and bobcats to increase our snow removal capabilities. We have established emergency mandatory overtime with the ultimate goal of opening every street in Akron before the next weather event. The County of Summit is also assisting with available truck and equipment. Public Service has called in all city workers from Sewer, Water and Public Works that are not in plow trucks to start the process of cleaning storm inlets. All together there are more than 100 vehicles currently activated within Akron to remove snow and ice from city streets.
The City will be enforcing the parking ban when necessary to clear streets. Some cars will be towed. Residents are reminded not to park on the street until the ban is lifted and all streets are clear. Due to rainfall and melting snow, there are areas of standing water. Drivers are reminded to drive slowly and cautiously in these areas.
The City has been experiencing intermittent failure of both the online 3-1-1 portal and our 3-1-1 phone line. However, every City street is on the list to be plowed, whether a 3-1-1 request is received or not. Streets are prioritized based on traffic patterns, and all streets will be plowed as soon as possible.
What is coming next:
Winter Strom Indra and freezing temperatures are on the way. Icy streets are expected in the coming days. Residents are urged to prepare accordingly. The parking ban on primary streets will likely remain in place until the accumulation from Winter Storm Indra has been cleared. The City’s all-hands-on-deck approach, including the use of private contractors will continue through the next storm event.
(ODOT) Beginning on Monday evening, January 28, at 8 p.m. the following lane restrictions and ramp closures will be in place through mid-March for repairs to the East Ave. bridges over I-76:
(Tuesday, January 29 – Wednesday, January 30)
Beginning on Tuesday evening, January 29, at 10 p.m. I-76 eastbound under the East Ave. bridge will be CLOSED through Wednesday morning, January 30, at 6 a.m. for bridge repairs. The detour will be I-76 westbound/Kenmore Leg to I-277 eastbound to I-77 northbound.
(Monday, February 4 – Friday, February 8)
Beginning on Monday evening, February 4, at 8 p.m. and continuing through Friday morning, February 8, at 6 a.m. I-76 westbound under East Ave. will have various nightly lane closures for bridge repairs. These restrictions will occur nightly between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m.
The Summit County Sheriffs Department is asking for your help trying to find out who was driving a car that was involved in a hit-skip accident on I-77 South, on January 15th.
A woman and her baby were injured in that crash, when the car that ran them off the road didn't stop. More information below.
_______________________________
Summit County Sheriff:
On January 15, 2019, at approximately 12:15 p.m., the Summit County Sheriff's
Communication Center received a number of 911 calls about a motor vehicle crash
on the southbound lanes of Interstate 77 in Coventry Township. Patrol Units were
dispatched to the scene and found that a 2002 Volkswagen Jetta had been traveling
south on Interstate Route 77, just south of State Route 224 and had been run off of
the road. The Jetta was driven by a 20 year old woman from Green. Her 6 month
old son was inside the vehicle secured in a car seat. Her car left the roadway,
entered into the median, went airborne, landed, and rolled over a number of times
before coming to rest in the northbound lanes of Interstate 77. The driver and her
child were treated on scene by Coventry Fire and subsequently transported to
Akron City Hospital and Akron Children's Hospital for further evaluation. It was
determined that the other vehicle involved had not stopped and was not on scene.
Witnesses described the second vehicle as a 2000 to 2005 Honda Civic, possibly a
four door, red in color.
Anyone with further information about this crash is asked to contact the Summit
County Sheriff's Patrol Division at 330-643-2181, attention Deputy Robert
DiSabato.
Follow up questions should be directed to Inspector William Holland at 330-620-
9738.
The 13th Annual Firefighters’ Chili Challenge, sponsored by the City of Akron, will take place inside the Lock 3 dining area on Friday, January 18th from 11AM until 1PM (or earlier, if the chili runs out)!
Each year, Akron firefighters issue the challenge to see who can create the best chili, served to Downtown employees and visitors. Some chili variations are traditional, while other teams set themselves apart with distinct flavors and ingredients. Tickets for six samples of chili and a beverage are $10. Individual chili samples are available for $1.50. Beverages are also available for $2. All proceeds benefit Akron Children’s Hospital Burn Institute.
“I look forward to the Chili Challenge every year and tasting the newest flavor combinations and tried and true traditional recipes cooked up by our various competitors,” Mayor Horrigan said. “I encourage everyone to come to Lock 3, enjoy some delicious home-cooked food, and join in the friendly competition in support of Akron Children’s Hospital. May the best chili win!”
The 2019 competitors include the Akron Fire Department, The Akron Police Department, the City of Akron Human Resources Department, ARCADIS, Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital and the City of Akron Office of Integrated Development. Teams will be competing for Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice, and the Joe Smith Spirit Award. The Joe Smith Spirit Award was created in honor of Detective Joe Smith, an active supporter and participant in previous chili challenges, who passed away in 2014.
Are you an obnoxious sports parent?
It's OK to admit it, all parents have been, perhaps a little overzealous when little Timmy's at the foul line or Suzie's up to bat...
But if you find yourself habitually taking out your frustrations on referees at high school sporting events, the OHSAA has a message for you: COOL IT!
A recent survey by the National Association of Sports Officials shows 75 percent of high school referees have been subject to abuse from parents, and that's resulting in less young people signing up for the job. As older referees retire it's causing a shortage.
So, the OHSAA, in a joint letter from Jerry Snodgrass, Executive Director of the OHSAA, and Karissa Neihoff, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, the OHSAA addresses the drastic shortage of referees in the state.
Read the full letter here.