Student Athletes of the Week Kylee Beaty and Eric Auffenberg
Written by Aaron ColemanThis week our 1590 WAKR Female Student Athlete of the Week is Kylee Beaty a senior basketball player from Wadsworth High School.
Firestone Racing Committed to Akron Through 2025
Written by Ryan LangINDYCAR and Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone) today announced a five-year partnership extension for the Firestone brand to continue serving as the sole tire supplier and Official Tire of the NTT IndyCar® Series through 2025. The agreement, which includes continued rights for Firestone as the Official Tire of the Indianapolis 500®, furthers the brand’s storied history in open-wheel racing and its longstanding commitment to tire innovation.
In support of this extension, Bridgestone also announced plans to build a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Akron, Ohio that will serve as the future home of Firestone race tire manufacturing. The Bridgestone Advanced Tire Production Center (ATPC) will be located across the street from the Bridgestone Americas Technical Center and less than a mile from the Bridgestone Advanced Technology Workshop, where race tires are currently produced. Plans for the ATPC include both new construction and the full renovation of an existing structure.
The news was shared at a special event in Indianapolis that included INDYCAR and Bridgestone leaders, racing legend Mario Andretti, and veteran INDYCAR driver and team owner Ed Carpenter. A second event also was held at the Bridgestone Americas Technical Center in Akron with two-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr.
“Champions have relied on Firestone tires for more than a century, and racing has always been the ideal proving ground for new technologies that help us evolve and advance our company’s passenger tire offerings,” said Philip Dobbs, chief marketing officer, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “As the NTT IndyCar Series continues gaining momentum, we are introducing new fans to the Firestone brand and strengthening our relationship with the drivers who use our durable, dependable Firestone tires.”
“Firestone has long been a great INDYCAR partner and is making a huge investment to the NTT IndyCar Series with its new facility in Akron,” INDYCAR president Jay Frye said. “This extension also reflects Firestone’s commitment to helping to shape INDYCAR’s paddock-wide, five-year plan.”
Firestone is entering its 20th consecutive season as the sole tire supplier of the NTT IndyCar Series. It will produce and deliver more than 26,000 Firehawk race tires to teams across the upcoming 2019 schedule, including more than 6,000 tires for track activities related to the Indianapolis 500 alone. The brand’s roots in the sport date back to 1911 when the inaugural Indianapolis 500 was won on Firestone tires. In all, “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” has been won on Firestone tires 69 times – more than double all other tire manufacturers combined.
“I started driving on Firestone tires 55 years ago, and they were on my car for the 1969 Indianapolis 500 when I took the checkered flag,” said Mario Andretti. “The trust I have always placed in Firestone was cemented that day 50 years ago when I drove on the same right rear tire for the whole race – and it never let me down. Firestone has always been a dependable partner, and I am excited to see its partnership with INDYCAR continue.”
The new ATPC will continue a legacy of tire manufacturing in Akron that began with the founding of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company in 1900. A team of more than 50 expert tire builders and manufacturing professionals at the Advanced Technology Workshop currently keeps that tradition alive through the production of more than 60 unique race tire specifications for the NTT IndyCar Series season. All race tire manufacturing will move to the new facility over the next four years, and early plans are for the site to produce its first Firestone Firehawk race tires for testing in the NTT IndyCar Series by the end of 2020.
“The Akron community and race tire development have each played significant roles in our company’s past, and they will continue to drive innovation for us in the future,” said Nizar Trigui, chief technology officer, Bridgestone Americas. “We are proud to ensure that Firestone race tires will be built in Akron for many years to come, soon in a new facility that will be as cutting-edge as the tires it produces.”
In addition to providing tire technology and on-track support, Firestone will continue to be a key partner in the marketing and promotion of the NTT IndyCar Series. The brand’s comprehensive, season-long activation includes fan engagement, sponsorships and signage at multiple venues, robust social and digital media programs, traditional media, and hospitality.
The 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season kicks off March 10 with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which will be broadcast live on NBCSN at 1:00 PM ET. Firestone also recently announced it will serve as title sponsor of the season-ending Firestone Grand Prix of Monterey at WeatherTech® Raceway Laguna Seca, which will be broadcast live on NBC on September 22 at 2:30 PM ET.
Former Akron Mayor Don Plusquellic won't run against current Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan in the Democratic primary, but he says he's thinking about running in the general election--as an Independent.
Listen here to this live, exclusive interview on the Ray Horner Show.
Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan has announced changes to the process for recruiting police, fire, and EMS, including an increase in the maximum age for new hires.
As of Monday, the maximum age to be hired as a police officer is up from 35 to 40, while the max age to be hired as a firefighters is now 35, up from 31. Also on Monday, thanks to funding from Issue 4, the Akron Police Department is able to host an in-house police academy, opposed to farming out the academy to other departments, including Columbus, as they've done since 2008.
The minimum wage for new recruits has gone up to $26.22 per hour, according to the press release (read below), thus making the job more attractive to young and older cadets.
--
Akron, Ohio, February 4, 2019 – Today, Mayor Horrigan is announcing several changes to the process for recruiting police officers and firefighter/medics, including increasing the maximum age for new hires and bringing the police academy back in-house.
“As a city, we are competing for qualified candidates for public safety positions, and I am committed to attracting and retaining the most qualified, diverse, and dedicated personnel to Akron,” Mayor Horrigan said. “These changes are designed to widen and deepen the pool of potential candidates and make the process more accessible.”
First, the Department of Human Resources will be increasing the maximum hiring age for an Akron police officer to 40 years of age (from 35), and the maximum hiring age for an Akron firefighter/medic to 35 years of age (from 31).
“Expanding the age range for qualified candidates will help us recruit individuals who may be pursuing a second career or who have recently retired from the military,” Akron Police Chief Ken Ball said. “More mature applicants are likely to have an increased sense of purpose, greater life experiences and deeper community ties that can help them succeed in serving our neighborhoods.”
In addition to expanding eligibility, the City will once again be hosting a Peace Officer Basic Training Academy for new police recruits.
Due to funding restraints, the City stopped holding an internal police academy in 2008. Instead, for several years the City sent new recruits to Ohio Peace Officer Training Commission (OPOTC) academies hosted by other agencies. New recruits would not be formally hired or receive a paycheck from the City until after they graduated with their OPOTA certification (approximately 24 weeks). The financial burden of this unpaid training period discouraged or prevented some recruits from pursuing a career as an Akron police officer.
“We knew that a lack of an internal police academy was negatively impacting our ability to recruit qualified, diverse candidates,” Mayor Horrigan said. “We knew we had to do something. Thankfully, the funds provided by Issue 4 will help us once again host a police academy and compensate our new recruits appropriately.” Now, new APD recruits will be hired by the City and paid a starting wage of $26.22/hour from the first day of the training academy.
The next entrance exam for Akron police officers is slated for April 2019. The next entrance exam for Akron firefighters will likely be held this fall.
“Making these changes demonstrates that we are serious about building public safety forces that better reflect the diversity of our community,” Council President Margo Sommerville said. “I look forward to working with the administration to continue to improve our recruiting strategies and policies to compete for the best candidates available.”
Akron Police are investigating one attempted robbery and another actual robbery, both committed Friday night within a couple of hours of one another and within just about 5 miles of one another, too.
First, just after 7 o'clock Friday night, a man wearing a ski mask walked into Two Monk's Brewery Company at 352 Massillon Road. Walking toward the bar, and motioning to his waistband like he was pulling out a knife, demanded money. That's when the bar owner pulled a handgun and the suspect fled.
Later Friday, at about 9:30, a suspect walked into Italo's at 1910 Brown Street, jumped the counter, and actually pulled a knife, demanding money from the register. In the second robbery, the suspect did get away with an undisclosed amount of cash.
According to the police report, though, APD says that during the second robbery the suspect dropped the knife inside the restaurant.
It's hard to get a spot-on description, given the suspect was wearing a mask in both incidents, but APD has released a description of a black male, between 18 and 23, wearing a black mask, all black clothing, standing between 5'10" and 6'.
Anyone with information is asked to call Akron Police at 330-375-2490.
More...
This Week in Tech with Jeanne Destro-2-1-19 Featured
Written by Jeanne Destro
This week, hackers making headlines again, with a Cyber attack on the City of Akron, and out in California; sending scary messages through home security systems. We’ll also learn about a new super adhesive inspired by Gecko feet, drones that can fill potholes, and toasty new technology that can keep you warm even on the coldest days of winter.
***Please note: This show is now available as a podcast on Apple and Android devices. To find out how, follow these links: Apple, or Android
Student Athletes of the Week Nicole Lester and Nate Dobben
Written by Aaron ColemanThis week our 1590 WAKR Female Student Athlete of the Week is Nicole Lester, a senior basketball player from Norton High School.