Akron's Most Absurd Moments: Lawn Mowers and Bad Grades

It's the Akron podcast for Thursday, September 18th.

We've got news about LeBron's school.

We've got other schools that are going to have things taken out of it.

We've got a renaming going on.

We've got a lot of people doing really stupid things in Akron, Ohio.

It's all here.

Our website, akron podcast.com I hate to start off with bad news, but because I'm a big LeBron James fan, I think he's done a lot of great things for the city.

I love the idea of his school that he started back in 2018, but it has not been doing well.

Now realize he's taking some kids that often are just not interested in school, so it's not like he's got a phenomenal canvas to paint on there.

But basically, in 2023, it was revealed that not a single 8th grader had passed the Ohio Math Pro.

What is that proficiency test?

Maybe I need to go back and see if I can test the reading test and Fast forward to 2024.

Just two of the 75, I promise seventh graders passed the state math test in 2024.

Now the state average is 50 and theirs is 2.7.

It just goes on.

Five out of 76 sixth graders passed the English language arts test.

That's six.

The state average is 54.5.

And no single grade is close to the statewide proficiency levels.

It's kind of a bummer.

There is some highlights.

The fifth grade apparently is doing better.

They're up to 24%, but the state average again is 56.7.

What was interesting is they were awarded kind of an attaboy for progress because they, you know, they've gone from the very, very bottom to still at the bottom, but not quite so far away.

So kudos to the school.

I know there are a lot of people down there that care about those students, but there are.

I know.

I saw a video on it and they were explaining how if a kid doesn't feel like learning, he can just get up and leave.

Well, come on now, let's change that rule and teach them about reality that sometimes you have to do things and you don't want.

In our last episode, we talked about the sewer rates going up.

And a recent article in the Beacon Journal compared Akron to other cities.

Now realize it showed Akron at 4,639, Dayton at 32, Mansfield at 32, Columbus at 37, Summit county at 46, Toledo at 50.

The proposed Akron would be smack dab in the middle.

That's at 53.

Cincinnati's at 58.

Elyria's at 64, Parmesan 65.

Cleveland is at 82.

Holy cow.

And then Cleveland Heights, also at 82.

So we're kind of even with the proposed $15 hike.

We're going to be in the middle.

So the good news is we're not Cincinnati, Elyria, Parma, and Cleveland.

The bad news is we're not Dayton, Mansfield, and.

And Columbus.

Yeah, we're starting the People Behaving Badly segment earlier than usual.

There was a guy, Stephen Keenan, traded 11 Akron Public School lawnmowers to a vendor.

He worked for Akron Public Schools to a vendor without the board's approval so he could buy new lawnmowers.

And then he bought seven of the traded lawn and mowers under a friends and family discount with the vendor, according to the agenda.

So he paid $5,693 for lawnmowers.

Well, the story doesn't end there.

He then listed five of those seven for sale on Facebook Marketplace, and he asked for total sales of $14,000.

The APS school board, under a recommendation from the superintendent, is considering firing Keenan because he violated the state code of ethics.

Yeah.

You think he was suspended without pay while the board considers his firing?

And I'm sure he's gonna say, no, no, I was gonna give that money to the kids.

Well, last week we lost Charlie Kirk.

He's the right wing activist, and if you've not seen the video of his murder, do not go looking for it.

It is horrendous.

But the Monroe Falls City councilman, John in Palazziri, well, he resigned from council because he basically put a bunch of stuff that he was happy.

You know, he was somewhat praising the fact that this poor guy had been assassinated in front of his wife and.

And children.

That's the part that I'm like, no, you can't share that.

He basically has not responded to any requests from the Beacon Journal.

I wonder why.

But in his post, Impelizzeri questions why right wingers who are calling for blood after the death of Kirk didn't speak out after attacks on Democrats, which, you know, that's an interesting point.

And that's the whole thing about Charlie Kirk.

He was all about hearing both sides.

The post ended by stating the world is a better place now that he's gone.

There you go.

That's.

That's the definition of going too far.

So, you know, hopefully whoever you try to apply for a job for in the future, you know, they don't know how to use Google Because I'm pretty sure the one theme we found today, kids, is the Internet writes in ink.

And.

And so the guy on Facebook, Marketplace.

Yeah, you know, just come on, kids.

The Internet writes in ink.

Do you know how Trump was going to shut down TikTok and then he didn't.

We're kind of in that situation with the Firestone building and the clock tower.

We talked about this, how it's $7 million to demolish that building while preserving it would cost 12.

And the Akron City Council, they're just like, we got to find some way.

And so somebody pointed out that maybe we should take another try trying to get investors.

And so they're looking into this because it just does.

This is the one at 1200 Firestone Parkway.

And so they're going to give it another shot here.

He said it would cost 5 million up front to try to shore up the front of the building for potential development later.

And he said the city doesn't have that.

And Akron borrows about $15 million a year to help fund its capital budget.

And he said a decision to spend money to save the Firestone building would result in cuts in other areas.

So we don't have the money.

We need to find somebody else to come in and do that.

So they have kind of pushed off the vote on this, but in the end it's going to come down to a vote, and if we don't find somebody to want to develop that area, it's probably going to go away.

More news about Firestone right after this.

Well, it turns out that due to contraband being concealed in these, it's a good place for my weed.

And a past fight where a teacher was injured when.

What?

That's right.

A bottle was used as a weapon as reasoning for the change.

What's that change?

Akron Firestones.

I'm going to just call it high school.

They ban large metal water bottles to address the safety concerns.

So the Community Learning center has banned students from bringing large opaque metal beverage containers to school, citing safety and security concerns.

So if you're wondering why your little one or not so little one isn't drinking more water at school, well, it's because they outlawed the bottle because, well, again, somebody's going to bang somebody in the head with it, which is better than shooting them.

I will give them that.

And it is that time.

Speaking of shooting, if anyone has information, you can contact the Akron Police Department Detective Bureau at 330375 2490.

A 21 year old was fatally shot after allegedly violating his protection order.

So here's what happens.

A 21 year old man was shot.

This was last Saturday after returning to a home he was legally ordered to stay away from.

So I feel bad but as you hear the rest of this.

Officers responded to the 1200 block of Sylvian Avenue or Sylvan.

Sylvan Avenue around 1:04pm this is on the 13th four reports of a shooting.

Now when officers arrived they found a man with multiple gunshot wounds and he was produced pronounced dead at the scene.

But earlier that day at approximately 12:30, the officers and Summit county sheriffs they served the man with a protection order which, which prohibited him from being on the property or near a 57 year old woman who lived there with her 25 year old son.

He was informed of the order and escorted away from the residence.

And roughly 30 minutes later after the officers had left, investigators say the man returned and entered the home through a window.

So if we're teaching a class on how not to get shot, don't climb into a house that you've been ordered to stay away from and and go through the window.

The police report said he became involved in an altercation with the 25 year old resident and alleged threatening to kill both the occupants.

The 25 year old then allegedly fired multiple shots striking the man, according to the Akron police.

So this is where we got to check in again and see what the mental health was of this guy because it sure doesn't sound like he was thinking logically.

My condolences to the family.

Another investigation is going on about a shooting that happened outside a local vape shop.

According to the police, officers responded to vapes or us in the 1500 block of South Hawkins Avenue around 4:45pm on Saturday.

It is somewhat alarming that all these shootings are happening in good old broad daylight.

Officers found a 23 year old man who had been shot in the leg.

He was taken to the hospital with non life threatening injuries and according to a police, a group of people were sitting in a car outside the store, got into an argument and then police said someone fired a shot inside the car.

The bullet apparently hit the victim in the leg.

The victim was able to get out of the car and according to investigators, the suspect took off from the scene.

But officers caught up with him just a few minutes later and they've not identified anyone yet.

So they're, they're still waiting on some things there.

But here again it's just we got to quit shooting each other.

Let's move on from people behaving badly to People really doing the right thing.

This is a great story.

A pregnant woman was assisted by a neighbor to escape an Akron house fire.

So this is, you know, if you think about it, the home erupted into flames.

This was last Saturday.

According to the press release from the Akron Fire Department, firefighters responded to a fire at the two story home on the 900 block of Lovers Lane in East Akron.

So again, we're in that Firestone range.

A lot of things going on in Firestone this week.

According to the release, there was heavy fire and smoke on the side and the rear of the home when Cruz arrived at the scene.

And before Cruz arrived, a neighbor was about to help a pregnant woman to safety from a second story window and no injuries were reported.

So kudos to the neighbor for helping out on, you know, when a house is up in flames and especially from a second story window.

Glad to hear, sorry to hear about the fire, but kudos for that guy or girl, whoever doesn't really say for doing the right thing and helping out your neighbor.

You know, we got some nice weather here in fall.

If you haven't been down to Canal park, you might want to do it soon because, well, it's not going to be Canal park much longer.

They're going to be renaming the park to 7:17 Credit Union Park.

And of course this is just a deal.

You know how they do this with stadiums and, and you pay them a bunch of money and you get to name the stadium.

So then of course a representative from the Duck said it's like a marriage.

It's really important to get it right.

And it comes just a month after the almost 70 year old credit union and the Rubber Ducks debuted a co branded credit card and a deal that made 717the official credit union.

So there you go.

Canal park, if you don't know, opened up in 1997 and has not had a corporate name in that time period.

And so, you know, they, when they were looking for a partner, it's really careful to pick the right one and they feel like they got a great one in the 717 credit union.

If you haven't checked the Akron events calendar, we got some good things coming up.

We got the Doobie Brothers, Leo Kotke, Andy Summers of the Police, John Waite, Katie Tunstall, Hanson.

Remember the um Bop boys?

Well, they're all grown up now.

Travis Tritz coming to the Civic Theater.

Anna Popovic is coming out to the Kent Stage.

A lot of really good stuff.

Also, ZZ Top will be at the MGM grand if you're a ZZ Top fan.

Jimmy Carr, the comedian is going to be up in Cleveland at Playhouse Square.

A lot of really interesting Tony Danza.

This is over in Warren, so it's not really right next door.

It's like 45 minutes to the east.

But Tony Danza singing Standards and Stories is going to be at the Robbins Theater in Warren.

Reuben Studdard is coming to the Goodyear Theater.

Three Dog Night will be at the MGM Grand.

A lot of great events coming our way.

Just go out to our website, akronpodcast.com and click on Events.