Historic Statue Broken

Today on the Akron Podcast, we got a lot of news about Highland Square Station Number two and that cute little statue out front.

Where did it go?

We're going to talk about the derbies coming to town.

Central Howard might get a facelift.

What's going on at Taco Bell and the Akron Fulton Airport?

It's the Akron podcast for Monday, July 12th.

Our website akron podcast.com a beloved piece of Akron history is temporarily missing from the front of fire station number two.

The nearly 150 year old boy and girl under Umbrella fountain statue was removed after it was damaged during an incident involving a man seeking relief from the extreme heat.

The Akron Fire Department says the man climbed into the fountain and accidentally broke the statue's umbrella.

Officials are not treating the incident as vandalism and do not plan to press charges.

The statue has stood in front of Station 2 since the early 1880s after being donated to the city by the Hill family.

Firefighters say it became a symbol of the station and even appears on one of their T shirts.

Akron Mayor Seamus Malik says the city will work with the fire department to repair and preserve the historic landmark.

The the statue is expected to return to its longtime home in front of Station 2 next spring.

Central Howard may get a facelift.

The former high school is one step closer to a major transformation.

The development team behind the Quaker Square redevelopment has agreed to purchase the historic building from the University of Akron for 2.25 million, but it's pending estate approval.

The project, called H Art, would convert the former school into a hub for artists, entrepreneurs, makers, nonprofits and small businesses.

Plans also include preserving the building's historic character while updating it with modern systems.

And developers say the 1,100 seat auditorium could once again become a community gathering space.

Supporters believe the project will complement nearby redevelopment efforts, help revitalize the neighborhood and create new opportunities for local businesses and creatives.

If approved, developers hope to begin welcoming tenants as early as next year.

For those living over in Ellet, the Akron Fulton airport received over $3 million for structural integrity upgrades to the existing taxiways.

The money comes from a Federal Aviation Administration award and will allow the airport to rehabilitate 6,000ft of paved taxiway, according to a news release.

Now this will minimize foreign object debris, extend its useful life and the investment in taxiway P will improve critical infrastructure, enhance safety and support that reliable operations and just keep the airport serving the community.

This was from the City of Akron service director.

The grant will fund the final phases of construction.

Can we take like $50 out of that 3 million.

And have somebody repaint the Akron letters that used to be.

Well, they're still there in front of the rubber bowl, which is not there anymore.

Just looks.

It used to always looks great when you're coming down triplet and you see that Akron sign and it's just in disarray.

And I know, you know, there's really nothing going on over there, but it's.

It looks cool.

And again, I don't know, four or five gallons of paint, you'd be good to go.

But.

And the other thing, since we're talking about, you know, those are small airplanes.

And there was another plane crash.

Now, luckily, this one wasn't as bad.

It didn't hit a house or anything like that.

But it.

There was a plane that went into a ditch out in Kent.

So I don't know, maybe we need to invest in some better mechanics or whoever's maintaining these planes.

It's kind of scary.

Speaking of the rubber bowl and the Akron Fulton Airport, starting this week on July 11th, get ready for the 88th year of the first Energy All American Soapbox Derby World Champion happening at Derby Downs.

It's scheduled again to start Saturday, July 11, and features more than 300 local champions and rally competition winners.

The Gravity racers will compete in three main divisions, Stock, super stock and Masters, based on age and construction skill, for a share of a $36,000 in college fund scholarships from the Bill Spiege Memorial Scholarship Fund.

The race week continues with the world championship on Saturday, July 18.

I grew up going to the derby, and it was a lot of fun.

I remember they used to have celebrities and stuff.

The thing they really need to do is find a way to get some shade on the bleachers because you just bake in the sun.

It's great fun to watch them go down.

And they're actually going a lot faster than you think.

If you stand by the track and watch them go by, they're cruising right along.

And it's kind of interesting.

The drivers age from 7 to 20, and I'm like, 20.

All right, well, whatever.

But if you see a lot of traffic or if you use George Washington Boulevard a lot, that might be an issue on those Saturdays because they are always.

In some cases, they will block off that street because they're constantly running racers up and down that street.

It's an Akron tradition.

For those of you that love Taco Bell, you may notice some ingredients missing the next time you order a chalupe or something like that, because some Taco Bell locations have temporarily removed fresh ingredients like lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole and cilantro onion mix from their menu.

As health officials investigate a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak, Ohio has reported 364 cases across 51 counties, making it the second hardest hit state behind Michigan.

The illness caused by microscopic Cyclospora parasite is commonly linked to contaminated fresh produce.

Symptoms include I love this explosive diarrhea.

Yeah, not just diarrhea, explosive diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea, fatigue and weight loss.

Most people recover.

Most like Are they not sure about that?

Most people, but some cases require antibiotics.

Health officials have not identified the exact source of the outbreak, and Taco Bell says it's removing the ingredients as a precaution.

Menu items are still available but may be served without those fresh toppings while the investigation continues.

Because if you make a run for the border, you might be running for the bathroom.

We're not sure, but at least they're taking precautions.

What is going on at Highland Square?

Akron is currently challenging Highland Tavern's liquor license for its renewal.

It's asking the Ohio Division of Liquor Control to deny the renewal of Highland Tavern's liquor license after Police responded to 40 calls for service connected to the Highland Square bar over the past two years, including numerous fights.

City officials say they're also concerned about minors attempting to enter the bar and including one juvenile who was allegedly carrying a handgun, as well as reports of patrons leaving with open containers.

Highland Tavern owner Jessica Williams disputes the city's claims, arguing the violence is happening outside the business and is primarily caused by groups of juveniles gathering in Highland Square.

The bar's attorney also says many incidents are simply reported using Highland Tavern as a landmark or rather than occurring inside the establishment.

Akron City Council has voted to formally object to the liquor license renewal, but the final decision will be made by the Ohio Division of Liquor Control after hearing if the city's objection remains in place, the tavern will remain open while the process moves forward.

Now this kind of bleeds into our next story from Fairlawn.

The Fairlawn Police Department is sending a clear message after seeing social media posts about possible teen takeover events in the city.

And the first thing we have to do is quit calling them teen takeovers.

It sounds fun.

It's a party.

It's a teen takeover.

It's a riot.

It's a planned riot.

Teen takeovers involve large groups of young people gathering through social media, and in some communities they they've led to fights, vandalism and other criminal activities.

Well, when you're not following the law in large groups.

I believe we used to call that a riot, police said.

Anyone who comes to Fair Lawn to cause trouble should expect a strong law enforcement response.

Those arrested could also be permanently banned from returning to private properties, including businesses.

Officials emphasize that shoppers, diners and employees at Summit Mall and other Fair Lawn businesses should continue to expect a safe environment with officers increasing their presence as a precaution.

Yeah, because it's the only mall we have left.

Let's not ruin that one, kids, okay?

The warning comes as several Northeast Ohio communities have dealt with similar incidents in recent months, prompting increased security measures and early youth curfews.

Yeah, here's how we fix this.

Teach our kids how to behave.

It's not simple, but that's what it boils down to.

What's going on with the city, if you didn't know.

They have continued increased law enforcement.

The city owned parking lot behind Chipotle will be chained closed at 1am Those already parked in the lot will still be able to exit until 3am Those still parked after 3am will be towed.

Well, okay, but I mean close.

You know, closing a parking lot doesn't stop people from gathering there.

Walgreens.

That lot will continue to close at midnight and any car still in the lot after that can be towed.

So in general, I don't know that I want to hang out in Highland Square after, I don't know, 8 o'.

Clock.

It's scary down there apparently.

And that's just sad because there are some really cool, unique businesses there and this is not helping.

And you know the old saying, this is why we can't have nice things.

We need to behave.

And if you're wondering why all this extra security and stuff, back on June 7, there was a shooting that occurred at 1:23am while officers nearby in Highland Square were breaking up a fight involving two women.

Investigators said two unidentified men exchanged gunfire in a nearby parking lot despite multiple police officers being within 50 yards of the scene.

A 26 year old man and a 33 year old woman, neither of whom appeared to be involved in the confrontation, were struck by gunfire.

Both were taken to a local hospital and police said the woman's injuries are believed to be not life threatening while the man is in critical condition.

This was back in June.

Investigators recovered about 20 shell casings from the shooting.

That's a whole lot of shooting.

No arrests have been announced.

This again is from June 7.

The police chief, Band Harding, said the shooting endangered numerous people despite a police being in the area.

So I'm not Really?

Sure.

Having police around, I mean, it's great.

But, you know, when the people that are there are breaking up a fight while, you know, a shootout is going on, again, we need to behave.

And as much as the mayor and I give him credit, is like, look, this is not going to be tolerated.

You know, I saw where they put up some, like, concrete barricades to kind of make it, I guess, harder to run around like crazy people.

But it's really, really crazy.

And that's where it came from.

Let's go look at the events calendar.

We got Tim McGraw out at Blossom Music center on July 17th.

Pablo Cruz will be at the Kent Stage.

On July 18th, Mike Zito and Albert Castilla will be at the Kent stage.

So if you like good guitar playing, that's there.

John Mellicamp will be at Blossom Music Center July 21.

Cinderella the lead singer, Tom Keefer.

The Tom Keefer band will be playing lock three July 23rd.

That's cool.

A conversation with Stuart Copeland.

Have I said too much?

Is at the Kent stage.

That is the drummer from the band the Police Train will be at Blossom Music center on July 25th.

Again, more great guitar playing at the Kent Stage.

Stanley Jordan trio and July 30, Evanescence will be at Blossom Music Center.

For more information because there's a lot of stuff coming.

Holy cow.

Sting.

If you're a fan of Sting, Sting is coming in November.

Just go out to akronpodcast.com events.