Grant Money Comes to Akron's Small Businesses

It's the Akron Podcast for March 10, 2025.

Our website akron podcasts.com Akron has received a $90,000 grant from the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund to support local small businesses through financial counseling services.

The funding will enhance efforts by the Akron Financial Empowerment center, operated by the United Way of Summit and Medina counties.

Mayor Malik emphasized the city's commitment to helping entrepreneurs grow their businesses and manage personal finances.

The initiative, also backed by the Principal foundation, aims to integrate financial counseling with small business support.

Akron, having participated in the program's 2022 pilot, will now expand efforts to collaborate with local organizations and and conduct research on financial challenges faced by entrepreneurs.

This program is open to all small businesses citywide and I'll have a link in the show Notes well, this is scary.

More shootings here in Akron.

The Akron police are looking for a gunman who opened fire inside a crowded bar early Monday that injured three people.

This was at the Field House lounge in the 300 block of Paul William Street.

Happened around 2am and there were some off duty policemen there when they heard the gunshots.

They went inside and they asked for assistance.

There were two people there.

Of two of three victims.

One was an 18 year old male and a 36 year old man.

Both were taken to the hospital enlisted in critical condition.

A 25 year old man showed up at the emergency room with a grazed gunshot injury.

None of these people, their names have not been released and at the Field House Lounge a fight broke out and of course nobody can fight with their fists anymore and guns were pulled out.

Now at first I thought this wasn't fair because this concert featured Torrance Boozy Ivy Hatch Jr.

That rolls off the tongue and I'm like well let's not bring in the the artist performing on stage.

It's not really his fault if people get into a argument.

But then you find out that previous reports two people died in August of 2024 after shots were fired prior to an outdoor concert also set to include Boozy.

So okay, but it's just sad to hear that everybody seems to want to settle their arguments by pulling out their guns.

You know what's spring in the air when they start actually working on Route 8.

The ongoing reconstruction of Interstate 76 and 77 and Ohio 8 will involve an overnight ramp closing.

This starts today, the 10th and lasting through Friday morning.

I 76 westbound ramp to Ohio 8 northbound will be closed daily from 9pm to 5am so if you're, you know it's not going to affect morning drive, but if you're somebody driving at night.

That is something to keep in mind.

The detour will take I76 west to Main street and then I70 east to Ohio 8 North.

Also part of the ongoing work, Ohio 8 has been reduced to two lanes in each direction at the central interchange.

This will continue through May.

This is like the project that just keeps going.

It's like an Energizer bunny.

It just keeps going and going and going.

And it's weird because it'll sit there for months and nothing will happen.

And then all of a sudden, boom, there's a big change.

And if you're going through that way, you know, you might want to need to take a different route depending on what time you're going through there.

This just in more money coming into Akron.

Literally, as I'm recording this, I saw this come in.

If you have a creative project in mind but need a little funding to bring it to life, the Arts Forward Grant program brought to you by ArtsNow is here to help submit your idea by April 1, 2025 for a chance to receive funding and support.

You can learn more about the Summit County Cultural Plan and the application process@artsnow.org Arts Forward.

I'll have a link in the show Notes if you've ever done something stupid when you were a teenager and now you're like, yeah, well, here's the cool thing.

This is from the Summit County Executive, Eileen Shapiro.

They're hosting a Clean Slate.

This is an expungement clinic for juvenile cases disposed in Summit County.

It's this Saturday coming up.

So that is March 15th.

This is a free walk in clinic and free parking is available on site at the juvenile court.

Clean Slate is in partnership with the Summit County Juvenile Court Judge Linda Teodosio, Summit Legal Defenders and Summit County Sheriff Candy Fothery.

It is a again, it's a clinic.

It's March 15th from 9am to noon.

This is at the Summit County Juvenile Court.

That's on Dan street.

And if you have any questions, you can call 330-434-3461.

And again, if you've done something stupid, because the thing is, when you turn 18, your records are not automatically sealed and they can follow you.

And some things you don't want following you, especially if they involve the word Jagermeister.

While I wouldn't put away that snow shovel just yet, you know, there's always that last that last winter blast is like, hey, just one for you to remember me by.

There's a program called Mow Greener 2025 and registration is now open.

This is from the Summit County Public Health and you can get $150 for just switching out your mower.

Now how do you do this?

You register.

You purchase a brand new electric or battery powered mower.

Wish I would have known this.

I did this last year.

Take your old mower, your gas mower to be recycled at a scrap facility and then you turn in the receipts for a new mower and for the scrapping old gas mower.

Now according to this, households without a mower to scrap like first time home buyers can get $50 for purchasing a battery or electric mower.

The receipts must be dated in 2025.

Receipts must be legible and clearly indicate the mower details including price and the date of purchase.

And the scrap facility must be verifiable and identifiable information on the receipt.

So it's open.

I'll put a link to where you can do this out at the website if all these shootings are making you a little worried.

Well, according to the Summit county prosecutor, Elliot Kulkovich, there is a free seminar and here's what it is.

It says join us for another free workshop to learn about Ohio's concealed carry laws and how to legally and safely and responsibly carry a personal firearm.

This is March 26th, is from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Hudson City hall that's on Terrex Road in Hudson.

It is free and open to the public.

You'll learn about recent changes to concealed carry laws and how they may affect you, what gun owners can expect from law enforcement, self defense and defense of property and castle doctrine and more and best practices to safely carry and secure your weapons.

So on one end, you know, we got a lot of people shooting each other, but on the other hand, maybe the only way to protect yourself is to protect yourself.

So if that's something that interests you, it's on March 26th.

Well, if you've noticed, I'm back.

The Akron Podcast is back.

I was really.

I had just the wind taken out of me when the tool I was using for our Akron events went away.

They just like, yeah, we were done.

And I kept thinking there's got to be another tool we could use for that.

And I found one.

And so when that came back, I was like, well, let's start doing the Akron podcast again.

Now that is a monthly fee that I will be paying and if you would like to help with that, there are buttons out at the website akron podcast.com where you can donate.

Really anything helps to keep because I'M paying for the media host.

I'm paying for the website.

I'm now paying for this calendar tool.

It adds up.

And the plan now that we have this now, the events calendar is still@akronpodcast.com events not much on it right now, but I will be adding it.

So some of the things we mentioned about these events that are happening as well as if I go out there right now.

So I'm going to we're going to do this live.

Akron.

We have the Blind Boys of Alabama and Shamika Copeland, who's a great singer.

The Blind Boys, of course, are great.

That is going to be at the Kent Stage.

Donny Iris and the Cruisers are coming to the Kent stage in April.

And Brian Regan, really funny comedian, will be at the civics.

So to keep up with that, you can go to akronpodcast.com events and I'll be having the newsletter will also be resurrected to keep everyone in the loop.

Akron is a great city.

Could just stop people from shooting each other.

That would be great.

It's a great city.

Spring is right around the corner.

We're going to have lots of things to report on and I can't wait to bring it to you.

If you know somebody who listens to podcast and they happen to live in Akron, tell them to go to akronpodcast.com that's kind of what I say.

At the Outro, which is coming up right now.