Kabir Bhatia

The number of human trafficking cases in Summit County is down slightly, but the crime may be evolving.

A project to learn what's needed to make one Akron neighborhood more pleasant to walk around is nearing completion.

The Cleveland International Film Fest will move next year from its longtime home at Tower City to Playhouse Square.

We recognize the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday. Akron legislator Emilia Sykes recalled Dr. King’s work as she delivered a lecture Sunday at the Akron Library in his honor.

Sykes is the minority leader in the Ohio House. She talked about some of the issues she touched on in her speech—job training, transportation, and infant mortality—and why those are civil rights issues.

At Women’s Marches around the state over the weekend, a grassroots group collected signatures as part of a drive for mandatory background checks on gun sales.

The impending closure of the last anchor store at Chapel Hill Mall could have mixed impact for the rest of the shopping center as well as the stores nearby.

Only one of the baby blue-painted escalators at JCPenney is still functioning. Since the holiday shopping season, the shelves have been looking sparse and there are temporary walls set up to move everything inward, decreasing what would have been empty floor space. Penney’s was one of the original anchors at Chapel Hill, and it’s now the last one standing – until it closes in April.

From Lake Erie to Little Italy -- and from Public Square to the public schools -- daily life in Cleveland is the subject of an exhibit opening Monday at the main library downtown.

The library’s outreach director, Aaron Mason, says there’s a gap in the archives that they don’t want to repeat.

“Around 1980 or 1990 is when most of our photographs stop. There isn’t much past that point.”

Akron Public Schools is forming a new partnership with Huntington Bank for the district’s latest College & Career Academy.

A new Akron startup wants to create a community of people interested in learning about crypto-currency.

After avoiding a water disconnection this month, Chapel Hill Mall is now facing a possible power shut down if its bill isn’t paid by January 20th. Ohio Edison issued the notice to mall tenants.

About half the stores are occupied at the mall, where the sole anchor tenant remaining is JCPenney.  It continues to attract customers like Kent State student Hannah Kurtz.

“I don’t know why [the mall] is going out of business.  Maybe it’s not in the best area?  I don’t know [maybe] they could remodel it and make it something else? I’m not sure.”

Democratic Presidential Candidate Michael Bloomberg visited Ohio for the second time in a month on Wednesday night. And he picked up an endorsement in Akron.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan endorsed Bloomberg by saying, “we’re not looking for a savior; we’re looking for a partner in the Oval Office.”

Cleveland City Council will consider tonight whether to put initiatives on this spring’s ballot that would slash the number of council members -- and their pay.

An upcoming film series at the Akron-Summit County Public library looks at how to help people re-enter society after serving time in prison.

Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan was sworn-in for a second term Saturday. He says he’s looking to build on the successes of his first term.

The Cuyahoga River received national attention this year with the 50th anniversary of the famous river fire. And one expert says 2020 could be just as busy for recreation on the river.

A Medina group thinks voters should have a say in the multi-million dollar project to build a new courthouse.

The current county courthouse was built in 1841 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. One proposal would demolish a 1969 addition to the courthouse to make way for a new city and county building.

A proposal to allow judges to publicize a party affiliation in the general election is getting bipartisan support in the Statehouse from two Northeast Ohio lawmakers.

State Rep. Stephen Hambley (R-Brunswick) State Rep. Michael Skindell (D-Lakewood) are co-sponsoring a bill to allow judges to declare party affiliation.

Hambley says it will give voters what they need to make an informed decision.

Akronites can now enjoy a new art installation downtown that features pieces created by Akronites.

Artist Mac Love is mounting a year-long exhibition of public art at his space in a large, art deco former bank lobby. The pieces are all from people who simply want to display their work publicly. Love hopes the space will become a public gathering place filled with sculpture, paintings, and music.

A new book looks back at the days when kids in Northeast Ohio could channel surf between a toymaker, a woodsman, and a Superhost.

This story was originally published on January 22, 2019.

Castalia, Ohio, is home to The Blue Hole, which was a tourist attraction for almost a century. WKSU’s “OH Really?” finds out why it’s been off-limits to the public for the last 29 years.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says the state’s voting systems are secure and ready for 2020. But Jen Miller of the League of Women Voters is concerned about voter turnout.

Kent State University’s Men’s Basketball team – the first Division I team to sign an autistic player – hosted its first “sensory-friendly” game over the weekend, bringing in people who may not always be able to enjoy college hoops in person.

The murmur of the crowd, the squealing of tennis shoes and an announcer were there, but there was no loud music, no pep band, and no flashing lights or graphics at Saturday night’s game.

Archie the Snowman – Akron’s animatronic beacon of Christmas cheer – is heading into his final weekend for the season at Chapel Hill Mall.

Annmarie Jones from Cuyahoga Falls remembers coming to the mall in the 1980s and 90s. Now, she runs The Gourmet Popper snack bar near Archie.

Officials at Cuyahoga Valley National Park are seeking additional input on e-bikes – after holding a previous period earlier this year.