Akron

Artist Don Drumm has been a fixture of the Northeast Ohio art scene for nearly 50 years. On this week’s State of the Arts WKSU’s Mark Arehart takes us behind the scenes at the sculptor’s Akron studios.

The state auditor finds signs of fiscal stress continue for several cities his office first warned in December. The analysis indicates some of those cities, including Akron and Canton, could now be on the verge of a fiscal emergency.

Seven cities are under fiscal stress in Auditor Dave Yost’s financial health indicator report. They include Akron, Canton and one of the wealthiest communities in the state, Powell in Delaware County. Nine other cities are very close to being put in that category.

Akron City Council members are considering a request from the city for 10 new speed control guns.

The request was for $18,000 to buy the guns, which would be placed in cruisers so officers can monitor speed even while driving past a vehicle.

Ben Hier lives in Highland Square near Portage Path Community Learning Center, where an unmanned traffic camera is placed during the week. He says he’d prefer the presence of an actual police officer.

“If they had cops hitting radar, it would probably significantly drop the amount of speeding that does go on.”