The lineup for this summer's WGC Bridgestone Invitational is starting to firm up with the world's best golfers making their way to Firestone Country Club the first weekend of August. Masters champ Sergio Garcia along with U.S. Open champ Brooks Koepka and last year's British Open winner Henrik Stenson will be on the list.

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(PGA/WGC Bridgestone) On the eve of the third major of the year at The Open Championship, tournament officials at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational have announced that major champions Sergio Garcia, Brooks Koepka and Henrik Stenson have committed to playing the Bridgestone Invitational, with both Garcia and Koepka in search of their first World Golf Championships title. The final World Golf Championships event of the 2016-2017 PGA TOUR Season, the Bridgestone Invitational returns to Firestone Country Club’s South Course Aug. 2-6, 2017.Garcia, who broke through for his first major title at the 2017 Masters, came close to lifting the Gary Player Cup in Akron in 2014. A second-round 61, which is tied for the low round in the history of the Bridgestone Invitational, led to the Spaniard taking a three-stroke lead into the final round. But after a closing 1-over 71, Garcia finished two back of eventual champion Rory McIlroy.In 51 previous appearances in a World Golf Championships event, Garcia’s solo runner-up finish represents his top result.Koepka followed Garcia as the second major champion minted in 2017 with his four-stroke triumph at the U.S. Open. Two starts removed from his win at Erin Hills, Koepka will return to Firestone Country Club for his second career appearance and first since 2015, where four rounds in the 60s yielded a tie for sixth.The now two-time PGA TOUR winner is currently No. 7 in the U.S. Presidents Cup standings. If he goes on to make his Presidents Cup debut at Liberty National in September, it will ensure a spot in the field at the 2018 Bridgestone Invitational.While Garcia and Koepka’s career-defining wins from earlier this year are still fresh in their minds, Stenson has put a cap on a full year with the Claret Jug in his possession following his win at the 2016 Open Championship. The sweet-swinging Swede will look to regain the Claret Jug for another 365 days before making the trip to Akron for his ninth appearance in the Bridgestone Invitational. The winner of the 2007 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, Stenson has seemingly found a rhythm at Firestone’s South Course, logging top-10 finishes in two of his previous three trips to Northeast Ohio. Stenson fell short against a charging Tiger Woods in 2013 en route to a T2 result, and added a T6 finish in 2015.The next two weeks are critical for those players who have yet to secure a spot into the season’s final World Golf Championships event. Players still have the opportunity to qualify by either winning an event with an Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) Strength of Field Rating of 115 points or more or by being inside the top 50 of the OWGR as of either Monday, July 24 or Monday, July 31.

Update: Savannah found SAFE! Thanks for your help and concern!

Portage County deputies issuing a "missing child alert" -- it's NOT an AMBER Alert that normally shows the child to be in danger.

Police are looking for 16-year old Savannah Hopper, last seen around midnight yesterday in the Slagle Road area in Windham. She's described a 5'4", abpit 115 pounds with blond or strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes.

Again, this is NOT an AMBER Alert.

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(Portage County Sheriff) AN ENDANGERED MISSING CHILD ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED BY PORTAGE COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE FOR THE FOLLOWING REGIONS:

STATEWIDE

WHILE THIS IS NOT AN AMBER ALERT, THE CHILD IS BELIEVED TO BE IN DANGER.
SAVANNAH WAS LAST SEEN ON 7/18/2017 AT HER RESIDENCE IN WINDHAM, OHIO. LAW ENFORCEMENT IS CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY.

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR A MISSING OR ABDUCTED CHILD FROM PORTAGE COUNTY, OH. LAST SEEN ON 8460 SLAGLE ROAD IN THE CITY OF WINDHAM AT 7/18/2017 12:00:00 AM.

INFORMATION AS OF 07/19/2017 10:34 AM.

CHILD: SAVANNAH HOPPER
NICKNAME/ALIAS:
DOB: 5/29/2001 16 Yrs old
SEX: Female
RACE: White
HEIGHT: 5'4" WEIGHT: 115 lbs
HAIR: Blonde or Strawberry
EYES: Blue
LAST SEEN DATE: 07/18/2017 12:00 AM

As expected, lawyers for three condemned killers are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in after the full Sixth Circuit Appeals Court ruled against their bid to halt their executions.

Among the three is Akron's Ronald Phillips, scheduled to die July 26 for the 1993 rape and murder of his girlfriend's three year old daughter, Sheila Marie Evans.

The defense lawyers say they need more time to appeal the state's use of a new drug execution method.

A couple of locals making the U.S. Marshal's northern Ohio "Most Wanted" list. Akron's Mark Clay has been wanted since April 26th when he was ID'd as one of two men who broke into a woman's home, held her at gunpoint and searched the home for valuables. He may still be in the Akron area. Canton's Maurice Stewart is wanted on a slew of drug and weapons charges since November of last year; he has a prior conviction for involuntary manslaughter of a police officer and is considered armed and dangerous, and is believed to be part of a drug ring that reaches into Detroit, Toledo and West Virginia.

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(U.S. Marshal) U.S. Marshal Peter J. Elliott has released the July 2017 updated “Dangerous Dozen” list of most wanted fugitives for the Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF). The following fugitives were added to replace the five vacancies:

Joshua Pallitta is a Toledo fugitive wanted for unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Investigators believe Mitchell has ties in throughout Northwest Ohio and Upper Michigan.

William Shannon is a Mansfield area fugitive wanted for weapons offenses since April of 2017. Shannon has ties to the Mansfield area, however he may have fled the area after his warrant was issued.

Maurice Stewart (seen at left) is a Canton area fugitive wanted by the U.S. Marshals and the FBI for numerous counts of drug trafficking and weapons violations. In November of 2016, during a fugitive investigation, large quantities of heroin and crystal methamphetamine, as well as several firearms were located in a house where Stewart was living. Stewart is believed to be part of a larger drug trafficking operation with ties to Detroit, Canton, Toledo and West Virginia. Stewart has a previous conviction for Involuntary Manslaughter on a Police Officer. He is considered Armed and Dangerous.

Mark Clay (seen above) is an Akron area fugitive wanted for aggravated robbery, abduction and aggravated burglary. It is alleged that On April 26, 2017 Clay and an unknown accomplice broke into a 62 year old woman’s home. Clay and the accomplice held their victim at gunpoint until they searched her home for valuables. The men fled the scene in a grey SUV. Clay has strong ties throughout the Akron area.

Vincent Lee is a Lorain area fugitive wanted for a homicide that occurred in Lorain on January 4, 2017. Lee allegedly shot and killed a 26 year old male at a residence located on the 3300 block of Reid Ave. in Lorain. Lee has ties throughout Lorain but he may have fled the area.

All of the fugitives on the “Dangerous Dozen” should be considered dangerous individuals and should not be approached by the general public. If anyone has information concerning the location of these fugitives, they are encouraged to contact the NOVFTF toll free at (866) 4WANTED or text keyword WANTED and your tip to TIP411 (847411). Tipsters may remain anonymous.

A mother last saw her eight year old son playing with ducks at Springfield Lake -- less than an hour before he was found dead in the water. Springfield police identified the boy as eight-year old Brandon Travis Kitts, Jr. of Bank Street in Akron.

The boy was recovered but pronounced dead at Akron Children's Hospital.

The Akron family had apparently warned children not to swim in the lake but the children were cooling off at Springfield Lakefront Park Saturday evening.

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(Springfield PD) While at the East End of Springfield Lake the juvenile had gone missing. The reporting party states it was 45 minutes since she had last seen him and that was was chasing ducks westward down the lake front the last time she saw him. The reporting party stated the child was not familiar with the area and did not know how to swim. Springfield Fire as well as Green Fire and Coventry Fire responded to assist with the search for lthe child, who was located in the water by the fire departments and was transported to Akron Children's Hospital where he was pronounced deceased.

The Stark County Sheriff is releasing more 9-1-1 recordings from Monday's police shootout on a domestic dispute call that led to a wounded police officer and the death of the man holding a gun with family members in the home. The chilling call from the father of 28-year old Ryan Probst is chilling and disturbing as he begs his family to get out of the house, while pleading with his son to drop the weapon. When asked if he'd called police, the father said yes and then told the dispatcher he'd been shot by what he thought were blanks. The call continued as Probst's father repeated he thought his son just had blanks in the gun as police were arriving at 11599 Lela Avenue NW.

During the exchange between the younger Probst and police, shots were exchanged. Sgt. David White of the Uniontown PD was hit four times and has undergone at least two surgeries at Akron City hospital. Uniontown police chief Harold Britt reports he is in stable condition and doing well, considering the circumstances. Probst died in the gun battle. Both White and the other Uniontown officer remain on paid leave; the Stark County Sheriff is investigating the incident.

WARNING some of the language in the unedited 9-1-1 call may be objectionable

Green is looking for some light-fingered thieves ransacking unlocked cars -- getting away with cash, credit cards, purses and even weapons. Home video caught some of the thefts and the Sheriff's office is hoping you'll recognize one of the suspects and call them.

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(Summit Sheriff) The Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating numerous vehicle break-ins and a motor vehicle theft which occurred throughout the City of Green.

The thefts occurred on the evenings of July 5th and 6th. The suspects entered unlocked vehicles and stole various items including but not limited to weapons, cash, credit cards, and purses. In addition, the suspects stole a white 2010 Lincoln Navigator, bearing Ohio Registration CLGO01. The vehicle contained several weapons.

The incident was captured on home surveillance video. One suspect appears to be a black male wearing glasses. Anyone with information should contact the Summit County Sheriff's Office at 330-643-2131. Tips leading to a successful conviction may be eligible for a cash award through Summit County Crimestoppers.

Here's something you normally don't see at a football game: lots of guys wearing black and white around a guy who's wearing an all-white robe and cap.

Seven members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame including Franco Harris, Ronnie Lott and Floyd Little met with Pope Francis at the Vatican today. The Pope even blessed their Gold Jackets; Hall of Fame officials invited the Pope to visit Canton in 2020 during the Hall's Centennial Celebration.

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(Pro Football HOF) Led by seven Gold Jackets – CURTIS MARTIN, CHRIS DOLEMAN, FRANCO HARRIS, JIM TAYLOR, RONNIE LOTT, FLOYD LITTLE and 2017 Enshrinee JERRY JONES – along with Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees Chairman Randy Hunt, and trip organizers Hall of Fame Board Member Stephen Schott and Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, Carl A. Anderson, Pope Francis greeted and addressed this historic occasion at 8:57 a.m. local time at the Vatican today.

"I am pleased to greet you, the members and directors of the American Pro Football Hall of Fame and welcome you to the Vatican. Teamwork, fair play and the pursuit of personal excellence are the values — in the religious sense, we can say virtues that have guided your commitment, on and off the field" said the Pope, the first ever Pontiff from South America and the first ever Jesuit Pontiff. "These values meet the needs of our brothers and sisters and combat the exaggerated individualism, indifference and injustice that hold us back from living as one human family".

His Holiness then personally greeted and blessed the Gold Jackets, their wives, Hall of Fame board members and their wives, Hall staff members, as well as dignitaries from the Knights of Columbus.

Hunt offered the Pontiff the Hall's support of a worldwide conference on sports and invited His Holiness to attend the Centennial Celebration in Canton, Ohio on September 17, 2020.

The U.S. Marshal's office reporting a two-fer on this Tuesday. Among the fugitives corraled was a Garfield heights man wanted for attempted murder and rape, tracked down to a home on Prange Avenue in Cuyahoga Falls where 38-year old John Eskridge was found hiding in a bedroom. Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force members also picked up 23-year old Damon Chapman; he was wanted in connection with a Cleveland gas station murder in April.

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(US Marshal) Yesterday afternoon and into the evening, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Damon Chapman, 23 and John Eskridge, 38. Chapman was wanted for homicide by the Cleveland Police Department and Eskridge was wanted by the Garfield Heights Police Department for aggravated assault, domestic violence, and gross sexual imposition. He is also wanted by the Adult Parole Authority for parole violations, with an underlying offense of attempted murder and rape. Eskridge has also failed to report his change of address with the
Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department for his requirements to register as a sex offender causing a warrant to be issued for his arrest.

It is alleged that on April 9th, Chapman shot and killed a man walking out of a gas station in Cleveland’s Broadway-Slavic Village neighborhood. Members of the task force gathered information that Chapman was staying at a home near the 2100 block of E. 85th St. in Cleveland. Task force officers made entry into the home and located Chapman hiding in the attic. Chapman was transported to the Cleveland Police Department.

Eskridge allegedly violently assaulted his girlfriend and two of her teenage children and attempted to sexually assault one as well. These crimes occurred on January 10th, 2017. Eskridge was featured as the Fugitive of the Week at the end of February and though several tips came in the task force was unable to locate Eskridge. After four months, hard work and perseverance paid off. Task force members discovered that Eskridge was staying at a residence around the 3400 block of Prange Ave. in Cuyahoga Falls.

Officers entered the home and found Eskridge hiding in an upstairs bedroom. Eskridge was transported to the Cuyahoga Co. Jail. U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott said, “We were two for two tonight. Anytime you take a murderer and a rapist off the street is a great night for law enforcement and a great night for the community."

Columbus-based Huntington Bank is adding more jobs to the footprint it took over with the addition of the former First Merit Bank. The addition of 100 more jobs to the already-existing Akron workforce of 1,100 will bring to 1,200 the Huntington employment based around the company's downtown headquarters off Cascade Plaza. The announcement was made by Huntington CEO Steve Steinour, local regional President Nick Browning and Mayor Dan Horrigan and includes more details of the package the City is using to not only help spur more investment by Huntington, but also to help improve the infrastructure around the bank. That includes improvements to Cascade Plaza and continued support by Huntington of it's operations center and work on the Cascade Hotel project, 

The State of Ohio is also kicking in $225,000 to be used for employee training. Hiring is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

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(Huntington Bank) Huntington Bank today renewed its commitment to Akron announcing plans for workforce employment of 1,200 by the end of 2017 and a path to sustained and new local employment through 2022. 

Akron’s Mayor, Daniel Horrigan joined Huntington’s CEO, Steve Steinour, and Akron Regional President, Nick Browning, today at Huntington’s downtown office complex at Cascade Plaza for the company’s announcement of its local employment plans. As part of the merger with FirstMerit in 2016, Huntington committed to prioritize sustained levels of Akron employment. In doing so, Huntington has retained a current Akron workforce of more than 1,100 employees, will increase overall employment within the city to 1,200 by the end of the year, and is incentivized to continue employment expansion in Akron.

“From day one, the city of Akron provided a warm welcome to Huntington. We couldn’t succeed here without the community’s trust and support, and we’re proud to meet our commitment to grow jobs in Akron,” said Steinour. “The Mayor, the city and JobsOhio are outstanding partners who helped us deliver job growth in an important operations hub for Huntington. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to finding meaningful ways to demonstrate our passion for helping people and making lives better in Northeast Ohio.” 

“Today marks a key milestone in our partnership with Huntington. With this agreement, Huntington has proven its commitment to the ongoing stability and economic success of the Akron community, and has demonstrated that Akron plays a key role in its future,” Mayor Horrigan said of the announcement. “By growing jobs here, Huntington will support our citywide goals of increasing our population and ensuring robust employment opportunities for our residents. I thank Huntington for being a valued corporate citizen and look forward to working together toward our shared growth and success.”

As further support for Huntington’s employment growth in Akron, JobsOhio is also providing $225,000 in grant funding in support of new employee training and onboarding costs. “Huntington had many options on where to place a new regional headquarters, and Huntington chose Akron,” said Valentina Isakina, JobsOhio managing director for financial services. “This commitment demonstrates the growing recognition of the talent quality in Northeast Ohio, and JobsOhio is pleased to support another project that helps grow this talent in the state.”  

Building improvements 

As part of the agreement, Huntington and the city have undertaken and plan many improvements to Cascade Plaza and its buildings complex. The city will replace and upgrade Cascade Plaza parking deck lighting and improve directional parking signage. The city also will restore Cascade Plaza’s back stairs overlooking Quaker Street as part of overall restoration plans for Cascade Plaza Hotel, which also may include construction of an access road from Bowery Street to the hotel. 

Huntington has invested more than $5 million in completed or ongoing improvements at its operations center at 295 FirstMerit Circle, 3 Cascade Plaza and Huntington Tower. Improvements include temporary call center expansion at 3 Cascade Plaza and long-term call center expansion at 295 FirstMerit Circle. Huntington also installed building signage atop Huntington Tower and on 3 Cascade Plaza in May. 

”Partnering with local government, supporting a robust and talented local workforce and maintaining vibrant buildings where we our colleagues and customers live and work are among the many ways Huntington invests in our local Akron community,” said Browning.