More information has been released in the case of the skeletal remains that were found on Marcy Street in Akron back in early January.
The Summit County Medical Examiner says the anthropology team at Mercyhurst University determined that the remains are those of a white male, 30-50 years of age (likely late 30's to early 40's) and possible between 5'9" to 6'5"(likely around 6'1" to 6'2").
The identification is still unknown. The Medical Examiner's Office will be submitting samples for a DNA profile.
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Family, friends, and even strangers are preparing for the upcoming charity event to honor University of Akron student Zak Husein who was killed last December in a pizza shop robbery. Student organizer Justin Cohen is teaming up with StopHungerNow to package food for those in need in honor of Husein.
The event is on April 19th -- but they're still in need of donations to make the event happen. More than $7,000 in donations have been collected, but the goal is set at $14,500 in order to package 50,000 meals for those in need.
Click here for more information on the upcoming charity event.
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Police Still Searching For Husein's Killer
UPDATE VIDEO 21-Year-Old Shot, Killed In Akron
Akron police are investigating a shooting that left a 24-year-old injured.
Police say Jawane T. Brooks woke up his children's mother -- who was sleeping inside her car with the kids on Wildwood Avenue -- to tell her he had been shot in the neck.
She drove Brooks to Akron General.
His injuries do not appear to be life threatening.
No suspects have been identified in the shooting.
The Akron Zoo is welcoming a litter of three snow leopard cubs -- a first in the zoo's history. It's the third litter born to Snow Leopard Shanti, but it's her first set of triplets. The cubs and their mother are currently off exhibit. They were born on March 5th.
The zoo is planning a naming contest, which is expected to be announced in a few weeks.
For the first time in our history a litter of three snow leopard cubs have been born at the Akron Zoo. This is the third...
Posted by Akron Zoo on Friday, April 1, 2016
Keep Akron Beautiful is celebrating 35 years of cleaning up the city and they're welcoming volunteers to get involved this month to transform local neighborhoods, streets and gardens.
"Last year, we had around 3,500 volunteers, and this is our 35th anniversary so we're really pushing to get even more volunteers this year," said Helen Douka.
The organization is also accepting registrations for their Community Pride and Litter and Illegal Dump Cleanup trailers -- which are filled with tools to help with projects around the city.
The 25 foot box trailers contain equipment and cleanup supplies for volunteer groups to transform local spots that are in need of a makeover.
You can pick any site in the city, but Douka is reminding volunteers that the fully equipped cleanup trailers are not for personal backyard renovations.
Confrontations between police and citizens have gained a lot of attention across the country -- including right here in Akron. That's why the city's peacemakers and police department are working to educate people on their rights and the law.
APD officer Lauri Natko is one of the instructors of the "You and the Law" program that educates citizens on their rights when stopped by police, but also focuses on the importance of open communication and respect.
She opened the workshop with a question to some of the young people in the audience -- asking them how police officers make them feel. One teen said he feels like there's a target on his back.
"We find that when we do inform them of that information, they're better citizens," said Natko. "They're better equipped to deal with that law enforcement officer."
Natko said educating residents on their rights can help both parties involved in a confrontation. It can start with simply asking the officer why he or she has stopped you.
"Citizens have those types of rights and most of them don't know that you can do that. But if you present it to us in a respectful way, you're going to get a respectful answer."
Natko goes on to explain that challenging an officer in a respectful and professional manner can help break down some of the barriers between a police officer and citizen.
"It makes me a better officer because now I have to articulate to them what my reason was for the stop. It creates a legitimacy to it."
The next workshop is this Thursday at Valley View Apartments on Springdale Street at 1:30 p.m.
Here are the upcoming workshops available:
March 31, 1:30 p.m. Valley View Apartments, 943 Springdale Street, Akron 44310
April 5, 1:30 p.m. Van Buren Apartments, 410 Pasadena Place, Barberton
April 9, Noon Kenmore Branch Library, 969 Kenmore Boulevard, Akron 44314
May 19, 5:30 p.m. Edgewood Village, 491 Vernon Odom Boulevard, Akron 44307
June 14, 1:30 p.m. Honey Locust Gardens, 3299 Prange Drive, Cuyahoga Falls
The Akron RubberDucks are adding a new mascot to their family.
"We saw how much our fans, especially the younger fans and kids at the ballpark, loved Webster so much ," said promotions coordinator Christina Urycki. "We just decided that it was time to bring on a girl and we wanted a little feminine flair to baseball."
Uyrcki says the three mascots currently on the team are not going anywhere. It just means they'll have four mascots this season.
Fans will get a chance to name the new mascot. They're taking suggestions on the team's website through April 1st and the five top finalists will compete in an online vote between April 4-7. The winner will be announced on April 8th.
Timeline of Events:
March 28 - April 1: Name submissions
April 4 - April 7: Top 5 Names Revealed
April 8: Winning Name Revealed
April 14: New Mascot Unveiled at Opening Night against Bowie
The new mascot will debut at the RubberDuck's home opener on April 14th.
Akron police are investigating a fatal crash involving a pedestrian on State Route 224 early this morning.
Police say a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near the Main St. off ramp shortly after 6 a.m. Crews blocked two lanes of traffic while police, EMS and the Summit County Medical Examiner were on scene.
Witnesses said they could see police and EMS administering CPR to the victim, reportedly hit by a truck. It's unknown why the man was on the controlled access highway on foot.
The two lanes are expected to be closed for several hours.
The identity of the victim will be released by the Medical Examiner's office once family members have been notified. Further details have not been released.
There's ten less firefighters with the Canton Fire Department. That's because the department announced a round of layoffs due to city budget negotiations .
NewsChannel 5 reports the department has been understaffed since layoffs in 2009. The department currently has 146 firefighters -- that about 30 firefighters short of what they should be operating with. The layoffs will drop the number even further to 136 by the end of April.
The cuts also mean that there are not enough firefighters to keep all eight of the fire stations open, which leaves just four fully staffed.
On the web: www.newsnet5.com