Displaying items by tag: Highland Square

Akron Police say a 69-year-old man set himself on fire outside of Angel Falls coffee shop in Highland Square over the weekend. 

Reports say the man walked into the coffee shop after 9 a.m. and began ranting about the anti-Trump protest that happened in Highland Square earlier in the week. Witnesses say he approached customers who were sitting inside the cofee shop and asked if they knew who organized the protest. 

He was asked to leave and then reportedly walked behind the establishment and pulled out a gas can. He then doused himself in gasoline and lit himself on fire. Residents of the area rushed to his aid with fire extinguishers. He was transported to Akron Children's Hospital and treated at the burn unit where he remained in stable condition as of early Monday morning. 

1590 WAKR has reached out to Akron Police for comment. 

The fifth annual Porch Rokr Music and Art Festival is taking over Highland Square on Saturday.

The event will feature over 130 bands on 40 porches and four stages performing all day in the Akron neighborhood.

Kurt Reed is on the performers committee for Porch Rokr. He spoke with WAKR's Jason Sokol about the difficult task of choosing which bands will play at the festival. 

"We do take the time to listen to every single band", he says. "So know that if you didn't make it in to this year's Porch Rokr, there were committee members arguing over whether you should be picked or not for many hours."

The festival also includes art vendors, food trucks, and a silent disco where local DJs will spin songs that can only be heard with headphones that will be provided.

Katie Carver Reed with Porch Rokr tells us it's a team effort to put on the event which is done strictly by volunteers. 

"No one is paid to put on Porch Rokr", she says. "So we have on the day of the event around 60 or so volunteers that wake up bright and early to set up the stages, put out the signage, and to make sure that you have an enjoyable experience".

Local band The Dreemers will headline on the main stage around 7:15 PM.

A full schedule of events and a band lineup is available at HighlandSquareAkron.org

More than a dozen people are looking for a place to stay after a fire broke out at a Highland Square apartment building early Wednesday morning.

Akron firefighters found smoke pouring out of the windows at the apartment complex on South Highland Avenue, and saw people climbing out the windows.

Lt. Sirjie Lash with Akron Fire says that a later search found a man inside unresponsive, and firefighters went to work to save him

"And our firefighters actually performed CPR on that patient," Lt. Lash tells WAKR.net, "and at this point in time (late Wednesday afternoon) that patient is still alive."

Two people were taken to hospitals, and two people were treated for minor injuries on the scene.

The Red Cross is working to help the residents find shelter.

To say that Akron firefighters were busy Friday morning is an understatement.

After battling an early morning house fire, firefighters made a quick turnaround to head over to an elementary school -- delivering hundreds of coats, hats and gloves to students.

Hundreds of students lined up in the cafeteria at McEbright CLC to make sure their new coat fit just right. Each coat was personalized with the students' name -- hats and gloves included.

Firefighter Matt Coleman organized this year's Operation Warm event.

"It gives all of us firemen a perspective on the meaning of Christmas and getting to come out and touch the community in a different way," said Coleman.

Click the image below to view additional photos from the Operation Warm event.

But before some firefighters could prepare for Friday's coat delivery, they were busy battling a house fire on Marvin Avenue in Highland Square.

"Four of these guys pulled a guy out a building and save him around 7:45 this morning. They went back, took a shower and now they're here handing out coats."

Just hours before, half of the firefighters at the event were battling a house fire on Marvin Avenue in Highland Square around 6 a.m. The blaze left one man with first and second degree burns. The man was found about eleven minutes after fire crews arrived had to be rescued. At least one other person escaped without help.

Mike Kranek was one of the firefighters who responded to the morning blaze, but he wanted to make he didn't miss out on this year's Operation Warm event.

"Some of these kids probably don't have much of a Christmas so if we can do a little something to make they're day better, that's what it's all about," said Kranek.

It was a morning filled with emotions for Kranek and his fellow firefighters.

"You're going a 100 miles a minute going to the fire, and then you deal with the fire and you're exhausted," said Kranek. "And then you go home to take an shower and you get rejuvenated because you know this is important."