The Akron Children's Museum recently unveiled the brand new Music Garden during a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier in September. 

While well-visited every year, one of Akron's hidden gems may go unnoticed by many who aren't that familiar with the wonderful things happening at the Akron Children's Museum, tucked away in the corner of Lock 3. 

The Museum's Music Garden features three, oversized percussion instrument sculptures that children are encouraged to clink, clank, knock, and clang to their heart's content. 

Click here to hear more from the Akron Children's Museum Executive Director Traci Buckner and Board Member Derek Glover about the Music Garden and more happening this year. 

UPDATE: Hattie Mack was found safe and is reportedly back home. 

The Portage County Sheriff's Office is asking for the public's help finding a missing elderly woman who they say suffers from Dementia.

Hattie Mack, 77, left was driving home from West Virginia Thursday morning, but never made it back to her home in Windham.

See more now from News 5. 

A portion of State Road, between Marc Drive and Bath Road in Akron at the border of Cuyahoga Falls, was closed for hours Thursday morning, after a report of a suspicious package was called in to 911 just after 7:30 a.m. 

According to Akron Fire Lieutenant Serjie Lash, a AFD Batallion Captain responded to the area and then called in a fire crew, Hazmat, and the Summit County Bomb Squad to further investigate. 

Lt. Lash explained to the 1590 WAKR newsroom that the location of the package was right at Ascot Parkway closer to State Road. 

As of just about 10:30 Thursday morning, Akron Fire reported that the package had been detonated, or otherwise "rendered safe." 

There is no word yet on the contents of the package or any other information. 

A police report was filed last Thursday alleging that East High School Principal Vyrone Finney hit a student twice in the face after the two were involved in a verbal altercation at the school.

According to the report (see below), the incident started in an English class between the sophmore student and the teacher, security was called to the room and the student was taken to Principal Finney's office. From there, Finney escorted the student, along with security, to In School Suspension. A verbal altercation ensued, and Finney allegedly assaulted the student.

The report states that Finney admitted to striking the student "with an open hand," but claims he felt that the student was "coming at him." The student's mother was called and she reportedly declined to press charges. According to the report the incident has been sent to the Prosecutor's Office. 

Akron Public Schools responded to an inquiry from our 1590 WAKR Newsroom stating that the district has launched its own investigation into the incident and that Mr. Finney had been placed on administrative leave. 

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(AKRON POLICE - WARNING: Strong Language) **** ****, a sophomore at East High School, reported a physical altercation between him and the school principal, Vyrone Finney. **** told officers that the whole incident started while he was in English class. **** stated he had an issue with his English teacher and that the teacher called for security because **** would not go to a "buddy room" as instructed. School security made their way to his English class room and gave him the option to go to the buddy room or go to Principal Finney's office. **** chose to go to Mr. Finney's office and together, they called his mother to inform her of the incident. **** said that Mr. Finney then escorted him up to ISS (in school suspension). Once at the ISS room, **** claims that Mr Finney instructs the ISS teacher that **** is to spend the rest of the day in ISS. **** states that they agreed upon him spending only one period in ISS before returning to normal classes. **** said the two began to argue and that he commented on how tight Mr. Finney's suit was to which Mr. Finney laughed and said that he got it from ****'s mother. **** grew increasingly angry but stated he was able to keep his cool. **** said that he then went back down to the office to ask to call his mother back and to have her verify the agreed upon ISS punishment. **** claims that both the office workers and Mr. Finney tell him that he was not able to call his mother. **** said he then tried to go to his counselor to see if they would let him call home but they also said no. **** said that by this time, both security and Mr. Finney were in the hallway outside his counselor's office and instructed him to leave the building. **** states he got a drink and then walked down to the office with Mr. Finney following. **** said that he then took a seat in the office and that is when officers arrived. **** said that Mr. Finney told him to leave but he replied that he would not leave. **** was told by officers that he would be arrested if he did not leave and **** said that this got him thinking that he really needed to leave. **** goes on to say that Mr. Finney told him that he was now suspended for three days and he asked to see the paperwork. **** admits to calling Mr. Finney a "bitch" and that Mr. Finney then tells him he will be suspended for ten days if he makes him do paperwork. **** admits to calling Mr. Finney a "lazy ass bitch" and goes to stand up to leave the school. **** said that Mr. Finney then came at him and hit him in the face. **** says he was hit twice before officers were able to separate him and Mr. Finney. **** then said he left the school and made his way home. Officers spoke with Mr. Finney who said that **** was being disrespectful and was not listening to him or security. Mr. Finney said that **** has been a problem student with previously documented incidents. Mr. Finney stated that he felt **** was coming at him when he went to stand up so he admitted to striking **** with an open hand to the face. Mr. Finney told officers that, "I was not in the mood the be called a bitch today." Officers observed the altercation but did not observe any injuries to either party. Officers called ****'s mother, **** ****, and informed her of the incident. **** declined to press charges at this time and was advised that a report would still be made due to the nature of the incident. School security footage captured the incident and BWC captured the phone call with ****. APS administration and human resources were on scene to handle their side of the incident. Sgt. Kuznik on scene.

The special investigative unit of the Akron Police that was formed in February of this year and designed specifically to investigate cold case sexual assaults, is getting more federal money courtesy of the US Department of Justice.

According to a press release from the City of Akron (see below), the Akron Sexual Assault Kit Initiative is getting $1.9 Million over the course of the next three years. The money will be spread out across the Akron Police Department, Summit County Prosecutor's Office, Victim Assistance Program of Summit County, and the Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit.

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(CITY OF AKRON) The Akron Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (ASAKI) Team is growing!  ASAKI, a multi-disciplinary, community response team that formed in February 2019 to investigate and prosecute cold case sexual assaults, has been awarded a second grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to enhance the team and expand its impact. 

In 2018, the Akron Police Department (APD) was awarded an initial 3-year grant (2019-2021) for nearly $1 million that provided the personnel, supplies, technology, and management systems necessary to form and support the ASAKI team.  That funding created three new detective positions, a civilian administrative position, and supported new case management software as well as the partial costs of a Summit County prosecutor and a victim assistance advocate who work with the investigators on the team.

Now, the City of Akron is proud to announce that ASAKI will receive an additional $1,980,292 over three years (2020-2022) to enhance the team.  The grant will fund additional community partner personnel, adding a research and evaluation component, and expanding evidence-based, trauma-informed investigation training for all members of the APD Investigative Subdivision.

 New funding for current members of ASAKI includes:

·        Akron Police Department: $73,953 for overtime for detectives

·        Summit County Prosecutor’s Office: $645,109 for a full-time prosecutor and paralegal

·        Victim Assistance Program of Summit County: $263,835 for 1.5 full-time victim advocates (which makes 2 full-time advocates when combined with the 2018 funding) and partial funding for a supervisor

·        Rape Crisis Center of Medina and Summit Counties: $535,262 for 2 full-time victim advocates and a victim therapist

“This grant will help continue the difficult work of investigating these cold cases, convicting rapists, and potentially preventing future sexual assaults,” Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh said.  “This new resource will provide my office with the tools needed to prosecute more offenders and assist my mission of keeping Summit County safe.”

This new funding also allows APD to add two new partners to the ASAKI team who will assist with the ultimate goal of cultural and institutional change in the way law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the community responds to sexual assaults.

ASAKI is partnering with the researchers from the Begun Center for Violence Prevention Research and Education at Case Western Reserve University’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. The CWRU research team will receive $425,000 to collect and analyze information on the sexual assaults to better understand offending patterns and how to help improve our jurisdiction’s response to sexual assault.

“By working in collaboration with APD, we can help change how sexual assaults are handled in the criminal justice system and how the system and society view sexual assaults, victims, and offenders,” said Rachel Lovell, PhD, the lead researcher on the project. 

APD is also partnering with Dr. Patrick Palmieri of the Summa Health Traumatic Stress Center which will receive $20,000. ASAKI team members are trained in Trauma Informed Sexual Assault Investigation and Prosecution and Forensic Experiential Trauma Interview (FETI).  Dr. Palmieri will work with them to develop a customized and condensed evidence-based training on trauma-informed investigation that will be provided to APD’s entire Investigative Subdivision.

“This training not only improves the experience for survivors and witnesses experiencing trauma, but also improves investigations as a whole by yielding better information that can be used to pursue justice in these cases,” Akron Police Chief Ken Ball said.  

For more information about the work of the ASAKI team, please visit www.sakitta.org/akron.

Norton Police are asking the public's help finding a suspect they say broke into several units at the Barber Road Storage in Norton. 

According to the videos, the incident occured the early morning of September 19th. 

Anyone with information is asked to call Norton Police Detective Connell at 330.706.0084 Ext. 128. 

Calling all photogs! 

The City of Akron is looking for your best pictures of city-managed parks, one of which will be featured on the cover of the city's "Hey Akron!" magazine. 

"The (Parks Photo Contest) is about celebrating our beautiful parks and encouraging residents to get out and enjoy these public spaces. It will also allow us to showcase a park, and what makes it great, through a citizen's eyes. This is a chance to have a photo featured in a publication with a robust Akron audience, so I'm hoping a lot of people take advantage of the opportunity, "Mayor Dan Horrigan said." 

The submission deadline is now Monday, October 7th. 

Contest Rules:

• Any photo submitted must be a recent photo (within the last 12 months), taken in a City of Akron Park. A full list of City of Akron parks can be found here.
• You may submit up to 2 photos.
• Photos will be judged by a panel consisting of City of Akron Mayor's Office staff.
• Contest is for Akron residents only.
• All photos must be original work of the contestant and never been the subject of a copyright.
• Photos including people must include written consent of subject or of subject’s guardian.
• Winner must have a high-res version of the photo. Must be able to provide the name of the park that the photo was taken in, name of the photographer, and a home address for the winner to verify that all rules have been complied with.
• All photos submitted shall become the property of the City of Akron upon submission and may be used in future publications including but not limited to the Hey Akron! Magazine and City of Akron’s website and social media pages. Photographer credit will be noted alongside all published photo(s).

To enter, residents can send their photos to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The winner will be announced via the City of Akron Mayor’s Office social media pages by the end of October. Follow here for updates, or for more ways to submit photos online: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

U.S. Marshals, along with the help of several local law enforcement agenices, were able to catch up with and arrest 63 people, all who were wanted fugitives. 

Below is the full press release from the Marshals office: 

Akron, Ohio –U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott, Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball and Summit County Sheriff Stephen Barry announce the conclusion the Rubber City Roundup, which was conducted in Akron last week.

The Rubber City Roundup was a Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task led multiagency warrant initiative conducted in Akron from Sept. 16 – 20. In total, the task force arrested 63 wanted fugitives who were wanted for crimes of sexual assault, assault, burglary, narcotic offenses, weapons offenses and failure to register as a sex offender. The task force also seized 5 firearms: 3 rifles and 2 handguns. The fugitive task force targeted fugitives wanted in and around the Akron area for violent crimes. Task force divisions from the Canton and Cleveland areas assisted in the operation.

Akron Police Chief Kenneth Ball stated, “The goal of this warrant operation was to show a strong law enforcement presence and arrest as many violent fugitives as possible. Last week, all law enforcement agencies involved demonstrated commitment to keeping Akron a safe place by arresting over 60 fugitives.”

Summit County Sheriff Steve Barry added, “We are proud of not only these arrests by the NOVFTF, but of the efforts they put forth every day to take violent people off the streets!”

Participating Agencies for the Summer Sweep Operation: United States Marshals Service, Akron Police Department, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Tallmadge Police Department, Norton Police Department, Bath Township Police Department, Copley Police Department, University of Akron Police Department, Hudson Police Department, Cuyahoga Falls Police Department, Ohio State Patrol, North Canton Police Department, Perry Township Police Department, New Philadelphia Police Department, Carrollton Police Department, Stark County Sheriffs, Cleveland Police Department, and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department

One of the GREATEST days of all of our lives and @CavsFredMcLeod called it all with his buddy A.C! ???❤️ https://t.co/q8r7go14IB

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 10, 2019

(Cavaliers) It is with the most extreme sadness that the Cleveland Cavaliers share that Cavs and Fox Sports Ohio play-by-play announcer Fred McLeod died suddenly Monday evening. The entire Cavaliers organization mourns the loss of their great friend and teammate. Fred’s deep love for Cleveland and the Cavaliers was clearly evident in everything he did in and around the community and on-air during his more than 1,000 Cavalier game broadcasts. He was a true, heart-felt ambassador for the team, fans and entire greater Cleveland community.

The Cavaliers extend our deepest condolences to Fred’s entire family, including his wife Beth, mother Marilyn, sister Lynn, and his three children, Sean, Jenna, Molly and each of their families.

Fred was born and grew up in nearby Strongsville, Ohio. He was the Cavaliers television play-by-play announcer on FOX Sports Ohio since the 2006 season. He was about to embark on his 14th consecutive season, and 15th overall, as he served in the same capacity with the Cavs during the 1979-80 season.

In addition to his play-by-play duties, Fred also served as the Cavaliers’ Executive Producer for Multimedia, providing fans behind-the-scenes access on Cavs.com, Cavs HQ, Twitter and Facebook with daily updates and interviews during the season.

One of the most accomplished and respected announcers in the NBA, Fred recently celebrated his 36th season of broadcasting games, having also spent 22 seasons announcing Detroit Pistons games, prior to returning home to join the Cavaliers in 2006. Fred spent the 1979 MLB baseball season in Cleveland as well, as a TV announcer for the Cleveland Indians. His diverse and extensive sports broadcasting career also included time with the NFL’s Detroit Lions and MLB’s Detroit Tigers.

Fred was a multiple regional Emmy Award winner as part of the Fox Sports Ohio Cavs broadcast crew, along with his beloved game broadcast partner Austin Carr. He was also a proud recipient of the National Academy of Arts and Sciences’ prestigious Silver Circle Award in recognition of lifetime achievement in television.

Fred was a Point Park University (Pittsburgh) graduate, where he played baseball and pitched in the NAIA College World Series.

Statement from the Gilbert family regarding Fred McLeod:

“Fred McLeod was truly a one-of-a-kind person and friend. Words cannot express our feelings as we think about the many special memories we have of Fred and a relationship that spans four decades. We will miss him tremendously.

Fred was not only a great broadcaster and communicator that informed, explained and entertained, but he passionately embodied the Cavaliers ‘All for One. One for All.’ DNA in every aspect of his life.

He had the gift of connecting with everyone he interacted with and leaving them feeling happier, stronger, more positive, and valued. Fred has left an impactful, lasting legacy in Cleveland, Detroit and beyond.

Our family extends our deepest and warmest sympathies to Fred’s entire family, including his wonderful wife Beth, mother Marilyn, sister Lynn, and his three children, Sean, Jenna, Molly and each of their families."

In the wake of recent severe weather that's caused damage in and around the Greater Akron area, Akron Police are warning residents to be cautious of bogus contractors offering deals on home repairs.

The Better Business Bureau has a list of tips for homeowners, advising first and foremost to do your research. 

See that full list below: 

- Contact your insurance company- ask about your policy coverage and filing requirements

- Do your research- get references and check to see if they are licensed

- Resist high-pressure sales- they will try to sell you on a “good deal” if you hire them on the spot

- Be especially careful of door-to-door contractors- ask for identification and see if their vehicle has the business name and phone number to verify if they are legitimate

- Don’t sign over insurance checks to the contractor- get an invoice and pay them directly

- Be wary regarding places you can’t see- unethical contractors may create damage to get work

Additional information can be found on the Better Business Bureau website at bbb.org