:19 - The wrath of God came down on the Houston Astros, as Major League Baseball suspended their manager and GM over stealing signs with the use of technology. Ray and Tony talked about the repercussions, though they didn’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to sign stealing in general.

7:34 - The ongoing saga of Chapel Hill Mall continues, as back taxes and utilities keep piling up. So what is the future and how soon will that future become the present? Summit County Executive Ilene Shapiro stopped by the studio to discuss the next step.

19:07 - Yesterday, we had Barberton superintendent Jeff Ramnytz on board to talk about some players on the basketball team sitting during the National Anthem. Today, Barberton mayor Bill Judge shared his thoughts during the backlash.

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:19 - The white smoke has come from Berea, as the Browns have their new head coach. Brian Dulik, sportswriter from the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram and the Medina Gazette, shared his thoughts on Kevin Stefanski and the process in hiring yet another first-time head coach.

7:19 - Ray and Tony talked more about Stefanski and Paul DePodesta and the impact of the analytics culture.

13:56 - Some members of the Barberton High School basketball team have decided to sit in front of the American flag during the National Anthem. While this has been supported by some and scrutinized by others, Barberton superintendent Jeff Ramnytz has opted in favor of free speech for the students. He plead his case with Ray.

21:00 - To wrap up the podcast, Dr. Gary Riggs talked about the aging process of dogs and how to better understand that process.

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In the heart of January, where the snow and wind nip the noses of everyone young and old, it was nice to talk baseball and the boys of summer. And for a good cause, to boot.

The WAKR Speaker Series brought the long-time voice of the Cleveland Indians, Tom Hamilton, to St. George Fellowship Center in Fairlawn for an hour-long sit-down on all things Tribe. Hosted by Sr. Vice President of Public Affairs, Bob DiBiasio, the conversation touched on the team itself to the hot stories going on around baseball. Hamilton, a Wisconsin native, talked about his rise to calling major league games, to recapping the last decade of Indians baseball, the hiring and impact of Terry Francona, to how the Tribe will look in the 2020 season.

Proceeds from this event benefitted the Salvation Army of Summit County. Major Stephen Stoops kicked off the broadcast with WAKR’s Ray Horner, and he discussed the outreach the local Salvation Army has in the Greater Akron community.

The entire broadcast has been made available below via SoundCloud.

:19 - Dr. John Green is now retired from every day activities at the University of Akron, though he’s still a part of the Bliss Institute of Applied Politics. He was gracious enough to join Ray to talk about Michael Bloomberg’s chances in the Democratic race, as well as the conflict with Iran and President Trump’s response.

8:01 - One of the more popular and polarizing comedians of the last three decades is Carlos Mencia, and he stopped by the studio to promote his weekend slew of shows at the Funny Stop Comedy Club in Cuyahoga Falls.

19:05 - News leaked that Cavs coach John Beilein called his team a bunch of “thugs,” a term that has racial connotations connected to it. Though the word is Beilein misspoke and meant to say “slugs,” the word thug has become a racial dogwhistle over the years.

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:19 - Akron’s eviction rates have been fairly high, so how can that be curbed? Akron municipal court Judge Jon Oldham has some ideas.

7:50 - The Houston Astros and now the Boston Red Sox have been popped for stealing signs, leading towards fines and possible suspensions. Tony contends that, while he’s not justifying it, sign stealing has been a part of the game since the beginning.

12:58 - Looking to get out of this Ohio weather and onto a nice, warm cruise? Kevin Thomas from Akron AAA has you covered. He says it’s not too late to plan a spring break trip.

19:09 - The Browns’ Jarvis Landry hasn’t missed a game since he entered the league, though that could be in jeopardy with a sacral fracture. So what is a sacral fracture? Dr. Joe Congeni from Akron Children’s Hospital explains.

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:19 - A long-time guest on our program and station is Dr. Debbie Plate from Cleveland Clinic-Akron General. Dr. Plate stopped by to stress the importance of the flu shot, saying that it is not too late to get one at this moment. She also discussed the disposal of expired medication.

9:57 - Tensions continue between the United States and Iran following last week’s strike that killed major general Qasem Soleimani. Dr. David Beer from Malone University talked about the possibility of President Trump remaining isolationist or looking to start conflict with Iran.

19:00 - U-Haul and other companies are starting to test for nicotine, and if one tests positive, they may not be hired or could get fired. Is this about preserving one’s health, or is this about keeping insurance rates down?

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:19 - Akron mayor Dan Horrigan was sworn in for his second term over the weekend, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to touch on what’s on his plate. First up, the conundrum at Chapel Hill Mall continues, as do other projects as the mayor kicks off another four years at the helm.

10:37 - How big of an issue is obesity with household pets? A major one, according to veterinarian Dr. Gary Riggs.

18:06 - For the first time in over three decades, vinyl records have outsold CDs. Pretty interesting statistic, considering how expensive vinyl has become.

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:19 - Cuyahoga Falls mayor Don Walters stopped by the studio to recap the year that was in 2019. Walters raved about the continued downtown development and the goings on at Portage Crossing, as well as the construction on Howe Avenue.

7:03 - Robert Dodaro is with Prism Wealth Management, and he’s also the host of Money Matters. He joined Ray’s show to discuss retirement plans and the economy as we enter 2020.

13:03 - Our movie guy Scott Wynn dropped by to gloss over the films currently in the theaters, as well as why a movie like Bombshell, well, bombed.

16:51 - The circus with the Cleveland Browns continues, with a revolving door at head coach and now general manager. Fred Greetham from the Orange & Brown Report attempted to sort out this dysfunction.

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:19 - On the first official show of 2020, Ray Horner is back, and he sat down with Barberton mayor Bill Judge. The mayor recapped a tough 2019 for Barberton, which included the loss of Babcock & Wilcox and the rising flood waters which shut down the city for nearly a week. Judge also touched on what’s to come in 2020, which may include a tax increase.

12:52 - The days of meeting singles at bars and church are ending, as even Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers are flocking to the dating apps (including Sharon Stone). The panel talked about sites such as Bumble and if singles are actually meeting the loves of their lives on those platforms.

Be sure to follow us on our various social media platforms. Facebook: 1590WAKRakron Instagram: @1590WAKR Twitter: @1590WAKR, @Rayinthemorning, @TonyMazur