Here are your morning headlines for Thursday, Jan. 31:
- Supply company sues Akron over rock salt;
- DeWine's order updates workplace domestic violence policy;
- Blistering weather closes NE Ohio locations for second day in a row;
- Michaels announces end to Pat Catans;
- Police: Rates for most violent crimes, property crimes drop;
- Woman, 3 children found dead after home catches fire;
Supply company sues Akron over rock salt
A local supply company is suing the city of Akron for rejecting a deal to buy 10,000 tons of rock salt. Nordonia Landscape Supplies LLC said it bought two dump trucks to pick up the shipment in Ashtabula after the company received an email from the city confirming the purchase. Nordonia Landscape alleges the city didn’t return phone calls and paid less per ton than what was previously arranged. The city hasn’t commented on pending litigation.
DeWine's order updates workplace domestic violence policy
Gov. Mike DeWine has signed an executive order expanding Ohio's policy on workplace domestic violence to offer more protection to state employees who are victims of such violence. The order adds new protections and expands the definition of domestic violence to include dating violence. It requires all state agencies, boards, and commissions to maintain and post lists of resources for survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence and take appropriate and necessary protective and corrective actions.
Blistering weather closes NE Ohio locations for second day in a row
The frigid weather has closed down many places in Northeast Ohio for the second day. Courts in both Cuyahoga and Summit counties are closed today, and most city and county offices are essential employees only. There are more than 700 closings, including Kent State University, the University of Akron and Cleveland State. Akron and Cleveland won't have trash pickup at all this week. The U.S. Postal Service still plans to deliver mail today.
Michaels announces end to Pat Catans
The largest craft retailer Michaels Companies has announced it will be closing 36 Pat Catan stores, with plans to rebrand 12 of them as a Michaels. Sixteen of those stores are in Northeast Ohio, including locations in Akron, Cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls and Wooster. The company hasn’t commented on what will happen to current employees, or which stores will be rebranded. Michaels owns more 1,200 stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Police: Rates for most violent crimes, property crimes drop
Police statistics show rates for nearly all violent crimes and serious property crimes in Cleveland dropped in 2018 for the second consecutive year. Cleveland.com reports the statistics provided by Cleveland police show violent crime was 18.6 percent lower in 2018 than in 2016 and about 15.3 percent lower than in 2017. Homicides were down nearly 8 percent from 2017. The statistics also showed serious property crimes such as burglary and theft were down 23 percent from 2017 and about 30 percent from 2016. Police Chief Calvin Williams attributed the declines to expanded youth programs, more officers on the street with better enforcement and greater levels of engagement by officers resulting in an improved relationship with residents. One area that climbed was rape, with those cases up 6.6 percent in 2018.
Woman, 3 children found dead after home catches fire
A woman and her three children died in a fire in Akron’s Kenmore neighborhood Wednesday morning. The Beacon Journal reports the bodies of 31-year-old Lydia Aponte and her children ages 10, 7 and 5 were found in different parts of the home. The Beacon reports Aponte moved to Akron from Florida to be with her fiancé, Jesus Castaneda, about three years ago. He managed to escape. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
