Here are your morning headlines for Monday, Sept. 26:
- Gas prices spike 32 cents in Akron, 22 cents in Cleveland
- Akron Marathon celebrates 20th anniversary with thousands of runners
- Ohio Task Force 1 heads to Georgia in preparation for Tropical Storm Ian
- Akron will transform its decommissioned Innerbelt into a park for one day
- Bill aims to prevent surgery without anesthesia on puppies
- Historic buildings in Cleveland Heights are the catalyst for a potential $100 million project
- Guardians clinch AL Central title with White Sox defeat
- Your weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms
Gas prices spike 32 cents in Akron, 22 cents in Cleveland
The average price for a gallon of gas is now topping $3.60 in both Akron and Cleveland. In Akron, gas prices have spiked 32.5 cents within the last week with the average cost now listed at $3.62 per gallon. The new data, which was released early Monday morning by GasBuddy, also shows that Cleveland gas prices have increased 22.6 cents per gallon with the average cost now at $3.63. For context, that puts Cleveland’s gas prices 7.6 cents higher than one month ago and 61.2 cents more than this time last year. [WKYC]
Akron Marathon celebrates 20th anniversary with thousands of runners
More than 7,000 people participated in the FirstEnergy Akron Marathon, Half Marathon and Team Relay on Saturday, which marked the race's 20th anniversary. Anne Bitong, president and CEO of the Akron Marathon, said the energy for this year's race was something she could not describe. "This is incredible," she said. "It is the best day in Akron. It's a holiday. It's a day where the community supports each other and celebrates personal achievements." [Akron Beacon Journal]
Ohio Task Force 1 heads to Georgia in preparation for Tropical Storm Ian
Members of Ohio Task Force 1 are helping Florida prepare for Tropical Storm Ian. The 47-person team received orders Saturday to deploy to Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia. Their destination may change. Forecasters say Ian will likely turn into a hurricane and could make landfall along the Florida Gulf Coast by early Thursday. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for the entire state of Florida. [WEWS]
Akron will transform its decommissioned Innerbelt into a park for one day
Akronites will get to experience a new park this coming weekend on a portion of the decommissioned innerbelt. The Saturday event called Open Streets @ the Innerbelt will transform one unused section into a park for a day. The project will ultimately decide what will happen to all 30 acres of the innerbelt. [Ideastream Public Media]
Bill aims to prevent surgery without anesthesia on puppies
Removing a dog’s tail is a standard practice performed on certain breeds when they are young puppies. Often, veterinarians will perform the surgery, but they normally put the puppy under anesthesia and give them pain medications. However, large breeders often do that surgical procedure in-house. They also often remove dewclaws, an extra claw that is at the bottom of a puppy's legs, crop their ears or "debark" the puppies with a process that involves removing a large amount of laryngeal tissue. And some breeders are doing these procedures on young puppies without giving them anything to manage the pain. A new bill being introduced at the Ohio Statehouse would make it illegal for dog breeders from performing painful surgeries on puppies without pain medicine and anesthesia. [Statehouse News Bureau]
Historic buildings in Cleveland Heights are the catalyst for a potential $100 million project
When the city of Cleveland Heights solicited redevelopment proposals last year for a trio of Tudor Revival buildings on South Taylor Road, officials were looking for preservation plans. What they got, instead, was a potential $100 million vision. A team led by WXZ Development not only aspires to restore the historic Taylor Tudors but also aims to erect new buildings across the street, while reimagining the eastern gateway into Cain Park. Plans drawn up by RDL Architects show new apartments, for-sale homes, dining and parking in the tired business district, a short stroll north of Superior Road near the University Heights border. [Crain’s Cleveland Business]
Guardians clinch AL Central title with White Sox defeat
The Cleveland Guardians clinched their first AL Central title in four years following the loss of the second-place Chicago White Sox to the Detroit Tigers Sunday. Cleveland was in the ninth inning of its game with the Texas Rangers in Arlington when their division victory was sealed. The team celebrated their title, the first in the Guardians era, with bottles of Champagne in the locker room following their 10-4 victory over Texas. [The Associated Press]
Your weather forecast: Showers and thunderstorms, with heavy rain likely, especially around Cleveland. Two to three inches of rainfall possible through Wednesday morning. A flood watch is in effect through 5 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28. High 63. Tonight, heavy rain, breezy. Low 47. Tuesday, heavy rain. High 59. [National Weather Service]
