Abigail Bottar
Reporter/ProducerExpertise: Audio reporting, Akron politics, rail safety
Education: Kent State University - Bachelor of Arts, political science
Favorite spot in Northeast Ohio: Downtown Kent
Experience:
Abigail Bottar covers Akron, Canton, Kent and the surrounding areas for Ideastream Public Media. She started in public radio as a news intern at WKSU. Her reporting on the train derailment in East Palestine has appeared nationally and internationally on the BBC, NPR, “Morning Edition,” “Up First,” “Here and Now,” MSNBC, “Living on Earth” and Vox’s “Today, Explained.”
Highlights:
- 2022, Best Spot News Coverage, Ohio Associated Press Media Editors
- Guest on the “Sound of Ideas” and panelist on the “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable”
Why trust Ideastream Public Media?
The mission of Ideastream Public Media is to be a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Our highest priority is providing news and information that is reliable and accurate, that is gathered with integrity and professional care and that is presented with precision and respect for the intelligence of our audiences. We are transparent about how we discover and verify the facts we present and strive to make our decision-making process clear to the public. We disclose relationships, such as with partners or funders, that might appear, but will never, influence our coverage.
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4-H offers a shooting sports program to Ohio kids, according to officials. Kids can also partake in the sport at 4-H camps across the state, according to officials. -
The East Palestine Health Impact Monitoring Act of 2025 would authorize funding long-term studies of the health impacts of the derailment, according to a press release. -
Two years ago, a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the small town on the border of Ohio and Pennsylvania. Several studies are ongoing to see what the public health impact of the accident is. -
Homeless outreach groups across the country are conducting the annual Point-In-Time Count. Although official numbers won't be in for months, advocates expect the number of people experiencing homelessness to continue to increase. -
Sheriffs have no obligation to participate in federal enforcement of immigration policy, advocates said in a letter to Ohio sheriffs. -
Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 315 during its 2024 Lame Duck session. The bill includes a provision that allows law enforcement agencies to charge the public $75 an hour, up to $750, for body cam footage. -
Akron launched the mental health co-responder model SCOUT in March 2024. The team handles mental health calls that otherwise would have gone to police or firefighters. -
Akron is gearing up to celebrate it's 200th birthday this year, with events that reflect on its past and look forward to the future. -
The Innerbelt was built beginning in the 1970s, cutting through a largely Black community and displacing families and businesses. -
The unit will house people incarcerated at the jail who are dealing with mental health issues, addiction, are on suicide watch or have other medical problems, Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree said.
