The first phase of the Rubber City Heritage Trail.
The first phase of the Rubber City Heritage Trail, a 6-mile-long, multi-use recreational trail that will begin in Kenmore, softly loop to the northeast and end near Goodyear Heights when it’s completed, will be dedicated July 26 at 11 a.m. This rendering shows what the first section of the trail looks like, minus the planters and lights, which didn't make the final version of the project. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition)

The issue of who will be driving special needs students, as well as those experiencing homelessness, is back on the agenda for tonight’s Akron Board of Education meeting. 

We caught up with some of the 143 independent van drivers, who’ve helped fill the need for more than 50 years, but are still seeking clarity on what’s going to happen to their jobs. 

You can join the 5:30 p.m. meeting in person at 10 N. Main St. or watch online here.

The Innerbelt cuts through central Akron and runs north along the western edge of downtown. As part of the Innerbelt Master Plan, the City of Akron is looking for urban design consultants to execute and complete the next steps for Akron’s Innerbelt study area. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
The Innerbelt cuts through central Akron and runs north along the western edge of downtown. As part of the Innerbelt Master Plan, the City of Akron is looking for urban design consultants to execute and complete the next steps for Akron’s Innerbelt study area. (Kassi Filkins / Signal Akron)
  • Learn about the four finalists vying to be the Innerbelt project’s design firm – they’ll be at a public forum from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at House Three Thirty, 532 W. Market St. in Akron’s West Hill neighborhood.
  • The first phase of the Rubber City Heritage Trail, a 6-mile-long, multi-use recreational trail that will begin in Kenmore, softly loop to the northeast and end near Goodyear Heights when it’s completed, will be dedicated July 26 at 11 a.m. Parking for the event is available at 20 Kelly Ave. (the old Goodyear headquarters building) in the Middlebury neighborhood.
  • The 2024 Summit County Fair kicks off Tuesday and ends Sunday with a dinosaur show, livestock and lots of car, truck and tractor-related events. The fairgrounds are located at 1050 North Ave. in Tallmadge. 
The free Akron African American Festival.
The free Akron African American Festival brings music, food, a youth talent show and vendors to downtown Akron at Lock 3, 200 S. Main St., from Friday through Sunday.
  • The free Akron African American Festival, which runs from Friday through Sunday, brings music, food, a youth talent show, and vendors to downtown Akron at Lock 3, 200 S. Main St.  
  • On Wednesday, plans will progress for demolishing and replacing the 111-year-old, 20-million-gallon Brittain Road reservoir in Goodyear Heights. The Akron Board of Zoning Appeals takes up the city’s plan to build a new, smaller and above-ground reservoir. The public meeting is at 9 a.m. at 166 S. High St.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.