Here are your morning headlines for Tuesday, Feb. 26:
- Canton is first to implement wireless Terragraph;
- Rite Aid, Akron Schools announce drug safety program;
- State elections chief to back election cybersecurity bill;
- University of Akron outlines goals for its next president;
- Summit County Fairgrounds officials apologize for accident;
- KSU names new director for Brain Health Research institute;
- Congressional Gold Medal proposed for the late Simeon Booker;
Canton is first to implement wireless Terragraph
Canton will be the first U.S. city to implement commercial use of the wireless network Terragraph into its downtown innovation district. The Repository reports Terragraph is a wireless network formed by Facebook and the wireless tech companies Radwin and Intel. It’ll bring higher-speed services to the city, and will be available for use in the next few months. The technology has been tested in other countries and cities in the U.S. for non-commercial use.
Rite Aid, Akron Schools anounce drug safety program
The Rite Aid Foundation has created a program with Akron-area schools to address adolescent drug abuse. The Prescription Drug Safety Program is an online course with six lessons to teach students to make safe and healthy decisions, and how to intervene as bystanders. They’ll also learn about prescription drugs, how to use them and how to dispose of them. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that 1-in-5 high school seniors abuse drugs.
State elections chief to back election cybersecurity bill
Ohio's new elections chief is ready to voice his support for a bill he said aims to better protect the state’s election systems from cyberattacks. Secretary of State Frank LaRose is testifying on the measure today at the Statehouse. The legislation would empower LaRose's office and the Ohio National Guard to enhance resilience and improve responsiveness to elections cyberattacks. It also would give LaRose a seat on the Ohio Homeland Security Advisory Council and enable him to hire a chief information security officer. The bill further requires postelection audits by Ohio's 88 county boards of elections.
University of Akron outlines goals for its next president
The University of Akron has laid out the details of it wants in its next president. The Presidential Prospectus includes a list of goals, including stabilizing finances and completing the university’s new capital campaign. Akron also wants a new “renewed brand and identity effort” to change its image nationally and internationally. The next president should also have “street smarts” and gain support from local and state officials. Three people have led the university in the past five years, and officials expect $15 million in cuts in the next budget.
Summit County Fairgrounds officials apologize for accident
Summit County Fairground officials have apologized for how it handled information about a bike race than injured fans. After a motocross bike launched into the stands during an event Saturday night and injured seven people, the fairgrounds tweeted ambiguously that nothing was wrong. The fairgrounds posted on Facebook apologizing and explained that officials and volunteers were unaware of what happened because most of them were working in other areas, including concessions. One person remained in the hospital as of yesterday afternoon.
KSU names new director for Brain Health Research institute
Kent State University has named a new director for its newly-created Brain Health Research Institute. Endocrinologist Michael Lehman most recently worked at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he created the Neuro Institute. He'll be paid $359,000 a year at Kent. The institute includes more than 80 faculty members across eight colleges and 20 different departments throughout the university. It's still developing its strategic plan.
Congressional Gold Medal proposed for Simeon Booker
Ohio Congressmen Tim Ryan and Dave Joyce have introduced legislation to award the late Youngstown native journalist and Civil Rights activist Simeon Booker with the Congressional Gold Medal. Booker worked for both the Youngstown Vindicator and the Cleveland Call and Post. In 1952, he was the first African American reporter at The Washington Post. Throughout his career, he covered the Civil Rights Movement, including the Emmett Till murder and trials, and The Freedom Riders. He died in 2017 at age 99.
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