Latest news with #CuyahogaFalls
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Crews rescue 23 people, 6 dogs from fast-moving Cuyahoga River in Kent
First responders rescued 23 people and six dogs from the fast-moving Cuyahoga River in Kent during a three-hour period June 22, prompting warnings to stay out of the river until the raging waters subside. Another 28 people and two dogs were assisted out of the river due to the dangerous conditions, according to a news release from the Kent Fire Department. "While today's response ended safely for all those on the water, it serves as reminder of how powerful and unpredictable the river can be," the fire department warned. "With recent storms this past week, the water is both high and the current fast. "...We ask you to stay on dry land and simply observe the beauty of the river during these rough conditions rather than risk danger to yourself and others. As always, you should never be near the moving water without a life jacket on." The rescues in Kent followed a fatal river incident June 21 in Cuyahoga Falls. A man and a 5-year-old boy went missing when their inflatable device capsized on the Cuyahoga River near the Sheraton Suites on Front Street. The body of the child was found the next morning. Crews are continuing to search for the man. The Kent Fire Department responded at 1:42 p.m. to a report that 11 people had fallen out of their rafts on the Cuyahoga River by the Middlebury Road boat ramp and were unable to get out of the fast-moving water. The Portage County Water Rescue Team was immediately activated, and rescue crews were able to safely pull the six kids and five adults out of the water, according to the news release. Meanwhile, numerous other people were seen losing control or falling out of their kayaks and rafts due to the river's strong current. Boat and shore crews safely helped them to shore. Crews from the Suffield, Monroe Falls, Stow and other surrounding fire departments assisted in the rescue efforts. Signs have been posted in Kent to warn people about the dangerous conditions, according to the Kent Fire Department. "Please stay clear of the water until conditions improve," the fire department stated. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Crews rescue multiple people, dogs from Cuyahoga River in Kent
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Yahoo
Child's body recovered, search ongoing for man in Cuyahoga River after inflatable inner tube capsizes
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio (WJW) – The body of a 5-year-old boy was recovered from the Cuyahoga River Sunday and search operations are still underway for his father after they went under the water while on an inflatable inner tube Saturday evening. The child's body was pulled from the water just before 9:30 a.m. Sunday. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Cuyahoga Falls officials said, and his body was taken to the Summit County Medical Examiner's Office. The boy's identity and cause of death will be released at a later time. Water quality predicted to be 'poor' at 1 NE Ohio beach Sunday Boats, drones and divers were actively searching the area for the father Sunday afternoon. 'Our thoughts are with the family during this tragic time,' a Sunday afternoon news release from the City of Cuyahoga Falls stated. 'The Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department, along with our county partners, remain committed to continuing search efforts throughout the day.' Just after 6:45 Saturday evening, the Cuyahoga Falls Fire Department was dispatched to the Cuyahoga River south of Broad Boulevard following a report of a capsized 'flotation device.' 'Upon arrival, fire and rescue personnel initiated a coordinated search operation. Units deployed both watercraft and ground personnel to assess the scene and locate any individuals in distress,' a Sunday morning news release from the City of Cuyahoga Falls stated. According to a Saturday night news release from the Akron Police Department, the Akron Fire Dive Team was called to the scene just after 7:50 p.m. after it was reported that a man and a child were in the water after their kayak capsized near the Sheraton Heading. 'It was confirmed that the two persons were on an inflatable flotation device, not in a kayak as previously reported,' the updated report from Akron Fire stated. Cuyahoga Falls Fire, Akron Fire Department, the Summit County Water Rescue Team, Metro Parks Rangers, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol were all involved in the search. Rescue efforts were suspended just before 10 p.m. Saturday due to darkness and hazardous river conditions. Crews resumed their search just before 8 a.m. Sunday. 'River levels remain extremely high, and several areas are still difficult or impossible to access safely,' a news release stated. 'An awful tragedy': Cleveland police recruit dies following medical emergency during training A post on the Cuyahoga Falls Facebook page asked residents to avoid the area of the Cuyahoga River between Broad Blvd. and Gorge Metro Park. 'Trained rescue teams and aerial support are on scene. For your safety and to support the ongoing efforts, please do not attempt river access in this area and respect all 'Trail Closed' signs,' the post states. Authorities in Cuyahoga Falls and with the Metroparks are also urging people to use caution when entering the river at any point, and to stay out of fast moving currents. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Speakers question politicians' priorities at Mothers & Others Standing Against Fascism
Sunny Park first got her now-14-year-old daughter in protests, marches and rallies nearly 10 years ago and said her 4-year-old son would have attended a May 10 rally, had he not had a T-ball game. "I want them to have a future. I want them to be able to thrive," said Park, director of Cuyahoga Falls-based Kitchen Table Voters, standing outside of First Christian Church in Cuyahoga Falls on May 10 for the Mothers & Others Standing Against Fascism rally. One of multiple May 10 rallies throughout Ohio, including in Canton, Cleveland and Solon hosted by Ohio Progressive Action Leaders, the Cuyahoga Falls event included activists and a state senator sharing their concerns about state and federal leaders' priorities. Kitchen Table Voters, which hosted the Cuyahoga Falls event with Crooked River Action, Cuyahoga Falls Democratic Club and Northeast Ohio Women for Change, is focused on mobilizing people around kitchen-table issues, Park said. "My idea is that we need to connect people to the issues," Park said. "And they need to know what's happening and how that is impacted by what happens in D.C. and in Columbus. I don't need you to love your the candidate. I need you to know where they stand." Barbara Kaplan, Crooked River Action lead organizer, said she taught at Akron Public Schools in her career. "I'm concerned with the undermining of public education," said Kaplan, who added that she's also concerned about "the erosion of our democracy." Multiple speakers, including Ohio Sen. Casey Weinstein, D-Hudson, questioned the priorities of leadership within the federal government and Ohio General Assembly. Republican leaders in the Ohio legislature, Weinstein said, plan to cut funding for public education from the state budget. Christina Collins, executive director of Honesty for Ohio Education and former member of Ohio's school board, pointed to Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman's plan to cut state public education funding by $2.75 billion. "So, at the same time, we saw in November, half the school levies failed," Collins said. "And just this week, we saw half the school levies fail." Collins urged the rally attendees to speak out in favor of the Fair School Funding Plan. Policy Matters Ohio states on its website that the plan takes a "bipartisan approach to school funding based on how much districts must spend to educate every child, including those who need different or additional support." Both Weinstein and Collins pointed to state legislators' plans to instead fund projects like the Cleveland Browns owners' plan to create a domed stadium in Brook Park. The Ohio House Finance Committee announced plans in April to provide $600 million in bonds for the stadium. Weinstein told the crowd, "… we have an opportunity and a moment where you've got a national message of people really seeing the things that Elon Musk and the billionaire class are doing, buying their way into our wallets and unraveling our government. And that is absolutely the same thing we are seeing at the state level." After addressing state legislators' other planned cuts to H2Ohio, children's cancer research and the Public Library Fund, Weinstein said, "We're going to carry this message forward, and we are going to win in this state in 2026." Weinstein, who was elected to a four-year term in November 2024, confirmed after his speech that he's "thinking about taking a next step" in government in 2026 but declined to comment on which position he's eyeing. Cuyahoga Falls-based immigration attorney Farhad Sethna said he wrote a speech for the May 10 event but ended up not reading it and instead opting to speak "straight from the heart." Sethna said he proposed community members set up groups. The groups could include demonstrators, attorneys to represent people who get arrested and people who are focused on bailing out those who have been arrested. He added that detention and deportation of immigrants has increased in the Akron area since mid-April, when he spoke in an Akron Roundtable panel. In the panel, he alleged due process violations by the U.S. government around immigration enforcement. "The NEOCC, the Northeast Ohio correctional facility in Youngstown, Ohio, is at capacity," Sethna said on May 10. "They are trying to add new institutions to house detainees all of the time. I am sure that in the very near future, the Portage County Jail will also become a facility for detainees if it isn't already because the Portage County sheriff signed a 287(g) agreement with ICE to deputize sheriff's deputies to perform immigration functions." About 200 people attended the rally, holding signs around the church and on sidewalks on both sides of the street as passing cars honked in support. Rally attendees chanted with Park, "This is what democracy looks like!" Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @pwilliamsOH. Sign up for the Beacon Journal's business and consumer newsletter, "What's the deal?," at This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Sen. Casey Weinstein: Government 'unraveling' at state, federal levels
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Raccoon with Meth Pipe in Its Mouth Found in Driver's Seat During Ohio Traffic Stop, Police Say
During a routine traffic stop for an alleged suspended license in Springfield, Ohio, a raccoon was seen grasping a meth pipe, catching the attention of local police. An officer conducted the stop on Monday, May 5, the Springfield Township Police Department said in a May 6 press release. After the officer "made contact with the driver," identified as 55-year-old Victoria Vidal, she was detained "without incident." "However, things took an unusual turn" as the officer returned to the vehicle, police continued. "He observed a raccoon named "Chewy" sitting in the driver's seat with a meth pipe in its mouth." "Chewy had somehow gotten hold of a glass methamphetamine pipe, leading officers to further inspect the vehicle," said police. Springfield Township Police Department Booking photo of Victoria Vidal, Mugshot Booking photo of Victoria Vidal, Mugshot The discovery caused the officer to do "a subsequent search," which allegedly revealed a "bulk amount of methamphetamine, crack cocaine" and "three used glass meth pipes," police said. Vidal, a resident of Akron, Ohio, was detained by the Springfield Township Police Department. She was charged with F3 possession of drugs, three counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, and received a citation for driving with a suspended license, per the STPD. She was booked by the Cuyahoga Falls Police for her active warrant. Related: Calif. Family Spots Pet Donkey Missing 5 Years Living with an Elk Herd: He's a 'Wild Burro Now' "While our officers are trained to expect the unexpected, finding a raccoon holding a meth pipe is a first! No raccoons were hurt or injured in this incident." They confirmed that Chewy was "unharmed" and noted that Vidal is the raccoon's rightful owner. PEOPLE reached out to the STPD for comment but did not immediately hear back. Related: Dead Horse Found on Busy Atlanta Sidewalk: 'Very Unusual to See' In Ohio, residents are permitted to own a raccoon as a pet if they file the appropriate documentation, Fox 8 reported. Among other permitted exotic pets are chinchillas, sugar gliders, antelopes, roaming buffalo, moose, caribou, llamas, tarantulas, alpacas, deer and emus. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. It is unclear if Chewy will be returned to Vidal's care. Read the original article on People
