Akron, Ohio

Stow City Council voted 4-2 to approve a four-year water-rate increase totaling 50%, phased in at 12.5% annually from 2027 through 2030. Officials say the hikes are needed to address aging infrastructure, including about 98 water-main breaks a year, an estimated $14 million in needed main replacements, a planned $4 million water-meter replacement program, and a possible $15-18 million second water tower. The city has not raised general water rates since buying the system from Akron in 2001. Higher rates would also help Stow qualify for zero-interest state infrastructure loans. The average monthly bill is expected to rise about $2.76, while discounts for qualifying fixed-income and disabled residents increase from 10% to 15%.

Akron residents will vote on Issues 11 and 12, a pair of proposed charter amendments aimed at addressing the city's housing situation, likely involving new rules or protections affecting landlords and tenants. A former Akron planning director has publicly urged a "no" vote on both, arguing that setting public policy through charter amendments bypasses the normal legislative process, creates legal ambiguity, and limits future officials' flexibility. Critics contend the measures could raise rents and discourage rental housing investment and construction in the city. Opponents point instead to existing tools, such as a residential property tax abatement program and ongoing zoning reform, as better paths to improving housing affordability and availability in Akron.

Adelle Burrell-Williams, former secretary-treasurer of AFSCME Local 1746 in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud. She and former union President Pamela Brown are accused of withdrawing cash at casinos using the union's debit card and writing unauthorized checks from its operating account between 2017 and 2022, totaling roughly $350,000. Prosecutors say the pair tried to hide the scheme by creating false reports and failing to keep financial records. Burrell-Williams is scheduled for sentencing February 27 before U.S. District Judge John Adams in Akron. Brown's arraignment has been delayed due to health issues. The case stems from a U.S. Department of Labor investigation. Local 1746 represents over 1,200 county social workers.

The U.S. Postal Service says the Akron, Alabama Post Office will permanently close Oct. 31, citing non-renewal of its lease. The facility was abruptly shut on Oct. 14, 16 days earlier than residents had been told, prompting Rep. Terri Sewell to demand answers and reopening. Sewell disputes USPS's account, saying the lessor denied issuing any vacate notice and had agreed to extend the lease through 2031. Her office says the post office was dismantled within 24 hours, with P.O. boxes removed and no guidance given to customers, raising concerns about absentee ballots, Social Security checks and other mail ahead of local election deadlines. Operations shift to Moundville on Nov. 1; a mobile unit serves Akron in the interim.

Ohio adopted a statewide bridge-fencing policy in 1985 to deter objects being thrown or dropped onto roadways below, scoring bridges on risk factors and requiring fencing above a threshold. Implementation was slow: by the late 1980s, 461 bridges qualified, but only two fencing-specific contracts, covering 11 bridges, had been completed by 1990. That year, a concrete fragment killed Pietro Semadeni on a Cincinnati overpass that had qualified for fencing but hadn't received it, leading the Ohio Supreme Court to find ODOT negligent in 1996. By contrast, the court ruled this October that ODOT was not liable for Marquise Byrd's 2017 death on a Toledo bridge under reconstruction, since no policy required temporary fencing during that construction phase. ODOT's 2026 manual now addresses temporary fencing guidance.

Akron Metro RTA will offer free fares on three upcoming dates: Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3; Veterans Day, Nov. 11; and Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1. The free fares apply only to METRO Direct and METRO ADA services.

On Election Day, polls in Summit County are open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and riders can use the free service to reach polling locations. METRO Chief of Staff Jarrod Hampshire said the initiative reflects the agency's effort to keep transportation accessible and support residents on days of civic, community and charitable significance. Riders can check METRO's website for bus routes and schedules, and the Summit County Board of Elections site for polling locations.