kent – Reporting Public Policy

OVI Offenses in Kent Decrease

December 11, 2014December 11, 2014 Alyssa Haberman 0 Comments Alcohol, Bars, dui, dwi, kent, kent police department, Law Enforcement, ovi, townhall II, unemployment rate

In a college town, the downtown scene is often buzzing on the weekend and despite driver education, some motorists still choose to get behind the wheel after one too many drinks. But the number of intoxicated drivers in Kent has drastically decreased recently. In 2013, there were 188 OVI offenses in Kent compared to 295 in 2008. That’s a 36% decrease over the course of just five years. And the number is still continuing to fall. As of November 26, there were 154 DUI offenses in Kent, with only 35 days remaining in the year. But the number of OVI offenses isn’t the only thing falling. Jim Swanson of Townhall

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How Safe is Downtown Kent?

December 5, 2014December 5, 2014 Jacqueline DeMate 0 Comments assault, Bars, downtown, downtown kent, Kent, kent, prusha

Two months ago a twenty-year-old Kent State student was assaulted in downtown Kent after getting into a fight outside of Bar 145 downtown suffering severe lacerations to the face and other injuries. For those who heard about the assault it raises the question of safety in downtown Kent. It’s been four years since two men died as the result of a bar fight in downtown Kent. Dayton native, 22-year-old Christopher M. Kernich was fatally beaten in November of 2009 and a Delaware man, 28-year-old John T. White died three months later from the injuries he received in a beating in downtown Kent. Both were Kent State University students who died

Final project

Kent area police discontinue use of controversial Breathalyzer device

December 4, 2014December 4, 2014 Carley Hull 0 Comments breathalyzer, Courts, data master, dui, Enterprise, intoxilyzer 800, kent, kent state, Law Enforcement, ovi, police, Portage County

The City of Kent Police and Kent State University Police departments have halted the use of the Breathalyzer device called the Intoxilyzer 8000 in response to defense attorneys disputing the device’s reliability under a new Ohio Supreme Court decision. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled on Oct. 1, 2014, that alcohol-related offenders can question the scientific reliability and proper operation of Breathalyzer devices. As of two years before the ruling, an estimated 135 appeal cases have been brought to the 11th Appellate District Court in Portage County involving the Intoxilyzer 800, said Dan Weisenburger, a defense attorney at Weisenburger Law. Due to the controversy other police departments in Portage County such as

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Kent City Council addresses Ebola, talks five-year capital plan

October 16, 2014 Mariam Makatsaria 0 Comments City Development, Community, Ebola, Ebola in Portage County, Economy, Kent, kent, kent city council, Kent City Council, Kent Police Station, west main street bridge

Kent City Council met Wednesday to discuss several ordinances on its agenda and address the Ebola scare in Portage County. The meeting began with a moment of prayer for those suffering from the virus globally. Health Commissioner Jeff Neistadt began by tracking the nurse’s steps during her visit to Akron, a process that described as “putting a puzzle together.” “At this point there is no reason to believe that she was in Portage County,” Neistadt said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done here. The biggest thing that we need to consider now is the accuracy of information. There is misinformation.” To address the misinformation, Neistadt talked

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City Council Meeting – October 15

October 16, 2014 Candace Monacelli 0 Comments city council, City Development, Community, kent, Kent City Council, main street bridge, parking, Parking

Mayor Fiala held the City of Kent monthly city council meeting Wednesday evening, while TV2’s reporter Candace Monacelli looked into one issue further. The bridge is currently still closed while work began on the repairs over the summer. The repairs were said to take 75 days to complete but still continuing today. The Main Street bridge should open in the near future. Here below are live tweets from @CandaceMonacell during the City Council meeting. More details for all other issues can be found in the full City Council Meeting Agenda with the Main Street bridge issue at the bottom of the forth page in

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City council meeting starts off with Ebola briefing

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 Patrick Williams 0 Comments Amber Vinson, dave ruller, Ebola, Jerry Fiala, Kent, kent, kent city council, Kent City Council, kent state

Upon hearing remarks from health officials about the developments in a local Ebola scare, Kent City Council voted Wednesday to purchase property and zone land to accommodate the construction of a new police station for the city. Kent health commissioner Jeff Neistadt and local doctors spoke about Ebola to a full room of people. Amber Vinson, who tested positive for Ebola Wednesday, spent the night in Tallmadge, which is about six miles southwest of Kent, Friday night, Neistadt said. Health officials are performing contact tracing to figure out who Vinson came into contact with, Neistadt said. “It’s a slow process because we have to do all the contact tracing from the individuals who she

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Kent City Council becomes informed on Ebola, passes ordinance to purchase properties on College Avenue

October 15, 2014October 16, 2014 Megan Brown 0 Comments city council, College Avenue, Community, Ebola, Kent, kent, Kent City Council, Kent Health Department, Parking, Portage County Health Department

Kent City Council held a meeting Oct. 15, which took more of an informational turn as the talk of Ebola made headlines in Northeast Ohio. Kent Mayor Jerry Fiala invited Jeff Neistadt, Kent Health Commissioner, to give the council and audience an overview of information about the latest Ebola issue related to Northeast Ohio. “This is kind of putting a puzzle together with various pieces,” Neistadt said. The infected individual, Amber Vinson, arrived in Cleveland’s Hopkins Airport Friday afternoon. Her mother and stepfather picked her up from the airport and returned to Tallmadge. Her parents did attend the Kent State football game on Saturday; she did not. “At this point,

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Oktoberfest brings money to downtown, creates tradition

October 9, 2014October 9, 2014 Megan Brown 0 Comments benefits, Community, downtown kent, Economy, Enterprise, Kent, kent, Oktoberfest

A giant black squirrel dressed in a lederhosen and several alpine hats gathered the brick road of Franklin Avenue as the Kent community came together through the cold weather to celebrate Oktoberfest on Saturday Oct. 4. The event was brought to the city by Main Street Kent, a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing downtown Kent. An entrance fee of $10 provided a collectible stein (to the first 500 people) and the first beer. Any beer after that was $5. “We haven’t yet determined a final amount, but everyone had a great time and we raised some resources that we can funnel back into historic preservation and the enhancement of our

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Hearing For Motion to Suppress Evidence To Continue Wednesday

October 7, 2014 Hilary Crisan 0 Comments Courts, Crime, John Fox, Kent, kent, Portage County, Portage County Court of Common Pleas, Ravenna, ravenna

The first of many hearings for a motion to suppress evidence in the John Fox murder case occurred at the Portage County Court of Common Pleas in Ravenna on Oct. 7. In January 2014, John Fox was arrested for the murder of Alliance man Justin Earley after police found Earley’s body in Fox’s apartment. The defense set the motion to suppress evidence, which will discount evidence found in a warranted search of Fox’s E. Main Street apartment, including the body of Earley. The defense also claimed that police conducted an unwarranted search prior to the warranted search of Fox’s apartment. Two witnesses were brought to the stand on Oct. 7,

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Businesses react to incoming parking meters

October 7, 2014February 21, 2015 Patrick Williams 0 Comments dave ruller, Kent, kent, mckay bricker framing, one love yoga, parking meter, parking meters, twisted meltz

Kent business owners and managers are split on how they feel about the installation of 223 parking meters along some of the city’s busiest roads. “Parking meters always bring out lively discussion on both sides,” city manager Dave Ruller said. The meters will cost $1 per hour and will have a two-hour limit. They will be active Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city expects the meters to be up and running by the end of October and has already had the poles for them erected. The meters cost the city $172,007.50, Ruller said. “Parking meters are being brought back into downtown Kent in order to

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