Good morning, Akron.

Akron Zoo dedicated the John Brown Monument Trailhead on Sept.

22 during a ceremony with Doug Piekarz, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik, and community leaders—opening access to the monument during zoo hours.

On Sept. 22, the Akron Community Foundation awarded $4.4M in quarterly grants plus over $1M in civic and capital awards to Summit County nonprofits; these funds support projects such as the International Soap Box Derby programs and a community schoolyard at Jennings CLC.

Breeze Airways has announced a 35% discount on roundtrip fares for direct flights from Akron-Canton Airport on Monday through Thursday between Dec.

1 and Feb. 10 — tickets must be booked by 8:59 p.m. EST Sept. 24, and travel on weekends or from Dec. 17 through Jan. 5 is excluded.

U.S. News & World Report released its 2027 college rankings on Sept.

22 with a new earnings metric to gauge a school's return on investment. Ohio schools featured prominently, with Ohio State at 44, John Carroll topping Midwest regional universities, and the University of Akron ranking 342 nationally.

USA TODAY’s 10Best has ranked Cuyahoga Valley National Park among the top fall foliage spots in the country by highlighting 33,000 acres of colorful leaves.

Visitors can enjoy free entry and open all year while following park rules on trails & pet supervision.

Akron Mayor Shammas Malik announced a new Small Business Enterprise program to boost local contractor opportunities for $800 million in service contracts.

The plan includes pilot projects (hydrant painting, sidewalk repairs) and calls for 10% SBE participation on upcoming service line replacements.

Cuyahoga Falls Police Department welcomed Crosby, a full-time therapy dog that helps calm officers during stressful calls.

The dog was brought in through K9s For Warriors in August and now stays at the station 24/7.

Eli Widmer (14-year-old Wadsworth teen with PKU) from Akron Children’s now eats an unlimited diet after starting the FDA-approved treatment Sephience last year.

He is trying steak, chicken and pizza and feels stronger and more energetic.

Woodridge kept its undefeated season with a win (49-0) over Ravenna while Copley beat Revere (35-10) in a rivalry game today; Highland, CVCA, and Elyria Catholic also secured wins.

Local teams show strong performance heading into postseason play.

The 24th Akron Marathon and half marathon start at 7 a.m. Saturday in downtown Akron, passing landmarks like the Akron Art Museum and finishing at Lock 3.

Planned road closures include a Friday Kids Fun Run and no parking from 1:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the race course.

Local high schools compete for the Athlete of the Week title for Sept.

14-20 (selected by sports staff, coaches and directors) as votes remain open until 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24 and winners are to be announced Friday morning on BeaconJournal.com.