Akron News-Reporter

2 days ago | akronnewsreporter.com | Mike Stobbe |Geoff Mulvihill

By MIKE STOBBE and GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated PressThere were 30,000 fewer U.S. drug overdose deaths in 2024 than the year before — the largest one-year decline ever recorded. An estimated 80,000 people died from overdoses last year, according to provisional Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released Wednesday. That’s down 27% from the 110,000 in 2023. The CDC has been collecting comparable data for 45 years.

1 week ago | akronnewsreporter.com | Brian Melley

By BRIAN MELLEY, Associated PressLONDON (AP) — In late September 2023, as the first big storm of the fall was kicking up in the U.K., a malicious plan was hatched to take down one of England’s favorite trees. Daniel Graham sent a message to his buddy, Adam Carruthers, telling him to “get the saws warmed up,” suggesting they might get some work clearing fallen trees. But it wasn’t high winds that brought down the famous Sycamore Gap tree that night, jurors determined Friday.

2 weeks ago | akronnewsreporter.com | Alicia Barry

The Akron Chamber of Commerce has selected ABC Development Center as its May Business of the month. ABC’s adventure began in 1994 with a small group of community members seeing the need for additional child care slots in Akron. After forming a non-profit 501 C-3 board with community support and a startup grant, the process began. Minor renovations were made to a rented building for a toddler and preschool classroom. The school-age classroom was in the basement of the church next door.

2 weeks ago | akronnewsreporter.com | David Hilzenrath |Jodie Fleischer

By David Hilzenrath and Jodie Fleischer, Cox Media Group and KFF Health NewsThe Social Security Administration is backing off a plan it announced in March to withhold 100% of many beneficiaries’ monthly payments to claw back money the government had allegedly overpaid them. Instead, the agency will default to withholding 50% of old-age, survivors, and disability insurance benefits, the agency said in an “emergency message” to staff dated April 25.

3 weeks ago | akronnewsreporter.com | Aisha Sultan |Louis Post-Dispatch

By Aisha Sultan, St. Louis Post-DispatchWith less than a week to see dramatic rugged coastlines, lush rainforests, mountain ranges including glaciers and volcanoes, stunning waterfalls, acres of colorful tulips and three unique cities, our travel itinerary to the Pacific Northwest featured zero downtime. Few places in the country jam as much geographic diversity, culinary delights and cultural and historic interest as Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia.