Community Corner
🌱 Patch AM: Will Akron really dodge another $15 monthly sewer bill hike?
Coming up: Book Discussion on the Akron Patch calendar
Good day Akron! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☀️
In today's newsletter:
- Will Akron really dodge another $15 monthly sewer bill hike?
- What Akron’s mayor’s new statewide role could mean for the city
- How New Year’s Day will change trash pickup and library access
Today's riddle: I think I’ll wear only one boot today. 🤔 (Answer below!)
Find out what's happening in Akronfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
- Wednesday: A couple of snow showers, with a high of 30 and low of 14 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
- Thursday: Frigid with a few flurries, temps: high: 18, low: 16.
- Friday: Mostly cloudy and not as cold, with a high of 28 and low of 15 degrees.
📰 News we're reading
1. Can more sewer rate hikes be avoided? Akron officials say yes (beaconjournal.com) — Akron officials say they can meet federal water-quality rules by upgrading the Cuyahoga Street storage facility for $35 million, potentially avoiding an extra $15-a-month sewer rate hike on top of increases already approved through 2029. Federal courts and the EPA must still sign off, but the city argues this cheaper fix will still capture 99% of wet-weather flows and keep billions of gallons of sewage out of local waterways. 
Find out what's happening in Akronfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
2. Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry joins Ohio Mayors Alliance board (mansfieldnewsjournal.com) — Akron Mayor Shammas Malik has been elected to the board of the Ohio Mayors Alliance, joining other big-city leaders to advocate for urban issues at the Statehouse. His new role puts Akron directly at the table on statewide policy, emphasizing bipartisan cooperation to address challenges facing Ohio’s largest cities.
3. Is New Year's Day a federal holiday? What's open, closed? What to know (beaconjournal.com) — Akron residents should plan for no city trash pickup and a closed Akron-Summit County Public Library on New Year’s Day, though most Kroger stores and big-box retailers like Walmart and Target will stay open. Federal offices, banks, post offices, and most UPS and FedEx services will be closed, so expect delays for regular mail and many deliveries.
4. Baby Shower Surprise Leads to Two-Month NICU Journey for Premature Baby (clevelandclinic.org) — A Kentucky couple’s quick trip to Akron for a baby shower turned into a two‑month stay at Cleveland Clinic Akron General after their son Sixx arrived 11 weeks early. Local NICU teams in Akron supported the family through breathing complications, a rare heart condition, and intensive training before they finally headed home with a thriving baby in December.
5. Akron White French Dressing Recipe (seriouseats.com) — Akron’s beloved white French dressing gets the spotlight, tracing how local restaurants like Ken Stewart’s helped turn this creamy, sweet-tangy sauce into a hometown staple. Chef and Akron native Vinnie Cimino now serves his own twist in Cleveland, and the article walks through the dressing’s history, ingredients, and how Akronites use it on everything from salads to steak.
📸 Around Akron
Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!
🗓 Upcoming Events in Akron
Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!
- Book Discussion
North Hill Branch Library - Conference Room
12:30 pm - Hope & Healing Drop-in Office Hours
North Hill Branch Library - Community Room
3:00 pm - Break-in Bag: Save the Snowman
Odom Boulevard Branch Library -
3:30 pm
Monday January 5
📣 Akron Shout Outs!
Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!
🗓 Events Nearby
- Noon Year's Eve
Tallmadge Branch Library - Community Room
11:00 am - Great New Years Eve 5K
Stow-Munroe Falls High School , 3227 Graham Rd , Stow
4:00 pm - Closed
Springfield Township, OH Calendar Akron, OH 44312 - Happy New Year! - Office Closed
Fairlawn Calendar Fairlawn, OH 44333
8:00 am - Organizational Meeting
Brimfield Township, OH Calendar , 1333 Tallmadge Rd Administration Building , Kent
8:00 am - Red Cross Blood Drive
Reed Memorial Library - Haymaker/Jenkins Room
11:00 am - BBK-V, BBK-JV vs Hoover
CC-Main Gym
5:30 pm - City of Stow Swearing-In Ceremony
Stow, OH Calendar , 3760 Darrow Road , Stow
6:00 pm - City Council - Organizational Meeting
Stow, OH Calendar , 3760 Darrow Road , Stow
7:00 pm
Wednesday December 31
Thursday January 1
Friday January 2
Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.
Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Akron PatchAM possible:
- Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
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💬 Chatter
What your neighbors are talking about on social media
- Trending Topic
· Follow 19h · For nearly 200 years, the fisher existed in Ohio only as a memory — a casualty of logging, habitat loss, and relentless trapping. Now… (Nextdoor North Hill) - If someone I know owned a small business I wouldn’t be asking for discounts or free stuff … I’d be trying to help them by paying full price for stuff because ultimately friendships don’t pay the bills.
This has always confused me. Handing out free stuff doesn’t help a small business succeed. Do you think my opinion is messed up? I just like to… (Nextdoor Inman)
- McDonald's posted a job opening for Shift Manager - Up to $18.50 / hr to start in Akron. Apply here.
- Acosta posted a job opening for Mandate Retail Service Merchandiser - Giant Eagle in Akron. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Akron here.
Ok Akron! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!
-- The Patch AM Team
P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I heard there’s only a 50 percent chance of snow.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!
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