AKRONMotorist chargedAKRON: An Akron motorist is facing felony charges in a January crash that killed his passenger.Joseph Ahern, 26, was charged this week in Akron Municipal Court with aggravated vehicular homicide, drunken driving, failure to control his vehicle and reckless operation. A Summit County grand jury is expected to hear the case later.Police say Ahern was driving a Toyota Tacoma on Jan. 9 when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a tree on West North Street shortly before midnight. A passenger, Jeremiah Hileman, 35, died at the scene. Ahern was treated for injuries at Akron General Medical Center. Neither man was wearing a seat belt, police said.Jewelry shop lootedAKRON: More than $25,000 in merchandise was taken during a burglary discovered Monday at an Akron jewelry store, police said.Employees of Taylor Made Jewelry, 2492 Wedgewood Drive, told police they arrived at the store about 8:30 a.m. Monday and found a door lock had been picked open and several glass display cases inside the showroom were smashed.The break-in occurred sometime after closing on Saturday. According to a report, workers were performing an inventory to determine how much jewelry was taken. One worker told police the value of the stolen items was at least $25,000. Most of the merchandise was Accutron and Bulova watches, police said.Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2490. Anonymous tips can be left via the Internet at http://akronohio.gov/asp/tip.html.Crash kills driverA former Akron resident was killed in a one-car crash in Colorado.The Mesa County Coroner’s Office reported that Mick E. Stevenson, 34, of Grand Junction, Colo., died Sunday. State trooper Josh Lewis said Stevenson was driving a 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier when he lost control of the vehicle. When the vehicle began to spin, Lewis said, Stevenson fell out and was run over by his own car.The accident is still being investigated, but authorities said alcohol was believed to be a contributing factor. The coroner found that Stevenson’s blood-alcohol level was 0.238 percent — nearly three times the legal limit in Colorado.White Pond site soldAKRON: Akron City Council voted this week to sell four acres of city property in the White Pond Office Park to a Florida developer who plans to build a medical office complex.The city will sell the property on White Pond Drive across from the FirstEnergy Corp. building to Rendina LLC of Juniper, Fla., for $105,000 per acre, minus the cost of soil remediation. Brad Beckert, Akron’s development engineering manager, said the city probably won’t see any money from the sale because the remediation needed to build on the property is expected to be extensive. He said the soil has a lot of peat and contamination.The developer plans to build a 40,000-square-foot office building in which several Akron General Medical Center doctors would lease space. About 40 jobs are expected to be created.Beckert said all but about 25 percent of the office building has been rented.This is the first time Akron has sold any of the 70 acres it owns on White Pond. Mayor Don Plusquellic said he hopes the new medical complex will “spur more office development” in the office park.CAMPAIGN TRAILBenefit for Horrigan Summit County Clerk of Courts Dan Horrigan will host his fifth annual Mardi Gras Fundraiser from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Todaro’s Party Center, 1820 Akron-Peninsula Road.Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at the door.For tickets or more details, call 330-256-0077.Rallies for MartucciFrank Martucci a Democratic candidate for Summit County sheriff, will hold two campaign rallies this week.He will be at Azteca Restaurant, 1779 E. Market St., Akron, from 6 to 7:30 tonight and at the Barberton Sokol Club, 888 W. Hopocan Ave., from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.Both events are open to the public.CANTON SCHOOLSTalarico honoredCANTON: The Board of Education decided Monday to name the library at Lehman Middle School after the district’s first female superintendent.The Dianne Talarico Memorial Library will be dedicated at a time convenient for her family. She was a 1975 graduate of the former Lehman High School.Talarico died in May 2011 at the age of 53. She served as Canton superintendent from 2001 to 2006 and was remembered as a passionate advocate for youth and someone who wanted all parents to read to their children for 20 minutes a day.Also Monday, the board learned the Talarico family has established a scholarship for graduates who plan to study education in college.The board scheduled a special meeting for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the superintendent’s conference room in the administrative office at 305 McKinley Ave. NW to discuss the search for a new superintendent. Michele Evans resigned Feb. 6.GREEN SCHOOLSCalendar approvedGREEN: The Board of Education on Monday approved the district’s calendar for the 2012-13 school year.Classes for all Green students will begin Aug. 22, two days after teachers resume their duties. The last day of classes will be May 30, 2013.The longest break will be from Dec. 20 through Jan. 1.Asked by board member Lynn Wiggins if superintendents across Summit County were considering a countywide calendar as opposed to individual district calendars, Superintendent Michael Nutter said he doesn’t think such a step is likely.Nutter advised board members that at the board’s March 26 meeting he will discuss proposed changes for the next school year in the district’s electronic device policy and the grading scale for grades 4-12.“I want to keep everyone ahead of the curve,” Nutter said in announcing that next year students will be permitted to have electronic devices, such as iPads, with them at school.Funding for securityGREEN: The Board of Education on Monday approved a bid of $91,900 from Temperature Control Co. of Akron for the purchase and installation of security camera equipment at Green Intermediate School.Kustom Fencing Co. of Akron was awarded a $48,750 contract to repair the high school’s baseball backstop so that foul balls will remain in the complex and not go into the adjacent track and football stadium. When completed, events can be held at the stadium at the same times as baseball games, Superintendent Michael Nutter said.LAKE TOWNSHIPSpending approvedLAKE TWP.: Township trustees approved 2012 appropriations for nearly $12.4 million at their regular meeting Monday night. They said the township is using only 25 percent of what is typical for a winter season of treating roads. The board reappointed John White to the township Zoning Commission for a five-year term beginning Feb. 13.STOWEx-banker indictedSTOW: A former Charter One Bank branch manager in Stow has been indicted on charges that she stole more than $55,000 from the financial institution. Allison Lowther, 43, of Kent, was indicted last week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland on one count of embezzlement. She is accused of embezzling $55,624 while working at the branch at 4445 Kent Road from June to November 2011. Lowther is to be arraigned Feb. 23 before U.S. Magistrate Kathleen B. Burke. An attorney is not listed in court documents.GREENMeeting canceledTonight’s meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Central Administration Building, has been canceled for lack of any agenda items.