AKRONOfficers injuredAKRON: Three Akron officers who were stationed at a car crash Friday night on Interstate 76 were struck and injured by a motorist accused of driving drunk, police said.The officers were treated at area hospitals and released.Police said a 1998 Ford Expedition struck the officers and two cruisers. Dwayne Shepherd, 33, was charged with drunken driving, failure to control his vehicle and abusing marijuana.He was treated for injuries at Summa Akron City Hospital.Police say several cruisers were parked at the crash site and were blocking the highway about midnight Friday, when Ford Expedition struck the officers on I-76 westbound near state Route 59.Shepherd is scheduled for an arraignment hearing in Akron Municipal Court on Wednesday.Druggist robbedAKRON: Police are looking for the man who threatened a pharmacist Sunday afternoon during a robbery.The man entered the Walgreens at 830 Brittain Road about 4 p.m. and warned the pharmacist that he would jump the counter and harm her if she didn’t turn over a bottle of Percocet pain pills. The 45-year-old druggist gave the robber an open bottle of pills, containing about 300 5-mg tablets. The robber then left.Police say the culprit is a white male in his 30s with a goatee. He is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 180 pounds. He wore a long-sleeve gray shirt with “Akron” printed across the front, blue plaid shorts, flip-flops, sunglasses and a black cap.Anyone with information is asked to call Akron detectives at 330-375-2490.Hospital damagedAKRON: A disgruntled patient is accused of triggering a sprinkler system and causing extensive water damage to several rooms at Akron General Medical Center.Police say the man grew agitated when he was not given pain medication during a stay at the hospital Saturday. At some point, police said, he held a cigarette lighter to a fire alarm and activated the sprinkler system.Police say several rooms and hallways were damaged by water.Robert Hudkins, 54, of Akron, was charged with felony vandalism and was moved from the hospital to the Summit County Jail. He has since been released and is scheduled for an arraignment today in Akron Municipal Court.CANAL FULTONBike ride plannedCANAL FULTON: The annual Tour Du Towpath Bicycle Ride is scheduled for Aug. 13.The ride with four routes will begin with staggered starts and end at the Canal Fulton Canalway Center, 125 Tuscarawas St. Registration opens at 8 a.m.The rides range from 8 to 31 mile on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail plus a 31-mile road-trail route.A barbecue lunch will be served to riders, starting at 11 a.m.The entry fee is $25 a person and $10 for riders 12 and younger and $60 for families (two adults and two children).For reservations and more information, call 330-374-5657 or go to www.ohioeriecanal.org.COVENTRY TOWNSHIPRoad closedCOVENTRY TWP.: The Summit County Engineer’s Office will close Portage Lakes Drive between Peach Drive and Cormany Road at 8 a.m. today because of erosion.The July 19 rainstorm wore away the pavement’s edge.Portage Lakes Drive will remain closed while workers reconstruct the road.Traffic will be detoured during normal working hours to give maintenance workers the opportunity to excavate the failed portion of the road and to repair the retaining wall along the lake.During the evening hours and on weekends, Portage Lakes Drive will operate with alternating one-way traffic. A temporary traffic signal will control the traffic when workers are not present.While the road is closed, access to all local properties will be maintained.CUYAHOGA VALLEYService to resumeThe Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad will resume service from Peninsula to Brecksville on Wednesday.The tourist railroad operates excursions on Wednesdays through Sundays from Brecksville to Akron and Canton.Train service from the Brecksville Station off Riverview Road just south of state Route 82 to Independence remains closed because of rail construction and improvements. That work is slated to be completed later this summer.Grant to help parkCOLUMBUS: The Cuyahoga Valley National Park is getting $40,000 to help fight invasive plants.The grant to the Conservancy for Cuyahoga Valley National Park and its local partners will help control invasive species and plant native seed to improve 50 miles of habitat along the Cuyahoga River.The grant of the federal-private funds was announced by U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and the Sustain Our Great Lakes partnership, which includes numerous federal agencies and ArcelorMittal steel.Farms for leaseTwo new farms are being offered for lease in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park: a rehabilitated residence and 27 acres of fields in Peninsula; and a residence, cottage and 31 acres of fields in Valley View.The leases are being handled by the National Park Service and the nonprofit Cuyahoga Valley Countryside Conservancy.At present, the park has 11 farms under lease, including a vineyard-winery, vegetable and egg operations, livestock and pick-your-own and community-supported vegetable farms.Proposals are due by Oct. 3. The winning leases will be picked next spring.To request a copy of the request for proposals, contact the conservancy’s Julie Gabelman at 330-657-2542 or jgabelman@cvcountryside.org. You can also download the information at www.nps.gov/cuva (follow the link under “Farm Leaves Available”) or www.
cvcountryside.org.There will be farm open houses Aug. 15 and 18.COLUMBUSContest winnersCOLUMBUS: A 16-year-old girl from Wayne County is the top winner in Ohio’s statewide Agriculture is Cool visual arts contest.Diane Gress of Shreve created a video chosen as best of show.Her brother, Thomas, 9, was the winner in the photo competition for grades 3-5.Seven category winners got tickets to see Brad Paisley at the Ohio State Fair.Lottery resultsCOLUMBUS: The Ohio Lottery had record sales last year, even as the state faced a sluggish recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression.State officials said Monday the lottery pulled in its largest haul ever with $2.6 billion in sales during the budget year that ended June 30. The commission beat the previous year’s sales by $108 million.The boon marks the 10th year in a row that the lottery has seen sales increase.The lottery says it has poured $738.8 million in annual profits into a state education fund. That marks the second-largest contribution in the lottery’s history.The largest happened in 1997, when the lottery contributed $748.8 million to schools.Lottery Interim Director Dennis Berg says more than half of the sales came from instant ticket games.– Associated PressNORTHEAST OHIONew canalway siteThe Ohio & Erie Canalway National Heritage Area has a new website and a promotion to kick it off.The site — www.
ohioanderiecanalway.com — includes interactive maps that can be downloaded, bird watching and wildlife sites, questing locations and samplers or collections of favorite outings by local experts.The promotion, Around the Ohio & Erie Canalway in 31 Days, will run through August and encourages people to explore the website daily, answer questions and compete for prizes.The canalway runs from Cleveland through Akron and Canton to New Philadelphia.SILVER LAKESociety picnicSILVER LAKE: The Silver Lake Historical Society’s picnic to meet the new board of directors will be at 1 p.m. Aug. 14.The event will be held at the shelter behind Village Hall on Kent Road.Please bring a covered dish to share and any Silver Lake memorabilia to show off.