Here's something Akron Public Schools board members aren't used to hearing from the district treasurer: good news.

But treasurer Jack Pierson passed along to the board at Monday night's meeting that the number of students leaving the Akron district for other options is no longer increasing.

Board president Jason Haas says that fewer students leaving could result in a -slight- uptick in state money, over time...assuming the trend holds...

"We would actually see a little bit of an increase in our annual per pupil allocation, if those numbers continue to stablize, as they look like they're going to," Haas tells AkronNewsNow.com, based on earlier budget projections that the number of students leaving would continue to rise. "So, it's a positive, rare, but we'll take it, positive bit of financial news."

Haas thinks the district is doing a better job getting the district's strengths out there...in direct comparison to charter schools.

"We've really been conscious over the past couple of years of 'telling our story'", says Haas. "And we're getting a little bit better at it...we've got a long way to go, but we are getting better at that."

But the Akron district still must make some more cuts.

The appointment of new board member Veronica Sims, who took office Monday evening, has slowed down some of the process, but Haas says the board should have something to chew on, as far as possible budget cuts, sometime in the next month.

He's being called a hero, but he says he was just doing what he was trained to do.

Copley Police officer Ben Campbell got the Congressional Badge of Bravery for his response to the August 2011 Copley mass shootings.

Officer Campbell credits his department's teamwork and training in dealing with active shooting situations...a change from how such situations used to be handled.

"A big shooting or a tragic event, and everyone was going 'don't be a hero, don't go in," Campbell told reporters after being presented the medal by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown. "But from prior active shootings, we discovered that if the officer waits and waits for backup, more people are going to be killed."

Campbell says that training made his decision on the morning of August 11th a simple one.

"You know, I need to go in just like I'm trained, I need to 'go toward the bullets', so to speak," Campbell says. "But also, communicating with dispatch, letting my 'police army' know where I am so at some point they're going to flow into where I am, and I knew I'd have that."

Officer Campbell still can't fathom what happened on a quiet day in 2011 in Copley.

"I was probably more surprised than anybody to respond to a call like that," Campbell says. "Sometimes I just sit back and reflect, and I'm still shocked that it even happened."

Campbell received the Badge of Bravery, a medal presented to local law enforcement by Congress, at a Copley hotel on Monday.

A Stark County teacher is dead after a crash this morning.

NewsChannel 5 reports that 32 year-old Perry Local Schools teacher Matthew McLeese of Perry Township, died after the crash with a semi-trailer at the intersection of Faircrest and Sherman Church.

Canton police say it happened at about 10:20 Saturday morning.

The Canton Fire Department had to extricate McLeese from his car and transport him to Aultman Hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Pfieffer Intermediate School's website lists McLeese as a science and social studies teacher.

The crash is still under investigation.

---

On the Web: WEWS NewsChannel 5, www.newsnet5.com

UPDATE: The National Weather Service has psoted a Winter Storm Advisory from 6 PM Sunday through noon on Monday.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
1229 PM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013

.LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT INTO EARLY
MONDAY MORNING. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO THE AREA
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT TONIGHT. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO
MONDAY BEFORE TAPERING TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS
ARE EXPECTED TO FALL FROM MARION TO MILLERSBURG WHERE STORM TOTALS
COULD REACH 8 INCHES.


OHZ018>022-250030-
/O.EXA.KCLE.WW.Y.0012.130324T2200Z-130325T1600Z/
SENECA-HURON-MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TIFFIN...NORWALK...MEDINA...AKRON...
RAVENNA
1229 PM EDT SUN MAR 24 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO
NOON EDT MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS
EVENING TO NOON EDT MONDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS...3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE TONIGHT
  INTO MONDAY.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

* IMPACTS...SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...BELOW A MILE IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.


PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NORMALLY ISSUED FOR A VARIETY OF
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS LIGHT SNOW... BLOWING SNOW...
SLEET... FREEZING RAIN AND WIND CHILLS. WHILE THE WEATHER WILL BE
SIGNIFICANT... THE WORD ADVISORY IMPLIES THAT SEVERE WINTER
WEATHER IS NOT ANTICIPATED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.

Update Sunday 12:10 p.m. The National Weather Service has scrubbed the Winter Storm Watch for northeast Ohio but still predicts 1-3 inches today and another inch tomorrow, with more snow possible south of Akron. Those snowfall depths could be more in a range of 3-6 inches according to the most recent computer models.

- - -

It may be early Spring, but Mother Nature rarely follows the calendar exactly in Northeast Ohio.

National Weather Service forecasters have issued a Winter Storm Watch for much of Ohio for late Sunday through Monday, including the Akron/Canton area.

They say four to six inches of snow are possible before the snow tapers off on Monday. Parts of North Central Ohio and Northwest Ohio could see up to 8 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

---------

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
406 PM EDT SAT MAR 23 2013

.LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY LATE SUNDAY INTO
EARLY MONDAY MORNING. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL SPREAD SNOW INTO THE
AREA LATE SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE INTO
MONDAY BEFORE TAPERING TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS. HIGHEST AMOUNTS
LIKELY FALL ACROSS THE INLAND COUNTIES OF NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHWEST OHIO FROM FINDLAY THROUGH MANSFIELD AND MOUNT VERNON
WHERE STORM TOTALS COULD REACH 8 INCHES.

OHZ003-006>011-013-019>023-033-240415-
/O.NEW.KCLE.WS.A.0003.130325T0000Z-130325T1800Z/
LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-GEAUGA-HURON-
MEDINA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-MAHONING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...TOLEDO...BOWLING GREEN...PORT CLINTON...
FREMONT...SANDUSKY...LORAIN...CLEVELAND...CHARDON...NORWALK...
MEDINA...AKRON...RAVENNA...WARREN...YOUNGSTOWN
406 PM EDT SAT MAR 23 2013

...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* ACCUMULATIONS...4 TO 6 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP EARLY SUNDAY EVENING AND CONTINUE INTO
  MONDAY.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* IMPACTS...SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS SUNDAY NIGHT AND
  MONDAY.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THAT HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU
ARE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OR
THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

---

OHZ017-018-027>032-036>038-047-240430-
/O.CON.KCLE.WS.A.0003.130324T2000Z-130325T1800Z/
HANCOCK-SENECA-WYANDOT-CRAWFORD-RICHLAND-ASHLAND-WAYNE-STARK-
MARION-MORROW-HOLMES-KNOX-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...FINDLAY...TIFFIN...UPPER SANDUSKY...
CAREY...BUCYRUS...MANSFIELD...ASHLAND...WOOSTER...CANTON...
MARION...MOUNT GILEAD...MILLERSBURG...MOUNT VERNON
430 PM EDT SAT MAR 23 2013

...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON...

* ACCUMULATIONS...4 TO 8 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP MID AFTERNOON SUNDAY AND CONTINUE
  SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY.

* WINDS...NORTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH.

* IMPACTS...SNOW WILL MAKE TRAVEL HAZARDOUS SUNDAY NIGHT AND
  MONDAY.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...BELOW A MILE IN SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THAT HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU
ARE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OR
THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

The Akron Public Schools board has a new board member.

After interviewing 23 applicants over two days, the board picked Veronica Sims to take the seat left open by the resignation of Ginger Baylor.

Baylor left the board to take a position in the Akron office of Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.

----

(Akron Public Schools - news release) The Akron Board of Education has selected Veronica Sims to fulfill the remainder of the term created by board member Ginger Baylor's resignation. Board approval came at a meeting Wednesday night and followed two meetings where interviews were conducted with 23 applicants.

Sims is an administrator of special projects and government affairs for Akron Summit Community Action Inc. In this role, she has served as a liaison to the community and legislative bodies while promoting the advancement of ASCA's educational, economic development and social programs. Previously, she has served in leadership roles for the County of Summit Board of Development Disabilities and the Ohio Black Legislative Caucus.

On behalf of the board, President Jason Haas said, "Our choice was difficult because we had a deep and strong pool of qualified applicants. In the end, the board believes Sims will bring passion and dedication to her role; and this will contribute significantly to student achievement and success."

Sims will take the Oath of Office at the regularly scheduled March 25, 2013 board meeting.

Summit County Council has gone on record opposing a plan to increase truck weight limits on Ohio's state routes.

Council voted unanimously to oppose the state plan to increase weight limits from 80,000 pounds to 90,000 pounds. The increase is in at least one version of a transportation bill going through the statehouse in Columbus.

Heidi Swindell with the Summit County Engineer's Office says it's simple...even with more axles to carry the weight, heavier trucks mean heavier problems, and not just on state routes and interstates.

"All trips, all road trips, begin and end on local roads," Swindell tells AkronNewsNow.com. "So you're either on a township road, a county road, a municipal road, to get to the Turnpike or to the interstate."

Swindell says county engineer offices across the state are opposed to the change - and a state group representing them is leading the charge against it.

She says the weight language has been removed from the version of the bill in the Ohio Senate, but...

"But, it goes back to conference committee," Swindell explains, "and we have heard that the state House is going to try to reinsert that language at the conference committee."

The resolution passed by council means state lawmakers and Gov. Kasich will be notified of Summit County's opposition.

Swindell says 27th district state Senator Frank LaRose has taken a lead role on the issue in Columbus, and that numerous phone calls have been made and letters have been written.

She says she has heard from local counties across the state in their opposition to the increased weight limits, and hasn't heard from anyone supporting the higher weights.

23 candidates have shown an interest in replacing former Akron school board member Ginger Baylor.

The strong turnout to fill Baylor's empty board seat surprised Akron school board president Jason Haas.

Haas tells AkronNewsNow that he was expecting "8 to 12" candidates for the open seat. He says candidates who have applied are "quality" candidates from all walks of life.

Haas says that the board will interview candidates twice. 13 candidates are up tonight, and the remaining 10 are set to be interviewed Wednesday.

Haas says the board expects to announce Baylor's replacement at the next regular school board meeting on Monday, March 25th.

Baylor left the Akron school board earlier this month to take a position in the office of Representative Marcia Fudge.

Spring is ahead on the calendar...it starts on Wednesday.

But it sure won't feel like the first day of Spring is near on Monday morning.

The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for Monday morning for much of Eastern Ohio, including most of the Akron/Canton area.

It's the kind of advisory the weather service puts up when there's a chance of light winter weather. Light snow and freezing rain is expected until precipitation turns into rain by Monday afternoon.

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
335 PM EDT SUN MAR 17 2013

...A STORM SYSTEM WILL CAUSE A WINTRY MIX ACROSS THE REGION BY
DAYBREAK MONDAY...

.PLENTY OF MOISTURE WILL BE MOVING INTO THE AREA FROM THE
SOUTHWEST OVERNIGHT. THE PRECIPITATION WILL START OFF AS SNOW OR
FREEZING RAIN AND THEN AS TEMPERATURES WARM ABOVE FREEZING IT WILL
TURN TO RAIN. THIS WILL HAPPEN MAINLY MONDAY MORNING...EXCEPT FOR
VALLEY LOCATIONS OF ASHTABULA COUNTY AND INLAND NORTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA IT MAY TAKE LONGER TO WARM UP. ROAD TEMPERATURES COULD
BE ABOVE FREEZING BUT SOME ICE ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR ON ROADS
WITH MORE ACCUMULATION ON OBJECTS. ANY SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE
AN INCH OR LESS.

OHZ013-021>023-032-033-180345-
/O.NEW.KCLE.WW.Y.0010.130318T1000Z-130318T1500Z/
GEAUGA-SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL-STARK-MAHONING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARDON...AKRON...RAVENNA...WARREN...
CANTON...YOUNGSTOWN
335 PM EDT SUN MAR 17 2013

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 11 AM EDT
MONDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CLEVELAND HAS ISSUED A WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR MIXED PRECIPITATION WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6
AM TO 11 AM EDT MONDAY.

* ACCUMULATIONS....AROUND A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION
  AND UP TO AN INCH OF SNOW.

* TIMING...MAINLY MONDAY MORNING.

* WINDS...EAST 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* IMPACTS...SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATION CAN MAKE ROADS
  SLICK...REQUIRING LOWER SPEEDS AND GREATER DISTANCES BETWEEN
  VEHICLES WHILE DRIVING.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE LOWER 30S.

* VISIBILITIES...CAN BE BRIEFLY BELOW 2 MILES IN SNOW.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS NORMALLY ISSUED FOR A VARIETY OF
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS SUCH AS LIGHT SNOW, BLOWING SNOW,
SLEET, FREEZING RAIN AND WIND CHILLS. WHILE THE WEATHER WILL BE
SIGNIFICANT, THE WORD ADVISORY IMPLIES THAT SEVERE WINTER WEATHER
IS NOT ANTICIPATED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR FURTHER
DETAILS OR UPDATES.

Remember the snow plow driver caught on video plowing clear North Hill streets? He got dressed down in writing.

North Hill resident John Fankhauser took this YouTube video showing an Akron snow plow with blades down on his not-so-snowy street.

The Beacon Journal's Bob Dyer passed along the driver's final punishment - a written reprimand, according to Akron city service director John Moore.

Moore tells the newspaper that the driver's co-workers have been giving him quite the ribbing since the snow-free plowing incident became known.

---

On the Web: Beacon Journal, www.ohio.com

Previous ANN Coverage:

2/21/13: Akron Snow Plow Driver Busted Without Snow

UPDATE 3/14/13 4:45 PM: School spokesman Mark Williamson says early word is that the reported incident involves three students, and does not involve any teachers or staff.

-------

Very little is known about an alleged sexual assault of an Akron Public Schools student.

But we do know that the reported incidents, which were brought to police and the district's attention by Akron Children's Hospital on Wednesday, apparently didn't happen on school property.

"From what I understand early on, this did not happen on school grounds. This was not in a building, it was not on the property of the school system," district spokesman Mark Williamson tells AkronNewsNow.com. "However, that doesn't mean it's not a concern of ours. If students are involved, then we're always concerned."

And Williamson said school superintendent David James had strong words if these allegations bear fruit.

"If this is true, this is truly reprehensible," Williamson says. "This is not the kind of thing that we want happening with our students."

Akron police and the district are looking into the allegations, and are helping the alleged victim.

Williamson says it's still very early in the process, and officials are not saying much more out of caution...as information is still being gathered.

"Get to the truth," Williamson says. "We need to get to the truth to find out exactly what did happen."

There's no word yet what school the victim attends, or of their age or gender.

------

(Earlier ANN coverage) The city of Akron and the Akron Public Schools are looking into alleged sexual assaults of a young victim.

The city says Akron police detectives were notified of reported incidents by authorities at Akron Children's Hospital on Wednesday, and police and the district are investigating.

A city statement says police are also working with the victim's family to make sure their needs are being addressed.

The statement does not give the victim's age or gender, and does not name which school may be involved.

-------

City of Akron and APS Investigating Incidents

Juvenile Believed to be Victim of Sexual Assault

Akron, Ohio (March 14, 2013) - Mayor Don Plusquellic and Akron Public School Superintendent David James became aware today of incidents that involve a juvenile victim of alleged sexual assaults. Yesterday, police detectives were notified by authorities at Akron Children’s Hospital of the incidents involving the juvenile victim, and the detectives responded immediately. Police and APS personnel are actively investigating the incidents: statements are being gathered, evidence is being collected, and any videotapes reviewed. The police are also working with the victim’s family to make sure the victim’s needs are being addressed.

“We are taking these allegations seriously and want to protect the victim. We will do everything we can to find out what happened and take appropriate action after a thorough and complete investigation,” said Mayor Don Plusquellic.
“We still have very few confirmed facts, but I want to assure everyone that our staff is working---right now---with Akron police to get to the bottom of this. If the allegations are true, my heart goes out to the victim and the victim's family. This is truly reprehensible behavior," said Akron Public School Superintendent David W. James.