Akron police are investigating a robbery that happened Thursday evening.
Police say a man approached a 38-year-old woman at an ATM machine at a FirstMerit Bank on North Main Street and attempted to grab the money from the ATM. The woman told officers she slapped the suspect's hand when he said "I don't want to hurt you, just give me the money."
The suspect ended up fleeing with $120 in cash.
Police describe the suspect as a white male, 20 – 25 years old, 5’09” – 5’11”, 170 – 190 lbs., wearing a white t-shirt, gray sweat pants, with tattoos on his left arm down to the wrist.
The city of Akron will invest about $3.2 million in the reconstruction of the outdated Cascade Plaza after news that FirstMerit will be keeping its headquarters in Akron.
City Council approved legislation Monday to improve the building and parking deck following the announcement of a merger between FirstMerit and Citizens Republic Bankcorp of Michigan.
"During this merger process, there was the potential we were getting ready to lose 2,000 full-time jobs," said Gary Moneypenny, president of Akron City Council.
City officials say the improvements are an incentive for FirstMerit to remain in Akron and create an additional 150 jobs in the city.
The city says Cascade Plaza, which also acts as the roof of the underground parking facility, has deteriorated over time. It was built in the 1970's.
Moneypenny says renovations made to Cascade Plaza will include improvements to the parking deck.
"We're going to reseal that parking deck. Also, turn that parking deck into more of a 'park-like' atmosphere and that's also along with part of our 'going green' downtown," said Moneypenny.
The city will also provide a Job Creation Incentive in the form of income tax credits to FirstMerit that will provide the company with help towards the cost of their relocation, expansion and new employee training.
Akron-based FirstMerit outlines job cuts to save millions of dollars in 2013 in its latest filing to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
In the company's Tuesday filing, a presentation listed the elimination of 338 positions.
The reduction in staffing levels is just part of the effort to save $30 million by next year.
As the company moves forward amid the current economic conditions, proactive steps were listed in the presentation to address challenges, including the "declining level of branch traffic".
Of the ideas for savings measures submitted by employees, 341 ideas were chosen.
Other "efficiency initiative actions" included in FirstMerit's filing:
The first evidence of the company's budget trimming endeavor surfaced last week, when AkronNewsNow.com first reported FirstMerit was eliminating all assistant branch manager positions across the board.
While the company operates 205 locations in the region, not all had the assistant manager positions.
On Monday, the Beacon reported FirstMerit would close six area branches and turn one into a drive-thru only.
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Previous Coverage:
Akron-based FirstMerit has reportedly listed seven banks that it will close in the area, and another will become a drive-up other location.
The Beacon Journal says FirstMerit will close Stow's Oregon Corners branch on Graham Road will close on August 11th.
The newspaper reports that three Medina County FirstMerit branches will close on August 18th - on Pearl Road in Medina, Center Road in Brunswick and on Sharon-Copley Road in Sharon Center.
The FirstMerit branches on Bailey Road in Cuyahoga Falls and on West Tuscarawas Avenue in Barberton have an August 25th closing date...the same day a FirstMerit branch on North Main Street in Akron begins offering only drive-up and ATM services.
Also slated to close in August are branches in Amherst and Wickliffe.
The Beacon Journal says no employees were let go as a result of the closures, and workers will be reassigned or offered other jobs within FirstMerit.
FirstMerit confirmed last week that it is eliminating the position of assistant branch manager. The Akron bank has 205 branches in its system, but not all have an employee in that position.
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On the Web: Akron Beacon Journal, www.ohio.com
Facing the fact that he would soon be handcuffed, an Akron robbery suspect probably had more on his mind than just a pending arrest.
Akron police say Anthony T. Ethridge, 22, shot himself in the head during a police chase Wednesday. Police report he was a suspect in a bank heist at a FirstMerit branch Wednesday morning in Akron.
Ethridge was out on bond after pleading not guilty Dec. 12 to an indictment, which listed charges of abduction and domestic violence.
On day later, a warrant was issued for his arrest on owed child support payments. Court documents show Ethridge was a no-show in court for his hearing Dec. 13, to explain why he was not paying.
Akron police say Ethridge shot himself in the head while officers were trying to catch him and two others under the All American Bridge. The names of the two other suspects arrested were not released.
8:03 p.m. Editor's note: the links to publicly-available documents in earlier versions of this story have been removed at the request of the party in the child support action.
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