AKRONMan killed in crashAKRON: Authorities said excessive speed and alcohol use are suspected in a one-car crash that killed an Akron man early Tuesday.Jeremiah Hileman, 35, died at the scene of the crash on North Street. He was a passenger in a Toyota Tacoma traveling west on West North Street shortly before midnight.The vehicle went left of center, drove over a curb and hit a tree, said Gary Guenther, spokesman for the Summit County Medical Examiner’s Office. Hileman was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:23 a.m. Tuesday.Akron police say the driver, Joseph Ahern, 26, lost control and hit the tree.He was being treated at Akron General Medical Center. Neither he nor Hileman were wearing seat belts.No charges had been filed.Fire injures twoAKRON: Two people were hurt in an early morning house fire in the 1900 block of 13th Street Southwest, authorities said Tuesday.A 46-year-old person was taken to Akron General Medical Center, but that individual’s condition was not immediately available, a fire dispatcher said. Another individual was injured but was not transported.Firefighters responded to a blaze that started on a basement mattress about 5 a.m. The fire was contained to the basement, according to a fire report.The damage estimate was $5,000 to the house and $3,000 to the contents.The cause of the fire remains under investigation.Further details were not immediately available.Crash shuts centerAKRON: Akron’s Summit Lake neighborhood could be without its community center for a few weeks.A car struck a utility pole at Lakeshore and Kenmore boulevards at 9 a.m. Tuesday and took off, leaving behind extensive property damage.Not only was the utility pole damaged, but Akron transformers were rendered inoperable, causing an electricity outage to the Summit Lake Community Center. Without the hope of immediate power, city crews quickly closed and winterized the building to prevent interior damage.“Replacing transformers is not a routine maintenance issue,” Service Director Rick Merolla said. “The usual lead time for purchasing a large transformer such as this is eight to 10 weeks, and even used transformers can take up to six weeks to find and install.”He said city employees and FirstEnergy Corp. were working to find the quickest resolution to the issue.Shooting on streetAKRON: Akron police were investigating a shooting that occurred Tuesday evening in the 800 block of Princeton Street.According to police, the victim, a man, was driven from the scene to Akron General Medical Center for treatment.His wounds were considered serious.No other information was immediately available.BARBERTONCouncil duties setBARBERTON: Carla Debevec was sworn in Monday as the newest member of the City Council.Debevec had been appointed following interviews with nine other hopefuls that sitting members of council conducted Saturday. She replaces Councilman-at-large Bill Judge, who was elected mayor in November. He took office Jan. 1.President Frederick Maurer appointed the following as chairs of the eight council committees: Finance and Personnel, Terry Avant; Rules, Marketing and Development, Debevec; Streets, Sidewalks and Lighting, Carol Frey; City Properties, Parks and Recreation, Craig Megyes; Planning, Annexation and Codes, Gary Endres; Environmental Health and Social Services, Carol Frey; City Utilities, John Wagner; and Public Welfare and Safety, Michael Soyars.BRIMFIELD TOWNSHIPSpill closes I-76BRIMFIELD TWP.: A tanker carrying a load of flammable liquid crashed Monday night, closing Interstate 76 westbound in Brimfield Township for more than 12 hours.Traffic in the area of the crash — near the westbound exit of Route 43 — had to be diverted around the crash site via the exit ramp.The truck leaked a small amount of diisobutylene. A hazmat team responded to the scene, Brimfield police Chief David Oliver said.State Highway Patrol troopers are investigating the crash.A truck driver, 39, of Knox, Pa., drove off the highway about 11 p.m. Monday and crashed into a ditch just east of state Route 43, causing the trailer to overturn. He was cited for driving with impaired alertness.CANTON SCHOOLSLeadership electedCANTON: Richard Milligan will serve as president of the Board of Education this year following his selection by fellow board members Monday night.Nadine McIlwain was elected vice president.Three new members elected in November took their oath: Ryan Brahler, Lisa Gissendaner and Ida Ross-Freeman.COVENTRY TOWNSHIPBus hits studentCOVENTRY TWP.: A Coventry High student was injured Tuesday morning when she was struck by a school bus while walking across the school’s parking lot.The 17-year-old girl was being treated for injuries at Akron Children’s Hospital, according to Summit County sheriff’s Lt. Mike Sanchez.The girl’s condition was not released. Sanchez said the girl was conscious when she was taken to the hospital by Coventry paramedics.Sanchez said the girl’s parents dropped her off at the school on Reservoir Road about 7 a.m. She was crossing through the parking lot when she was struck.Sheriff’s deputies were investigating. No charges had been filed.“We’re not really sure what happened. That’s what our traffic crash unit is working on now,” Sanchez said.GREEN SCHOOLSLeaders selectedGREEN: For the sixth consecutive time in his seven years, Bob Campbell has been elected to the helm of the Green Board of Education.By unanimous vote, Campbell and colleague Steven Foster were elected to one-year terms as president and vice president, respectively, during the board’s organizational meeting Monday night.Campbell and Foster also were named representatives to Portage Lakes Career Center.Member Connie Leonard and board newcomer Mark Herdlick were chosen student achievement liaison and legislative liaison, respectively, of the Ohio School Boards Association. Leonard and Foster were assigned as Green Schools Foundation representatives.Lynn Wiggins and Herdlick were appointed to both the Finance and Policy committees. Campbell and Leonard will serve on the Compensation Review panel and Foster and Leonard were named to the Green Schools Outreach Network.STATE NEWSAnti-fracking viewsCOLUMBUS: Almost 200 people opposed to a new method of drilling for natural resources have greeted returning state lawmakers with a Statehouse protest.No Frack Ohio called on legislators Tuesday to ban what’s called fracking, a process that blasts pressurized water, sand and chemicals underground to release gas and oil reserves trapped in shale. The group also wants a ban on deep injection wells that hold drilling wastewater.Gov. John Kasich halted wastewater injection at five Youngstown area wells after 11 earthquakes hit the area. However, he says he doesn’t want concerns over wastewater disposal to hinder the Ohio jobs promised by shale drilling.State natural resources officials note dozens of similar injection wells have operated around Ohio for decades without problems. They plan to attend a community forum today in Youngstown— Associated PressNo ‘double jeopardy’CINCINNATI: A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the first trial of a former county official facing two corruption indictments in Ohio.The appeals court in Cincinnati ruled Tuesday that the trial of former Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora won’t place him in double jeopardy, a term that means facing prosecution twice for the same alleged offenses.Following the ruling, U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi in Akron scheduled the trial to start Thursday. A jury was selected last week and the trial had been set to start today.Lioi had also ruled against the double jeopardy argument and delayed the trial to allow the appeal.Dimora has pleaded not guilty to taking bribes in return for steering contracts and hiring cronies.— Associated Press