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For those that are not in the know, we here at Mecca Media Entertainment have decided to take on the responsibility to bring to the community a weekly broadcast for The Reporter Newspaper. The program will be featured weekly here on this page and the home page of this site.

The Reporter Newspaper is an all black operated and black-owned weekly newspaper/publication that's been telling our stories for 50 years. In 2016 The Reporter Newspaper announced that they were available online @thereporternewspaperonline.com which is the online equivalent (website) of the tangible form.

Now in-conjunction with Mecca Media Inc. you can hear/ see the news being read directly from the website via a weekly broadcast. The show is hosted by -Hiram Akeem

Mayor Horrigan And Council President Sommerville Unveil City Of Akron Racial Equity And Social Justice Taskforce

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Akron, Ohio, August 20, 2020 —Today, Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan and Council President Margo Sommerville are proud to release the framework for the City of Akron Racial Equity and Social Justice Taskforce. The Taskforce will consist of an executive committee, with additional subcommittees on specific topics.  The Taskforce’s mission is to build public trust in the community by formulating meaningful recommendations of policy change to create a more racially equitable, socially just community and to bridge the racial wealth divide in the City of Akron. These recommendations will be outlined in a five-year Strategic Plan, which will be delivered to the Mayor, City Council, and the community by December 2021.

The proposed executive committee, to be appointed by the Mayor and Council President and approved by City Council, includes 29 community members from diverse backgrounds and disciplines—joined together by a common commitment to develop a pro-equity agenda for the City of Akron. The Taskforce will be chaired by Bishop F. J. Johnson II, currently serving as Senior Pastor at House of the Lord and Presiding Bishop of the Beth-El Fellowship of Visionary Churches.

“The purpose of this taskforce is to give the grassroots leaders who are actively engaged in the Akron community an opportunity to work together to develop a common understanding of where we are, and where we need to go, to advance racial equity and social justice,” Mayor Dan Horrigan said.  “We cannot truly address the challenges we face, unless we all agree on what those challenges are, and the specific steps needed to move our community forward. This will not be a lifeless document that sits on a shelf – but rather a plan of action, with specific benchmarks, that the community can use to hold us accountable for creating real change. I am incredibly grateful to Bishop Johnson for answering the call to serve our community as Chair of this Taskforce, and I look forward to the mark it will leave on Akron for generations to come.”

In addition to the 29 members of the executive committee, additional community members will be invited by the Chair to serve on subcommittees devoted to specific topics. The Taskforce subcommittees will include: Equitable Workforce Development and Job Creation, Criminal Justice System, Health Care/Public Health, Housing, Education, and Communications.  The Strategic Plan will include specific policy recommendations, timelines, and funding allocations required to achieve the recommendations. The Taskforce will reconvene annually for five years to issue a status report regarding the Strategic Plan.

While the Taskforce will make direct recommendations to the Mayor and City Council related to City operations and services—as other issues and barriers are identified, the Taskforce may make recommendations to other organizations and private entities within the Greater Akron area. These recommendations will draw worthy attention, elicit a level of accountability, and facilitate those organizations becoming more equitable in their respective areas of influence, as well.

“We are at a turning point in history, both as a community and a nation,” Council President Margo Sommerville said. “Now is the time for Akron to step up, and address some of its most entrenched challenges head on, with open minds and a commitment to change. Under the leadership of Bishop Johnson, this Taskforce will have the opportunity to bring issues to light, and make specific recommendations to make Akron a more equitable and opportunity rich community.”

To ensure collaboration and coordination of efforts, the Chairperson and Taskforce members will be connected with other groups working on equity issues, including Elevate Greater Akron, which is focused on eliminating barriers to economic vitality and increasing economic opportunities for Akron’s Black community.

The legislation creating the Taskforce will be introduced to Akron City Council when it returns to session in early September.  Once the Taskforce is formally approved, the group will convene to set specific goals and objectives, formulate subcommittees, and provide information on how the public can engage with this important process. Individuals interested in participating, either with a specific subcommittee or otherwise, are encouraged to email SocialJustice@akronohio.gov.

“I want to thank Mayor Horrigan and Council President Sommerville for taking advantage of this unprecedented moment to demonstrate their concern for all people, through building public trust, by establishing a mechanism for formulating meaningful recommendations of policy change to create a more racially equitable, socially just community and to bridge the racial wealth divide in the City of Akron,” said Bishop Johnson.

For more information, please visit www.akronohio.gov/equitytaskforce.

​​City Of Akron And Keep Akron Beautiful Complete The Second Round Of The Recycle Right Campaign

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Akron, Ohio, August 17, 2020 – Over the past month, the City of Akron and local sustainability organization Keep Akron Beautiful have been working on Recycle Right 2.0. Recycling contamination—meaning incorrect or soiled materials placed into the recycling system—increases costs, decreases recovery of recyclable materials and threatens the sustainability of the City’s recycling program. The Recycle Right campaign is designed to reduce the contamination in Akron's recycling stream through educational efforts across Akron.

The initiative again mobilized specially-trained personnel to conduct curbside cart observations. Workers took extra precautions this year by wearing masks and protective gear, and practicing social distancing while conducting their observations. Residents who had non-recyclable material in their recycling carts received informational “Oops” tags on their carts with direct feedback designed to improve compliance with proper recycling guidelines. 

“Overall, we have seen a noticeable improvement from when we ran the campaign last year,” said Jacqui Ricchiuti, CEO of Keep Akron Beautiful. “The most common contaminant in recycling carts is non-recyclable plastic. We noticed a lot of plastic bags (such as what you might get from a grocery store) and plastic wrapping (including Saran wrap and the wrapping that goes over a case of water bottles). The only plastics that should be placed in recycling carts are clean and empty bottles and jugs.”

The first Recycle Right campaign, conducted last year, yielded significant results – with the quality of Akron’s recyclables improving considerably. The City of Akron's contamination rate went from 39% to 27.2%, which represents a 30% overall reduction in contamination. The City hopes that Recycle Right 2.0 and other education efforts reduce that contamination rate even further. 

“We know that Akron residents value the recycling program and want to see it succeed,” said Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan. “This initiative has allowed us to continue to educate our recycling customers about the correct way to recycle, so that they can help us keep this program sustainable.”

Some trash items which are commonly placed in recycling carts, which contribute to contamination:

• Plastic bags

• Pizza boxes/to-go containers – Items that once contained cooked food are waste products and should not be recycled.

• Contaminated laundry detergent containers – While laundry detergent jugs are recyclable, you must thoroughly clean/wash them out so that no detergent is left in the container, otherwise it is contaminated and should be disposed of in your trash cart.

• Dirty or wet cardboard

“One of my favorite quotes about recycling is, ‘When in doubt, throw it out!’” added CEO Ricchiuti. “When you put an item in your recycling bin which isn’t actually recyclable you can contaminate other items. This contamination results in most, if not all, of the recyclable items in your cart being thrown out. It’s better to throw out one item instead of an entire cart.”