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Abigail Bottar
Reporter/ProducerExpertise: Audio reporting, Akron politics, rail safety
Education: Kent State University - Bachelor of Arts, political science
Favorite spot in Northeast Ohio: Downtown Kent
Experience:
Abigail Bottar covers Akron, Canton, Kent and the surrounding areas for Ideastream Public Media. She started in public radio as a news intern at WKSU. Her reporting on the train derailment in East Palestine has appeared nationally and internationally on the BBC, NPR, “Morning Edition,” “Up First,” “Here and Now,” MSNBC, “Living on Earth” and Vox’s “Today, Explained.”
Highlights:
- 2022, Best Spot News Coverage, Ohio Associated Press Media Editors
- Guest on the “Sound of Ideas” and panelist on the “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable”
Why trust Ideastream Public Media?
The mission of Ideastream Public Media is to be a trustworthy and dynamic multimedia source for illuminating the world around us. Our highest priority is providing news and information that is reliable and accurate, that is gathered with integrity and professional care and that is presented with precision and respect for the intelligence of our audiences. We are transparent about how we discover and verify the facts we present and strive to make our decision-making process clear to the public. We disclose relationships, such as with partners or funders, that might appear, but will never, influence our coverage.
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Akron police are continuing to investigate the early summer mass shooting that killed one person and injured 28 others. The city is also spreading awareness on how to throw community events and block parties safely.
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Summa Health announced the plan to be acquired by Health Assurance Transformation Corporation in January. The move will make the nonprofit hospital system a for profit business.
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Ellis ran "The Reporter" for more than 30 years, taking over from his father who started the paper in 1969. Those who knew him say it was Ellis' mission to lift up the Black community in Akron.
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The mass shooting occurred in East Akron at a birthday party. Lateris Cook, 27, of Akron was killed. Akron police are still investigating the shooting.
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Akron is receiving $51 million to develop and produce the next generation of plastics and rubber. The funding will cover seven projects, including one at the University of Akron to bolster life cycle assessment training.
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The funding from the U.S. Department of Commerce will go toward developing and producing the next generation of rubber and plastics.
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A pilot program from the Greater Stark County Urban League is teaching police officers Spanish to better communicate with the county's growing Spanish speaking population.
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The National Transportation Safety Board held its final meeting on the 2023 East Palestine train derailment on Tuesday.
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National Transportation Safety Board staff recommended Tuesday that new guidance be developed for deciding when first responders use the vent and burn tactic and that federal standards should be developed for trackside detectors.
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The NTSB is holding its final meeting on the East Palestine train derailment Tuesday morning. The board will vote on the probable causes of the derailment and recommendations to prevent future accidents.