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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This week, we've been exploring the problems plaguing Ohio's volunteer firefighter system in our series "Sound the Alarm." Many of the state's volunteer firefighters follow a family member into service and continue passing down a culture of volunteerism. -
Congress removed work requirement exemptions for some recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting this year, according to Summit County officials. Congress also passed significant funding cuts to Medicaid that will go into affect this year. -
The Inmate Growth Naturally and Intentionally Through Education program aims to foster a sense of pride and empowerment in participants incarcerated at the Summit County Jail, officials said. -
The Akron Public Art Inventory is an interactive database with more than 700 pieces of art and cultural items across the city. -
Through the Great Streets Akron Initiative, the city has awarded grants to help local businesses either support general operations and business development or for exterior improvements, according to city officials. -
The Polymer Industry Cluster announced five new projects that will receive funding from the Ohio Department of Development Innovation Hub program, according to a press release. The program is helping accelerate innovation and create economic growth by capitalizing on Akron's history and experience with polymer science. -
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, lists the defendants as the city of Akron, Mayor Shammas Malik, Police Chief Brian Harding, Officer Davon Fields and other police officers. -
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development capped funds for programs that house formerly homeless people at 30% of their previous allocation. -
Summit County voters have approved the proposal to limit property taxes. Issue 2 also shields the county from some state proposals to eliminate property taxes. -
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program ran out of funds on Saturday. Cities and nonprofits are suing the Trump administration over its refusal to release contingency funds to pay for the program.
