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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The residential well sampling project will ensure drinking water is safe in East Palestine and surrounding areas, according to Sen. Sherrod Brown's office. -
The Mansfield Water Main Initiative is a four year, 0.25% income tax projected to generate 18 million dollars to replace some of the city's water mains. -
State Reps. Gail Pavliga and Sharon Ray are two of nearly two dozen incumbent Republicans the state GOP declined to endorse this year. -
The Summit County Outreach Team initiative consists of Akron Fire, Akron Police and a behavioral health specialist who will respond to mental health calls. -
The city announced SiFi Networks plans to invest $200 million to install, maintain and operate the underground fiber-optic network. -
The library system says it will no longer charge fines for overdue materials and will remove outstanding fees from patrons' accounts. -
Several lawsuits related to the 2023 East Palestine, Ohio derailment have been filed by local residents, school districts, corporations, the state and the federal government. -
More than two months into his administration, Akron Mayor Shammas Malik unveiled dozens of action items, including a tracker to follow progress. -
The president toured the site of the derailment in East Palestine and met with local and federal officials to discuss the progress in the cleanup over the past year. -
President Biden is expected to make his first visit to East Palestine Friday. Some residents are critical that it's taken more than a year since the Norfolk Southern derailment for him to visit.
