AKRONNo trash delayAKRON: The city will have normal trash and recycling collections Monday, even though it is the Columbus Day holiday. There also will be no delays of curb service the rest of the week.Jordan to speakAKRON: U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan will speak at the Summit County Republican Party’s annual finance dinner Oct. 19.U.S. Rep. John Renacci, R-Wadsworth, will introduce Jordan, R-Urbana, who chairs the Congressional Republican Study Committee’s Budget and Spending Tax Force and is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.The event will be at the Hilton Akron/Fairlawn, 3180 W. Market St.Cocktails will be served at 6 p.m., followed by dinner at 7.Tickets are $250 per person.For more information or to reserve tickets, call 330-434-9151. CANTONODOT hearingCANTON: The Ohio Department of Transportation is holding a public meeting Thursday on improvements planned along U.S. 62 in Stark County.It will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the state’s Stark County Maintenance Facility, 4505 Atlantic Blvd. (U.S. 62).The meeting will enable the public to review and comment on plans for improvements to U.S. 62 from Market Avenue North in Canton east, through Canton and Plain and Nimishillen townships to state Route 44.The meeting will have an open-house format.Comments may be submitted by Nov. 13 to Anthony M. Urankar, District 4 deputy director, Ohio Department of Transportation, 2088 S. Arlington Road, Akron 44306.For more information, call 330-786-2209.COPLEY TOWNSHIPRecord for callsCOPLEY TWP.: The Copley Fire Department set a record last month with 208 runs, a 22 percent increase over the September 2010 total.Township Fire Chief Michael Benson said September was the busiest on record for Station 1, at 1540 S. Cleveland-Massillon Road. He said the majority of calls for the month were for emergency medical services and response to false alarms.Benson also said at Wednesday’s board of trustees meeting that township tornado sirens will be tested for the final time this year at noon Saturday.In other business, township trustees approved $25,000 for the remainder of the year for gasoline for township vehicles. The township buys its fuel from the Copley-Fairlawn School District.Township Fiscal Officer Janice L. Marshall estimated township gasoline expenses so far this year at $75,000. She said per-gallon costs are cheaper than on the street because the township pays in bulk below retail price.greenHospice helpGREEN: Crossroads Hospice is seeking volunteers to work with terminally ill patients.Volunteers visit patients in their homes, assisted living facilities and nursing facilities and help with clerical duties at the hospice office at 3743 Boettler Oaks Drive, Suite E.Volunteers must wait a minimum of one year after the death of an immediate family member or loved one before applying. Volunteers must fill out an application, take a TB skin test and complete a training session. For more information, call 330-899-9100 or go to www.crossroadshospice.com/volunteering.LAKE TOWNSHIPRummage saleLAKE TWP.: The Greentown Park Board will hold its semiannual rummage and bake sale Oct. 14-15.The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days at the Greentown Community Park Building, 9845 Cashner Ave. NW.Call 330-494-2628 or 330-494-5008 to make donations or to drop items in advance of the sale. Donations may be dropped off in the vestibule of the building beginning Monday.Baked goods may be dropped off on sale days.MEDINA COUNTYRecycling effortThe Medina County Solid Waste District will hold its free, fall recycling drive to collect old phone books, lead-acid batteries, small household batteries and used motor oil Oct. 15.The collection will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at four locations in the county:• Brunswick service garage, 1238 W. 130th St. • Medina County Fairgrounds, 710 West Smith Road, Medina. • The football stadium parking lot on Grandview Avenue in Wadsworth.• Central Processing Facility, 8700 Lake Road, Westfield Township. Paint and paint-related solvents will be accepted only at the Brunswick and Medina sites. Tires will be accepted at the Brunswick, Medina and Westfield Township sites.There is a charge for the tires: $1.25 for a passenger car tire and $5 for a tractor or trailer tire.For more information, call 330-769-1273.MEDINA TOWNSHIPAnimals seizedMEDINA TWP.: About 50 animals, many of them roosters and hens, were confiscated by the Medina County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals serving a warrant on a South Weymouth Road home Thursday morning.“We were tipped off about animal neglect and we found some possible evidence of a cock fighting ring,” said Stephanie Moore, executive director of the county SPCA.In addition to numerous roosters and hens, the group found five sheep, two baby calves, three slightly older calves and four pigs.“Some of them look like they are in poor health but they have not been evaluated yet,” Moore said.The animals were taken to an undisclosed location with the help of the Happy Trails Farm Sanctuary.There have been no arrests.NORTHEAST OHIOGrants to librariesThree libraries in Summit, Stark and Wayne counties have received about $71,000 in grants from the PNC Foundation to provide financial education programs to preschool children.The Akron-Summit County Public Library received $25,000, Wayne County Public Library got $24,300 and Stark County District Library received $27,577 as part of the PNC Grow Up Great program supporting early childhood education.Nationally, PNC announced the $250 million extension over 10 additional years of its program. The announcement included $5 million in local grants and a partnership with Sesame Workshop to create a program that establishes a foundation for financial education for all children between the ages of 3 to 5.To date, the foundation has awarded $215,000 in PNC Grow Up Great grants within the Akron, Canton and Wooster communities.WOOSTERTrees forum topicWOOSTER: Ohio’s sixth annual “Why Trees Matter” forum that looks at the benefit of trees in cities and suburbs will be Oct. 19.Keynote speakers include Ralph Sievert of Minneapolis on community forests and Ohio State University professor Stan Gehrt on urban coyotes.The Ohio State Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research Development Center will host the daylong conference that looks at the social, economic and environmental benefits of trees.It will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hilton Garden Inn, 959 Dover Road.A registration fee of $70 is due by Oct. 14. To register, go to http://go.osu.edu/E8h.For more information, call 330-263-3799 or go to http://woostercenter.osu.edu.STATE NEWS‘Immigrant friendly’DAYTON: Officials have given unanimous approval to Dayton’s “immigrant friendly” plan aimed at bolstering a shrinking population.Mayor Gary Leitzell read a statement during Wednesday’s city commission meeting saying the Welcome Dayton program is not about harboring illegal immigrants or drawing them into the city. He says the focus instead is on treating all people kindly, fairly and humanely.The Dayton Daily News said commissioners approved the plan 4-0. Its backers have said it could lead to the creation of a new international marketplace and a new city identification card for residents who can’t get a driver’s license or a state ID.Dayton Human Relations Council Director Tom Wahlrab says a next step is to set up a volunteer committee to help get the program going.— Associated Press