A jury in October convicted Brogan Rafferty for his role in the killing of three men who had responded to a bogus Craigslist ad. The Stow High School teen was sentenced to life in prison. Richard Beasley, his mentor, goes on trial in January.

President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney made several stops in the area. A July visit by Obama grabbed headlines when he ate at Ann’s Place in Akron. Owner, Josephine “Ann” Harris, passed away
shortly after meeting the president.

The Horseshoe Casino Cleveland opened its doors May 14. The Hard Rock Cafe announced a $275 million partnership with Northfield Park harness racing track in northern Summit County. Horsehoe Casino operators received state permission to move Thistledown within a 12-mile radius of the Akron-Canton Airport. Green residents voted in November to block a racino there.

The death of an Akron toddler in a rat-infested meth house created headlines for months. Patrick Nicholas Lerch was found unresponsive in his crib in Goodyear Heights on Feb. 26. The 17-month-old’s mother,
Heather Lerch, her boyfriend, the boyfriend’s brother and another man were sent to prison.

The University of Akron hired the former Ohio
State football coach as vice president of
strategic engagement in February. Tressel,
who makes $200,000, provided a public face
for the university.

A Massillon man walked into Akron General Medical Center on Aug. 4 and fatally shot his wife of 45 years. Friends said the man
did not want his wife, who had a cerebral aneurysm, to suffer. An undisclosed number of hospital workers later were fired for violating hospital policy and accessing the woman’s medical records.

Akron schools eliminate 202 jobs, including
139 teachers, in May in an effort to
make up for a large budget deficit. Voters
in November passed a 7.9-mill levy,
but school officials warn budget shortfalls
still loom.

Copley police found Akron Municipal
Judge Joy Malek Oldfield in a parked
car during the early morning of Feb. 5.
Officers said she and Catherine Loya, an
assistant public defender in Akron, were
drunk and in a state of undress.

A gay couple married in another state questioned whether Cuyahoga Falls marriage discount should apply to all. The city’s Park and Recreation Board ultimately declined to change its policy, but not before the issue generated online protests and petitions.

Kent State football team wins
11 games, goes to its first bowl game
in 40 years.

Jimmy Haslam buys the Browns
from Randy Lerner, takes over midseason.