AKRONGas leak foundAKRON: Akron firefighters say a natural gas pilot light was the source of fumes detected early Wednesday at North High School.A parent called the department about 8:20 a.m. to report an apparent gas leak at the building on Gorge Boulevard.Firefighters, using a machine specially designed to locate the source of gas leaks, quickly traced the cause to an extinguished pilot light. The scene was cleared by 8:40 a.m. and no evacuation was needed, fire Lt. Leon Henderson said.Bridge reopensAKRON: The Bartges Street Bridge reopened Wednesday afternoon after being closed for 17 months.Bartges Street had been closed from South Main Street to Dart Avenue while contractors demolished and replaced the previous bridge that crossed the Ohio Canal.Improvements also were made to the Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail, including a trail bridge crossing the canal, a realignment to the trail and landscaping upgrades.Town hall meetingAKRON: State Rep. Vernon Sykes will host a town hall meeting tonight to lead a discussion about the Akron Police Department.Issues will include the future of the department, community relations and expectations for officers.The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at Founders Hall, 662 Wolf Ledges Parkway.Among the invited guests are state Reps. Tracy Maxwell Heard and Sandra Williams, Akron Police Chief James Nice, Akron Independent Police Auditor Phillip Young and city Councilman Russel Neal Jr.Normal pickupAKRON: Veterans Day on Friday won’t delay Akron’s curbside services.There will be no delays in the normal trash and recycling pickups.bath townshipBridge workBATH TWP.: Five of the bridges in Bath along Interstate 77 are scheduled for replacement in 2012.Township Administrator Bill Snow said the bridges slated for repair by the Ohio Department of Transportation include Everett, Shade, Martadale, Ghent and Cleveland-Massillon roads.The most problematic for motorists will be repairs to the latter two. The four-lane bridge on Ghent Road is expected to be under construction from March through September, said Snow. Plans call for keeping two of the lanes on one side open before switching to work on the other side.Replacement of the bridge on Cleveland-Massillon Road, between Embassy Parkway and Springside Drive, will require closure of that roadway for up to 60 days during September and October of next year. This is one of the primary access routes to the Montrose area from Bath.CUYAHOGA VALLEYAward for rangerRanger Arrye Rosser is the winner of a regional award from the National Park Service and is a finalist for a national award.Rosser, an interpretation and education specialist in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, was hailed for her work in establishing a questing program in the Cuyahoga Valley park and along the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway.Quests are treasure hunts community members create that rely on rhyming clues and maps to learn about special places.Rosser is one of six finalists for the park service’s Freeman Tilden Award for excellence in interpretation.greenSeeking solutionsGREEN: The pace of the on-going search for ways to solve storm-water flooding in Green continues to gain momentum, according to City Engineer Paul Pickett.The engineer said the High Tower ditch cleaning is well under way, while survey work and construction is expected to start this week on the Anderson Ditch.Pickett said he is working with Akron-Canton Airport officials and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to tackle Lauby Road area flooding, while advancing a design concept to resolve flooding in the Spade Road area and commencing studies at Solar Estates and High Tower Estates as part of long-range flooding solutions.Service Director Randy Monteith said his office has received complaints of people upstream in some of the troubled areas dropping yard waste into the nearby waterways creating the potential for more flooding.NORTONSpecial meetingNORTON: A special Committee of the Whole meeting will be held in council chambers at 7 tonight. Only one item is on the agenda, related to the fire and EMS budget.The meeting was cancelled Monday because of the death of Councilman Mike Zita’s brother. Calling hours were held that day.On Tuesday, voters selected Zita as the city’s next mayor.sevilleMotorcycle crashSEVILLE: A Wadsworth man is being treated at an Akron hospital after his motorcycle collided with a deer and crashed Tuesday night in Seville.Michael Kavouras, 53, is being treated for head injuries at Akron City Hospital. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Kavouras was driving a 2009 Harley-Davidson on state Route 3 near Blake Road about 11:30 p.m. when the crash occurred.Troopers say the motorcycle struck a deer in the road, causing Kavouras to crash the motorcycle. Kavouras, who was not wearing a helmet, was tossed onto the road.He was treated at the scene by Seville-Guilford EMS workers before being flown by medical helicopter to Akron.STREETSBOROWoman injuredSTREETSBORO: An Akron woman, 21, was injured in a two-car crash early Wednesday in Streetsboro.She was taken to Summa Akron City Hospital following the accident on state Route 43 south of Seasons Road about 12:30 a.m. Her condition and name were not released.A second driver told Streetsboro firefighters he was not injured.Rescue workers responded within two minutes of the crash and found the vehicles in the roadway, according to a department news release. One vehicle was severely damaged.The Akron woman was found in a field 20 to 30 yards from the crash site. It was unclear if she was ejected from the vehicle, rescue workers said.