AKRONWoman’s car takenAKRON: A 69-year-old Akron woman was pushed to the ground by two men who then fled in her car Wednesday night in the Firestone Park area.The Burkhardt Avenue woman was not seriously injured. Police are looking for her 2010 black Chevrolet Impala with license plate FCW2515.She told police she had arrived home about 4 p.m. after shopping at Chapel Hill Mall. She said she believes her attackers followed her home in a black Chevrolet Cavalier and intentionally bumped into her car when she was about to park.The woman got out of her car and subsequently was pushed to the ground while the men drove off in her car, police said.Police said the suspects are two black men in their 20s. One wore a yellow and red jacket. The other wore a black hooded sweatshirt, black jeans and black shoes.Anyone with information is asked to call Akron police at 330-375-2490.Officials to travelAKRON: Mayor Don Plusquellic and several other city officials will travel abroad on two trips.City Council President Marco Sommerville, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development Bob Bowman and Deputy Planning Director Sam DeShazior left Wednesday for Germany to attend the largest biomedical show in Europe in Dusseldorf.Bowman said the city will have exhibits that feature local biomedical companies, the University of Akron and Kent State University. He said the city has 80 appointments booked with companies.Plusquellic and Public Service Director Rick Merolla will travel next week to Israel for a water conference in which the mayor will be a speaker. The city will share its water technology and look for new ideas to bring back, Deputy Mayor Dave Lieberth said.The expense for each person is expected to be about $6,000, which totals $30,000, Lieberth said.The money, as with any of the administration’s economic development-related travel, will be paid with Joint Economic Development District (JEDD) funds, Lieberth said.Hair, fashion event AKRON: Local hair stylists will sponsor a hair and fashion extravaganza from 6 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Uncorked Wine Bar & Gallery, 22 North St.Creative Collaborators will host the event, “Color Unity,” to bring awareness of domestic violence and teen suicide prevention. Tickets are $35 person.For more information, call 330-867-6263.Scottish culture AKRON: The Scottish American Society will show the movie Geordie, about a Scottish Olympian, when the group gathers at 3 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Akron-Summit County Main Library, 60 S. High St.Anyone interested in Scottish culture is invited to attend. Free parking is available.For more information, call 330-882-0342 or visit www.scottishamericansociety.org.BrecksvilleFatal crashBRECKSVILLE.: Brecksville police said a Kokosing Construction Co. worker from Akron was hit and killed by a semi while working on Interstate 77 north near Royalton Road.Akron Beacon Journal news partner WEWS-TV 5 reports that authorities said the crash that killed Johnathon Costlo, 40, happened around 10:30 Thursday morning.An autopsy is scheduled for today. Police said a 59-year-old semi driver is cooperating with investigators, but the circumstances surrounding the crash remain unclear.“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of the Kokosing worker killed on the job today and our friends and colleagues of the Kokosing Construction Company,” said ODOT Director Jerry Wray in a news release.Wray said construction workers are “a transportation family” and when an incident happens it is taken seriously.“Families expect that when their loved ones, like highway construction workers and engineers, arrive on the job site each day, they will ultimately return home when their work is complete. Sadly, that didn’t happen for one family today and our hearts are broken.”Wray said Thursday’s tragedy marks the third time in almost three years that an incident in that area left a construction worker injured or dead.“It is an unfortunate reminder to motorists about the importance of putting down cell phones, eliminating distractions and obeying the posted speed limit. ODOT has a long history of working with the Kokosing Construction Company and we will continue to provide the support and resources needed to help get them through this tragedy,” Wray said.PLAIN TOWNSHIPMeeting ThursdayPLAIN TWP.: Trustees will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. Thursday to discuss an electric aggregation program for township residents and renewal of a road levy.The public meeting will take place at Township Hall, 2600 Easton St. NE.At their meeting Wednesday evening, trustees approved new hourly rental rates for individual training programs at the Diamond Park Facility.Rental will be $15 per hour from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.Trustees also approved longevity pay for eligible township employees.Portage countyParolee arrestedWINDHAM TWP.: A paroled sex offender living in Windham Township was arrested Thursday on charges he raped a young girl.Joseph Frank Lucas, 37, is charged with one count of rape. He was being held without bond at the Portage County Jail.His arrest was announced Thursday following an investigation by sheriff’s detectives. He is accused of engaging in sex with a girl under the age of 10. Lucas was acquainted with the girl when the act occurred in October or November of 2010, Lt. Gregory A. Johnson said.According to sheriff’s detectives, Lucas is a registered sex offender, who was released from prison in April 2010 after serving a four-year prison term for the attempted rape of a woman in New Philadelphia.Lucas is scheduled to be arraigned Monday in Portage Municipal Court in Ravenna.PEPPER PIKEThreatening emailsPEPPER PIKE: Students returned to a suburban Cleveland high school Thursday under tight security as police and FBI agents tried to identify the source of emails that threatened blacks and Jews, issued bomb threats and forced the cancellation of classes for three days.No bomb was found and Orange High School classes resumed without incident, district spokesman Lou DeVincentis said. He said student absenteeism was up, but he had no numbers.Book bags and backpacks were banned as a security measure and students weren’t allowed to go to their cars during the day. Extra police were assigned to patrol the grounds.FBI spokesman Scott Wilson said emails referred to the Ku Klux Klan and made threats against blacks and Jews, two big segments of the enrollment. He declined to elaborate on the nature of the threats.The school closed Monday through Wednesday while searches were conducted with bomb-sniffing dogs.The FBI was working to identify the sender.— Associated Press