Ray Horner Show

Dr. Thomas File - Doctor of Infectious Diseases, Summa Health

On Monday, the FDA announced full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, which takes it out of emergency status. This brings about many questions, from the timeline of when Moderna and Johnson & Johnson will get their approvals, to if this approval will give reason for the vaccine-hesitant to get their jabs.

Donna Skoda is the commissioner of the Summit County Health Department, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to address all of these questions. First, Skoda says it may not be a massive percentage of folks who will get vaccinated now that Pfizer has FDA approval, but it should help matters. As for boosters, the health department is still receiving protocols on rolling these next rounds of shots out, but it will be a similar tier system. Those who were vaccinated in January will get their third jabs in September, those from February will get their shots in October, and so on.

It is never easy to work in the restaurant industry. Even before the pandemic, many restaurants were operating in the red, and several of them shuttered their doors permanently during the lockdowns. Now that restaurants have reopened to full capacity, they have a new set of hurdles to leap over.

John Barker is the president and CEO of the Ohio Restaurant Association, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to discuss the struggles these restaurants have experienced. One side of the coin is the supply shortage, to the point where some menu items are being dropped temporarily or altogether. Barker says restaurants have had to cut costs in creative ways, even if that means having their menus be all-digital by scanning a QR code with one's smartphone.

Another issue has been the labor shortage. Now that many establishments have raised their wages, that topic has not become the issue anymore. Barker says there are tens, if not hundreds of thousands of jobs available, but they are not being taken.

As the students head back into the classroom and employees venture back to the workplace, it is time for a refresher course in handwashing.

Dr. Eliot Mostow is with Akron Dermatology, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to provide the basics in proper handwashing. Dr. Mostow believes the public should wash their hands for at least 20 seconds, or the length of singing the tune Happy Birthday, in order to fully cleanse. Dr. Mostow also touched on proper moisturizers, for those with sensitive skin and those whose skin dries out and cracks.

Akron mayor Dan Horrigan joins the Ray Horner Morning Show each Thursday morning around 7:10, and he answers the most pressing questions the residents have, especially with everything virus-related happening both locally and abroad.

Horrigan first talked about the continued development and projects happening in the greater Akron area, especially in the Merriman and Cascade vallies. On the topic of projects, the Central Interchange will be a burden for motorists until 2023, but he says August is the time to conduct these projects with the weather being so nice.

The other major topic has been the Delta variant and its spread throughout nearly every community, and Akron is no different. Horrigan has his concerns, though he does say it is "a disease of the unvaccinated." He continues to encourage the unvaccinated to get their shots, and he says they are widely available for those who want them.

There had been rumors of a third booster shot for those who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines as early as the spring, and it appears that rumors will become facts,

Donna Skoda is the commissioner at Summit County Public Health, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to answer the questions many have had about getting this third shot. Skoda is hesitant in calling this a booster, in that it is more of a continuation of the first two shots. As is with the first round of vaccines, the immunocompromised will be first in line to get this third shot, and she says it is due to the Delta variant's presence in the population.

Skoda also discussed the benefits of masking even when vaccinated, and the impact the mosquitoes are having this summer due to the high amount of rain in the greater Akron area.

Students are heading back into the classrooms all over the country, and that means it is time for some back-to-school shopping. That shopping does not stop at school supplies; it has to do with fashion, as well.

Marji Wachowiak is with the fashion design department at Kent State University, and she joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to look at the fashion trends for today’s students. The pandemic, which caused millions to work or study from home, has propelled casual trends back into the spotlight, to where people may prefer to feel comfortable when heading back into public settings. According to Marji, denim has made quite the comeback of late for all genders, and high-top sneakers are popular among the men.

Marji also talked about Kent State’s school of fashion and how it is world-renowned.

Time now for Bases & Balls, a weekly segment with WAKR's Ray Horner and Tribe broadcaster Jim Rosenhaus!

Today, Rosey joins the show over the phone to talk about the impact of Myles Straw in the outfield, how Amed Rosario's flexibility has paid off, and Bobby Bradley's comeback.

Bases & Balls is powered by Jennings Heating & Cooling.

As the fall approaches and the Delta variant continues to spread, there is much concern about children in schools, as they are the group mostly, if not completely, unvaccinated.

Dr. Donald Dumford is an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Akron General, and he joined the Ray Horner Morning Show to answer some of the most pointed questions parents, grandparents, and others have had throughout the summer. First, he says the variant is causing stress in hospitals both locally and nationally not unlike what some experienced in the peak months of December and January. And with kids heading back into the classrooms, Dr. Dumford believes mask mandates are the sensible option until vaccines can get approved for children 12 and under.

On the topic of vaccines, Dr. Dumford also addressed the question of a vaccine booster, especially with a large chunk of the vaccinated population receiving their jabs nearly six months ago. For now, he says this will probably be the same shot folks had from Pfizer and Moderna back in the spring.

Nationally known law enforcement and security expert, Paul Viollis, discussed the rising threat of extremist hate groups and militias with Ray Horner. Their conversation comes in response to reports that the same extremist group that plotted to capture and kill Michigan's Governor last year, was planning the same fate for Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine. They're in jail now, but thousands of others with the same goals and ambitions are right now plotting to overthrow America. Find out why, and what , if anything, we can do about it.