After last year's parking lot shooting, fairgoers say heightened security is making a difference at Summit County Fair

TALLMADGE, Ohio — The rides are back, the food is frying, and families are returning to the Summit County Fair, but this year comes with a renewed focus on safety after a shooting last summer changed the way some fairgoers experience the event. On opening day Tuesday, visitors said they noticed the difference, with a larger law enforcement presence, increased monitoring and new safety plans in place across the fairgrounds. "I feel a lot safer this year than in all the years in the past," Vicky Gaug said. The Summit County Sheriff's Office announced before the fair that authorities implemented "new safety measures," including a greater presence of deputies and other enhanced security measures. The changes come after a 17-year-old boy was hurt in a "targeted" shooting in the fairgrounds parking lot shortly after the fair closed last year.

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