COLUMBUS – An influx of nonviolent offenders, most of whom do a short amount of prison time on drug charges, has pushed Ohio`s prison population over 50,000 for the first time, officials said Tuesday. The most crowded prison in the state was Lorain Correctional Institution, at 263 percent capacity. Female short-term prisoners are pushing capacity [...]

AMHERST – Former Amherst Mayor John Higgins died Tuesday morning after a brief illness. Higgins Higgins, 71, had served as the city`s mayor from 1996 to 2004, before losing a re-election bid for a third term to current Mayor David Taylor. Prior to his mayoral term, Higgins served on the Amherst Council for eight years, [...]

ELYRIA – Fallout from a fading Northeast Ohio economy and the perception of poor job performance were keys to why 11 incumbents lost their jobs in Lorain County last week, according to one political expert. The political shakeup was felt all the way at the top, with Avon Lake Mayor Rob Berner, Sheffield Mayor Darlene [...]

ELYRIA – As Martin Miller sees it, a martial arts competition should have been the last place for a thief to strike. He likens it to trying to steal something at a policemen`s ball, or a U.S. Special Forces reunion. SHAWN FOUCHER / CHRONICLE Elyria resident Martin Miller holds up a photo of himself holding [...]

NORTH RIDGEVILLE – A North Ridgeville man has endured many sleepless nights since learning his son has not been seen or heard from for more than a week after partying with friends at a bar in Georgia. Gaines Richard Gaines of Wallace Boulevard said his 18-year-old son, Justin Gaines, has been missing since 1 a.m. [...]

County sheriff Monday, Nov. 12 3:35 a.m. – Brunswick Drive and Leo Bullocks Parkway, Elyria Township, Kristy Huddleston, 34, Elyria, charged with wrongful entrustment. Christopher Szewczyk, 27, Elyria, charged with speed, driving under a DUI suspension, refusal of chemical test, failure to comply with the order of a police officer and obstructing official business. 4:15 [...]

LORAIN – A man in a red stocking mask hijacked a Navy sailor`s car after failing to rob a bank Tuesday. Sailor Lou Crone, 24, of Lorain, who just recently returned from service in Kuwait, found himself in a dangerous situation on American soil when he pulled over on Kansas Avenue to search for his [...]

Police trying to find links between thefts AMHERST – Police are trying to determine if some recent armed robberies – including one Monday at a Cooper Foster Park Road gas station – are related. In that incident, a Hispanic man in his late 20s or 30s, wearing a black coat and a black knit cap [...]