Archive for December 27th, 2007
Pakistani opposition leader Bhutto killed at campaign rally
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan — Moments after a euphoric crowd stretched its arms toward Benazir Bhutto, moments after the charismatic former prime minister made herself vulnerable by saluting her followers through a car’s sunroof, the street was awash with blood. And in that chaotic instant, a dangerous world became even more dangerous. Efforts to restore democracy [...]
Frank Woods, Jr.
Frank Woods, Jr., 80, of Elyria, died Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at his home. He was born October 27, 1927 in Drakes, Ohio. He had been a resident of Elyria most of his life and had also lived in West Salem for 12 years. He was a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and [...]
Man outside vehicle crushed to death in 3-car crash
CARLISLE TWP. — An 84-year-old man was killed Wednesday after he was crushed between two cars on state Route 57. JASON MILLER / CHRONICLE A chain-reaction accident killed one man and injured as many as four others Wednesday on state Route 57 south of Grafton Road. Robert Fike of Leipsic, Ohio, died at EMH Regional [...]
Prosecutors say Daniel Petric told his parents he had ‘surprise,’ then shot them
Petric ELYRIA — Just before he killed his mother and wounded his father, 16-year-old Daniel Petric told them to close their eyes because he had a surprise for them, prosecutors said in court documents filed Wednesday. He then shot his father, the Rev. Mark Petric, 45, in the left side of the head and turned [...]
Celebration of Kwanzaa begins
ELYRIA — The Christmas holiday may have just ended, but the Kwanzaa celebration has officially begun. The African-American holiday celebrating family, culture and the year’s harvest in Africa runs from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year. It was started in 1966 by Maulana Karenga, an activist and professor at California State University, Long Beach. [...]
On the day after Christmas, shoppers fix Santa’s mistakes
ELYRIA — C’mon Santa, get it together. It was a bifold wallet that George Petrisko in Elyria wanted, not a trifold. CHUCK HUMEL / CHRONICLE A clerk takes returns at Best Buy in Elyria. And Santa, remember little Justin Dean, 13, of Parma? That version of “Guitar Hero III” you left beneath the Christmas tree [...]
Sheffield mayor ends 14 years in office
SHEFFIELD — The stack of papers kept growing as Mayor Darlene Ondercin cleaned out her desk. In four days, she will leave an office she has held for the last 14 years. John D. Hunter, a retired union man, will replace her after taking 56.6 percent of the vote to her 43.3 percent. CHUCK HUMEL [...]
Building official escapes discipline
LORAIN — The city’s chief building inspector will not be disciplined for telling an apartment building owner it was OK to remove a fire escape ladder. Safety-Service Director Andrew Winemiller said Wednesday he’s had several informal meetings with Bill Desvari, head of the city’s Building Department, and has determined that Desvari was not at fault [...]
Mansfield police officer killed in shooting
EPWORTH — An off-duty Mansfield city police officer was one of two dead and his older brother was in custody following a shooting early Wednesday in central Ohio’s rural Richland County, authorities said. Brian Evans, 37, a 14-year veteran of the Mansfield police force, was found dead after 1 a.m. by officers responding to a [...]
Police: Couple charged $11k on stolen cards
AVON — Police are looking for a man and woman whom they say racked up more than $11,000 in purchases on credit cards stolen from a Lakewood woman while at the Avon Commons shopping center. The victim was ordering a cup of coffee at Panera Bread on Dec. 21 when her wallet was stolen from [...]
Police: Lorain man has smashing Christmas
LORAIN — A 48-year-old Lorain man broke out $2,500 worth of car windows Wednesday morning in the name of Christmas, police said. Geronimo Reyna was charged with vandalism and possession of criminal tools following a 2:30 a.m. two-hammer tirade near the parking garage of St. Joseph Community Center in Lorain. Lorain police responded to the [...]
Report: Teach foreign language in kindergarten
COLUMBUS — Two major reports this fall on foreign language teaching in Ohio have reached the same conclusion: the state must start providing long, uninterrupted stretches of instruction as early as kindergarten and stop repeating material year after year. Students “begin again and again with, ‘Hello, how are you?’ as they move from one school [...]
Louisiana population rebounds, Ohio stagnates
WASHINGTON — The population of Louisiana fell by a quarter-million people after Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans in August 2005. The damage was so bad, some worried whether anyone would ever come back. Some did. New population estimates released today by the Census Bureau show that in the year ending July 1, the state [...]
North Ridgeville blotter: Dec. 27, 2007
Friday, Dec. 21 2:30 p.m. – 35400 block Lorain Road, theft of a trailer, $5,000. 8:50 p.m. – Center Ridge Road and Pitts Boulevard, Michael Stefanek, 46, 6500 block O’Henry Circle, North Ridgeville, charged with speeding and DUI. Saturday, Dec. 22 6:17 a.m. – Center Ridge and Jaycox roads, Brian Vigilante, 28, Cleveland, charged with [...]
A one-time ‘American Gladiators’ hopeful
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Fifteen years ago, Brian Chulik competed for a spot on the “American Gladiators” Live Tour. The North Ridgeville resident finished sixth and became an alternate, but he never gave up his dream of becoming a gladiator. This year, the 39-year-old middle school science teacher at Rocky River Middle School tried out again. [...]
Police investigate deadly tiger escape at San Francisco Zoo; human role not ruled out
SAN FRANCISCO — The big cat exhibit at the San Francisco Zoo was cordoned off as a crime scene Wednesday as investigators tried to determine whether a Siberian tiger that killed a visitor escaped from its high-walled pen on its own or got help from someone, inadvertent or otherwise. Police shot the 300-pound animal to [...]
Police blotter: Dec. 27, 2007
Elyria police Tuesday, Dec. 25 10:15 p.m. – 100 block Tedman Court, home broken into and more than $1,900 in valuables stolen. Lorain police Tuesday, Dec. 25 8:36 a.m. – 37000 block Omaha Ave., window smashed out of vehicle and stereo receiver stolen. Wednesday, Dec. 26 1:42 a.m. – 200 block W. 22nd St., Eddie [...]
Antonia Munoz
Antonia Munoz, 81, of Elyria, passed away Wednesday, December 26, 2007 at her residence following a lengthy illness. She was born in San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico on October 12, 1926 and had been a resident of Elyria for four years. She enjoyed attending church at Sacred Heart Chapel in Lorain, music, cooking, gardening and spending [...]
Anna Marie Barnes
Anna Marie "Tootsie" Barnes (nee Walla), 75, of North Ridgeville, went home to the Lord on Tuesday, December 25, 2007 at EMH Regional Medical Center, following a short illness. Mrs. Barnes was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on August 11, 1932 and made her home in North Ridgeville since 1964. Family members remember Ann as a [...]
Benjamin J. Cabrera
Benjamin J. Cabrera, 45, of Xenia, passed away Sunday, December 23, 2007, at the Ohio State Medical Center in Columbus following a brief illness. He was born in Elyria on August 14, 1962. Survivors include his brothers, Scott Cabrera of Elyria, Tony Cabrera of Lorain and Tim Cabrera of Girard; sister, Karen Griffin of Xenia; [...]
Harry Kirkpatrick
Harry Kirkpatrick, 82, and a resident of Amherst, passed away Monday, December 24, 2007 at Community Health Partners H & S Center in Lorain following a brief illness. He was born August 21, 1925 in Canton. He was raised in Canton and Elyria prior to joining the U.S. Navy. He lived in Arizona and Texas [...]
Helga A. Wagner
Helga A. Wagner (nee Heinlein), 75, formerly of Elyria and Florida, died Saturday, December 22, 2007, at Kemper House in Olmsted Falls, following a brief illness. She was born May 30, 1932 in Nurnberg, Germany and spent most of her life in Elyria and Florida. She enjoyed playing golf. She is survived by her daughter, [...]
Jane D. Hardy
Jane D. Hardy (nee Burnette), 68, of Henrietta Twp., died Wednesday, December 26, 2007, in New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph after a lengthy illness. She was born April 4, 1939 in Carmichaels, Pennsylvania and moved to Henrietta Twp. in 1978 from Huron. She had worked at her husband’s orchard (Hardy’s Orchard) and had [...]
Joan Jakubowski
Joan Jakubowski, 67, of Lorain, died Tuesday, December 25, 2007 in St. John West Shore Hospital following a brief illness. She was born November 19, 1940 in Lorain and had been a lifelong resident. She was a lifetime member of Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Lorain where she served as a [...]
Kenneth Carl Repp
Kenneth Carl Repp, 51, of Westlake (formerly of Elyria), died suddenly Friday, December 21, 2007 at St. John Westshore Hospital in Westlake He was born January 14, 1956 in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, and resided most of his life in Elyria. Kenneth was employed as an electrical engineer with USG Interiors of Westlake for many years. [...]