Archive for January 28th, 2008
Accused killer pleads not guilty
A Lorain man charged with killing a beloved grocer in a robbery Friday pleaded not guilty in Lorain Municipal Court this morning. Decio G. Rodrigues, 24, appeared via live video feed from the county jail where he is being held on an aggravated murder charge. Judge Mark Mihok set a $3 million bond for Rodrigues, [...]
Super Bowl special: Scott Petrak’s Top 5 NFL Quarterbacks (Sorry, Browns fans, John Elway is No. 1)
Tom Brady already has it all — classic good looks, Gisele Bundchen as a girlfriend, a fourth AFC championship in seven years. If that weren’t enough, he gets closer by the game to becoming the best quarterback of all time. Brady entered this season as one of the greatest all-time winners, with three Super Bowl [...]
Breaking it down: The top NFL quarterbacks … by categories
THE BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST A lot goes into being an all-time great quarterback. Winning, passing and athleticism are three of the biggest factors, so here are Scott Petrak’s Top 5 in each category. THE TOP WINNERS • Joe Montana — 4 Super Bowl wins • Terry Bradshaw — 4 Super Bowl [...]
LeBron, Cavaliers come up big in fourth quarter, beat Kobe, Lakers
LOS ANGELES — The final seconds ticked away, with the Los Angeles Lakers needing a 3-pointer to send the game into overtime. That shot was never even attempted. LeBron James won his personal matchup with Kobe Bryant in a duel of the NBA’s leading scorers, tallying 14 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter, [...]
Prep hockey: Elyria Catholic downs Avon Lake to secure spot in Baron Cup
ROCKY RIVER — Things looked extremely bleak for Elyria Catholic on Dec. 9 when the Panthers fell to 1-2 in the Red Division after a loss to North Olmsted. EC was practically left for dead when Walsh Jesuit slapped an 8-4 defeat on the Panthers, dropping them to 4-3 and third place in the division. [...]
Tiger Woods blows away Buick field, gets 62nd career win to tie Arnold Palmer for fourth on all-time list
SAN DIEGO — Tiger Woods joined some elite company Sunday, even though he might as well have been playing alone. He thrilled the four-deep gallery with an improbable flop shot from the muck of trampled grass behind the ninth green to save par. He sent Torrey Pines into delirium with a 60-foot birdie putt that [...]
Australian Open: Djokovic survives foe, fans to capture first major title
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic started making peace with the crowd as soon as he lifted the trophy. After beating Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (2) Sunday night to win the Australian Open for his first Grand Slam title, Djokovic knew a little public relations was in order. True, he had kept the Rod [...]
NHL All-Star Game: Savard’s goal gives Eastern Conference 8-7 win
ATLANTA — Marc Savard scored the winner, Rick Nash scored three goals, Eric Staal scored a brand new truck. There was plenty to see in this NHL All-Star game, even without Sid the Kid. Savard, known for more for his passing than shooting, found an open net with 20.9 seconds left to lift the Eastern [...]
U.S. Figure Skating Championships: Free skate gives Lysacek title after he and Weir tie
ST. PAUL, Minn. — This is as close as a rivalry can get. Evan Lysacek won his second straight title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Sunday, despite finishing with the same score as Johnny Weir. The two — who have combined to win the last five U.S. crowns — both finished with 244.77 [...]
Locked out? Some departments may give you an ‘in’
Most people call the cops when they need to break into their own cars. But a Vermilion towing company owner says that the tradition of police providing free service to drivers who’ve locked their keys in the car is cutting into his business and his bottom line. JASON MILLER/CHRONICLE Sheffield Lake Police Officer Tom Schmidt [...]
Elyria committee to distribute block grants
ELYRIA — Nine organizations are hoping for a piece of the pot to be doled out today by the City Council’s Community Development Committee. As is nearly always the case, there are more requests than there is money available for what are known as Community Development Block Grants. Groups have asked for more than $1 [...]
AP ANALYSIS: Legacy of Kucinich run: ‘Little guy’ left out of debates
NEW YORK — The legacy of Dennis Kucinich’s longshot presidential campaign may be less his anti-war views than a futile fight that legally reinforced the rights of TV networks to organize their own debates. That may come at a cost, however, with some Americans already worried about the media’s influence on the campaign. AP Rep. [...]
Lorain man stabbed in attack by intruders
LORAIN — A 31-year-old Lorain man told police he was beaten and stabbed in the cheek at home by two assailants apparently angry that he kicked his girlfriend’s son out on the street. The man told police he was by himself in a West 9th Street apartment he shares with his girlfriend when he heard [...]
AP ANALYSIS: War on terror goes back to where it began
WASHINGTON — In a shift with profound implications, the Bush administration is attempting to re-energize its terrorism-fighting war efforts in Afghanistan, the original target of a post-Sept. 11 offensive. The U.S. also is refocusing on Pakistan, where a regenerating al-Qaida is posing fresh threats. There is growing recognition that the United States risks further setbacks, [...]
Blotter: Jan. 28
Elyria police Saturday, Jan. 26 3:37 p.m. — 500 block Clark St., Mark Streets, 33, first block Queens Court, charged with menacing. Sunday, Jan. 27 2:47 a.m. — Lake Avenue and Lorain Boulevard, Nestor Ayala Jr., 27, Lorain, charged with violating a temporary protection order. Lorain police Friday, Jan. 25 5:18 p.m. — 100 block [...]
Noted artist/designer Schreckengost dies
CLEVELAND — Viktor Schreckengost, an artist and prolific industrial designer whose works ranged from toys and ceramics to dinnerware and trucks, died Saturday while visiting family in Tallahassee, Fla., the spokeswoman for his foundation said Sunday. He was 101. Schreckengost, a 2006 winner of the National Medal of Arts, was best known for his 1930s [...]
Kidney ailment doesn’t keep student from lessons
AVON LAKE — The worst thing about having no kidneys is missing class three days a week and feeling left out, said 10-year-old Brandon Miller. But computer know-how is allowing Brandon to work right alongside other fourth-graders at Erieview Elementary in Avon Lake — even while he’s having dialysis treatments on the other side of [...]
State’s DNA testing program is flawed
COLUMBUS — The state’s DNA testing program for inmates seeking to prove their innocence is so flawed that police and courts routinely discard evidence after trials, The Columbus Dispatch reported Sunday. Judges also ignore requests for DNA testing, leaving inmates in legal limbo, and nearly a third of the denials examined by the newspaper failed [...]
Historic boulder causes rift between Ohio town, Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. — When an Ohio historian helped pull a massive sandstone boulder from the bottom of the Ohio River this summer, he didn’t think it would set off a charged dispute between Kentucky and Ohio. It did. One Kentucky legislator is demanding the 8-ton rock’s return, and another believes the matter will ultimately be [...]
Stolen art recovered; arrest made
CLEVELAND — Police say they’ve recovered some of the paintings and photographs stolen from a small art gallery in Cleveland earlier this month. Thieves broke into the True Art Gallery on Jan. 18 and made off with 33 artworks worth a combined $6,000. A computer, stereo system and two cordless phones were also taken. The [...]
More inmates may be headed to Dayton prisons
DAYTON — State prison officials plan to add about 450 inmates to two Dayton prisons in an attempt to ease crowding at other Ohio correctional institutes. Officials say the additions will bring both prisons to at least 150 percent capacity and force at least half the cells to go to double bunks. Some Dayton residents [...]
Slain migrant workers had fled poverty
CINCINNATI — Family members of four Mexican laborers who were stabbed to death in their suburban Cincinnati apartment last month say they came to Ohio illegally to find jobs and to send money home to Mexico. Life in the village of Villa de Ramos is meager. Villagers estimate that 70 percent of the able-bodied men [...]
Avon/Avon Lake blotter: Jan. 28
Avon Lake police Friday, Jan. 18 12:26 a.m. – 33400 block Lake Road, a drunk man caused a disturbance. 1 p.m. – Sunset Park, a caller said teens were near the creek with guns. 7:05 p.m. – 32600 block Lake Road, a man said someone tried to enter his house. 7:51 p.m. – 32800 block [...]
Robert J. Burdette
Robert J. Burdette, 46, passed away from complications of melanoma on January 25, 2008; beloved husband of Christine Hach; loving father of Robert, Jr. "BJ" and Brandon; devoted grandfather of McKayla; loving son of Eugene (Jackie) and Shirley Jean (deceased); dear brother of Darlene Wells (Doyle), Paula Dobeck, Steve (Joan), Peg Pettry (Scott) and Mark [...]
Marjorie Kathleen Slutzker
Marjorie Kathleen Slutzker (Nee Hayth), 86, passed away Friday, January 25th at her home following a sudden illness. She was born January 21, 1922 in Jackson, Ohio and lived in Elyria most of her life. She is survived by her husband, Doyle whom she was married to for 64 years; two daughters, Renee Urban of [...]