Archive for February 7th, 2008
BREAKING NEWS — Romney suspends presidential campaign
WASHINGTON (AP) — John McCain effectively sealed the Republican presidential nomination on Thursday as chief rival Mitt Romney suspended his faltering presidential campaign. “I must now stand aside, for our party and our country,” Romney prepared to tell conservatives. “If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would [...]
BREAKING NEWS — Deer poaching raids ongoing
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has been staging raids across Lorain County this morning as they make arrests in a poaching ring following an investigation that started after three separate calls were made to a poaching tip line operated by the state. Sixty officers from ODNR started serving warrants and seizing evidence in [...]
National signing day: Ohio State still waiting for Pryor commitment as coveted QB delays decision
COLUMBUS — Ohio State locked up 19 football recruits on Wednesday. Yet all anyone seemed to want to talk about was the one it didn’t get — at least not yet. While thousands of kids across the country signed on the dotted line at major colleges, Terrelle Pryor, called by some the best quarterback prospect [...]
National signing day: Top unsigned prospect Terrelle Pryor chooses not to make his choice, says he needs more time
JEANNETTE, Pa. — Terrelle Pryor’s choice for now is no choice. Pryor, the Jeannette High School quarterback who is considered the nation’s top unsigned high school football recruit, decided at the last minute Wednesday not to commit on national signing day and will delay his decision — a major plus for in-state Penn State and [...]
National signing day: Midview’s Drew Ebersole, a Kent State recruit, glad his mom talked him into going out for track
Good ol’ mom. When Drew Ebersole’s mom, Pam, first approached him about the idea of competing in track back in the seventh grade, he didn’t think much of the idea. But after a week of urging, Ebersole finally gave in to his mother’s wishes. Now, six years later, the Midview senior can’t thank mom enough. [...]
National signing day: Westlake soccer star David Schade thrilled to be a Buckeye
WESTLAKE — Like a lot of Ohioans, David Schade suffered as he watched Ohio State lose yet another national championship game. There was the usual fast Buckeyes start and then the gradual fade and ultimate disappointment that comes with any missed opportunity. But, hey, what can you do? Those ACC teams are good. That’s right, [...]
National signing day roundup: Westlake’s Brooke Henderson to play soccer at Valparaiso
Brooke Henderson said she’s wanted to play Division I college soccer ever since she was old enough to know there were actually different divisions. “Now here I am,” she said Wednesday. Here she is, indeed. The Westlake senior signed a national letter of intent to play for Division I Valparaiso on Wednesday, saying she chose [...]
Prep swimming and diving notes: Elyria Catholic boys and girls should be threat in the sectional pool
The Elyria Catholic swim team made enough ripples over the last two years that it likely won’t be a surprise to anyone any time soon. The Panthers are a well-established and well-respected program that has excellent seed times heading into this weekend’s Lakewood sectional meet. The Division II girls meet leads things off. It gets [...]
500,000 gallons of water flood building after roof collapse
ELYRIA — The rear portion of a building housing the Elyria Flea Market and three other businesses collapsed early Wednesday, dumping nearly 500,000 gallons of water onto an already sloshy South Abbe Road. No one was hurt in the collapse, which fire officials say probably is due to the building’s flat roof buckling under the [...]
Early move allows bookstore owner to avoid collapse
ELYRIA — The saying goes that when God closes a door, he opens a window. But business owner John Zapola thinks that, maybe, God opens doors, too. For nearly a year, Zapola operated his Christian bookstore — The Waymaker’s Messenger — in a small stall inside the Elyria Flea Market. On Wednesday, after the rear [...]
Shaquille O’Neal trade a shocker for Cavaliers’ LeBron James
INDEPENDENCE — LeBron James was in Shaq shock. Like nearly everyone else, Cleveland’s megastar was floored by Shaquille O’Neal’s trade to Phoenix. “Unbelievable,” James said after practice Wednesday. “That’s all I got. It’s unbelievable.” O’Neal, one of the league’s top centers for more than a decade, was traded by Miami to the Suns for forward [...]
Water rises, but Ridgeville residents endure deluge
As fast-moving waters in a swollen creek rushed by less than 50 yards from their Avon home, Istvan and Mevnka Budai looked on with a sense of exasperated resignation. “We’ve been here seven years, and this is one of the worst we’ve seen,” said Istvan Budai, whose wet boots were a sign of the time [...]
Man’s body found in Lake Erie
AVON LAKE — The body of an adult male was found near the boat launch at Miller Road Park late Wednesday night, Avon Lake police and firefighters said. The body was located about 11:34 p.m. by an Avon Lake police sergeant who had been searching for the body of James Valenta, 50, whose family reported [...]
Ohio, here they come: State in play for primaries
COLUMBUS — Democratic rivals Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama dispatched aides to Ohio on Wednesday, signaling neither would concede the state’s March 4 primary. Republicans John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney held back as their party’s nominating contest remained a jumble. Neither party picked presidential nominees on Tuesday, when more than 20 states [...]
New problem for Clemens? Lawyer claims trainer has evidence on pitcher
NEW YORK — Brian McNamee gave federal prosecutors syringes and other physical evidence his lawyers say back the personal trainer’s allegations of drug use by Roger Clemens, who returns to Capitol Hill today in hopes of rebutting the accusations. Clemens, who gave a deposition Tuesday, is scheduled to hold one-on-one meetings with members of the [...]
Strickland: Education is critical
Governor wants $1.7 billion to boost Ohio’s faltering economy COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland picked a pertinent Bible verse to add to his second State of the State speech Wednesday: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.” Strickland, a Democrat [...]
Former Oberlin president goes global
Former Oberlin College President Nancy S. Dye has been tapped as the first president of the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh, which has the goal of developing female leaders in southern and southeastern Asia. COURTESY ASIAN UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN Former Oberlin College President Nancy Dye (center) visits the future site of the Asian University [...]
Bush budget threatens Great Lakes’ water quality
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — President Bush’s proposed budget would shortchange efforts to clean up the Great Lakes and to keep problems such as sewage overflows and exotic species invasions from getting worse, critics said Wednesday. Federal spending for Great Lakes water quality programs would be slashed 16 percent from this year’s total under the president’s [...]
Some go to grandma’s house, some go to jail
ELYRIA — David Martin turned a routine trip to grandma’s into a real life, crime-fighting expedition. Martin, 36, of Wellington, was pulling out of the drive at his grandmother’s Elyria home Wednesday when he saw two vehicles collide and one of the drivers take off from the scene. With his wife Elise on the phone [...]
Former officer’s friend says he threatened to kill pregnant woman
CANTON — A former police officer threatened to kill his pregnant lover a month before she disappeared, a longtime friend testified Wednesday. Bobby Cutts Jr. said he was going to kill her and “throw her in the woods,” calling her a derogatory name, according to Richard Mitchell, who added that he didn’t think his friend [...]
Wickes Lumber is closing
ELYRIA TWP. — Bradco-Wickes Lumber will shut its doors for good at the end of the week, making it the second lumber company in Lorain County to go out of business this month. Workers at the North Ridge Road store were given notice Tuesday, manager Justin Lucas said. About 10 employees will lose their jobs [...]
Residents in Ohio town swamped last year worry as river rises
FINDLAY — Shandale Collins spent the last five months renovating his home after floodwaters destroyed nearly everything. Now he’s wondering whether he’ll have to do it all over again. Rising waters lapped at his garage Wednesday and were creeping closer to his home and others in the city along the Blanchard River. It was another [...]
Blotter: Feb. 7
Elyria police Tuesday, Feb. 5 8:11 a.m. – 100 block East Ave., the glass door at Sarah’s Sweets was broken and the cash register stolen. 12:25 p.m. – 500 block N. Abbe Road, a vehicle rolled off a tow truck and struck two parked cars. Lorain police Tuesday, Feb. 5 11 a.m. – 4600 block [...]
Assault charges filed against mother of dead teen
LAGRANGE TWP. — Deputies are searching for the mother of a 15-year-old boy who was killed while walking to a supermarket — saying she attacked and injured her own mother. Sheriif’s Capt. Richard Resendez said that Donna Garn, 38, of LaGrange, is wanted on charges of domestic violence and second-degree felonious assault after the incident [...]
Judge gives sex offenders more time to challenge classification
CLEVELAND — A federal judge has extended the deadline for convicted sex offenders to challenge their reclassification under a law that took effect this year. U.S. District Judge Patricia Gaughan also stayed the law’s community notification provision for those who weren’t subject to it under the old law. Under the Adam Walsh Act, offenders are [...]