Archive for February 15th, 2008
BREAKING NEWS — Cutts could get death
CANTON — A former police officer who tearfully told jurors he accidentally killed his pregnant lover and their unborn baby has been convicted of their murders and faces a possible death sentence. Bobby Cutts Jr., who sobbed when testifying that he killed Jessie Davis with a blow to the throat during a disagreement and [...]
TRAFFIC UPDATE — Traffic moving again on SR 2
State Route 2 is back open after being momentarily shutdown Friday morning between state routes 254 and 611. Sheffield Village police responded to the non-injury accident around 10:30 a.m. when a truck struck a semi-trailer. Traffic was backed up by the crash, but is now moving again.
BREAKING NEWS — Cutts guilty
CANTON— A former police officer who tearfully told jurors he accidentally killed his pregnant lover and her unborn baby has been convicted of their murders and faces a possible death sentence. Bobby Cutts, Jr. who sobbed when testifying that he killed Jessie Davis with a blow to the throat during a disagreement and dumped [...]
BREAKING NEWS — Cutts jury reaches verdict
CANTON — A jury has reached a verdict in the trial of a former police officer accused of killing his pregnant lover and their unborn child. Bobby Cutts Jr. could receive a death sentence if convicted of aggravated murder in the deaths of Jessie Davis and her near full-term fetus. Cutts testified [...]
Lorain building official declares innocence
LORAIN — Bill Desvari, the city’s embattled chief building official, said Thursday he has no idea what led to him being suspended and escorted out of City Hall last week. He said Lorain police officers conducting a criminal investigation that centers on him haven’t talked to him yet. “All I was told was to leave [...]
Teen cited for running red light after seven-car pileup on Rt. 57
ELYRIA — A 17-year-old girl who police say caused a seven-car crash Wednesday was cited for running a red light, police said. Police said six people were taken to the hospital, all with minor injuries, after Melissa Mathews of Grafton traveled through a red light at state Route 57 and Cleveland Street. Mathews’ Honda Accord [...]
Man suspected in grocer’s killing arraigned
ELYRIA — The Lorain man accused of robbing and shooting to death Lorain grocery store owner Jose Gonzalez was arraigned Thursday in county Common Pleas Court. CHUCK HUMEL/CHRONICLE Decio Rodrigues Jr. is led into court for his arraignment Thursday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Decio Rodrigues, 24, of Lorain, pleaded not guilty to charges [...]
Grafton-LaGrange police blotter: Feb. 15, 2008
LaGrange police Thursday, Feb. 7 12:50 a.m. — East of Chicago Pizza, door was found open. Nothing was disturbed. Friday, Feb. 8 5:45 p.m. — Church Street, a man was seen driving door-to-door with out-of-state plates selling steaks. Grafton police Thursday, Feb. 7 3:13 p.m. — 1000 block Elm St., a resident asked for an [...]
Budding food bank seeks donations
The room is small but its shelves are filled with neatly organized rows of canned vegetables, boxes of cereal, pasta and macaroni and cheese, and jars of peanut butter. Outside, a steady stream of traffic zips by 2367 North Ridge Road with drivers taking scant notice of Lorain’s United Hearts Life Mission Center, one of [...]
Playmate from Avon Lake makes SI swimsuit issue
One could hardly confuse Carmella Garcia with a wallflower. The Avon Lake High School grad and wife of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jeff Garcia shows a lot of skin for readers of Sports Illustrated’s annual Swimsuit Issue, which hit newsstands this week. Garcia, better known locally by her maiden name Carmella DeCesare, is no stranger [...]
Sabathia breaks off contract talks with Indians until after season
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — One thing’s for sure about C.C. Sabathia’s future with the Indians: It’s up in the air. Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said Thursday that he doesn’t expect to have any talks with the Cy Young winner until the 2008 season is over. He was reacting to a message Sabathia posted on [...]
Lawfully wedded Valentines
Elyria — Valentine’s Day will be the second most important thing for Brian Ferrios and Melissa Smith to celebrate each Feb. 14. That’s because their wedding anniversary will come first. At 3:15 p.m. Thursday in an empty courtroom, save for two of the couple’s daughters, the Ferrios’ mother and the judge marrying them, the two [...]
Szente a complex, yet powerful leader for EC wrestlers
The simple truth about Elyria Catholic senior Dane Szente is that wrestling chose him, both literally and figuratively. “I still remember the day I got cut from the basketball team during my freshman year,” Szente said. “I was walking away from the list and (former Panthers) Coach (John) McNulty grabbed me by the weight room [...]
Wreck ties up Route 2 traffic
ELYRIA TWP. — Westbound traffic was tied up for nearly two hours Thursday morning on state Route 2, and two people were injured after a pickup crossed the median and was hit by a car in opposing traffic, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol. The driver of the pickup, Michael Drage, 31, of Lorain, was [...]
Jury deliberates in ex-cop`s trial
CANTON — Jurors in the trial of a former police officer charged with killing his pregnant lover and their unborn child deliberated day and night Thursday with a hint that they were making progress and were going through evidence item by item. Jurors in the case against Bobby Cutts Jr. in the death of Jessie [...]
Boys sectional basketball preview: Elyria’s Promis worth keeping
Promis Cabbil couldn’t help but blame himself. “I’ve never missed four free throws in a row like that,” he said of his performance during Elyria’s 74-70 loss at Southview on Tuesday. The 5-foot-9 senior point guard has taken responsibility for many of the Pioneers’ successes and failures this season. He’s a big reason Elyria has [...]
Lorain man pleads not guilty in stabbing death
ELYRIA — The man who police say killed his friend after stabbing him 21 times pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in county Common Pleas Court. Rafael Feliciano, 22, of Lorain, is accused of the Jan. 29 slaying of 25-year-old Fletcher Windham Jr., also of Lorain. Feliciano told police he acted in self-defense when he [...]
Columbia teen in search of a career
COLUMBIA TWP. — Elizabeth Bailey is a farm girl at heart, but there is more to her than meets the eye. “I have lived in Columbia Station my whole life, on my family’s farm,” Bailey, 18, said. “I work on our family farm during the summers.” In the summertime, Bailey spends her time stacking hay, [...]
Distribution of death penalty cases comes down to ‘luck’ of draw
ELYRIA — Most criminal cases in county Common Pleas Court are randomly assigned by a computer. But not when the case involves the possibility of the death penalty. In those cases, determining the judge comes down to the number that comes out of a rust-colored plastic billiards pill bottle. A random draw is the only [...]
Midview girls stave off elimination with rally over Akron Ellet
MEDINA — Midview’s seniors were reminded at the start of the fourth quarter Thursday night that they might be playing the last eight minutes of their high school careers. It sunk in. The Middies, who trailed Akron Ellet by four points after three quarters, held Ellet to just four points in those final eight minutes [...]
Rose M. Wojdyla
Rose M. Wojdyla, (nee Siwierka), 84, of Elyria, died Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph in Lorain, following a long illness. She was born June 3, 1923 in McKeesport, Pennsylvania and lived in Elyria for most of her life. She worked for the Elyria School Board as a [...]
School project could lead to Jaycox expansion
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — The school district’s plan to build a new high school could spark a long-planned effort to extend Jaycox Road to Bainbridge Road. The extension has been called for in the city’s master plan for a long time. But with the possibility of a new high school, it’s gaining traction, Mayor David Gillock [...]
Robert “Bob” Weinman
Robert "Bob" Weinman, 83, of Elyria, passed away Wednesday, February 13, 2008. He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Gray (David) of Elyria; son, David Gray (Kelli) of LaGrange, Kentucky; grandchildren, Danielle, Amanda (Tom), Bobby, Ashley, and Brian; great-grandchildren, Dylan and Payton. He was preceded in death by his wife, Nichola (nee Neglia); parents, Richard [...]
Martin B. Lane
Martin B. Lane, 78, of Lorain, passed away Thursday, February 14, 2008 at Community Health Partners in Lorain following a short illness. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by Wyers Funeral Chapel of Sheffield Twp.
Brothers linked to driveway robbery in Lorain
LORAIN — The two brothers charged with robbing several Lorain homes in January have been linked to another involving the beating of an elderly couple. Oscar Otero, 27, and David Melendez, 19, were charged Jan. 24 with multiple counts of burglary and receiving stolen property after Lorain police said they found most of the stolen [...]