Archive for March 2nd, 2008
Boys basketball: Elyria breaks district drought, downs Olmsted Falls for first title in 31 years
EATON TWP — Elyria High finally exorsized the demons of districts past Saturday night in front of a full house at the Midview Division I finals. The Pioneers advance to their first Sweet 16 in 31 years with a 98-84 victory over Olmsted Falls that was anything but easy but certainly sweet. “Like I told [...]
State wrestling: Three titles down, one to go for Columbia Township’s Collin Palmer
COLUMBUS — It’s easier to follow the snowplow than it is trying to drive in front of it. That was the thought process of St. Edward junior Collin Palmer when discussing whether older brother Lance had it rougher as the first in his family to win four high school state championships or if Collin has [...]
No quarterback controversy? Quinn says he’s out to win Browns’ starting job … this year
CLEVELAND — He approached the throng waiting to have a picture taken with him — no autographs, please — and the screams and screeches immediately commenced. No, Brad Pitt didn’t pop into town Saturday for a stop at the Hummer display at the Cleveland Auto Show. It was just Brady Quinn, the Browns backup quarterback. [...]
Browns: Trade for Shaun Rogers should complete overhaul of defensive line
BEREA — Phil Savage’s extreme makeover is all but done. Sure, the Browns could still use a pass-rushing linebacker, but the major construction is complete after the defensive line received a nearly 700-pound overhaul over the weekend. It follows the transformation of the offensive line last offseason. “To add Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams to [...]
Chris Assenheimer: Tigers definitely stronger, but hardly a lock to win American League
If you believe national baseball experts, the Indians’ Central Division reign will be a short one. Cleveland, they say, will not defend its division title, pointing to the Detroit Tigers as the new favorite in what figures to be another rigid Central race. They may be right. While the Indians pretty much stood still in [...]
Tribe notes: C.C., Wedge don’t think overuse the cause of pitcher’s postseason problems
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Indians and C.C. Sabathia don’t think overuse was at the root of the AL Cy Young Award winner’s poor postseason last year. So Sabathia, who logged a career-high 241 innings in 2007, will once again have no limitations in ’08. “We’ll work off him like we always have and if he’s [...]
Dan Coughlin: Don’t call Champ Car joining IRL a merger, call it a surrender
It’s stretching a point to call it a merger of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car after a bitter 15-year schism that almost put open-wheel racing in America out of business. Actually, Champ Car surrendered to IRL founder Tony George. Only a handful of Champ Car races will be incorporated into the IRL schedule [...]
State gymnastics: Kmiecik rises to the occasion, wins all-around title
HILLIARD — Her winning moment was as cool as Kayla Kmiecik knew it would be. In fact, it was priceless. Kmiecik won the state all-around championship Saturday at Hilliard Darby High School, and added her third straight crown in the uneven parallel bars and another in floor exercise. Nobody shouldered the pressure that Kmiecik faced [...]
Area students compete in annual Science Olympiad
ELYRIA — Ever soldered your own robot together from spare parts? Tyler Freeman has. The 14-year-old lifted his goggles for a few minutes Saturday at Lorain County Community College to explain how he transformed a simple remote-controlled car into a machine capable of moving tennis balls around an obstacle course. “It was really hard,” he [...]
N.Y. congresswoman rallies for Clinton
LORAIN — The first time through, U.S. Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez delivered her message in English. “We have an opportunity to put an end to an administration in the White House that doesn’t care about job creation in America,” she said Saturday night, asking the crowd at the Lorain Puerto Rican Home Club to rally around [...]
Mother and daughter share ‘Living Angel’ award
LORAIN — At just 7 years old, Emily Zichi has already earned her halo. “I have gone through some pretty tough times, and what I’ve learned is to always keep a positive attitude and to trust God,” she said Saturday as she accepted her Living Angel Award from the American Cancer Society at the annual [...]
Military divorce rates remaining steady
WASHINGTON — The divorce rate in the armed forces held steady last year at 3.3 percent, a surprising finding given the stress that marriages are under during persistent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some veterans questioned whether the figure, reported by the Pentagon, presents an accurate picture. But defense officials credited efforts in recent years [...]
Friend: Bobby Cutts ‘haunted’ by Davis’ last words
CANTON — A former police officer who killed his pregnant lover drove around town the night of the murder with the woman’s body in the back of his truck haunted by her last words, according to newly released court records. Bobby Cutts Jr. rubbed his face and appeared nervous, a longtime friend who rode in [...]
Roundup: March 2
Man reports shooting in Lorain LORAIN — A man was shot in the leg just after midnight Saturday as he walked out of Dairy Mart on Broadway, according to a Lorain police report. Casey Lee Pope, 46, of Lorain, was taken to CHP Regional Medical Center for a gunshot wound just above his left ankle, [...]
Blotter: March 2
Lorain police Friday, Feb. 29 9:51 a.m. – 200 block W. 38th St., a woman said $225 was stolen from her bank account. 12:34 p.m. – 1300 block W. Sixth St., air conditioner stolen. 7 p.m. – 3700 block Beavercrest Drive, stolen van. 9:35 p.m. – 1300 block Schaeffer Drive, a woman said she was [...]
Ohio teachers displeased with license fee
Some Ohio teachers are complaining about the rising cost of a teaching license — now up to $200 — but the state Department of Education says it needs the extra money to cover the cost of more thorough background checks required by a new law. The State Board of Education raised the fee last month [...]
Elyria Catholic alums honored
ELYRIA — Two Elyria Catholic High School alums, long removed from the halls of academia, were honored Thursday for their commitment to both the school and the Elyria community. They join other distinguished alumni whose names and faces grace the Elyria Catholic Hall of Fame. Receiving the 2008 Elyria Catholic High School Distinguished Alumnus Hall [...]
Candlelight vigil to remember fire victim
ELYRIA — A candlelight service will be 6 p.m. Tuesday at 323 17th St., where 69-year-old Carlton Glass died in a fire Feb. 19. “He’s at rest. It’s taken me a while to get this far, but I’ll never get over him,” his wife, Grace Glass, said Saturday. The couple would have celebrated their 26th [...]
Chronicle chalks up newspaper awards
Don’t ever let anyone try to tell you we don’t know how to write news.In recently announced Associated Press awards, The Chronicle swept the category of Best News Writer. Reporters Brad Dicken, Shawn Foucher and Lisa Roberson beat out all other writers in papers our size across Ohio to take first, second and third places [...]
Cleveland officer shot in stomach, dies at hospital
CLEVELAND — A police officer who was shot investigating a group of men drinking beer inside an abandoned garage died hours later at a hospital, authorities said Saturday. Derek Owens, 36, and another officer approached the men Friday night and chased them when they started to run away, police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho said. Owens [...]
HISPANIC HAPPENINGS: Man shows his love of the game
Lorain resident Fernando Pete Contreras Jr. has been a welder for 43 years. He is a mig welder at Invacare in Elyria, where he has been welding powerchairs for 15 years. Before that, he worked as a welder at Spanmaster in Avon Lake, U.S. Steel in Lorain and Ford in Lorain. Contreras has not only [...]
Rhonda S. Keene
Rhonda S. Keene, 67, of Lodi, passed away unexpectedly Thursday, February 28, 2008 at Medina General Hospital. She was born in Rainelle, West Virginia on October 31, 1940 to Benjamin and Kathleen Fogus Spade. She married Darrell Keene on December 4, 1958 and they resided in New Philadelphia, moving to Lodi 13 years ago. She [...]
Mikayla Anne Judith Robinson
Mikayla Anne Judith Robinson, infant daughter of Kerry Goozdich and Michael Robinson of Elyria, passed away Tuesday, February 26, 2008 at Community Health Partners, Lorain. Besides her parents, survivors include her brothers, Gabriel Robinson, Mitchell Goozdich IV and Brandon Robinson, all of Elyria. Survivors also include maternal grandparents, Candace Judith Haun and Berkley Leon Wade [...]
Leo L. Pitts
Leo L. Pitts, 77, of Elyria, died Wednesday, February 27, 2008 at the Wesleyan Village in Elyria following a short illness. Mr. Pitts was born in Lakewood, on July 1, 1930 and lived in North Ridgeville and Elyria most of his life. He was employed by Murphy Motor Freight Lines as a truck driver for [...]
Doye R. Mincey
Doye R. Mincey, 85, of LaGrange, died Thursday, February 28, 2008 at his home, following a long illness. He was born October 7, 1922 in Dahlonega, Georgia, and was a LaGrange resident for 45 years. Mr. Mincey worked as a painter at the former York International Company in Elyria for 37 years, retiring in 1984. [...]