Archive for May 17th, 2008
Cavaliers force Game 7, head back to Beantown
CLEVELAND — LeBron James likes to say a playoff series doesn’t start until the visiting team wins a game. The Cavaliers gave themselves one last chance to do so by defeating the Boston Celtics 74-69 in Game 6 Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena, setting up a seventh and deciding game Sunday at 3:30 p.m. [...]
Governor talks of rebuilding
ELYRIA — A Democrat in the White House, a majority in the Ohio House, economic relief and no political blowback at election time from the Mark Dann scandal. Those were the assurances Gov. Ted Strickland made to more than 300 local Democrats when he spoke Friday night at Lorain County Community College. “There are some [...]
Cavaliers commentary: Cleveland wasn’t going out on this night
The Cavaliers’ reign as the Eastern Conference champions isn’t over just yet. It may happen this weekend — history says it almost certainly will — but it was not going to occur Friday night. Not on their home floor and not in front of a rabid sellout crowd that wasn’t ready for the party to [...]
New chief wants focus back on fighting fire
ELYRIA — Interim Fire Chief Joe Pronesti said he can sum up his first day as leader of the Fire Department with one word: Trepidation. Early Friday morning, less than 24 hours after Mayor Bill Grace promoted him, Pronesti walked into the fire chief’s office and surveyed the scene. Paperwork, folders and books — all [...]
Cavaliers: West’s buzzer-beater helps turn tide
CLEVELAND — It was a turn for the best as far as the Cavaliers were concerned Friday night in their huge 74-69 series-tying and season-saving win over the Celtics at The Q. When the Cavs forced Boston’s Paul Pierce into a turnover at midcourt as the final seconds of the first half ticked away, it [...]
H.S. Baseball: Amherst’s Bartizal hits 2 homers in win over Elyria
AMHERST — The long ball proved the key for Amherst and the undoing for Elyria on Friday night in a Division I sectional championship game. Amherst’s Ryan Bartizal hit two homers — a solo shot and a two-run blast — that gave Amherst a 4-3 win. The Comets (17-7) move into the district semifinal against [...]
H.S. Baseball: Beach pitches Vermilion past Elyria Catholic
ELYRIA — Revenge was sweet for Vermilion, thanks to a great pitching effort by Adam Beach. Vermilion won a Division II sectional championship Friday, beating Elyria Catholic 4-2 just a month after losing to the Panthers 5-3 on the Sailors’ diamond. Beach struck out 10 and gave up six hits while not walking a batter. [...]
H.S. Track: Robertson leads Avon to WSC crown
EATON TWP. — Bryant Robertson was not the only reason the Avon boys jumped from sixth in 2007 to a West Shore Conference championship this year, but his presence on the team has been huge all season. Robertson, who was content to show off his speed only on the football field for the first two [...]
H.S. Track: North Olmsted’s Hoppel takes 4 golds at SWC meet
NORTH OLMSTED — Jordan Hoppel’s name was added to a short list of special athletes in the annals of the Southwestern Conference Track and Field Championships. The North Olmsted junior won four events at Friday night’s league meet. It was only the eighth time in its 73-year history that a male athlete earned such distinction. [...]
Amputee gets his shot at Olympic glory
MILAN, Italy — His Olympic dream suddenly revived, Oscar Pistorius can get back to what he loves most — running. The double-amputee sprinter from South Africa was cleared Friday to compete in his bid to qualify for the Beijing Games. The Court of Arbitration for Sport overturned a ruling by the International Association of Athletics [...]
Elyria finds little citizen interest in design panel
ELYRIA — A plan designed to transform the face of the city’s Design Review Board has stalled as few have stepped up to volunteer for the proposed committee. TO VOLUNTEER The city is accepting letters of interest from individuals who are interested in volunteering to sit on the City’s proposed Design Review Committee. Volunteers must [...]
H.S. Basketball: Lutheran West losing Wittrock, Argento
Talk about a tough week for a high school sports program. It doesn’t get much tougher than what Lutheran West has had to face this week. The Longhorns not only are losing the winningest girls basketball coach in Ohio history, they’re also losing a boys basketball coach who authored a 61-game regular-season winning streak. Karen [...]
Indians: Reds homer, walk way past Tribe
CINCINNATI (AP) — It’s been a long time since Cleveland’s pitching staff got walked on this way. Adam Dunn homered and drew a tiebreaking walk with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Friday night, sending the Cincinnati Reds to their season-high fourth straight win, 4-3 over the intrastate rival Indians. The Reds got home [...]
Man injured in motorcycle crash
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — A 20-year-old man was injured when his motorcycle struck the rear of a car Thursday afternoon on Chestnut Ridge Road, according to police. Joseph Partyka, of North Ridgeville, was listed in fair condition Friday at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland following the 4:30 p.m. accident. Both vehicles were traveling east. Police are [...]
Blotter: May 17, 2008
Lorain police Thursday, May 15 1:41 p.m. – 1800 block Nichols St., more than $800 in guitars and equipment stolen from residence. 2 p.m. – 2900 block Wood Ave., $475 stolen from resident while at a shelter. 9:49 p.m. – 300 block Longfellow Parkway, windows broken at school. Friday, May 16, 2008 1:26 a.m. – [...]
A Special day on the track
ELYRIA — Ely Stadium was filled with cheering and energy Friday. It was not a football game that brought fans to their feet, but the Special Olympics. Throughout the day, students in grades kindergarten through 12 from area schools participated in many exciting events all geared toward motivating them with a little friendly competition. The [...]
Oberlin to seek replacement levy
OBERLIN — On Monday, Oberlin City Council will consider putting a replacement income tax levy on the November ballot to help fund expansion of the fire station expansion, road repairs and sidewalk improvements among other things. The 10-year levy would replace the 0.2 percent levy that is set to expire next year which has paid [...]
Drug charges snare former county dog warden
CARLISLE TWP. — A former county dog warden fired five years ago after being found guilty of a series of charges including selling marijuana is in trouble again, this time for allegedly selling heroin. James David Shelton, 48, was arrested Wednesday for trafficking in drugs, according to a Lorain County Drug Task Force search warrant [...]
Off the Beat: May 17, 2008
Wife overrules county judge County Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski has reluctantly sold his motorcycle, but he felt he had little choice. “My wife made it clear to me that selling the bike would be cheaper than divorce,” Betleski said. Suzanne Betleski insisted on the sale after her husband crashed his 2005 Harley-Davidson Road King [...]
Fight over retrial for teen goes to Supreme Court
ELYRIA — Prosecutors have asked the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court decision granting a new trial to a teenager convicted of murder. If the Supreme Court takes the case and overrules the 9th District Court of Appeals, it could mean that the 35-years-to-life prison sentence Justin Chapman is serving would remain in [...]
Man cut after fight with ex-girlfriend
ELYRIA — A 44-year-old Elyria man was sliced in the face Thursday after getting in an argument with his ex-girlfriend. Police went to the 100 block of Cascade Street at 11:30 p.m. and found the man coherent but bleeding with a jagged cut to his upper right cheek. The man told police that his ex-girlfriend, [...]
Reading, writing, grandma and grandpa
Lorain’s Garfield Elementary adds them all together for a special educational experience LORAIN — Garfield Elementary students and their grandparents made something special together on Friday — their own, personalized books. Armed with kits containing pens, markers, crayons, stickers, foam cut-outs, pipe cleaners, glitter and glue, each team created their own story in a professionally [...]
Sheffield/Sheffield Lake blotter: May 17, 2008
Sheffield Monday, May 5 11:01 p.m. — 5200 block Parkhurst, simple assault. Tuesday, May 6 9:39 p.m. — 5300 block Waterford Drive, theft. Wednesday, May 7 3:21 p.m. — 5300 block Detroit Road, theft from building. 10:51 p.m. — East 31st Street, Frank Rigo, 46, East 39th Street, Lorain, charged with operating a vehicle while [...]
UPDATED: Pride Day today
Today is Lorain County Pride Day, and volunteers will help spruce up their communities throughout the county. Amherst Volunteers are asked to meet at the Main Street Community Center, 255 Park Ave., and come equipped with rakes, shovels and gloves. The plans include cleaning, planting and mulching around City Hall and picking up litter. Avon [...]
Ronnie D. Yonts
Ronnie D. Yonts, 56, resident of Georgia, and formerly of Lorain, passed away Wednesday, May 14, 2008, at his home. He was born December 14, 1951, in Hazard, Ky., where he lived until age 12. Ronnie was a graduate of Lorain High School with the class of 1969. Ohio was his home before moving to [...]