Archive for June 3rd, 2008
Teenager injured in crash this afternoon
A teenaged girl was struck by a pickup truck this afternoon on East Bridge Street. The girl, whose name and age were unavailable, was taken to EMH Regional Medical Center and then flown to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. She suffered a severe cut on her back after the impact of the crash, which occurred [...]
Clinton expected to concede; Obama to be nominee
WASHINGTON (AP) — Barack Obama effectively clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Tuesday after a grueling marathon, based on an Associated Press tally of convention delegates, becoming the first black candidate ever to lead his party into a fall campaign for the White House. Campaigning on an insistent call for change, Obama outlasted former first [...]
GM to close Ohio plant, others
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — General Motors is closing four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico as surging fuel prices hasten a dramatic shift to smaller vehicles. CEO Rick Wagoner said Tuesday before the automaker’s annual meeting in Delaware the plants to be closed are in Oshawa, Ontario; Moraine, Ohio; Janesville, [...]
Offense wakes up: Blake smacks two home runs, drives in seven to lead Indians to 13-9 win over Rangers
ARLINGTON, Texas — Casey Blake’s early power surge got the Cleveland Indians off to a big lead. They still needed more to outlast the Texas Rangers. Blake hit two homers, a bases-loaded double and had already matched a career-high seven RBIs, the most by an American League player this season, by the fourth inning. But [...]
Stanley Cup Finals: Penguins tie game with 34 seconds left in regulation, go on to down Red Wings in third overtime
DETROIT — The pizza was perfect for Petr Sykora and the Pittsburgh Penguins. Deep in overtime and the season hanging in the balance, Sykora scored a power-play goal 9:57 into the third extra session to give the Penguins a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night and send the Stanley Cup finals [...]
Belmont Stakes: Big Brown has hoof repair pushed back, but specialist says he’s fine, move just a precaution
NEW YORK — Before Big Brown can make a run at winning the Triple Crown, his slightly cracked left front hoof needs some final work. The Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner is wearing a second set of stainless steel sutures on the inside of his hoof. They’ve allowed Big Brown to gallop around Belmont Park [...]
Jenna Fryer on motorsports: Comfort of Ohio track just what Tony Stewart needs after string of bad luck
Boy, could Tony Stewart use a little fun right now. The two-time NASCAR champion was caught in an accident at Dover International Raceway on Sunday, ruining his race after 17 laps. He finished 41st for his fourth poor finish in five races. Now he’s perilously close to the Chase cutoff point. Some relief comes Wednesday [...]
High school track: Avon Lake’s Kauffman steps down as boys coach after 12 years
Avon Lake boys track coach Keith Kauffman has resigned his position after 12 years. Kauffman led the Shoremen to a pair of Southwestern Conference titles in 2000 and ’04. The win in 2000 was the program’s first conference title in boys track since winning the Lakeland Conference in 1962, ending 38 years of futility. After [...]
French Open: Top-seeded Sharapova toppled by No. 13 Safina in three sets, booed by crowd
PARIS — Maria Sharapova did not go quietly. No, her departure from the French Open was filled with sound and fury: her stroke-accompanying shrieks, her self-loathing shouts between points and the spectators’ hearty boos and high-pitched whistles that ushered the No. 1-seeded woman to the exit. One point from reaching the quarterfinals at the only [...]
NBA Finals preview: Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce happy they stayed right where they are
WALTHAM, Mass. — Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant were playing pickup basketball in a UCLA gym last summer, a couple of frustrated NBA stars trying to sweat away the memory of a disappointing season. Talk soon turned to trades. Bryant had lashed out at Lakers management for assembling a team that hadn’t won a playoff [...]
Golf roundup: Davis Love III qualifies for U.S. Open, keeps consecutive streak alive
After playing four difficult days at the Memorial, Davis Love III made it through 36 holes on Monday in Upper Arlington to qualify for his 18th consecutive trip to the U.S. Open. Fred Couples and several other PGA Tour players weren’t so fortunate. Love’s streak of 70 consecutive majors ended when he failed to qualify [...]
No state charges likely against Gas USA owners
ELYRIA — A 2006 inspection at Gas USA may have uncovered numerous violations, but state inspectors downgraded the priority it gave to ensuring the mistakes were fixed. A combination of new owners, new management and a changing of the guard at the state level contributed to the enforcement delay. However, the significant leak that caused [...]
EEOC sues Spitzer Management after Lebanese man says he was harassed
LORAIN — The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Spitzer Management on Monday, accusing the firm of allowing a Lebanese employee to be harassed by other company workers. The employee, Toufic Hamdan, who worked at a Cleveland Kia dealership run by the Lorain-based company, was called “Habeeb,” and references were made to him “flying a magic [...]
Pothole pay on again?
Council nixes blanket denial of moral claims ELYRIA — People whose cars were damaged after hitting potholes on state Route 57 clapped and cheered when Law Director Terry “Pete” Shilling and a majority of City Council breathed new life into their hopes of reimbursement. WHO SPOKE AT THE MEETING Stephanie Keaton, of Grafton, whose son [...]
City to seek bids on $900,000 sewer project
ELYRIA — The city will seek bids on a new sewer line costing about $900,000 that will feed a new housing development in newly annexed land on the city’s far south side. Developers Lorne Elbert and Mo Shave will pay the bulk of the costs of installing the Middle Avenue Sanitary Sewer Project, according to [...]
Ductwork for dessert: Ceiling crashes down on diners
DAVID RICHARD / CHRONICLE Firefighters cordon off Rosie’s Family Restaurant in Elyria Township. ELYRIA TWP. — Boyd Payne had just gotten off work and taken the corner booth Monday evening at Rosie’s Family Restaurant when his plans for dinner came to crashing halt. “I heard three cracks — like when you break dry twigs — [...]
Community steps up to help attack victim rebuild
Stevens CARLISLE TWP. — Shawn Stevens’ friends don’t know exactly when she’ll return home, but they say that when she does, she’ll find a new bedroom, a handicapped-accessible bathroom and a wheelchair ramp waiting for her. Stevens, 43, remains in MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where she is recovering from a brutal attack last month [...]
Amherst grad rides on, gets his rose on ‘Bachelorette’
And then there were nine — and Amherst Steele grad Jesse Csincsak was one of them. The 25-year-old professional snowboarder, who now lives in Breckenridge, Colo., lived to try another week to win the heart — and hand — of DeAnna Pappas, ABC-TV’s “The Bachelorette.” When the third episode of the show came on Monday [...]
Roundup: June 3, 2008
Patrol keeping close eye on big rigs Starting today, 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles will get special attention as part of Roadcheck 2008, which promotes 72 hours of continuous vehicle inspections in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Troopers and motor carrier enforcement inspectors will be on the job in Ohio and there will be [...]
Blotter: June 3, 2008
Sheriff’s Office Wednesday, May 7 8 a.m. – 42400 block North Ridge Road, Elyria Township, identity theft. Monday, May 19 12:43 p.m. – 26500 block state Route 58, Huntington Township, dog shot. 5:39 p.m. – 38800 block Biggs Road, LaGrange, telephone harassment. Saturday, May 24 12:53 a.m. – State Routes 57 and 2, missing juvenile [...]
County prosecutor wants to put drug suspect’s home up for sale
ELYRIA — Prosecutors are going after more than a man accused of dealing heroin’s freedom; they’re trying to take his house. In a second indictment filed against Robert Lengyel, a county grand jury agreed to a specification that would allow the county to seize and resell Lengyel’s home at 628 Oberlin-Elyria Road in Carlisle Township [...]
Graduates leaving Southview behind
STEVE MANHEIM / CHRONICLE Sergio Hernandez waves to the crowd at George Daniel Field on Monday. Southview High School graduates took center stage at George Daniel Field on Monday evening as all 226 students in the Class of 2008 gathered together for one last time. The stadium was packed with family, friends and faculty cheering [...]
Local roundup: June 3, 2008
Man pistol-whipped by house-guest ELYRIA — An Elyria man was pistol-whipped Friday after a man visiting him at his Fourth Street apartment allegedly pulled a gun and demanded money from him. Christopher Whidden told officers that a friend of his and two of the friend’s acquaintances were visiting him about 1:15 a.m. when the group [...]
New law limits payday lending loans
COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland has signed a bill that puts new restrictions on the payday lending industry. The law signed Monday limits borrowers to four short-term loans a year and caps annual interest rates at 28 percent. The state Legislature passed the bill last month over the objections of industry leaders. “This is a [...]
Century-old building molts its facade
Crews work to bring down remaining front LORAIN — Crumbling bricks cascading onto the sidewalk below prompted city officials to call for the partial demolition of a century-old Lorain building. As pieces — some the size of car windows — gave way from the structure in a domino-like succession on Monday, city fire and building [...]