Archive for June 19th, 2008
State law limits insurance payout in chief’s case
Medders responsible for $2M in punitive damages to officer
Ohio historian could face hard time for boulder dig
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An Ohio historian could face hard time, all because of a rock. A Kentucky grand jury indicted Steve Shaffer on Thursday for leading efforts to pull an 8-ton boulder known as Indian Head Rock from the Ohio River. The indictment accuses Shaffer of breaking Kentucky law by removing a protected archaeological [...]
Girl born to Jamie Lynn Spears
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Jamie Lynn Spears gave birth to a baby girl Thursday morning at a south Mississippi hospital, according to a person close to the Spears family. The person confirmed the baby’s birth to The Associated Press. The person asked not to be identified because the family had not yet announced the baby’s [...]
A 6th human foot found on Canada’s coast
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Another human foot was found Wednesday on a British Columbia shoreline, the second this week and the sixth within a year in a bizarre mystery that has confounded police. Like most of the others, it was a right foot encased in a running shoe, said Sgt. Mike Tresoor of the [...]
Prosecutor: There should be no crying in closings
HAMILTON, Ohio (AP) — Prosecutors say there should be no crying during closing arguments in death penalty cases. Jason Phillabaum, an assistant Butler County prosecutor, filed motions this week asking that defense attorneys be blocked from using emotional appeals to a jury during the trial and sentencing phase of an upcoming death penalty case. “Specifically, [...]
Germany seeks to extradite Demjanjuk
BERLIN (AP) — German authorities will seek the extradition of alleged former Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk from the U.S. to prosecute him on charges that he was involved in killing Jewish prisoners at Sobibor, the country’s top Holocaust crimes prosecutor said Thursday. Authorities are convinced there is enough evidence to charge the former [...]
H.S. Football: Avon Lake’s Dlugosz picked for coaches hall of fame
Dave Dlugosz was chairing a meeting of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association in Columbus on Friday and, by his own admission, was “half asleep” when he unexpectedly heard his name being read. The speaker was saying that Dlugosz was being inducted into the coaches hall of fame. “I said, ‘You’ve got to be [...]
High schools: Ralph Mayer retires after career at Vermilion
Those who know longtime Vermilion athletic director and football coach Ralph Mayer probably believe he was the perfect candidate for retirement. Those who watched him run around trying to keep everything under control for the Sailors sports programs probably are wondering what he’s going to do with all that free time. “I’m not going to [...]
Ohio teen reinstated as valedictorian
CIRCLEVILLE — A teen who said he was coerced into making a plagiarism confession has been restored as valedictorian at his central Ohio high school. An agreement announced Wednesday will have Melanio Acosta IV share the title with a Circleville High School classmate who replaced him as valedictorian earlier this month. At that time, [...]
Indians drop 2nd straight in Colorado
DENVER (AP) — Jeff Baker and Omar Quintanilla are short-term solutions for the Colorado Rockies. They hope they’re playing their way into the team’s long-term plans. Baker homered and scored three runs and Quintanilla went 2-for-3 with two RBIs as the Rockies beat the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night, 4-2. Jeff Francis (3-6) pitched into [...]
Transit cuts ‘hurt those with no voice’
ELYRIA — Lorain County Transit riders aren’t happy about $500,000 worth of cuts the agency is planning to make in the coming months. Any reduction in service is a bad idea, said Jessica Timmons, 26, of Elyria, said Wednesday at a public hearing on the cuts, which have been ordered by the county because of [...]
Golf: Tiger’s season over; another knee surgery needed
Tiger Woods walked tenderly out of Torrey Pines with a U.S. Open trophy he was destined to win on a left leg worse than anyone imagined. A group of children called out to him and Woods looked over and waved. It turned out to be a most symbolic gesture. So long, Tiger. See you next [...]
Lorain income tax plan panned
LORAIN — Already trying to cope with the rising costs of living, angry residents didn’t hold back their anger Wednesday night over a proposal to reduce the income tax credit by 1 percent. Mayor Tony Krasienko’s plan would affect about 22,000 people who live in Lorain but commute to work in other cities. “Where do [...]
Commentary: Without Tiger, interest in golf disappears
He gave us one of the most memorable golf tournaments you’ll ever see, winning the U.S. Open on one leg. Then he took the rest of the golf season away. In just a few short days, golf went from prime time to who cares. There are two major championships and the Ryder Cup left, but [...]
Digging for answers in Sheffield
SHEFFIELD — From afar, the scene looks a lot like a craft fair. Six bright blue canopies dot a small meadow tucked between a field of tall grass and a forested area. People dressed in casual clothing mill around each tent. But the crafts here weren’t made by neighborhood jewelers. The pieces of pottery and [...]
Medders on hook for $2 million
City insurance won’t cover punitive damages in lawsuit filed against police chief by Hetzel See ELYRIA — Police Chief Michael Medders is on the hook for $2 million. That’s the amount in punitive damages a federal jury awarded Elyria police Officer Hetzel See earlier this year after See sued the chief in 2003 for retaliation [...]
Lorain`s first health plan seeks stable funding, better services
LORAIN — Stable funding coupled with more efficient, improved delivery of public health services are major goals contained in the Lorain City Health Department’s first-ever strategic plan, a wide-ranging effort designed to guide and shape the department’s future, as well as community access and awareness of its services. The plan was unveiled by Lorain City [...]
Kids decide to drive to Dad`s house
LORAIN — Two kids intent on seeing their father weren’t about to let the lack of transportation stop them Tuesday morning. Nope, this pair improvised. Police say at 9:35 a.m., little Hunter Lance, 9, and his even littler sister, Jessica, 5, hopped into their mother’s Chevy Lumina minivan and took off down Elyria Avenue. The [...]
Tourneys keep the Shady Lane diamonds busy
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Summer and ball playing are practically joined at the hip, and the city’s Shady Drive Complex off Sugar Ridge Road will host more games than you can shake a bat at in the next several weeks. Some 120 teams will again take part in the North Coast Spirit Fast Pitch Softball [...]
Search called off for man in lake
LORAIN — Coast Guard officials have called off the search for a man witnesses said was flailing his arms and screaming for help Tuesday night in Lake Erie 100 feet from shore. The Coast Guard called off the search around 10 a.m. Wednesday after searching with aid from the Lorain Fire Department for about 11 [...]
Legion Baseball: Unearned runs propel Post 12 past Post 88
GRAFTON — The outcome was the same, but the method of production was radically different. Elyria Post 12 scored a pair of unearned runs to defeat Post 88 from Ashland, 2-0, in an American Legion game Wednesday. Wednesday’s game was quite a switch from Monday’s Elyria-Ashland affair when Elyria rapped out 20 hits to pummel [...]
Family awaiting return of soldier`s body from Iraq
ELYRIA — The family of Army Spc. E4 Jason Cox, who was killed by a roadside explosive Monday morning in Iraq, is still waiting to hear when his body will be returned home. Cox Jason Cox, 21, had been deployed a year with the 82nd Airborne Division out of Fort Bragg and was serving at [...]
FDA OKs Oberlin-made breathing device
Device brought freedom from ventilator to Christopher Reeve and other quadriplegics OBERLIN — Actor Christopher Reeve was able to smell coffee again. A man in Georgia was able to skydive. A woman in Louisiana was able to leave her home after eight years of isolation. What do these people have in common? They were all [...]
North Ridgeville roundup
Citywide garage sales Find some treasures in North Ridgeville at the seventh annual citywide garage sale days. The event will be 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday. There will be new sales every day, and a list of the participating homeowners can be found at North Ridgeville banks, city hall, library, visitor’s [...]
NBA: Boston plans big bash to celebrate Celtics
BOSTON — Boston’s streets will be crowded again with screaming fans celebrating a championship — but this time they’ll be wearing green. Mayor Tom Menino announced plans Wednesday for a “rolling rally” at 11 a.m. today to celebrate the Boston Celtics’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The parade will start [...]