Archive for June 23rd, 2008
Mass. mayor says no proof girls had pregnancy pact
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — The city’s mayor said Monday there is no evidence a group of young girls made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together, seeking to dispel an explosive theory put forth by the high school principal. “Any planned blood-oath bond to become pregnant — there is absolutely no evidence [...]
Wellington police investigate child luring case
Wellington police are seeking the driver of a white construction-style van who may have tried to lure a young boy into the vehicle earlier this afternoon. According to Wellington police Chief Steve Rollins, the incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. on Barker Street when a white van pulled over to the curb and asked an [...]
Comedian George Carlin dead at age 71
SANTA MONICA, Calif. — George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his “Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV” routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71. Carlin went into a Santa Monica hospital Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later [...]
Byrd struggles early and offense can’t come through late as Indians fall to Dodgers
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers went cold after a fast start at the plate against Paul Byrd. They managed to hold on because of their bullpen and defense. Russell Martin capped a four-run first inning with a two-run homer, four relievers held Cleveland to one hit over the final four innings and Los [...]
Dan Coughlin: ‘Commercial’ artist’s life not lacking color
Sunday I told you about the young soccer player whose tragic life story broke your heart. Now, let’s head over to the tony town of Hudson to meet Judy Carducci, a 73-year-old artist who received a standing ovation from LeBron James earlier this spring. When LeBron James reverses roles and gives someone else a standing [...]
Roger and out? Despite five straight Wimbledon titles, Federer is looking mighty beatable, at least to some
Bjorn Borg and Novak Djokovic say Roger Federer’s reign at Wimbledon is in jeopardy. Pete Sampras and Rafael Nadal say Federer remains the man to beat on grass. “It’s maybe a time where some people talk a little bit too much,” Federer said Sunday, 24 hours before playing the first Centre Court match as he [...]
You call that a slump? Kyle Busch happy again after picking up fifth win, ending two-week bad spell
SONOMA, Calif. — The swagger had vanished, and the cocky confidence went with it. A two-week slump sent Kyle Busch spiraling into crankiness despite his hold atop the points standings. With a win Sunday at Infineon Raceway, his mood instantly lifted. Busch snapped his mini-slump by racing to his first Sprint Cup Series win on [...]
Motorsports roundup: NHRA carries on following Kalitta death; Elyria’s Connolly second in Pro Stock
A day after a fatal crash involving Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta on the same track, Elyria native Dave Connolly and other drivers concluded the Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J., on Sunday. Connolly finished second in Pro Stock, losing in the final to Greg Anderson. The second-place [...]
Arena football league: Gladiators land home playoff game
The Cleveland Gladiators will host an Arena Football League wild-card playoff game against the Orlando Predators next Monday at 7 p.m. at Quicken Loans Arena. The Gladiators — who clinched a playoff spot with a win over Columbus on Saturday night — earned the home game when the New York Dragons lost to the Philadelphia [...]
Golf roundup: Cink refuses to let win go down the drain
Stewart Cink had a reputation as a good golfer who just couldn’t finish off a tournament. His collapse during the fourth round of the PODS Championship in March left him with just one victory in the nine career events where he had the lead going into the last day. On Sunday, he put that behind [...]
Briefs: Four area players named first-team Great Lakes All-Scholastic tennis picks
Alex Trzeciak of Avon Lake and Kevin Bus of North Olmsted were first-team selections in first singles to lead area players in voting for the Northeastern Ohio Great Lakes Region All-Scholastic Tennis Team. The vote was conducted by Northeast Ohio officers of the Ohio Tennis Coaches Association and was based on several factors, including playing [...]
Saudis say: More oil coming, maybe
JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia — Facing strong U.S. pressure and global dismay over oil prices, Saudi Arabia said Sunday it will produce more crude this year if the market needs it. But the vague pledge fell far short of U.S. hopes for a specific increase and may do little to lower prices immediately. For now, the [...]
Bishop Quinn retiring
AVON — Bishop A. James Quinn doesn’t shy away from the fact that he is looking forward to retirement. First ordained as a Catholic priest in 1958 and then as a bishop in 1983, Quinn, now 76, has served since accepting his calling into priesthood shortly after high school. Locally, that vocation has led him [...]
Collision kills Bay motorcyclist
WESTLAKE — A Sheffield woman was involved in an accident Sunday morning on Clague Road that left a Bay Village man dead. Joe H. Smith, 34, died after his motorcycle struck a car that was turning left from Clague Road onto Sperry Drive at around 11:41 a.m., according to Westlake police. The car was driven [...]
Floods will hit pocketbooks later in year
NEW YORK — Raging Midwest floodwaters that swallowed crops and sent corn and soybean prices soaring are about to give consumers more grief at the grocery store. In the latest bout of food inflation, beef, pork, poultry, and even eggs, cheese and milk are expected to get more expensive as livestock owners go out of [...]
Egg farm converts fowl waste to business
HARTFORD — The state’s largest egg producer has invested $51 million to address complaints about odor, manure runoff and pest problems, but state inspectors say Ohio Fresh Eggs still has work to do. The central Ohio company has spent recent years trying to clean up the mess left behind at what was Buckeye Egg Farm. [...]
Would-be truck thief bails out, eludes cops
LORAIN — Security guards chased a stolen pickup early Thursday around the U.S. Steel grounds until the driver bailed out and got away, a Lorain police report said. An employee reported his truck had been taken about 3:30 a.m. and a guard spotted a thief trying to get out of the Charleston gate a short [...]
Blotter: June 23, 2008
Elyria police Thursday, June 19 8:05 a.m. – 800 block Broad St., Brent R. Kandra, 22, Elyria, charged with failure to have vicious dog liability insurance. He was arrested after his pit bull bit a neighbor. 8:15 a.m. – County jail, Murray Ridge Road, Joshua Vega, 25, Lorain, warrant. 8:55 a.m. – 100 block Heatherbrook [...]
U.S. Marshals looking for Onita Crowell
Onita Crowell The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force is offering a reward for information which would lead to the capture of violent fugitive Onita Crowell. Crowell is wanted by the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office for armed robbery. Crowell is also wanted by the Euclid Police Department and the Rocky River Police Department for outstanding [...]
Buses fare well with pricey gasoline
COLUMBUS — Long-haul bus companies are reporting an increase in passengers between major cities as people respond to $4-a-gallon gas prices and more expensive air fares. Low-cost carrier Megabus, which runs routes in the Midwest, said it has seen a 35 percent increase in passengers through Columbus this year. Greyhound also reported a rise after [...]
Ferry sinking survivors drift ashore
MANILA, Philippines (AP) — A group of 28 ferry passengers and crew washed ashore after drifting at sea for more than a day from the site where a typhoon capsized their ship and left most of the hundreds aboard missing and presumed dead, officials said Monday. Manila’s DZBB radio said the survivors, 20 male [...]
Roadside robbers take $2,300 from driver
ELYRIA — A woman who pulled her car over Thursday night to check her tire was robbed of $2,300, an Elyria police report said. The woman told police she heard a noise coming from the front of her car at 11:15 p.m. and stopped on Turner Boulevard. Three black men wearing jeans and dark T-shirts [...]
Prosecutors avoid death trials via life-without-parole option
COLUMBUS — On the surface, Laqwan Scandrick seemed a perfect candidate for a charge carrying the possibility of a death sentence. Prosecutors said Scandrick shot a man to death during a robbery in Springfield in 2006. Under Ohio law, committing a homicide during an aggravated robbery is one of several elements allowing the state to [...]
Fuel, food costs empty food banks
COLUMBUS — Rising food and fuel prices are making it more difficult for Ohio food banks to purchase enough food, just as pantries and soup kitchens across the state are seeing an uptick in visitors because of the slowing economy. Officials at the Mid-Ohio Food Bank placed an online order with the U.S. Department of [...]
Coleen Tompkins
Coleen Tompkins, 78, of LaGrange, passed away Friday, June 20, 2008 in her home after a brief illness. She was born May 8, 1930 in Ready, Kentucky and had lived in the LaGrange area since 1953. She attended the Assembly of God church in Wellington. Mrs. Tompkins’ life was being a home maker, helping care [...]