Archive for June 27th, 2008
Driver sentenced to 43 years in fatal Ohio crash
TOLEDO, Ohio (AP) — A man said Friday he doesn’t know if he’ll ever forgive the driver whose pickup truck slammed into his minivan, killing his wife and four children. Danny Griffin, who survived the crash along with his daughter and stepson, told a judge his life will never be the same. “I know my [...]
Indians easi-Lee down Giants
CLEVELAND — If you can’t beat ’em, Lee ’em. Unsuccessful in their first two attempts against the San Francisco Giants, the Indians turned to Cliff Lee to avoid the home-front sweep Thursday night at Progressive Field. As he has done for the majority of the season, Lee responded in brilliant fashion, pitching Cleveland past San [...]
Tribe notes: Wedge looking for silver lining
CLEVELAND — Indians manager Eric Wedge is choosing to look at the silver lining of his team’s last-place standing. “It’s last place, but it’s 7½ games,” said Wedge of his team’s deficit in the Central Division to first-place Chicago, entering the series finale against San Francisco on Thursday. “It’s not where you want to be, [...]
Cavaliers pick N.C. State power forward J.J. Hickson at No. 19
INDEPENDENCE — They could have taken a big man who can run and shoot but may require a year or two to develop in Ohio State’s Kosta Koufos. They could have taken an athletic scorer in Memphis guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, but they were far from the only team to bypass that route. Instead, the Cavaliers [...]
Rose leads record freshmen class into NBA on draft night
NEW YORK — Derrick Rose is going home, and a record crowd of freshmen are following him to the NBA. The Chicago Bulls selected Rose, who grew up on the city’s South Side, with the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, choosing the Memphis guard over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley. [...]
Westlake pole vaulter Tim Mack hoping to defend Olympic gold
The course has twisted and turned around some tight spots the past four years, but Olympic gold medalist Tim Mack is finally back on target. The 35-year-old pole vaulter from Westlake is healthy and on top of his game heading into this weekend’s Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Mack won the gold medal at Athens [...]
NHRA: Elyria’s Dave Connolly feels at home in Norwalk
CLEVELAND — Dave Connolly won the inaugural Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals event in Norwalk last season, and is one of the favorites to win it again this weekend. “I’ve probably made more laps down this track than any other Pro Stock racer on the circuit,” Connolly said. Connolly grew up in Elyria and began [...]
Avon’s Kmiecik is top area finisher at SAP Junior Open
AVON — Fortunately they finished before two lengthy thunderstorm delays, but none of the local golfers in the SAP Junior Open at Red Tail Golf Club ended among the leaders Thursday afternoon. Ethan Tracy of Hilliard, one of six still remaining on the course when the second delay of over an hour hit, eventually won [...]
Sharapova, Roddick eliminated at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England — Wimbledon got through another day without a drop of rain —unusual weather here — but the tournament suffered two high-profile casualties Thursday with shocking defeats of Maria Sharapova and Andy Roddick. Combined with losses by James Blake and Jesse Levine, only one American man — 106th-ranked Bobby Reynolds — is left standing. [...]
Supreme Court strikes down D.C. gun ban
WASHINGTON — Silent on central questions of gun control for two centuries, the Supreme Court found its voice Thursday in a decision affirming the right to have guns for self-defense in the home and addressing a constitutional riddle almost as old as the republic over what it means to say the people may keep and [...]
Storms give area a summer soaking
ROCHESTER TWP. — The water had risen to the window of Kathleen Yeager’s car, trapping her inside, before her rescuers — eight Wellington firefighters — got there. They pushed an inflatable boat down the middle of Quarry Road Thursday night to get to her after a torrent had raged across the pavement, leaving 3-foot-deep floodwaters. Yeager’s [...]
Lorain Schools loses state money
Lorain Schools took an $18,000 hit Tuesday when a bill correcting discrepancies between enrollment projections and actual enrollment was signed by Gov. Ted Strickland. The district was one of 188 throughout the state that had enrollments lower than estimated for the 2008 fiscal year, which ends June 30. Those projections partially determined how money was [...]
Minor blast happens on LCCC campus
ELYRIA — A small pocket of methane gas near an elevator shaft exploded Thursday morning at Lorain County Community College. The explosion happened at 9:13 a.m. when a worker was welding at the construction site of a building that will house the LCCC/Elyria Public Library on the north side of campus. Fire officials said the [...]
MetroHealth may base chopper at county airport
ELYRIA — The Lorain County Regional Airport could land a new deal as a local base for the helicopters of Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center. The Level 1 trauma center is looking to expand its air medical transport by stationing one of its three active helicopters at a western base and is considering a hangar at [...]
The Lorain International Festival – video and schedule
Natalie Rodriguez, Mexican princess, has been crowned queen of the pageant. See all the princesses here. Festival events: Today 5 to 10 p.m. — International Festival and Bazaar. Black River Landing and Transportation Center. Cost: $1 per day. 6 to 6:30 p.m. — Festival Grand Opening, with Southview High School JROTC and Admiral [...]
County awards Durkee bridge contract
EATON TWP. — Material bids for the Durkee Road bridge, north of Giles Road, were awarded Thursday to Cambridge-based Ohio Bridge Co., Lorain County Engineer Ken Carney said. The contract totaled $29,277 for material. The engineer’s estimate was $46,228 with material, labor and equipment. The outside beams of the steel bridge are deteriorating and will [...]
Lorain in line to get $500K anti-crime grant
LORAIN — U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Thursday that the Senate Appropriations Committee approved $500,000 for the city of Lorain and the Northern Ohio Violent Crime Consortium. The funds were included in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2009. Brown said the project is critical to fight crime [...]
Flea market owner remembered for giving back to community
AMHERST TOWNSHIP — Longtime flea market owner Lolita Ann Mock, who died last weekend at 76 years old from injuries sustained in a car accident, was remembered as an astute woman whose knack for business didn’t keep her from finding ways to give breaks to people in need. A longtime Amherst resident, Mock had co-owned [...]
Factory building avoids damage in fire
ELYRIA — A fire at a dock at the former General Industries building caused a lot of smoke — but no real damage — because the structure was being taken apart for salvage, fire officials said. The fire was reported by a passerby at 12:34 p.m. and was extinguished by 1 p.m., said Assistant Fire [...]
Blotter: June 27, 2008
Lorain police Tuesday, June 24 9:01 a.m. – 3200 block Reid Ave., a man said a 19-year-old neighbor was shooting cats with a BB gun and shot out his car window. 1:29 p.m. – Rite-Aid, Broadway, two 17-year-old boys cited for shoplifting. 5 p.m. – Sally’s Beauty Supply, Meister Road, shoplifting. 6:40 p.m. – 3200 [...]
TrueNorth festival and concert Saturday
AVON LAKE — Nature and the arts will come together Saturday at the TrueNorth Cultural Arts Fest at Miller Road Park. More than 30 artists will demonstrate their crafts and sell their creations from noon to 7:30 p.m. There will also be live music performances, tours of the Civil War-era Peter Miller House and performance [...]
Benjamin Curtis Brown
Benjamin "Ben" Curtis Brown, 59, of Elyria, passed away Wednesday, June 25, 2008 in the New Life Hospice of Lorain following a long illness. He was born in Omaha, Nebraska January 5, 1949. He moved to Elyria after graduating from the University of Nebraska. He received his B.S. Degree in Education and taught school for [...]
Fred A. Ruder
Fred A. Ruder, Sr., 81, of LaGrange, died Monday evening, June 16, 2008 at EMH Regional Medical Center following a short illness. Mr. Ruder was born in Sheffield Township and had lived in LaGrange the past 16 years. He also had lived in Penfield Township, where he had built his home. He served his country [...]
Elyria football booster tries a comfy fundraiser
Mattress sale The one-day mattress sale will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday in the high school gymnasium. Samples of brand name mattress sets will be on display and will sell for 40 to 60 percent of retail price. Orders placed Saturday will be delivered at a later date. For more information, contact Mike [...]
Betty Jane Nonnamaker
Betty J. Nonnamaker, 78, formerly of Fairfield, died Wednesday, June 25, 2008 at Hospice Care at St. Elizabeth Hospital. She was born June 25, 1930 in Rawson, the daughter of the late Dallas and Florence (Flick) Keller. She was educated in the Ohio public schools. On October 16, 1947 in Carrolton, Kentucky, she married Harold [...]