Archive for August 14th, 2008
Idaho killer’s jury sees tortured kids’ letters
I BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The father of two children murdered and another sexually assaulted by a convicted sex offender testified at the killer’s federal death-penalty hearing Thursday, showing pictures of his youngest children and choking up after confirming their handwriting on notes apparently written at their kidnapper’s behest. Steven Groene said it [...]
Texas jury rejects lawsuit against Osteen’s wife
HOUSTON (AP) — The wife of televangelist Joel Osteen did not assault a flight attendant during an angry tirade over a stain on her first-class seat, a jury ruled Thursday. Jurors rejected Continental Airlines flight attendant Sharon Brown’s claims that Victoria Osteen threw her against a bathroom door and elbowed her in the left breast [...]
Ohio panel mulls wording on ballot issues
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A state panel is meeting Thursday to decide the easiest, fairest and shortest way to explain three contentious ballot issues to voters this fall. Among them is a proposal that would repeal one of the nation’s most restrictive payday lending laws. The state Ballot Board is determining the final wording that [...]
UK officials: Batman won’t face charges
LONDON (AP) — Batman star Christian Bale will not face charges relating to an alleged assault on his mother and sister at the Dorchester Hotel on July 20, British prosecutors said Thursday. The country’s Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement that there was insufficient evidence to afford a “realistic prospect of conviction” and ordered [...]
Ohio woman drowns in bath; husband charged
LEBANON, Ohio (AP) — Authorities have charged a southwest Ohio man with murder in the bathtub drowning of his wife. Authorities say 27-year-old Ryan Widmer of Lebanon told a 911 dispatcher Monday night that he found his wife dead in the bath. He said his wife, Sarah Widmer, often fell asleep in the tub. He [...]
Police: Ohio man used hidden cameras to film teens
OBETZ, Ohio (AP) — Police in central Ohio say a man placed several hidden cameras around his home to record teenagers as they changed before swimming in his backyard pool. Upper Arlington police detectives searched the home of Daniel Fowler on Wednesday. Police say they’ve identified at least one person who appeared in videos found [...]
Cleveland becomes Mo town: Cavaliers trade Joe Smith, Damon Jones for versatile guard Mo Williams
INDEPENDENCE — LeBron James struck gold before the completion of the Beijing Olympics: The Cavaliers finally have a legitimate point guard who can shoot, pass and run an offense. Cleveland, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City agreed Wednesday to a deal that will bring the Bucks’ explosive Mo Williams to the Cavaliers. In exchange, Cleveland sent seldom-used [...]
Little League softball: Elyria’s Junior World Series title hopes dashed with 7-1 loss
A Junior Softball World Series title is gone, but Elyria East still has a chance to equal the fifth-place finish another Elyria East team brought home in 2006. But it won’t be easy. Elyria lost 7-1 Wednesday to the West team, Pusch Ridge of Oro Valley, Ariz., falling to 1-2 in pool play. Pusch Ridge [...]
China’s Yang Wei finally gets his Olympic gold medal, blowing away the field in the men’s gymnastics all-around
BEIJING — Yang Wei clapped as he walked past the vault judges, pumped his fists at the crowd and flashed a thumbs-up for the cameras. He even exchanged high-fives with the competition. Denied in Sydney and disappointed in Athens, he is finally an Olympic champion after winning the men’s all-around today. It wasn’t close, either. [...]
Indians’ winning streak snapped by Orioles: Former Tribe pitcher Guthrie too tough
CLEVELAND — Former Cleveland players such as Cincinnati’s Brandon Phillips and Texas’ Milton Bradley have taken a toll on their old club this season. Wednesday night at Progressive Field, another ghost from the Indians’ past came back to haunt them in the form of Baltimore pitcher Jeremy Guthrie. Guthrie, the Indians’ first-round draft choice in [...]
Browns camp 2008: Winslow only knows one way to play … all-out … even during practice
BEREA — Kellen Winslow Jr. treats every Browns training camp practice lile it’s a regular-season game. The Pro Bowl tight end wears his full uniform and pads — even when the rest of the team is running around in shorts — and visualizes game situations on every play. Winslow’s attention to detail served him well [...]
High school football 2008: Oberlin has big-time transfer and big dreams even though graduation hit hard
OBERLIN — Before Dave McFarland coached one game at Oberlin High, he told his Phoenix players they were going to sweep their non-conference schedule to open the season. It was a bold statement since Oberlin was riding a 37-game losing streak and hadn’t beaten an opponent in nearly four years. “Last year, before two-a-days even [...]
One of a Select few: Ex-Elyria Catholic goalkeeper has Olympic ideas after making Under-22 national team
Michael Phelps and LeBron James deserve all the attention they’re getting at the 29th Summer Olympiad in Beijing, China, but forgive Brianne McLaughlin if she has other things on her mind. Other Olympics even. With the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver on the horizon, McLaughlin, a Robert Morris University women’s hockey goalie and Sheffield Village [...]
Premeir Soccer Academies suffers first loss at own World Youth Tournament
LORAIN — Desmond Armstrong was hoping for a repeat of what happened Monday. Armstrong wasn’t hoping for it for his own Premier Soccer Academies team. Rather, he would have liked to have seen a carbon copy of what happened to the Chile national team on the opening day of Group B Under-16 play in the [...]
Donors save disabled woman`s house from foreclosure
ELYRIA — Catherine Taylor’s house on Mussey Avenue has been saved. Donors have been pitching in to erase the thousands of dollars in back taxes and court costs that 53-year-old Taylor, who is disabled and unemployed, has accrued over the past several years. Ken Reddinger Sr., president of Buckeye State Welding & Fabricating in Elyria, [...]
EMH gives $200K to EHS project
ELYRIA — EMH Regional Healthcare System has pledged a $200,000 donation toward the construction of the new Elyria High School. The gift will be used to outfit the new “EMH Center for Science and Learning,” which will provide students with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and house the high school’s science classes. The donation will hopefully [...]
Lorain Schools to seek 4.9-mill levy in November
LORAIN — The cost of saving the Lorain Schools from a deficit? An extra $12.51 per month or $150.12 per year. That’s how much the school board says a new 4.9-mill levy will cost for every $100,000 worth of land Lorain taxpayers own — if voters agree this November to support the tax increase at [...]
Residents, Scouts at odds over shooting range in Henrietta Township
HENRIETTA TWP. — Emotions ran high Wednesday night as residents near the Firelands Boy Scout Reservation complained to township trustees about noise from two shooting ranges. But scouting officials said they already eliminated black powder musket shooting and moved a shotgun range to the center of the property without satisfying residents. “We feel we have [...]
Nature hike with grandson turns up plot of pot
EATON TWP. — A Cleveland man and his 7-year-old grandson were hiking Sunday evening when they stumbled upon a hidden marijuana patch, according to county sheriff’s deputies. Capt. Dennis Cavanaugh of the Lorain County Drug Task Force said the man was walking at 5:23 p.m. through woods on a vacant property he owns near state [...]
Blotter: Aug. 14, 2008
County sheriff Monday, Aug. 4 9 a.m. — Pike Court, LaGrange Township, a 15-year-old boy was cited with unruliness, curfew violation and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. He allegedly received nude pictures from an 11-year-old girl with whom he has a relationship and showed the pictures to his friends. Friday, Aug. 8 [...]
Loose horse struck and killed by car
EATON TWP. — Two horses wandered out of a stable Wednesday night and onto Island Road, causing a two-car crash that sent two drivers to the hospital, according to Trooper Christopher Brock of the Ohio Highway Patrol. The crash happened at 10:24 p.m. just north of Cooley Road when a 1996 Geo driven by Debrah [...]
Rubin`s Deli bucks restaurant trend, plans to open new spot
ELYRIA — One locally owned restaurant is looking to buck the tide of restaurant closings in recent weeks by opening a second location in the burgeoning Chestnut Commons area. Rubin’s Deli, known for its sandwiches and desserts, will open the doors to its second location Sept. 2 with a bonus — an Arabica coffee house. [...]
Teen throws protest after getting thrown out of gas station
ELYRIA — An Elyria teenager wasn’t happy he got kicked out of a gas station Wednesday evening, and he let potential customers know it. Jim Mackert, 15, said he was thrown out of the Marathon gas station on North Abbe Road just north of the Ohio Turnpike because he used a coffee filter to clean [...]
Oberlin Heritage Center wins $100K grant
OBERLIN — The Oberlin Heritage Center has snared a $106,581 federal Museums for America grant that will be used to help strengthen training and oversight at the museum, said the museum’s executive director, Patricia Murphy. The center, which relies heavily on volunteers, plans to use the money to help fund staff positions and interns as [...]
Family-friendly comedian plays at Elyria church
ELYRIA — Mount Zion Baptist Church will be more like a comedy club tonight when comic Rodney Johnson takes the stage. He will be performing as part of a family-life conference being held at the church by the Interstate Believers Association. The event will include workshops on children, parenting and what to expect from a [...]