Archive for February, 2009
Prosecutors appeal judge’s order in Smith case
ELYRIA – If prosecutors have their way, convicted child molester Nancy Smith will be back behind bars before her resentencing hearing. Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Will’s office on Thursday asked the 9th District Court of Appeals to stay county Common Pleas Judge James Burge’s order that set a new sentencing hearing for the former Head [...]
Tejada charged with lying about steroids
WASHINGTON (AP) — All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada has been charged with lying to Congress about steroids, with the baseball player scheduled to appear in court Wednesday where he is expected to plead guilty. The charges against Tejada, who currently plays for the Houston Astros, were outlined in documents filed in Washington federal court on Tuesday. [...]
Senate passes stimulus; Treasury unveils bank help
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate approved President Barack Obama’s giant economic stimulus measure on Tuesday, part of a string of powerful government steps that could marshal close to $3 trillion in taxpayer and private money to revive the collapsing national economy. The 61-37 vote by the Senate was a key victory for the president [...]
Elyria to try tax in May
ELYRIA — A divided City Council voted to place a tax issue on the ballot that will ask residents to pass a permanent income tax increase and permanent income tax credit reduction in an all-or-nothing campaign. After three hours of heated conversation touching upon closing the city’s ice rink, possibly laying off city employees and [...]
Crowd gathers at Ely Square to remember slain 8-year-old
ELYRIA — A crowd of people gathered at Ely Square on Monday to pray for the family of NaJia Boone, a third-grader who died Feb. 3 after being shot in the head by her brother. “Thank you everyone for coming out for my granddaughter,” said Clechie Craighead, breaking down. NaJia’s parents, Teneshia Craighead and Dariel [...]
Classmates, friends continue healing after NaJia`s death
ELYRIA — Family, friends and classmates continue to struggle to come to grips with the death of young NaJia Boone, even as the community grieves the 8-year-old’s death. NaJia’s great-aunt, Lila Taylor, said NaJia’s brother is having a hard time right now, but said she believes that will change. “He’s OK,” she said of the [...]
Judge stops former cop`s bid to clear record
A Bowling Green judge on Monday effectively ended former Lorain police Officer Timothy Gerek Jr.’s efforts to eliminate his criminal record. Bowling Green Municipal Court Judge Mark Reddin reinstated a 1987 conviction for making false alarms that he had thrown out in January 2008. That means Gerek’s bid to expunge a 2002 assault conviction in [...]
Committee recommends hike of 24 percent in Lorain utilities
LORAIN — Lorain residents will see an increase of about $7 per month in their water bills this year if City Council approves a rate hike at its next meeting. The city Streets Committee Monday night agreed to recommend passage of the 24 percent increase to the full Council, as well as a 5 percent [...]
North Ridgeville officer remembered for compassion toward animals
NORTH RIDGEVILLE — Tom Schultz Jr. never wore robes and sandals, but for more than 30 years the easy-going, unruffled man was a saint toward local wildlife. “We were always getting strange calls about injured raccoons, squirrels, birds, ducks,” Jim Spaulding, the director of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, said. “Tom would go and [...]
Television producer to speak at Oberlin College for Black History Month
OBERLIN — At least once in your lifetime, you might do something spectacular. That happened for Callie Crossley when she helped produce and write segments of the award-winning “Eyes on the Prize” documentary in 1987. “It was the best professional and personal experience of my life,” Crossley said. Crossley is the keynote speaker at 8 [...]
Vermilion cracks ice jam problem
VERMILION — Residents who may have been getting a bit edgy over rising weekend floodwaters stemming from a midwinter thaw began to breathe easier by Monday, thanks in part to a 5,000-pound “headache” ball. The huge metal ball was smashed against ice jams in the Vermilion River starting Saturday afternoon and again all day Sunday, [...]
Extortion charges result in probation
ELYRIA — A Northfield woman was sentenced Monday to three years of probation on extortion charges. Debbie Reed, 44, was convicted during a jury trial in December of two counts of extortion for threatening to tell police that her ex-boyfriend molested her teenage daughter unless he gave her $1,000. An investigation by North Ridgeville police [...]
Rocky River man killed in crash
WESTLAKE — A Rocky River man was killed in a single-car crash late Saturday night. Mark Jordan’s 1997 Dodge Ram struck a concrete wall as he was driving on the eastbound entrance ramp to Interstate 90 from Crocker Road, according to a Westlake police news release. The truck then veered back onto the road before [...]
Woman accused of fleeing police drunk
ELYRIA — A Lorain woman was charged with drunken driving and underage drinking Sunday after allegedly fleeing from police. Police were checking a report of a disturbance in the 300 block of Sixth St. When they arrived, two cars fled the area, a police report said. The cars drove at a high speed onto West [...]
Ice would be nice for new skating pond
VERMILION — Isn’t that always the way? Months in the planning, a new ice skating pond was officially opened to the public over the weekend on a day when the temperatures hovered at a very un-skating-like 50 degrees. Despite the uncooperative weather, residents should be able to enjoy the new facility for some weeks yet. [...]
Cavaliers: Pavlovic is latest guard to go down
INDEPENDENCE — The NBA All-Star break can’t come soon enough for the Cavaliers because they are running out of shooting guards. Sasha Pavlovic, who was starting at the position in place of the injured Delonte West, was diagnosed with a high right ankle sprain Monday and is expected to be sidelined for 4-6 weeks. He [...]
Amherst/Vermilion notebook: Feb. 10, 2009
Firelands artists’ work on display Firelands High School junior Emily Loosli and sophomore Emily Arlington are among the student-artists whose creativity is on display during the 26th Annual 9th Congressional District Invitational Art Exhibition. Loosli’s pencil-and-oil pastel drawing titled “Hawaii” and Arlington’s mixed-media painting “Somewhere There is Someone Who Dreams of Your Smile” are being [...]
Girls basketball: Uninspired Wildcats drub Cards
SHEFFIELD — The Keystone girls wrapped up their third straight Patriot Athletic Conference championship at home on Saturday night. Maybe that’s why they played less-than-inspired basketball 48 hours later. The Wildcats rolled over Brookside, 48-36, Monday night in a PAC Stars Division game that wasn’t that close. And in the process, they improved to 16-2 [...]
Amherst/Vermilion blotter: Feb. 10, 2009
Amherst police Saturday, Jan. 24 4:47 p.m. – 300 Church St. Kevin Simashkevich charged with two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and Kyle Garrison and Ricky Roule each charged with unruly juvenile following an incident inside Church Street Bar & Grille. Police said the three told a waitress they were going [...]
Boys basketball: First Baptist rally falls short
ELYRIA — The above-average temperatures outside did little to thaw the ice-cold shooting of First Baptist through the first three quarters Monday night. Not many shots fell for the Sabres early on as they dug themselves a hole they could never quite climb out of. Despite a fourth-quarter rally, they fell to Fuchs Mizrachi, 58-51, [...]
William Sipes
William Sipes, 70, of Wellington, died Monday afternoon, February 9, 2009 at Welcome Nursing Home, Oberlin. Further arrangements will be announced later by Norton – Eastman Funeral Home, 370 S. Main St., Wellington.
Baseball: A-Rod admits to steroid use
NEW YORK — Already the highest-paid player, Alex Rodriguez wanted to prove himself one of the greatest. Instead, he wound up atop another list: the highest-profile player to confess to cheating in baseball’s steroids era. The All-Star third baseman, responding to a weekend Sports Illustrated report that he flunked a drug test, told ESPN on [...]
William S. Sabol
William S. "Bill" Sabol, 88, of Eaton Township, died Saturday, February 7, 2009 at Bradford Square Nursing Home in Frankfort, Kentucky, following a long illness. He was born May 13, 1920 in Pueblo, Colorado and lived in Eaton Township for most of his life. Bill was the owner of Sabol Realty Co. in Eaton Township [...]
Ralph Douglas Bixler
Ralph Douglas Bixler, 76, of Elyria, died Monday, February 9, 2009 at his residence. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by The Bauer-Laubenthal-Mercado Funeral Home of Elyria, (440)322-4626.
Dahlberg: Telling the truth can be liberating but is A-Rod telling all?
Telling the truth can be liberating, or so Alex Rodriguez would like us to believe. With his confessional on national television now behind him, he can sleep easily at night without worrying about his darkest secrets being exposed. There will be no more twinges of conscience when he cashes his million-dollar paychecks, no lingering doubts [...]