Archive for August, 2010
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2010: Avon looks to return to playoffs
AVON — The Avon Eagles are good at finding the silver lining on every storm cloud that passes over their heads. After putting together one of the best seasons in program history in 2008, which included an unbeaten regular season and a playoff run to the regional championship, the Eagles stumbled to a 6-4 season [...]
Owner has bear euthanized
COLUMBIA TWP. – On Saturday night a veterinarian euthanized Iroquois, the bear that attacked and killed 24-year-old animal caretaker Brent Kandra of Elyria, according to the bear’s owner, Sam Mazzola. Mazzola said he loved both the bear and the man, but he respected the wishes of Kandra’s family that the bear be killed. “I believe [...]
PHOTO GALLERY: At vigil, pleas for help solving murder
LORAIN — The family and friends of Damis Crawford gathered on the spot he was killed Saturday evening to remember a good man who died in an Aug. 13 drive-by shooting and pleaded for help finding the killer. Lorain police Detective Stevyn Curry handed out cards with his phone numbers and asked the community for [...]
Letters sent to voters over info conflicts
SHEFFIELD TWP. – The Lorain County Board of Elections is sending out a mailer this week asking more than 6,000 registered voters to reconcile information the board has that differs from data at the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles and the Social Security Administration. Elections board Director Paul Adams said voters should fill out and [...]
Police log for Aug. 22, 2010
Lorain police Thursday, Aug. 20 3:02 p.m. – 1600 block Washington Ave., living room window found open and wide-screen television and 70 DVDs taken. 4:32 p.m. – West Seventh Street and Reid Avenue, Eric Yager, 21, of Lorain, charged with domestic violence. 7:22 p.m. – 2800 block Grove Ave., Jason McGranon, 33, of Lorain, charged [...]
Michael Angelo Pignatiello
Michael Angelo Pignatiello, 84, of Amherst, passed away Monday, August 16, 2010 at Hospice of Medina County at the Inn, following an extended illness. He was born July 10, 1926, in Cleveland, and had been a resident of Amherst since 2001, moving there from North Ridgeville, where he had resided since 1977. He had also [...]
Robert H. Birch
Robert H. Birch, 95, died Sunday, August 8, 2010 at the home of his son in Pembroke Pines, Florida. He was born in Elyria May 10, 1915, to Ernest and Pauline Birch. Bob Birch was a well known and talented golfer, a game he played well into his later years. He and his father won [...]
Sophia Lillian Hines
Sophia Lillian Hines (nee Meadors), 80, passed away peacefully, at home in her sleep, Friday, August 20, 2010. Sophia enjoyed square dancing, gardening, fishing and spending time with her family and her Poodles. She was the beloved wife of Earl; dearest mother of Bonnie L. McElwayne (Thomas) of North Carolina, Veronica Gail Warner (Michael) of [...]
Michael A. Carone
Michael A. Carone passed away Friday, August 20, 2010, at the New Life Hospice Center in Lorain after a courageous two year battle with cancer. He was born October 8, 1930 in Toledo, to Lorenzo and Vincenza (nee Ancona) Carone. He was a 1949 graduate of Toledo Macomber High School and a 1962 graduate of [...]
Joseph W. Gurtis, Jr.
Joseph W. Gurtis, Jr. of Oberlin, died Thursday, July 15, 2010, at the home of his son, James William Gurtis in Sanford, North Carolina. “Coach Gurtis” was ill and let nature take it’s course and died of natural causes. He was born in Mt. Pleasant, Pennsylvania, February 26, 1926. He was the oldest son of [...]
Olga Stanchak
Olga Stanchak (nee Smalcer), 74, of Elyria, died Friday, August 20, 2010, at her residence, following a sudden illness. Born April 22, 1936 in Czechoslovakia, she came from Germany to the U.S. in 1949. She was a former member of St. John Ukrainian Byzantine Catholic Church, Lorain, and had attended Our Lady of Lourdes Parish [...]
Sue Ellen Hall
Sue Ellen Hall (nee Jacobs), 59, of Vermilion, passed away Friday, August 20, 2010, at Community Health Partners in Lorain. She was born October 7, 1950, in Lorain. Sue was raised in Lorain and graduated from Clearview High School and attended Bowling Green State University. She had made her home in Vermilion for the last [...]
Jay W. Laird
Jay W. Laird, 53, of Amherst, passed away Thursday, August 19, 2010, at Community Health Partners, surrounded by his family. He was born August 16, 1957. Jay worked at the Oberlin Work Shop and enjoyed watching the Cleveland Indians on TV, music, and spending time with his family, friends, and his special family at the [...]
Caretaker mauled by bear dies
COLUMBIA TWP. – A 24-year-old animal caretaker has died after being mauled while feeding a black bear he had called his favorite at a property well-known for housing exotic animals. Brent Kandra was attacked by the bear at a Marks Road property owned by Sam Mazzola. Mazzola was notorious for being the target of animal [...]
Outspoken volunteer allowed to return
ELYRIA – A volunteer at the Lorain County Dog Kennel accused of berating the operator of a nonprofit dog rescue organization last month will be allowed to continue volunteering at the kennel – as long as she agrees to abide by a set of rules the county will impose on all volunteers. Carol Brailer has [...]
Community pays tribute to firefighter
PENFIELD TWP. – Family, friends and a grateful community paid tribute Friday at the funeral of Avon firefighter Kevin Ray Criss, who was killed in a motorcycle accident Monday night. Criss, 31, chose to be a firefighter to help others while putting his own life on the line, said the Rev. Chris Reutepohler of Penfield [...]
Lorain man pleads guilty to arson
ELYRIA – A Lorain man pleaded guilty Friday to four counts each of arson and breaking and entering stemming from a rash of fires he and a friend are suspected of starting on the same street where they live. Joseph Romero, 22, could get up to 10 years in prison, said his attorney, John Prusak, [...]
Avon company, Elyria councilman renovate flower bed for free
ELYRIA – The small, sparsely landscaped triangle at the intersection of Oberlin Road and Middle Avenue received a floral facelift Friday by employees from an Avon company that yearly celebrates its founding with a community service project. At roughly 7:30 a.m., six employees from the Brickman Group arrived at the lackluster flower garden near the [...]
Family to have vigil for victim of shooting
LORAIN – A family in mourning will return united today to the place where a 30-year-old husband and father from Lorain was gunned down in a drive-by shooting. There, at 1637 E. 30th St., family and friends will celebrate the life of Damis Crawford, killed early Aug. 13 outside the home of his younger brother, [...]
North Ridgeville man meets Barack Obama
NORTH RIDGEVILLE – Before they met Wednesday in the backyard of a Columbus-area homeowner, Chad O’Reilly admitted he wasn’t President Barack Obama’s biggest fan. Following the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the North Ridgeville man felt differently. “I consider myself pretty conservative. I did not vote for him and do not consider myself a supporter … but my [...]
Boxing: Lorain’s Wilkins Santiago scores first knockout as a pro
CLEVELAND – The bright lights and humid conditions under the tent at Nautica Pavilion did nothing to slow down Lorain middleweight Wilkins Santiago. The fighter improved to 2-0 and picked up his first professional knockout when Matt Keglovic’s trainer, Casey Gasik, threw the towel into the ring two minutes into the second round. “I caught [...]
No place like home for Browns’ Delhomme
CLEVELAND – Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme has taken part in more preseason games than he cares to remember. Tonight, though, stands out as one of the biggest exhibition games in his 12-year NFL career. Cleveland makes its season home debut against the St. Louis Rams at 7:30 p.m. “Absolutely. It will be fun to be [...]
Tigers’ Galarraga just too tough on Indians … again
DETROIT – Armando Galarraga doesn’t know why the Cleveland Indians can’t hit him. The Indians can’t figure out how anyone else can. Galarraga, facing the Indians for the first time since his near-perfect game June 2, pitched seven shutout innings to lead the Detroit Tigers to a 6-0 victory Friday night. “I guess I’m just [...]
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2010: Firelands’ focus on present, not future
HENRIETTA TWP. — The Firelands Falcons head into the 2010 season with a detective’s notebook full of questions. Will the Falcons end their 18-game losing streak in the West Shore Conference? Can they end 17 yearsof frustration against top rival Vermilion in the season finale? Will they be able to turn things around with just [...]
New Elyria Catholic volleyball coach resigns before first game
ELYRIA – When Kelly Daniels was hired as Elyria Catholic’s volleyball coach in April he said, “I plan to be around for a long time.” But just a little less than two weeks before the Panthers were to play their first regular-season game under his leadership, he resigned. Daniels, who had never been a head [...]