Archive for March, 2011
Mega Millions jackpot grows to $304 million for Friday drawing
CLEVELAND — The Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $304 million for the next drawing in the multistate lottery game. The grand prize has been rolled over to that lofty amount because no player matched all the winning numbers to take the $244 million jackpot offered Tuesday night. Mega Millions will be played again [...]
Cellphone in man’s pocket stops bullet during Cleveland robbery
CLEVELAND — Cleveland police and the son of a man shot during a holdup say the man’s life was probably saved by his cellphone, which got in the way of a bullet. The phone was in John McCurley’s shirt pocket when a robber fired at his chest Tuesday at McCurley’s used auto parts shop. The [...]
State tells funeral director he can’t liquefy bodies
COLUMBUS — The state won’t allow an Ohio funeral director to continue using a cremation alternative that liquefies bodies. Jeff Edwards and his Edwards Funeral Service in Columbus use heat and lye to turn body tissue into liquid that goes into the sewers. The bones are crushed, and the fragments are given to the family. [...]
Lorain’s Shanique Ogle is Lorain County Miss Basketball
LORAIN — The dream was there off and on for a long time, the one Shanique Ogle had about one day being Lorain County Miss Basketball. To the cheers of family, teammates, opponents and friends, the dream came true Tuesday night for Lorain High’s Ogle on the court where she wrapped up her stellar four-year [...]
Girls basketball senior all-star games: Gold, blue teams grab wins
LORAIN — Lorain’s Shanique Ogle may have taken home the biggest prize of the night, but it was Elyria’s Nais Williams who stole the show at the Lorain County Girls Basketball All-Star Games on Tuesday night. Williams, who got a lot of help from Ogle, scored 24 points on a 10-of-17 shooting performance and added [...]
Thad the Rebuilder: OSU was on hard times when Matta arrived
It’s hard to even recall how bleak things were at Ohio State seven years ago when Thad Matta took over as head basketball coach. “It wasn’t good,” Matta said of the woeful culture of the program. Jim O’Brien had been summarily dismissed for giving a recruit money, NCAA investigators were sniffing around campus and ready [...]
Josh Cribbs steaming mad over NFL kickoff rule change
Joshua Cribbs is steaming mad. He made a career, and millions of dollars, when he successfully converted from Kent State quarterback to elite kickoff returner with the Browns. After the NFL changed the kickoff rules Tuesday at the owners meetings in New Orleans, he’s afraid the next Cribbs will never get the same chance. “Returners [...]
State Senate OKs adding more school snow days
COLUMBUS — The state Senate has joined the House in approving more “snow days” for Ohio schools. The Senate voted 32-1 on Tuesday to go back to five annual calamity days that don’t have to be made up by school districts. The number was cut to three under former Gov. Ted Strickland. Harsh winter weather [...]
Expectations will be high if Tribe’s Asdrubal Cabrera can stay healthy
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Asdrubal Cabrera returned to the lineup Tuesday, two days after leaving an exhibition game in the opening inning with tightness in his leg. That’s good news for the Indians, who can’t afford to have their fourth-year shortstop dealing with health issues for the second consecutive season. “I’m 100 percent,” said Cabrera, whose [...]
Oberlin student who fell released from hospital, faces criminal trespassing charge
OBERLIN — The 21-year-old Oberlin College student who plunged 30 to 35 feet into a pit at the Oberlin College Facilities Building on March 4 has been released from MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, a spokeswoman said today. Blake Montgomery of Minnesota will be charged with criminal trespassing, according to Oberlin police Lt. Mike McCloskey. [...]
Cavs coach Byron Scott promises lineup change tonight
INDEPENDENCE — Only head coach Byron Scott knows what lineup change — or changes — he’s going to make tonight when the Cavaliers host the New Jersey Nets at Quicken Loans Arena. Scott said following a light workout Tuesday at Cleveland Clinic Courts — a number of players had bumps and bruises, so the Cavs [...]
Lorain school district faces federal discrimination lawsuit
LORAIN — The Lorain Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson have been accused of discrimination and retaliation in a lawsuit currently working its way through the federal court system. The lawsuit was filed in August by Aliceson Humphries, who was nearly fired for a 2009 incident in which she was accused of choking [...]
Powers School site chosen for Amherst rec center
AMHERST — The school board voted Monday night to formally select a 23-acre site where Powers Elementary School now stands as the location for a community recreation center. The board voted 5-0 to choose the site. The principal attraction for the Powers site was that it is already owned by the school district, according to [...]
Union candidate’s house hit by bullet
LORAIN — The home of Mary Springowski, a candidate for office at a local union, was shot Monday, damaging the window of her child’s bedroom. Around 1 p.m. Monday, Mary’s husband, Thomas Springowski, called police when he saw the damaged window on the couple’s East Skyline Drive home. Police found a copper slug of unknown [...]
Free all-day kindergarten coming to Keystone next year
LaGRANGE — All-day free kindergarten is coming to Keystone Schools next year. Last week, the Ohio Legislature voted to remove the mandate that school districts provide all-day kindergarten, but Keystone Schools is forging ahead in hopes of pleasing parents and getting youngsters on the fast track to academic success, Superintendent Jay Arbaugh said. Some teacher [...]
Vermilion middle-schooler suspended after prank lands another student in surgery
VERMILION — A 12-year-old student was suspended from school and faces possible charges following an incident last week in which a supposed prank ended up sending another student to the hospital with a pencil embedded in his backside. The incident occurred Friday morning at Sailorway Middle School, according to Vermilion Police Chief Chris Hartung, who [...]
Police log for March 23, 2011
Elyria police Friday, March 18 9:59 a.m – 600 block Cleveland St., skateboards valued at $400 and $60 in cash is stolen in a break-in at Lauber Sports, the fourth burglary in five years, according to the operator. 12:27 p.m. – 400 block 13th St., copper pipes stolen from home. 12:45 p.m. — Middle Avenue [...]
Mom: Boy’s dad threatening him in texts
LORAIN — A woman reported on Monday that her son’s estranged father has been sending the 11-year-old boy threatening and verbally abusive text messages. The boy showed police the messages in which the father said he hoped someone would kill his son. They also contained racial slurs, profanity and insults, the report said. The woman [...]
Betty Jane Crawford
Betty Jane Crawford, 83, of Canoga Park, California, (formerly of Elyria), passed away Monday, March 14, 2011, following a long illness. Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by The Laubenthal Mercado Funeral Home of Elyria, (440) 322-4626.
Mary A. Koleszar
Mary A. Koleszar (nee DeLeese), 88, of Sheffield Village, passed away Monday, March 21, 2011, at EMH Regional Medical Center. She was born in Cleveland January 25, 1923 and had been a resident of Sheffield Village since 2002. Prior to moving, she had been a resident of Lorain since 1949. Mary held recognition for giving [...]
Leona W. Sanders
Leona W. Sanders, 83, of Yulee, Florida, formerly of North Ridgeville, passed away Tuesday, March 22, 2011 in Fernandina Beach, Florida. Arrangements will be announced by the David Bogner Family Funeral Home, North Ridgeville.
Matthew John Schneider
Matthew John Schneider was a nature and bird lover, a talented photographer and a devoted uncle. He passed away peacefully Monday, March 21, 2011 at home with his loving parents. Matt was born on February 19, 1980 in Elyria. He lived with muscular dystrophy, but refused to let the disease define his life. He was [...]
Helen L. Spotts
Helen L. Spotts (nee Stiner) of North Ridgeville, lost her battle to cancer, Tuesday, March 22, 2011. Helen was born in Dunbar, Pennsylvania and lived for a while in Streetsboro, before settling in North Ridgeville in 1970. She really enjoyed visiting with her grandchildren and her customers at The Unicorn Restaurant, where she worked as [...]
Dorothy J. Steele
Dorothy J. Steele, 84, of Homerville, died Monday, March 21, 2011, at Medina General Hospital. She was born April 13, 1926 in Preston County, West Virginia. Dorothy was the daughter of Orlando and Ila (Trainor) Strawser. She was a homemaker all her life. She is survived by two children, Connie (Tom) Tutko of Ashland and [...]
Southern Ohio school district says it will get rid of lunchtime if levy fails
AMANDA — A southern Ohio school district is planning to cut out lunchtime if voters continue a more 20-year streak of voting down tax levies. Superintendent Mike Johnsen of the Amanda-Clearcreek schools in central Ohio says dropping the traditional lunch hour would allow the district to cut costs through a shorter school day and the [...]