Archive for April, 2011
18 people indicted in drug sting
AKRON — Federal and local authorities say 18 men were indicted in a sting investigation of rings funneling cocaine, heroin and other drugs from Mexico to northeast Ohio. Authorities say the 15-month investigation ranged from Akron to the U.S. border with Mexico and involved traffickers in Arizona and Nevada. The indictments were unsealed Tuesday. Authorities [...]
Teen arrested with knife at EHS; also charged for punching father
ELYRIA — A 16-year-old Elyria boy was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and domestic violence yesterday after he was caught with a knife at Elyria High School. According to a police report, the teen was taken out of class by a security officer because he was playing with a lighter. While in the office, [...]
Teen shoplifter arrested after attacking Walmart security officer
ELYRIA — A 15-year-old Elyria girl was charged with robbery after she stole from Walmart and then attacked a store security officer, according to a police report. Officers were called to the Chestnut Commons Walmart about 6:40 last night. According to a store security officer, he observed the teen concealing cosmetics and other items found [...]
Elyria man robbed of wallet, cigarettes, car keys at gunpoint
ELYRIA — An Elyria man was robbed yesterday evening by two men with a gun, according to a police report. The robbers are described as white males in their late teens or early 20s. The 30-year-old man told officers he was going to Budget Auto Parts at Seventh Street and Middle Avenue a little before [...]
Coroner: Police officer committed suicide this morning at police station
EUCLID — A county coroner says a police officer has committed suicide at a suburban police station in northeast Ohio. Cuyahoga County Coroner’s spokesman Powell Caesar says a Euclid police offer died this morning at the police department in the Cleveland suburb. The spokesman did not say exactly how the officer died. The Euclid police [...]
Royals 5, Indians 4: Tribe takes too long to get going vs. KC
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The bullpen phone quit working at just the wrong time. The bat boy unwittingly caused a power hitter to lay down a bunt in an RBI situation. Then in a shaky ninth inning they had an error, a hit batsman and a bases-loaded walk. “And still we won a ballgame,” Kansas [...]
Commissioner Kokoski rips into Kalo for last week’s surpise pay cut proposal
ELYRIA — Lorain County Commissioner Lori Kokoski ripped into fellow Commissioner Ted Kalo during the weekly meeting this morning for surprising Kokoski and Commissioner Tom Williams with a proposal last week that they donate 10 percent of their pay back to the county. Kokoski said Kalo should have told the other commissioners about his plan [...]
Elyria policeman, neighbor in dispute over misdelivered package
ELYRIA — The neighbor of Elyria police Detective Eric Van Kerkhove is facing a criminal charge for returning a UPS package addressed to Van Kerkhove that he found on his porch. The charge is the culmination of a long-running dispute between Van Kerkhove and his neighbor, David Fuchs, against whom Van Kerkhove obtained a civil [...]
Lorain superintendent makes initial cut for Cleveland Schools job
LORAIN — Lorain Schools Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson is among nine finalists to become CEO of the Cleveland Schools. Atkinson made the cut on Tuesday from the original 126 candidates, according to Roseann Canfora, a district spokeswoman. The nine candidates, who were chosen by PROACT Search, a Chicago-based school headhunting company, will now be reviewed by [...]
Browns return to prime time in 2011; schedule backloaded with division games
BEREA — “Modern Family,” “The Office” and the Cleveland Browns. Yep, the Browns are back in prime time. The 2011 NFL schedule was released Tuesday night, and the Browns will play the rival Steelers in Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field on Dec. 8 at 8:20 p.m. on NFL Network. The Browns played all 16 games in 2010 [...]
Elyria mayoral race: Grace, Brinda clash on radio over taxes
ELYRIA — The second debate — this time via radio — between Mayor Bill Grace and his Democratic challenger, Holly Brinda, was a heated battle of words with Brinda calling Grace a failed leader and Grace accusing Brinda of spreading misinformation and fueling distrust of the city’s leaders among residents. For 44 minutes, Grace and [...]
Man pleads guilty in incident that led to punch from officer
ELYRIA — The Elyria man punched by an Elyria police officer earlier this year while handcuffed to a hospital bed took a plea deal Tuesday in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Johnny Smith Jr., 43, pleaded guilty to felony charges of failure to comply and obstructing official business as well as a misdemeanor DUI charge. [...]
Teen lights up Avon Lake City Hall to raise autism awareness
AVON LAKE — If you’ve noticed a cool blue glow at City Hall and the Fire Department while passing those buildings this month, you aren’t imagining things. Nineteen-year-old James King, who has autism, convinced his neighbor, Avon Lake Mayor Karl “K.C.” Zuber, to take part in the global “Light It Up Blue” campaign to celebrate [...]
Study disputes prison savings if prisons are privatized
The state is on the brink of selling five state prisons, including Grafton Correctional and North Coast Correctional in Grafton, to private operators without having an accurate way to calculate how much money has been saved, according to a study by Policy Matters Ohio. Calculations have been “riddled with errors, oversights and omissions of significant [...]
Second worker for Judge David Berta walks off the job
ELYRIA — For the second time in a little more than a year, one of Lorain County Domestic Relations Judge David Berta’s employees has walked off the job. Lucinda McConnell, who until about 9:45 a.m. Tuesday was a magistrate for Berta, declined to say what prompted her to quit. Berta also said he didn’t know [...]
Oberlin student gets diversion for antics that led to fall
OBERLIN — The 20-year-old Oberlin College student who accompanied another student who fell 30 to 35 feet into a pit at the Oberlin College Facilities Building last month was placed in a diversion program Tuesday after pleading guilty of criminal trespassing. Dylan Reid, 20, of Chicago, will be required to perform 25 hours of community [...]
Elyria school board OKs new contract
ELYRIA — In the completion of what Elyria Schools Superintendent Paul Rigda called “collegial” negotiations, the Elyria school board approved a new three-year deal Tuesday between the district and a union representing its teachers and support staff. The agreement freezes longevity increases and bump base wages to 1.9 percent annually. Employees will continue to pay [...]
Buckeyes say Tressel’s fine won’t cover cost of investigation
COLUMBUS — Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday that the $250,000 fine levied against coach Jim Tressel for violating NCAA rules may not even cover the cost of the investigation. “It’ll probably eat up the whole $250 (thousand),” Smith said. “I’m not sure. We haven’t done any projections.” Declining to address the ongoing [...]
Ohio Supreme Court upholds Nancy Smith decision
The Ohio Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld its decision from earlier this year overturning Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Burge’s decision to acquit Nancy Smith in the controversial Head Start child molestation case. The court ruled in January that Burge didn’t have the power to acquit Smith of the charges that led to her [...]
Alyce R. Copas
A graveside service for Alyce R. Copas, 90, a resident of Chapel Grove Inn of Heath, formerly of Elyria and Granville, will be held at 1 P.M., Thursday, April 21, 2011, at Welsh Hills Cemetery in Granville, with Reverend Stephen H. Applegate officiating. Alyce passed away Saturday, April 16, 2011 at Licking Memorial Hospital in [...]
Tammy L. Dalton
Tammy L. Dalton (nee Ponder), 51, of Grafton, passed away at EMH Healthcare, Elyria. She was born in Middleburg Heights. She worked many years with Odot as a road worker. Tammy was the loving mother of JC Chapman (Becky) of Elyria, Maria Dalton of Elyria, and Shelly Piller (Kevin) of North Royalton; dear grandmother of [...]
Richard Reid Fauver, Jr.
Richard Reid Fauver, Jr., native of Lorain and direct descendant of Conrad Reid, Lorain’s first mayor, died Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at his home in Orinda, California. His death, at the age of 74, followed a series of strokes over the past few months, according to his family. For more than 30 years, Mr. Fauver [...]
James E. Little
James E. Little, 79, of Wellington, passed away Monday, April 18, 2011 at New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph, Lorain. He was born October 5, 1931 in Red Jacket, West Virginia. He worked as a set-up man for General Motors in Elyria for 31 years, retiring in 1983. James was a member of Church [...]
Anissa Marie Long
Anissa Marie Long, 39, formerly of Lorain, passed away Friday, April 15, 2011, at Cleveland Clinic Hospital, following a brief illness. She was born November 20, 1971, in Lorain, and was educated in the Lorain City School System. She was a 1990 graduate of Admiral King High School, where she was a member of the [...]
Kristina Richardson
Kristina Richardson, 43, of LaGrange passed away in her home Sunday April 17, 2011 . Arrangements are incomplete and will be announced by the Blackburn-Duke Funeral Home 1021 Main St. Grafton.