Archive for October, 2011
H.S. Football: Wellington wins, makes playoffs
YORK TWP. — With a playoff berth still within reach, Wellington’s football team needs all the help it can get — that includes the fans. A little show of support from the faithful that braved the cold Friday night at Edwin Steingass Field helped recharge the Dukes at halftime as they rolled to a 41-14 [...]
H.S. Football: Avon Lake blanks Amherst, waits for playoff news
AMHERST — Avon Lake had a lot to play for Friday night. For starters, a win over archrival Amherst would sew up the outright Southwestern Conference championship for the Shoremen with a 7-0 mark. Also, Avon Lake needed a win to keep its playoff dreams alive and then hope the chips fall where they wanted. [...]
H.S. Football: Black River rolls over Keystone, into playoffs
SULLIVAN TWP. — The definition of efficient is achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort. The Black River football team fit the word to a “T” Friday in a 50-0 Patriot Athletic Conference Stars Division win over Keystone. The Pirates (8-2, 5-2) needed just 30 plays to score eight touchdowns against the Wildcats (0-10, 0-7), [...]
H.S. Football: Lorain drops ball, finishes 5-5
EAST CLEVELAND — Lorain fumbled away its chance to finish the season with a winning record Friday, turning the ball over four times in an 18-7 loss at Shaw. The loss dropped the Titans to 5-5, 3-4 in the Lake Erie League. The season actually ended three minutes and 24 seconds earlier for Titans coach [...]
H.S. Football: John Banyasz finishes Columbia career in style, with win
COLUMBIA STATION — John Banyasz finished up a brilliant career brilliantly. Banyasz, Columbia’s starting quarterback since his freshman season, played his final high school football game Friday night and led the Raiders to a 28-7 victory over Clearview in a Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division game. Banyasz completed 11 of 16 passes with a touchdown [...]
Police agencies announce patrol blitz areas for Halloween weekend
Local police departments have announced areas they plan to step up traffic enforcement on and around Halloween. According to a news release from Sheriff Phil Stammitti, “Additional deputies will be on the road in an effort to reduce alcohol-related crashes in selected areas throughout Lorain County. Stepped up enforcement of seat-belt violations will be part [...]
Firelands Falcons were unbeatable in ’73
HENRIETTA TWP. — Thirty-eight years is a long time to wait for another taste of perfection. But tonight, if Firelands wins at Brookside it will finish the regular season unblemished for the first time since 1973. Vern Long was the coach when Firelands last rolled through 10 opponents to win the now defunct Inland Conference [...]
(Updated) Browns RB Peyton Hillis misses practice again, will be gametime decision
BEREA – Browns running back Peyton Hillis (hamstring) didn’t practice today and will be a gametime decision Sunday in San Francisco. Tight end Benjamin Watson returned from a concussion and expects to start, while receiver Mohamed Massaquoi was ruled out following a concussion suffered Sunday. Coach Pat Shurmur said Hillis will be listed as questionable [...]
Browns preview: Cribbs, Ginn as good as it gets in return game
BEREA — Browns kick returner Joshua Cribbs is tough, fearless and charismatic. 49ers counterpart Ted Ginn Jr. is quick, elusive and enigmatic. Even with those major differences, they have one important thing in common. “Josh and Ted are both so good at what they do, they make blocking for them a pleasure,” San Francisco linebacker [...]
Avon soccer slips by Amherst, wins district title
AVON — It was a classic matchup that lived up to all expectations Thursday night at Avon Stadium as a pair of state-ranked teams battled for the Division I boys district soccer title. No. 5 Avon got the only goal of the match off the left foot of Niko Telidis in the 52nd minute to [...]
EC volleyball repeats as district champions
ELYRIA TWP. — It was a struggle at times for Elyria Catholic at Thursday’s Division III District volleyball final at the old Elyria West High School, but in the end the Panthers never gave in against a gutty, talented Cuyahoga Heights team. The top-seeded Panthers find themselves in the Sweet 16 for the second year [...]
High school football Week 10: Veteran Rangers defense focuses on team, not stats
There are reasons North Ridgeville has a standout defense this season. There’s the switch from a 3-5-3 base defense to a 4-2-5. And there’s the 1-of-11 philosophy that has permeated the entire defensive unit, a team-first, stats-second mentality that has enabled it to excel. Still, results are what matters and the Rangers, 8-1 heading into [...]
‘Balloon Lagoon’ open at French Creek Nature Center
“The Boo-Loon Lagoon” at French Creek Nature Center in Sheffield is a family-friendly swamp walkthrough made entirely out of balloons by Sheila Kepic, a balloon artist from Sheffield Lake. It will be open to the public through Monday. The annual French Creek Trick-or-Treat Trail is 2:15 p.m. Saturday.
Lorain school board defends study on building school by river
LORAIN — Critics of school board members accused them of spending an exorbitant amount on a study to build the new Lorain High School along the Black River before the board decided to build it beside the current high school at 2600 Ashland Ave. At an Oct. 12 candidates’ forum, Republican school board candidate Joyce [...]
Elyria YWCA celebrates 98 years as director marks 35 with group
ELYRIA — When the board and staff of the Elyria YWCA gather next Friday to celebrate the 98th anniversary of the organization’s founding, Executive Director Jeanine Donaldson said she hopes no one makes a big fuss over her. Yes, she has been there for 35 years, and she values the good she has been able [...]
Ex-teacher pleads guilty to drug charges
ELYRIA — A former Lorain High School teacher pleaded guilty Thursday to possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and DUI charges. Prosecutors agreed to drop an additional charge of illegal conveyance of drugs onto the grounds of a government facility in exchange for Dominic Fracchione’s plea. Fracchione, 37, had been scheduled to go on [...]
Elyria police on lookout for DUIs over holiday
ELYRIA — The Elyria Police Department will put more officers on the road for Halloween weekend in an effort to reduce the number of accidents caused by drunken drivers. In addition to regular patrols, 18 officers will work this weekend, focusing on areas with high numbers of accidents, such as state Route 57, Interstate 90, [...]
Police log for Oct. 28, 2011
Sheriff’s office Wednesday, Oct. 19 1 p.m. — 3700 block Ada Ave., Sheffield Township, identity theft reported. 2:21 p.m. — 9800 block Murray Ridge Road, County Jail, Elyria, Steven Hancock, 52, Amherst Township, charged with drug abuse, possessing drug abuse instruments and illegal conveyance of drugs into a detention facility. Friday, Oct. 21 9:52 p.m. [...]
Avon Lake volleyball digs out of hole to win district title
EATON TWP. — Trailing two-time defending Division I district champion Amherst two games to none, top-seeded Avon Lake had every excuse to call it a night. The Shoregals, coming in with a 25-2 record and having won the Southwestern Conference championship, could have easily settled for getting to the district finals. Turns out they weren’t [...]
13-year-old’s dental death settled for $1 million
ELYRIA — The insurance company representing Lorain dentist Henry Mazorow has agreed to pay nearly $1 million to the parents of 13-year-old Marissa Kingery, who died after intravenous sedation before dental surgery. Marissa’s parents, Amber McEwen of Elyria and Jason Kingery of Sheffield Lake, each will receive $331,056, and their attorney Michael Czack will receive [...]
Avon Lake’s mayoral race a cash-burner
SHEFFIELD TWP. — The race for Avon Lake mayor is shaping up to be the most expensive campaign in the county this election year. The three candidates for the job — incumbent Mayor Karl “K.C.” Zuber, City Council President Greg Zilka and Lorain County Rural Wastewater District Director Rob Berner — have spent a combined [...]
Brinda handily outspends Noble in Elyria campaign
SHEFFIELD TWP. — Democrat Holly Brinda is outspending her Republican opponent, Ray Noble, in the race to become the next mayor of Elyria, according to campaign finance reports that were due Thursday at the Lorain County Board of Elections. So far in the general election, Brinda, who defeated incumbent Mayor Bill Grace in the May [...]
Double clutch: Cardinals come back twice, finally beat Rangers on Freese homer in the 11th
ST. LOUIS — By the time David Freese stomped on home plate Game 6 had already been stamped among the greatest thrillers in baseball history. Twice down to their last strike, the St. Louis Cardinals somehow rallied. And when Freese completed a startling series of comebacks with a leadoff home run in the bottom of [...]
Ronald Vance Clark
Ronald Vance Clark, 79, of New London, passed away Wednesday, October 26, 2011 at the New Life Hospice Center of St. Joseph. Born to Vance James and Margaret Ann (nee Taitl) Clark in Cleveland on October 6, 1932, Ronald grew up in Maple Heights and moved to New London in 2005. He worked at the [...]
Alfred Dlugosz
Alfred Dlugosz, 87, of Avon Lake since 1948, passed away Wednesday October 26, 2011, at EMH Healthcare, in Elyria. He was born December 22, 1923, in Lorain. Alfred graduated from Lorain High School. After high school, he entered the military and was a World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy, serving with the Armed [...]