'Local and State'
Stomper is headless no more
Whoever took the costumed head of Stomper, the Lake Erie Crushers’ mascot, must have felt a twinge of remorse, because the head was returned to the stadium overnight Wednesday. Daniel Helm, vice president of business operations for the team, said the head was in the same shape as when it was taken. Team officials found [...]
Fire destroys family’s apartment in Sheffield Township
SHEFFIELD TWP. — Rick Runion said he’d recently put his stepdaughter Yvonne Jones Xolo’s two children to bed when his son Ricky yelled to him that her apartment next door at 2072 Garfield Ave. was on fire. “We just followed him outside and ran next store,” Runion said early Friday morning standing near the burned [...]
Lorain school board votes to place levy on fall ballot
Unable to get a school levy increase since 1992, the Lorain Board of Education has a new strategy. Board members this evening unanimously approved seeking a combination income tax-property tax measure for the November ballot. Voters will be asked to approve a perpetual 1 percent income tax that will raise about $5.4 million per year [...]
Severe thunderstorm watch for Lorain County
A severe thunderstorm watch is in effect for Lorain County until 11 p.m. The National Weather Service predicts severe and heavy rains with accumulations of between a tenth and a quarter of an inch. The storms could produce golf ball-sized hail and 60 mile per hour winds.
Fire breaks out in Elyria apartment building
ELYRIA – A fire broke out this afternoon at a 5th Street apartment building leaving several families without a place to call home. Elyria firefighters are still trying to determine how the fire started on the top floor of 347 5th Street, Assistant Fire Chief Ron Blras said. Michelle Alexander, who lives in the building [...]
Local schools to benefit from Race to the Top money
ELYRIA — The state’s success in the highly competitive, federally funded education reform competition known as Race to the Top could net millions of dollars for Lorain County school districts. The announcement Tuesday by U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan that Ohio was selected with eight other states and the District of Columbia has local superintendents [...]
Bars won’t be judged as 6-pack
ELYRIA – The owners of six bars targeted for liquor license review by the city will not be lumped together in an all-or-nothing battle when they face off before agents from the state Division of Liquor Control. The state agency has received requests from the city to hold hearings to determine if licenses should be [...]
Amherst teens charged in gun incident
AMHERST – Police have charged two teens following an incident in which one boy supplied a handgun to another, who had the loaded weapon in a book bag when he was stopped by police. The incident occurred shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday when police responded to Spring and Mill streets after someone called police saying [...]
Latest charges attempt to tie Bill Desvari to loan bribe
ELYRIA — The most recent criminal charges against Bill Desvari, Lorain’s former chief building official, center on his dealings with a Cleveland attorney and Lorain businessman Jon Veard, Desvari’s attorney said Friday. Brent English said he believes prosecutors are trying to tie bribery charges to his client through a $5,000 loan Veard made to Desvari [...]
NOACA pumping $2.5 million into Lorain County
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency will funnel more than $2.5 million into Lorain County to fund the repair of two bridges as well as help with highway maintenance. The projects, which will include bridge deck replacement, noise wall panel replacement, signal maintenance and repair, median barrier rail construction and bridge repairs, are part of [...]
Strickland stops moving state airplane to save cash
COLUMBUS – Gov. Ted Strickland said Friday he’s ending the practice of having a state plane flown from one Columbus airport to another, a semi-regular practice his office had defended as a way for him to get more work done. Following news reports Thursday and Friday, Strickland ordered his staff to stop scheduling departures from [...]
F-16s got near commercial jet
CINCINNATI – Two military fighter jets apparently flew higher than allowed and came so close to a commercial flight over southern Ohio this week that they triggered a cockpit alarm in the commuter plane, authorities said Friday. Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 5202, a 70-seat commuter jet, was flying from Cleveland to Atlanta on Thursday when [...]
Group hopes to clean up Ohio’s largest inland lake
ST. MARYS – Community leaders are raising money to help clean up pollution in Ohio’s largest inland lake, which officials and activists say has been hurt by toxic algae caused by contaminants such as fertilizer and manure from nearby farms. Residents and community supporters around the Grand Lake St. Marys, which sits between Toledo and [...]
Roundup
Jogger on wrong side of road hit by car WELLINGTON TWP. – A man was LifeFlighted to MetroHealth Medical Center after he was hit by a car while jogging Friday morning on Quarry Road south of state Route 18, according to the Wellington Fire Department and the Ohio Highway Patrol. David Gwinn, 31, of Wellington [...]
Doctor found guilty of wife’s cyanide death
CLEVELAND – A doctor accused of lacing his wife’s calcium supplement with cyanide so he could be with his mistress was convicted Friday of aggravated murder. The jury heard weeks of testimony before returning the verdict against Dr. Yazeed Essa, 41. His wife, Rosemarie Essa, collapsed while driving Feb. 24, 2005, and crashed her car [...]