News

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22nd, 2021

A workplace accident in southeastern Ohio has left a Wellington man, dead.

Adam Mills was 37.

Mills worked as a roofer, and officials say, he fell about 60 feet to his death.

————————————————————————————–

Cedar Point has agreed to invest millions of dollars into the City of Sandusky.

The massive deal includes:

-A water taxi service connecting the downtown area with Cedar Point

-The rebuilding of the Cedar Point Causeway with a public access pathway

-And building a community rec center in Sandusky

————————————————————————————–

Checking COVID-19 figures…

43 new reported cases in Huron County on Thursday…

In state numbers, there were 4,000 new cases on Thursday, compared to the 21-day average of 4,600.

————————————————————————————–

Tomorrow is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

From 10 am to 2 pm, law enforcement agencies around the area and country will be collecting unwanted, unused and expired medications in an effort to reduce and prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths by keeping drugs out of the wrong hands.

————————————————————————————–

A warning from the CDC regarding onions…

They say that fresh whole onions have been linked to a large Salmonella outbreak in 37 states, including Ohio.

Officials say to not eat, sell, or serve red, white, or yellow onions imported from Mexico and distributed across the US by ProSource Incorporated.

————————————————————————————–

In Lorain…

The city’s Demolition Board of Appeals has declared the remains of the St. Joseph Community Center on Broadway, a public nuisance…the first step toward demolition and cleanup.

A Massachusetts-based company bought the complex a year and a half ago and began demolition, but stopped when the city cited permit issues.

————————————————————————————–

Firelands Health is hosting an open house today for the new Sandusky Healthcare Center on Columbus Avenue, in front of Kroger.

A ribbon cutting will take place this morning, followed by public self-guided tours from 12 noon to 6 pm.

————————————————————————————–

A couple of local high school marching bands will be on Cleveland TV this morning…

Both South Central and Willard bands will be performing on Cleveland’s Fox 8 Newscast on the “Kicking it with Kenny” segments, which will air at various times, from just before 7 am to 9 am.

————————————————————————————–

Tomorrow night, organizers of the Beach Park Railway Museum in Avon Lake will host a fundraiser, with hopes of opening the museum to the public next summer.

It’s located in the Beach Park Station on Lake Road, and will feature memorabilia from the Lake Shore Electric Railway that once ran through Avon Lake.

————————————————————————————–

Hydrant flushing is coming to Norwalk next week.

Starting Monday, the city will begin their fall program, which will last about 2 weeks.

The city says that flushing may result in cloudy or discolored water; and residents should run cold water for 15 minutes or until the water is clear.

————————————————————————————-

Downtown Elyria will come alive tomorrow with the third “Garford Arts Fest”.

It’ll run from 1 until 9 pm on Broad Street, from Washington Avenue to East Avenue.

The event celebrates local art, and will also feature music and food trucks.

————————————————————————————-

SPORTS

-The Cleveland Browns defeated the Denver Broncos last night 17-14 in Thursday Night Football.

————————————————————————————-

From the National Weather Service…

Today

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.

Tonight

Mostly cloudy, with a low around 42.

Saturday

A chance of showers, mainly early.

Partly sunny, with a high near 56.

Sunday

Showers likely, mainly in the afternoon.

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21st, 2021

The names of those involved in Tuesday’s fatal stabbing incident at the Ohio Turnpike service plaza in Sandusky County have been released.

51-year-old Thomas Conner of Wisconsin has been charged with murder; as he’s accused of stabbing and killing 66-year-old David Diederich of Indiana and injuring 53-year-old Alan Austin of Wisconsin.

Austin has been released from the hospital.

Sandusky County Sheriff’s Deputy, 39-year-old Evan Ely, reportedly shot Conner, when Conner refused to drop a knife in his hand and then charged at Ely.

Conner has been hospitalized.

—————————————————————————————-

In COVID numbers…

The Erie County Health Department has released their latest weekly update. 3 new deaths and 259 new cases were reported during the time frame of October 10th through 16th. The death toll is now 234 since the pandemic began. 53 percent of Erie County residents are now fully vaccinated.

In Huron County, 39 new cases were reported on Wednesday.

Statewide, 4,500 cases were reported Wednesday, just below the 21-day rolling average of 4,700.

—————————————————————————————-

The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death of a man, struck by a train yesterday near LaGrange.

It happened just before noon, near the Whitney Road crossing.

—————————————————————————————-

A Huron County teen reported as a runaway has been found safe.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Office says 14-year-old Victoria Hembree of Clarksfield Township was located on Wednesday.

—————————————————————————————-

Police in Avon say, they are talking to a ‘male juvenile’, in connection with an email bomb threat at Avon High School.

The school was closed while bomb-sniffing dogs did their job.

They did not find any explosive devices.

—————————————————————————————-

Today, the Second Harvest Food Bank will host a drive-thru mobile food pantry.

It’ll be held at the Black River Landing in downtown Lorain from 3:30 to 5:30 pm.

—————————————————————————————-

Today, the Lorain County Commissioners open their annual budget hearings.

Among those making presentations today…

The Clerk of Courts
The Recorder’s Office
and the Auditor’s Office

—————————————————————————————-

There are currently 57 medical marijuana dispensaries in Ohio, but none of those are in Norwalk.

That could possibly change down the road though.

According to Norwalk Ohio News.com, 6 medical marijuana dispensary companies have contacted the city of Norwalk about possibly locating there.

City Council discussed the issue earlier this week.

—————————————————————————————-

The numbers are in, and they show, business is booming in Medina County.

…More than 200-million-dollars in capital investments so far this year, according to Bethany Dentler, the Executive Director of the Medina County Economic Development Corporation.

—————————————————————————————-

An opening ceremony has been planned for the newly improved McGuan Park in Norwalk.

It will take place Sunday, October 31st at 12 noon and will include a ribbon-cutting event for the all new all-abilities playground there.

—————————————————————————————-

SPORTS

-The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their season opener at Memphis last night, 132-121.

—————————————————————————————-

From the National Weather Service…

Today

Showers and possibly a thunderstorm.

High near 68.

Tonight

A chance of showers.

Increasing clouds, with a low around 46.

Friday

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 54.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20th, 2021

One dead, two seriously injured, during an incident late Tuesday afternoon at the Erie Islands Service Plaza on the Ohio Turnpike in Sandusky County…

Preliminary reports from authorities say that the incident involved a knife-yielding suspect and two victims, one which died at the scene, with the suspect eventually shot by law enforcement after failing to comply with orders to drop the knife and then charging at officers.

The other victim and the suspect were life-flighted to an area hospital.

———————————————————————————

In COVID numbers from Tuesday…

In Huron County, 2 new deaths were reported, bringing the death toll to 141 since the beginning of the pandemic. 27 new cases were also reported in the county.

Statewide, 3,600 new cases were reported, compared to the 21-day rolling average of 4,800.

———————————————————————————

It’s 21 years to life behind bars for a Sandusky man who recently plead guilty to murder.

According to the Sandusky Register, that’s the sentence for 22-year-old Bren’Davion Durr.

Durr’s sentence is in connection with the shooting death of 21-year-old De’Yon Hill of Sandusky in December of 2019, which occurred near Dewey Street in Sandusky.

———————————————————————————

A Huron County teenage girl has been reported as a runaway.

The Huron County Sheriff’s Office reports that 14-year-old Victoria Hembree was reported missing from her Clarksfield Township home on Tuesday.

She’s believed to of ran away voluntarily.

Anyone with information on Hembree is asked to contact the Huron County Sheriff’s Office.

———————————————————————————

Today, the Second Harvest Food Bank will host a drive-thru mobile food pantry at Brookside High School on Harris Road in Sheffield.

It’ll run from 4:30 until 6 pm.

———————————————————————————

A political rally is set for this evening in Norwalk.

U.S. Senate candidate Josh Mandel will be among the guest speakers at the Milestone Event Center for the ‘Faith and Freedom’ event.

———————————————————————————

It appears the city of Elyria and the Elyria Public Library System are at odds, over parking availability for the new downtown library branch.

According to the Chronicle Telegram, at issue is more than 40 spaces on city-owned property behind the Elyria Arts Council building.

———————————————————————————

Statewide honors for Marilou Suszko of Main Street Vermilion…

Marilou has been named, “Main Street Executive Director of the Year” by “Heritage Ohio”.

———————————————————————————

If you’ve ever thought about driving a snow-plow for the Ohio Department of Transportation, now’s a good time to put those thoughts into action.

O-DOT is in the market to hire 500 seasonal snow-plow drivers to support their regular crew.

———————————————————————————

Sandusky’s Street Resurfacing Program continues today, with a road closure.

Bardshar Road will be shut down to traffic today from 7 am to 5 pm, due to construction.

Local access to businesses and homes on Bardshar will be maintained.

———————————————————————————

Today, Lorain County Community College will host a “Family Fall Fest” and an open house from 4 until 7 pm, at the University Partnership Ridge Campus in North Ridgeville.

You’ll find everything from trick-or-treat with costumes…to a fire truck and free flu shots!

———————————————————————————

SPORTS

The Cleveland Cavaliers open up their season tonight at Memphis, with tip-off at 8 pm.

———————————————————————————

From the National Weather Service…

Today

Sunny, with a high near 73.

Tonight

Partly cloudy, with a low around 56.

Thursday

Showers and thunderstorms likely.

Mostly cloudy, with a high near 69.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19th, 2021

Checking COVID-19 numbers…

Huron County had 20 new reported cases on Monday.

Lorain County Public Health reports a significant decrease in active COVID cases…658…down by more than 200 from the previous week.

Statewide, 2,800 new cases were reported Monday, well below the 21-day rolling average of 5,000.

————————————————————————————

This week has been designated as National School Bus Safety Week.

Ohio State Highway Patrol Troopers will be highly visible this week along school bus routes and in school zones to ensure the safety of students.

Since 2016, there have been over 6,500 crashes involving school buses in Ohio.

8 fatal crashes took place during this time killing 8 people and injuring almost 2100.

None of those killed were occupants of a school bus.

————————————————————————————

Maybe you’ve seen the sign on Route 301 in Carlisle Township…future home of the Veterans Memorial.

Construction is another step closer thanks to a 25-thousand-dollar donation from the Ohio AMVETS.

Organizers hope to dedicate the memorial next fall.

————————————————————————————

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about a continuing scam involving gift cards.

They say that no legitimate business will ever ask you to pay them in gift cards.

Common gift card scams involve “a great deal”, an electric or gas company threatening to shut off services, trouble with the IRS or Social Security, and being a secret shopper.

————————————————————————————

Elyria’s next fire chief will be…Joe Pronesti.

Pronesti has been serving as Interim Chief since August when former chief Carl Mack resigned.

Pronesti was the only applicant…he will be sworn in, next week.

————————————————————————————

The Lorain County Safe Communities Coalition has secured a 40-thousand-dollar federal grant.

The coalition promotes safety on the road through community- initiatives.

————————————————————————————

A couple of road closures in Huron County…

Lehigh Road, between Routes 18 and 20 in Townsend Township, is closed for a culvert replacement, until further notice.

Remelle Road, between Geiger and Settlement Road in Peru Township, is shut down to traffic now through October 29th.

————————————————————————————

Oberlin City Council has rejected a so-called Type 2 Annexation Request from the Lorain County Joint Vocational School.

The JVS wanted to leave Pittsfield Township for Oberlin, but not have its employees pay city income taxes.

————————————————————————————

A note about leaves to Willard residents…

The City is asking residents to not rake leaves into the road before leaf pickup begins in November.

If residents want to get rid of leaves before that, they are asked to take them to the city compost pile at the Maintenance Garage on Central Avenue from 7 to 5 on weekdays.

————————————————————————————

It’s a purrr-fect match for the Firelands Community Cat Coalition in Norwalk.

According to the Sandusky Register, the non-profit has received a $3,000 grant from Freshpet, a Pennsylvania-based cat food company.

The money will be used for essential items and procedures for the group’s kittens in foster care.

————————————————————————————

SPORTS

In Monday Night Football, Tennessee topped Buffalo 34-31.

————————————————————————————

From the National Weather Service…

Today

Sunny, with a high near 71.

Tonight

Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

Wednesday

Sunny, with a high near 72.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 18th, 2021

The apartment fire that killed an Elyria High School football coach last week has been ruled accidental by fire officials.

De’Van Bogard was 27.

The blaze took place early Tuesday morning on Washington Avenue in Elyria.

Before coaching at Elyria, Bogard was a star athlete at Cleveland Glenville High School and was a member of the football team at Ohio State.

————————————————————————————-

A check of COVID-19 numbers…

Statewide, there were 2,500 new cases reported on Sunday, well below the 21-day rolling average of just under 5,100.

Guernsey County is east central Ohio has the highest rate per 100-thousand people.

Holmes County has the lowest rate.

Huron County had 16 new reported cases on Sunday.

————————————————————————————-

Huron County Public Health has released their weekly COVID-19 report.

The case count was 198 for the reporting period of October 8th to October 14th, down from 224 the previous week.

The average age of cases in the county was 40.

All but one Huron County zip code are currently reporting cases, with the highest positivity rate in Norwalk.

————————————————————————————-

In Vermilion…the Liberty Avenue bridge near the downtown area closes today for repairs.

The Ohio Department of Transportation expects the major east-west thoroughfare to be shut down for about 45 days.

————————————————————————————-

Tonight, a committee of Avon Lake City Council is scheduled to hear a presentation on preliminary plans to build a new, larger fire station on Walker Road near Route 83.

The current, smaller facility was built more than 40 years ago.

————————————————————————————-

On the road…

This week, crews will be making repairs to a portion of Route 301 and Route 611…near the intersection…in Sheffield.

————————————————————————————-

The Second Harvest Food Bank will be in Huron County today with their drive-thru mobile food pantry.

They’ll make a stop at Willard Parks and Rec on West Laurel Street from 3 to 5 pm.

————————————————————————————-

Later this week, Ohio Turnpike engineers will begin their annual winter inspections of snow removal gear, with a stop in Amherst on Friday afternoon.

Statewide, the turnpike snowplows service nearly 14-hundred ‘lane’ miles, 31 interchanges and 14 service plazas.

————————————————————————————-

Routine hydrant flushing begins today in Willard; both inside and outside of city limits.

Residents are asked to not wash their clothes during flushing, as staining may take place.

Flushing should wrap up by Thursday.

————————————————————————————-

SPORTS

-The Cleveland Browns dropped to 3-3 on the season after a 37-14 loss to Arizona on Sunday. Arizona improved to 6-0.

-In NASCAR, Kyle Larson took home the checkered flag in the Cup Series Playoff race on Sunday at Texas.

————————————————————————————-

From the National Weather Service…

Today

Sunny, with a high near 65.

Tonight

Clear, with a low around 45.

Tuesday

Sunny, with a high near 71.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

It’s not a forecast that we like.

But the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland says we could get between 2 and 4 inches of snow tomorrow night.

A two-car crash in New London Township sent two people to two different hospitals.

It happened at 4:45 yesterday afternoon, at the intersection of State Route 162 and Butler Road. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Norwalk Post, 18-year-old Nicholas Herner of Huron failed to yield at a stop sign, and was hit on the driver’s side by 41-year-old Marandie Kruki of Wakeman.

Herner suffered incapacitating injuries, and was taken to Fisher-Titus Medical Center. Kruki suffered serious injuries as well, and was flown to Cleveland MetroHealth Medical Center. Their conditions are unknown. Yesterday’s crash remains under investigation.

A head-on crash in Sandusky County claimed a northwest Ohio man, and injured a Milan man.

As we first told you yesterday, the crash occurred just before 6:30am on U.S. Route 6 near Fremont. The highway patrol said 49-year-old Kenneth Saam of Bradner went left of center, and hit a pickup truck driven by 58-year-old Alexander Winkler Jr. of Milan. Saam, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was pronounced dead at the scene. Winkler was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The Sandusky Mall is losing one of its anchor stores.

Longtime tenant Sears will close, mostly likely by late June. The decision will affect the department store itself and the Sears Auto Center. More than 40 people will be out of work. A liquidation sale will begin later this month.

Next Tuesday’s meeting of the Huron County Commissioners will be held at Norwalk High School…The commissioners will convene at 9am.

The Huron County Board of Elections will conduct a post-election audit of the March 15^th primary, starting at 8:30 this morning in the board office in Norwalk.

Two Republican state lawmakers will gather with area school officials, to announce new legislation to give school districts a second option in participating in the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission.

State Senator Randy Gardner and State Representative Steve Arndt will discuss the proposal at 11 this morning, at Port Clinton High School. A statement from Gardner’s office says the new program would allow districts which have not received state funds for school construction or renovations to qualify for technology infrastructure or security funding sooner than the current construction and renovation program would allow.

An armed standoff at a home in Port Clinton ended peacefully last night.

31-year-old Melissa Muirhead surrendered at approximately 8pm, after holding authorities at bay for seven hours. Officials said Muirhead is an Iraq veteran suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. She was taken to a VA hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

It appears the city of Norwalk will not spray for mosquitoes this summer, because of the expense and a question of effectiveness.

Thursday, April 7, 2016

It’s not a forecast that we like.

But the National Weather Service Office in Cleveland says we could get between 2 and 4 inches of snow tomorrow night.

A two-car crash in New London Township sent two people to two different hospitals.

A head-on crash in Sandusky County claimed a northwest Ohio man, and injured a Milan man.

The Sandusky Mall is losing one of its anchor stores.

Next Tuesday’s meeting of the Huron County Commissioners will be held at Norwalk High School…The commissioners will convene at 9am.

The Huron County Board of Elections will conduct a post-election audit of the March 15^th primary, starting at 8:30 this morning in the board office in Norwalk.

An armed standoff at a home in Port Clinton ended peacefully last night.

It appears the city of Norwalk will not spray for mosquitoes this summer, because of the expense and a question of effectiveness.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

They’ll try again today.

The Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox will open this season this afternoon, at 1:10. The game will air on 95.3 WLKR. Yesterday’s game was postponed shortly after 2:30. The club issued a statement, blaming a changed forecast and wind chills dropping into the teens.

A convicted child rapist from Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison.

51-year-old Michael Walls was sentenced yesterday to eight life sentences. He has no chance at parole. Walls stood trial last month in Erie County Common Pleas Court, and was found guilty on more than 20 counts of rape. Officials said Walls raped a girl multiple times a week from the time she was 3 or 4, into her teens. During yesterday’s hearing, Walls said he was innocent, and said he plans to appeal his conviction and sentence.

Norwalk police are still looking for a man who swiped more than $1,200 worth of beer and liquor from Gardner’s SuperValue.

It happened at 4pm last Tuesday. According to Captain Mike Conney, the man loaded up his cart twice, and left the store undetected both times.

He made off in a gray newer-model Toyota Camry. The man is described as heavy-set, bald and 40 to 45. Pictures of the man have been posted on the Norwalk Police Department’s Facebook page. Anyone with information should contact the Norwalk Police Department.

Ground will be broken this Friday, for the Cedar Point Sports Center at the former Griffing- Sandusky Airport site on Cleveland Road.

Officials said phase one of the youth sports facility will include nine multipurpose synthetic turf fields, four NCAA regulation baseball fields, a championship baseball and softball stadium, eight NCAA regulation lacrosse fields, sports-specific training areas and an ADA-accessible community use field. A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at 2 Friday afternoon. Phase one is expected to be complete by this fall, with spring and summer of 2017 serving as the inaugural season for Sports Force Parks at Cedar Point Sports Center.

Former Ohio State University marching band director Jonathon Waters will again lead a college band.

He’s been hired as an assistant professor of music, and director of bands at Heidelberg University in Tiffin. Waters was dismissed by Ohio State in the summer of 2014, after an investigation revealed the OSU band contained a ‘sexualized culture.’

Monday, April 4, 2016

It’ll be a cold, blustery day for Cleveland Indians baseball.

The season opener against the Boston Red Sox is scheduled to begin at 4:10 this afternoon. The forecast for Cleveland calls for rain and snow showers to move out by game time, but windy conditions will continue, with temperatures falling to about 33. We’ll broadcast live from Progressive Field, starting at 1 this afternoon. You’ll hear comments from Cleveland Indians players and front office personnel, and we’ll get you ready for today’s game. Then we’ll join the Indians Radio Network for Indians Warm-Up at 3:37, leading up to today’s scheduled 4:10 start time on 95.3 WLKR.

Two Norwalk High School students are facing charges, for allegedly selling marijuana at school last month.

The girls, ages 16 and 17 are charged with marijuana trafficking. They’ll answer to the charges in Huron County Juvenile Court.

A Huron County grand jury has charged two local men, in connection with different sex crimes.

19-year-old Nathanial ‘JR’ Parsons of New London is charged with two counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The charges stem from two alleged incidents with a now 15-year-old girl. One occurred last fall, the other in February.

Also charged by the grand jury: 62-year-old Thomas J. McDaniel of Willard. He’s facing a single count of sexual battery, for the alleged sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl in late February.

Governor John Kasich is in New York today.

On the schedule: campaign stops at Hofstra University and Huntington.

An elected official in Sandusky says he has doubts about the future of Ohio Bike Week, which typically runs between late May and early June.

Dennis Murray Jr. serves as a city commissioner and ex-officio mayor. According to the Sandusky Register, Murray said one of the chief complaints about Ohio Bike Week is excessive noise caused by hundreds of motorcycles. The city of Sandusky recently signed a five-year contract extension with Ohio Bike Week, through 2021. In the story, Murray said the city would honor the contract, but may not renew it unless changes are made.

More news from Sandusky…

It appears a city commissioner is going to jail, for not paying child support.

Court paperwork shows Greg Lockhart must report to the Erie County Jail by April 15^th, to begin serving a 30-day sentence. His attorney appealed the sentence to the Ohio Supreme Court, but the motion was denied. Lockhart won a four-year term last fall. Despite the pending jail term, it appears Lockhart’s spot on the commission is safe.

A decision won’t be made tomorrow night, but Norwalk City Council will hear the first reading of legislation allowing golf carts on city streets.

As we told you last week, members of city council will debate the pros and cons. The measure could be approved as is, modified or voted down.

Friday, April 1, 2016

State regulators have approved a plan that will lead to higher electric bills for many Ohio consumers.

Despite opposition from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio okayed the plan yesterday. FirstEnergy customers will pay more to subsidize the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant, while American Electric Power customers will pay more to subsidize an aging coal-fired plant. The average residential customer will see an average monthly bill increase of about $10. The rate hike will begin in June.

Another victory, for supporters of medical marijuana…

The Ohio Ballot Board has certified a proposal to establish a comprehensive medical marijuana program in the Buckeye State. The group Ohioans for Medical Marijuana must now collect more than 300,000 valid signatures of Ohio voters by early July to qualify for the November ballot.

A $5,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the person or persons responsible for a recent fire in Clyde.

The March 6^th blaze damaged the Clyde Car Wash on West Maple Street, and nearby storage units. Investigators quickly ruled the cause as arson. Anyone with information should contact the Clyde Police Department.

Perkins school officials appear close to hiring a new treasurer.

Out of 33 applicants, two are finalists. One is Daniel Bowman, current treasurer of the Parma Schools. The other is Cheryl Swisher, treasurer of Van Buren Schools. A decision could come this month.

The Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation has honored eight Huron County employers for their strong workplace safety records.

To receive an award, a business must have at least 500,000 hours and six months without an injury resulting in a day or more away from work.

Leading the list: David Price Metal Services in Norwalk…The company worked nearly 1.2 million hours without a serious injury. Also on the list: Delany Staffing Group, Kaiser-Wells, LakePark Industries, New Horizons Baking Company, the Norwalk Public Library, PolyOne, and Wiers Farm.