Lorain County Community Guide

Local man is commander on Air Force ‘Crew of Year’

Owen MacMillan

The Community Guide

In the summer of 2023, as the West African nation of Niger was seized in a military coup, more than 200 American citizens and allied personnel found themselves trapped in the country’s Diori Hamani International Airport.

The airport was surrounded by heavily armored CNSP (National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland) forces, the supporters of the coup.

With so many allied assets in such a precarious position, the U.S. State Department was unable to denounce the seizure of power in Niger as an illegal coup.

But the crew of Reach 190, a part of the U.S. Air Force’s 7th Airlift Squadron was ready to help, led by Elyria native Capt. Dylan Bishop.

Over the course of four weeks, Bishop and Reach 190 resupplied and eventually relocated the 245 personnel trapped at the airport to a more secure location in Niger.

For their actions, Bishop and his crew received the Air Mobility Command’s 2023 General James H. Doolittle Trophy, marking them as the Air Force’s Crew of the Year in 2023.

“I want to stress that this was a crew award,” Bishop said.

“I was just very blessed to be commander of this crew.

“These are some of the best airmen I’ve ever worked with, it was an honor working with them. … It’s kind of terrifying when you’re the one who has to make the decisions, but I learned as a little kid: If you take care of others, they’ll take care of you.”

Elyria takeoff

Bishop, whose father is Chronicle Photo Chief Bruce Bishop, was born and raised in Elyria.

“Growing up, I never really left Gulf Road,” he said.

Perhaps an exaggeration, but only a slight one, as Bishop attended Ely Elementary School, the former Northwood Middle School off of Gulf Road and graduated from Elyria Catholic High School in 2014.

Bishop credits Elyria Catholic with shaping him into the leader he is today — through his education but even more so through his time on the football and track teams.

He was a captain of the track team his senior year.

“That was really how I started to learn how to be a leader,” he said. His education taught him how to lead, but where Bishop would go was more shaped by another Gulf Road-adjacent institution: American Legion Post 12.

“I can still remember walking through one hallway there and seeing all the pictures and awards

on the walls,” Bishop said. “It just got me started down the path, thinking it would be cool to be a part of something like that.”

Bishop visited the legion as a child because his grandfather, Darrell Bishop, was a Marine Corps veteran and active member at Post 12.

But, it was his maternal grandfather, John Hines, who more immediately inspired Bishop’s career path.

Hines was a member of the Army Air Corps during World War II — the Air Force was not founded until 1947 — who worked as a mechanic on the P-51 Mustang fighter plane.

“He died when I was in second grade, so (before I) got to really speak with him.

“I never got a chance to hear his stories,” Bishop said.

“I decided I wanted to make stories of my own, and maybe be

a part of history.”

After high school, Bishop attended Kent State University as a member of the Air Force Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and graduated in 2018 with his commercial pilot’s license.

Bishop enlisted in the Air Force, and by the summer of 2023 he was a captain in the 7th Airlift Squadron, based in Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Niger in turmoil

On July 26, 2023, Niger’s government was overthrown and President Mohamed Bazoum was placed under house arrest.

More than 200 American or allied personnel, many of them ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) or COIN (counterinsurgency) assets, found themselves trapped and undersupplied at Diori Hamani, the airport outside of Niamey, Niger’s

capital.

The airport was encircled by CNSP forces in support of selfproclaimed head of state Gen. Abdourahamane Tiani.

There was no fighting at the base, but due to the unstable situation and fact that the overthrown government had been friendly, the U.S. was determined to remove its assets from the airport.

Seventh Airlift Squadron’s Reach 190 crew, an eight-man team led by Bishop, was assigned the task and departed immediately.

The crew set up a second forward-operating base on Gran Canaria, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, about 90 miles off the coast of Morocco.

This was not a normal staging location for the Air Force, Bishop said, and the crew had to develop

Suspect who shot at police killed in Ridgeville

The Community Guide NORTH RIDGEVILLE — North Ridgeville police shot and killed a Tennessee man who opened fire on them in the driveway of a home on James Road last week.

Chief Michael Freeman said North Ridgeville police received a call at 6:21 p.m. Wednesday from the White County Sheriff’s Office in Tennessee.

They were looking for a suspect, Jason Norris, 41, in the shooting death of his girlfriend, Megan Campbell, 32. He is believed to have fled in her stolen SUV, a Jeep Compass with Tennessee plates that the Tennessee’s sheriff’s office had traced to North Ridgeville at the Westlake border.

Authorities were able to trace the stolen vehicle because North Ridgeville is one of several cities in the area with Flock camera systems, which read the license plates and other identifying characteristics of vehicles entering and exiting the city. After the call from Tennessee, North Ridgeville police officers spotted the stolen SUV in the driveway of a James Road home and were familiar with the residents who lived there.

Police Lt. Tony Lee said neighbors had seen Norris driving around the neighborhood.

Officers set up a perimeter around the house.

Norris and his cousin came out of the home and Norris shot at officers, Freeman said.

Two North Ridgeville police officers returned fire and Norris was struck once in the upper torso.

A gun was found in the driveway where Norris fell, Freeman said. Norris was taken to University Hospitals St. John Medical Center in Westlake where he died later that evening.

The officers, who were not identified, have been placed on paid administrative leave while the incident remains under investigation by the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

“They handled it very professionally,” Freeman said of his officers. See BISHOP, A2

PHOTO PROVIDED

Air Force Capt. Dylan Bishop stands next to Marine One inside a C-17 transport jet at an undisclosed location.

Kathryn Sara Olsen

OBITUARIES

Beverly Anne Ziegler

BISHOP

From A1

relationships with the Spanish military to make it possible.

“Luckily, they spoke very good English,” Bishop said with a laugh.

Kathryn Sara Olsen (nee: Loucks), 89, and a resident of Amherst, Ohio passed away peacefully with family Wednesday, May 8, 2024. She was born October 21, 1934 in Muncy, Pennsylvania to James and Marjorie Loucks. She was raised in Rocky River, Ohio and graduated from Rocky River High School in 1952. Kathie received her Registered Nursing degree from Baldwin Wallace College and graduated in 1956.

Since 1960, Kathie had made her home in Amherst, Ohio. For over 50 years, she was a dedicated and exceptional nurse with an abundance of expertise in orthopedics. She began her long career first with training at Fairview Hospital and continuing at Amherst Hospital, Lorain Community Hospital, Oberlin Hospital, and Ohio Extended Care Center. She worked until she was 77 years old.

Kathie was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer, and enjoyed singing in the choir. Her passion in life was going to concerts. Michael Stanley, Moody Blues, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Diamond were among her favorites. She also loved watching sports with her children and friends. Go Browns! Go Tribe! Go Cavs! She loved sailing the waters of Lake Erie and enjoyed practicing her talents of art by creating drawings and paintings.

We will never forget her smile, frequently telling people how beautiful they are, her contagious laugh, the abundance of hugs she would give everyone she met and how she loved a good party! She never met a stranger!

Kathie was predeceased by the deaths of husbands, Julius Zak and Jervis D. Olsen; and brother, James Loucks. Survivors include her children, Julie Rojek (Jay), Mary Olsen Dielman (Kevin Harrison), and Jeffrey Olsen (Anne); grandchildren, Jenna, Jayme, Andrea, Kendyl, Kammy, Hannah, and Holly; and seven great-grandchildren.

Kathie loved her family and pets, and her best friend of over 40 years, Darlene Smith, who brought her joy each and every day.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to Elyria Animal Protective League, 8303 Murray Ridge Road, Elyria Ohio 44035, by visiting https://friendshipapl.org/donate-online/.

There will be no visitation. A celebration of life is being planned for this summer 2024.

To share memories visit https://www.garlandmisencik. com/listings

Frederick H. Shearer

Frederick H. Shearer, 79, a life-long resident of Wellington, died Wednesday, March 8, 2024, at O’Neill Health Care in North Ridgeville. Born April 28, 1945, in Wooster, he was the son of the late Henry and Grace (nee Shultz) Shearer.

Beverly Anne Ziegler was born to Robert and Fay Pettet on November 21, 1936 in Cleveland, Ohio. She passed away early Monday morning, May 6, 2024, at the age of 87, in Wellington, Ohio.

Bev graduated from Oberlin High School and then attended Ohio Wesleyan University for three years before marrying Glenn Ziegler of Wellington, Ohio on August 15, 1959. The couple shared 62 years of a love-filled marriage until Glenn’s death in 2021.

Bev and Glenn lived on the Ziegler family farm, where Bev dedicated herself to the care of their three sons and their daughter. She made sure that all meals were eaten as a family, if Glenn did not finish farm chores until eight in the evening, no one ate dinner until eight in the evening. Oftentimes they also welcomed others to their table and into their home.

This would have been more than enough to keep another woman’s hands full, but not Bev. She had a servant’s heart and out of her love for Jesus she served as a mentor to young people, taught Bible classes, and wrote a newsletter, ‘For Women Only’. She was the last founding member of the Amherst Church of Christ.

In 1994, after a difficult three years caring for her mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s, Bev was inspired to start a local support group through the Alzheimer’s Association for the family members and caregivers of others in Lorain County touched by this disease. She served in this ministry for over fifteen years and touched many lives.

Bev was preceded in death by her husband; parents; brothers, Robert and Charles; and great-granddaughter, Hadassah Williams.

She is survived by her four children, Kevin and wife, Barb of Wellington, Kenny and wife, Candi of Wellington, Keith and wife, Pam of Wellington, and Melody and husband, Tim Davis of Hammonton of New Jersey; eight grandchildren, Kate and husband, Travis Williams of Belpre, Ohio, Kurtis of Wellington, Kurk and wife, Amy of Wellington, Nick and wife, Holly of Wellington, Toria and husband, Nathan Haden of Newark, Delaware, Logan Davis and wife, Adyson of Nashville, Tennessee, Jonathan of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Cassidy Davis of Edmond, Oklahoma; and six great-grandchildren, Ansley and Selah Williams, Sylvain and Remy Ziegler, Juniper Ziegler, and Emma Davis. She also leaves behind her sister, Patricia Edwards.

Visitation was Thursday, May 9, 2024 from 4 to 6 p.m. The funeral service was at 6 p.m. with a meal to follow. Visitations and funeral were held at New Beginnings Church, 591 Washington St., Amherst, Ohio. A private family burial was held in Brighton Cemetery on Friday, May 10, 2024.

The new base location saved the crew around 30 hours of ground time per mission, the Air Force said.

Dropping into a politically unstable, potentially dangerous situation in a new country is always a stressful situation, Bishop said, but one that becomes almost second nature after 3½ years traveling the globe on a near-daily basis.

Reach 190 flies Boeing C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft, which Bishop said are affectionately referred to as “The Moose.”

The C-17 “looks like a bus, but it handles like a Ferrari,” Bishop said, and he had already flown it on over 40 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan when he arrived in Niger.

When his crew first landed in Niamey it was dark, but Bishop said it became clear with his night vision goggles that the CNSP forces surrounding the airport were armed with surface-to-air missiles and vehicle-mounted antiaircraft guns.

The coup troops also had military blockades on active airfields.

“It’s dark, but you see a lot of people with a lot of big guns, and you’re thinking ‘Huh, I’m in a really big metal tube,’ and if somebody tries to do something, I’m in a very vulnerable position right now,” Bishop said. “So you just try to be as calm and nonthreatening as possible, just a situation like, ‘Be cool, be cool.’”

Bishop said the tension reminded him of Kabul International Airport, where he had been during the withdrawal of U.S. forces as they pulled out of Afghanistan.

“Obviously it was a different scenario, a different situation,” Bishop said. “But the feeling was kind of eerily similar.”

In short order, the crew had flown seven more missions to begin to move assets to a second base in Niger, the location of which is classified, often under cover of darkness.

Bishop said that while making casual conversation with some of the personnel on the ground, he realized that they had grown low on supplies and had been completely out of fresh food for some time.

The members of Reach 190 took it upon themselves to round up supplies and transport them to the airport, eventually delivering more than 9,000 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables along with other critical supplies.

“We were able to get some pallets of fruits, vegetables, perishables, energy drinks, just things to keep them going,” Bishop said. “It’s hard to operate in that environment without some comforts, fresh food, you know, an apple can go a long way. So we were able to bring down a few pallets for them, and it was incredibly rewarding. … You’re bringing people something they really want in a dangerous place, it makes you really happy.”

But the main objective, the removal of U.S. assets from Niamey, remained.

Fred worked for General Industries for 30 years and then another 15 years for Micron Manufacturing. He was an active member of the Brighton United Methodist Church and enjoyed working the church booth at the fair and washing dishes at the Swiss steak dinners. Fred was a people person, and always enjoyed people watching whether it was a bench downtown, at the Fair, or walking for hours around a Home Depot. Nearly everyone knew Fred from his old truck he would drive around town, his big smile, and his laugh. He liked to travel, taking camping trips with his family to Mohican or to Wildwood, trips to Cedar Point, or 4-wheeling at Hatfield-McCoy Trails. Fred was also an avid hunter and fisherman, going to West Virginia to deer hunt and up to Sandusky Bay to fish. Most of all Fred cherished his family and loved to attend his children’s and grandchildren’s sporting events.

Survivors include his children, Tracy (Kenneth) Bender of North Ridgeville, Brian (Jeannine) Shearer of Brighton, and Kelly (Mike) Joppeck of Wellington; grandchildren, Kyle, Kody, Kayla, Jeremy, Julia, Zachary, Maxwell, Nathan, and Matthew; and nine great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, Fred was preceded in death by his wife, Diana (nee Wacker) Shearer, in 2014, and an infant brother.

A private family Celebration of Life will be held later this summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Fred’s memory may be directed to either New Life Hospice, 3500 Kolbe Rd., Lorain, OH 44053, or O’Neill Hospice, 605 Bradley Rd., Bay Village, OH 44140.

Expressions of sympathy and fond memories may be shared with the family online at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com

Donations in Bev’s honor can be made to the Haddie Fund, checks made out to Belpre Church of Christ with Haddie Fund in the byline. Mail to Belpre Church of Christ, 2932 Washington Blvd., Belpre, OH 45714, https://www.belprechurch.com/haddie

Condolences for the Ziegler family may be given at www.norton-eastmanfuneralhome.com

Fatal on turnpike under investigation

The Chronicle-Telegram

The Ohio Highway Patrol is investigating a threevehicle fatal crash that happened Saturday just east of the state Route 57 Ohio Turnpike interchange.

The crash killed 23-yearold Jackson Williams of Broadview Heights, whose Subaru Crosstrek drove off the left side of the road and

hit the concrete median. It then came back onto the road and hit the trailer of a Peterbilt truck driven by Jonathan Pate, 30, of Dallas. It was then hit by a Dodge Ram, driven by Gary Clark, 59, of Centerville, Michigan, according to the patrol.

Williams died at the scene. Pate and Clark were not injured.

Over 28 days, the crew logged 21 missions and more than 91 hours in the air, transporting 471,000 pounds of cargo out of Diori Hamani to a more secure location.

This cargo included 111 pallets of equipment, nine vehicles and 245 people.

The aftermath

With its assets and people withdrawn from a tenuous position in Niamey, thanks to Bishop’s team, the U.S. was finally able to denounce the seizure of power in Niger.

“Due to the steadfast dedication and airmanship of the crew of Reach 190, they relocated the ISR and COIN footprint from the capital of Niger to AB201 (the moniker of the new base),” the Air Force said. “Allowing the U.S. State Department to officially recognize the coup as illegal, while avoiding potential retaliation from the provisional government, ensuring the safety of U.S. personnel in the region.”

Bishop said that what makes his job, and particularly missions like that in Niger last year, so rewarding is being able to see how his work affects U.S. policy on a global scale.

“In my personal opinion, one of the hardest parts about this job and being American military is that we operate under extreme purview of the global community,” Bishop said.

Ziegler

Shearer

Olsen

9 men arrested trying to buy sex in Amherst

Police would not disclose exact location

The Chronicle-Telegram

In a joint operation on North Leavitt Road on Tuesday, the Amherst Police Department and Lorain County Prosecutor’s Office arrested and charged nine men with trying to buy sex.

The operation was focused on suspected human trafficking and prostitution activity, according to a news release.

All those arrested had agreed to pay for sex acts and were charged when they arrived at the location where the sting occurred, according to Amherst police.

Police did not disclose the location of the arrests. All nine men were arrested and charged with one count each of engaging in prostitution and three counts each of possession of criminal tools, all misdemeanors. They were:

n Jesse Lowman, 38, of Lorain. He was

convicted of felony importuning — soliciting a child for sex, in his case a girl — in Lorain County Common Pleas Court in May 2016 and sentenced to three years of probation, according to court records. He is also a registered Tier I sex offender who is required to register with the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office for 15 years from the date of conviction.

n Luke Darrow, 38, of Lorain. He has a history of arrests for domestic violence and endangering children, according to Lorain County Jail records.

n Justin Chill, 43, of Lorain.

n Thomas Gonzalez, 63, of Lorain.

n Milo Hildebrandt, 57, of Vermilion.

n Darnell Willis, 32, of Cleveland.

n Michael Thompson, 42, of Euclid.

n Brian Brumbaugh, 53, of Bellevue.

n Edwin Holland, 31, of North Carolina.

Lorain County Community College graduates walked in the processional into the Ewing Field House for commencement on Saturday morning. This was the 60th annual commencement for Lorain County Community College, and the college exceeded its goal of 10,000 degrees by 2025.

More than 2,000 graduate at LCCC’s 60th ceremony

Owen MacMillan

The Community Guide

More than 2,000 students received their diplomas during the 60th commencement at Lorain County Community College Saturday. The theme of the event was “Our Legacy, Our Future,” signifying the college’s celebration of both this year’s graduates and all those who came before them.

“Today, you make history as the 60th graduating class of Lorain County Community College,” LCCC President Marcia Ballinger said in her welcome address. “As you earn your degree, you join the proud legacy of the 46,000 LCCC graduates who came before you. I am so proud of each of you.”

LCCC’s 2024 graduating class included 2,040 students graduating with a combined 2,364 degrees or credentials earned through the college.

Of those students, 1,790 earned degrees or certificates, 2,108 of them in total, including nine Bachelor of Applied Science degrees; 263 graduates earned bachelor’s or master’s degrees through the LCCC University Partnership.

Ballinger placed those new graduates in the legacy of the many who came before them, starting in 1964 when the college’s first graduating class of 33 completed their classes.

She spoke about one of those early graduates, Georgeane Poplar, who taught for decades using the knowledge she gained at LCCC.

“Graduates, like Georgeane, each of you

represent stories of transformation,” Baallinger said.

“Stories of second chances, of unlocked potential, and of finding the courage to turn a dream into reality. You represent our legacy, and our future — and I know we are in good hands.”

In 2019, LCCC launched a plan to graduate 10,000 students with degrees or certificates between 2019 and 2025.

With Saturday’s class, the college met that goal a year ahead of schedule, Ballinger said.

The college shared a news release on Saturday spotlighting a few members of the graduating class, who represent the diversity of opportunities and paths at LCCC.

One dual-enrolled student graduating was Myles Riggins, 18, a graduate of Oberlin High School.

Riggins will now transfer to Ohio State University and plans to earn a bachelor of arts in public management, leadership and policy, followed by a master of public administration.

He plans to return home with that knowledge to serve Lorain County.

“I have a real attachment to Lorain County,” Riggins said in the release. “I grew up here. I care about social issues, and I care about people. That’s my thing.”

China Taylor, 25, a technical sergeant in the Ohio Air National Guard, graduated on Saturday with an associate degree in nursing.

Taylor said she chose LCCC because its students pass the National Council Licensure Examination at a high rate — this year that pass rate was 93 percent.

Taylor, a nurse at the Cleveland Clinic Avon Hospital, is also a member of the 44 percent of graduates who were the first in their family to receive a college degree.

Also already working in his field of choice is graduate John Martin, 20, of Oberlin. Martin one of four students selected to work on a National Science Foundation-backed project to study designs for devices used in the treatment of pediatric scoliosis.

“John’s not only an amazing student, he’s also an amazing person,” Regan Silvestri, the LCCC professor who led the project, said in a release. “As we worked through our research project, John seemed to have a natural gut instinct as to what was the right thing to do as we solved this curious engineering puzzle of a project.”

Martin is enrolled in LCCC’s University Partnership program with the University of Toledo

Another student highlighted was Emily Williams, 23, of Grafton.

Williams was one of the nine members of the Class of 2024 to graduate with a Bachelor of Applied Science, hers in the field of microelectronic manufacturing.

Williams was featured in a story in The Chronicle in December, when she helped give state Rep. Bob Latta a tour of the college’s micro electromechanical program. She has accepted a job as a facilities engineer for Intel Corporation.

Ballinger told them they would need to continue learning as they worked to build their own legacy.

KRISTIN BAUER / COMMUNITY GUIDE

Tax abatement OK’d for Oberlin pot provider

Dave O’Brien

The Community Guide

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a 10-year, 75 percent tax abatement agreement between Oberlin and medical cannabis company Ascension Biomedical.

The company is planning a $2 million, 14,150-squarefoot addition to its facility on Artino Street in the Oberlin Industrial Park. That will add 40 new fulltime jobs.

Carrie Porter, director of planning and development

for the city, told the board the city supported the project, which will “more than double” Ascension’s space. The Oberlin school district didn’t have to approve the project, but it was included in the discussion and supported the expansion.

“Ascension has been a good corporate citizen for us,” Porter said. Fadi Boumitri, founder and CEO of Ascension Biomedical, said the expansion will triple the size of its employee base or more and give it seven times its current production capacity.

He said he hopes that the company will become profitable this year for the first time.

Not a cannabis user, either medically or recreationally, Boumitri said he is a “very big advocate for it” because of a family member’s health issues.

Commissioner David Moore, a Republican, said he “struggled” with approving the abatement.

“But the community is asking for it, the schools are fine with it,” said Moore, who is running for re-election this year.

“As long as the city and schools are supportive, I don’t see why I shouldn’t be.”

“No doubt it’s a controversial subject, but it’s legal and we’re glad you’re going to be expanding your business and creating some tax revenue,” Commissioner Jeff Riddell, a Republican, told Boumitri.

In other development business, the board approved a petition from Pulte Homes for special assessments that will eventually bring sewer lines to its planned 55-and-older

Del Webb community it is building in Columbia Township.

Jeremy Krahe, director of land entitlement for Pulte Homes, said his company is working through the approvals on the Del Webb community, its first in the Cleveland market in more than a decade.

His company was asking the board to put an assessment on its property that it will then pass to its customers. Krahe said the assessments won’t have an effect on current residents.

He said once the 55-and-

older community is built, the Columbia school district will receive $3 million annually in property tax revenue “without any new kids being introduced into the schools.”

The board also OK’d an agreement between the Lorain County Engineer’s Office and the H2Ohio Conservation Ditch Grant Program through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources worth $307,000 for work on portions of Foster Ditch in LaGrange Township.

‘Lorain County: 200 Years’ goes on tour

Christina Jolliffe

The Community Guide

As the county prepares to celebrate its bicentennial later this month, a traveling exhibit has begun touring the towns, townships and cities of Lorain County.

“Lorain County: 200 Years” is a collaboration between the Lorain County Historical Society and the Lorain County Commissioners, detailing the many storied events that made this county home.

From the Oberlin-Wellington rescue to shipbuilding in Lorain, the exhibit covers the stories from the southernmost border to the North Coast.

“We have a lot of different historical organizations and a lot of history in the county,” said Amanda Davidson-Johnston, education and tour coordinator for the Lorain County Historical Society. “We have so many amazing places in the county, so we wanted to make sure we focused on different areas.”

The exhibit already has gained attention in education circles, booking out to the end of the year.

“This display highlights

some of the many people, places and events that have shaped Lorain County over the past two centuries,” Davidson-Johnston said.

In April 2023, the Lorain County Historical Society reached out to every historical organization in the county asking for their top five events in their area.

Of the 40 organizations contacted, the list was pared down and then sent to community members for review. Community members added their own input and the list was changed again.

“We really did a lot of work trying to find those important stories to tell,” Davidson-Johnston said.

The founding of Elyria High School, the Lorain tornado, cheesemaking, Toni Morrison, the Kipton train wreck — it’s all there. Still, historians wanted more, which is why there is an interactive piece to the exhibit.

“If people find something we missed, they’re invited to write on a sticky note what they think is most important about Lorain County,” Davidson-Johnston said. “When we get the sticky notes back, we will

OBERLIN HIGH STUDENTS GET MOCK DRILL LESSON ON DISTRACTED DRIVING

In a display for students at Oberlin High School, members of the Oberlin Fire Department, right, use a hydraulic rescue tool, also known as “jaws of life” to help extricate the “victims” of the car crash. The mock drill used two students who were extricated from a car by Oberlin’s emergency rescue personnel with a hydraulic rescue tool, also known as “jaws of life.”

While the event was a re-enactment, the message was clear: Distracted driving can happen in mere seconds and it can be life-changing.

OHS Senior Madelyn Hanmer, with the help of her dad, Oberlin Fire Department Chief Robert Hanmer, wanted to show what can happen in a split-second if a person is driving while texting, under the influence or simply not paying attention to their surroundings.

First Baptist Christian School fourth graders view the exhibit

year at the Lorain County History Center

figure out a way to exhibit them at the historical society and we will post them on social media.’’

Even though the exhibit is booked up until next year, the historical society will continue circulating it for anyone who wants it.

“If anyone is still interested in hosting the exhibit, they can email me to get scheduled,” she said. “Right now we are also working

with other organizations around the county to get the exhibit to all parts of the county to show how amazing Lorain County’s history is.

“We’re really excited about it,” she continued. “We’re really excited it’s actually going out now since we have been in the process for over a year. To have it get out in the community now is really great.”

Exhibit display dates

April 26 to May 10 — Grafton-

The Community Guide ELYRIA — A woman is dead after being reportedly struck by a LifeCare ambulance Monday afternoon. Elyria police were called to the Riverview Plaza apartments at 310 East Ave. just after 3 p.m. Monday for a fatal crash involving an ambulance and a pedestrian, according to a news release. The crash remains under investigation.

Chief Bill Pelko, who was at the apartment building shortly after the fatality, said it appeared the person had been stuck by the ambulance.

Shawn Compton, who lives above the woman who was reportedly struck, said he was outside and saw the ambulance turn near the dumpsters in front of the high-rise when the woman was coming from the back of the building and fell out of her motorized wheelchair and into the path of the ambulance.

Compton said he started running toward the woman to help her and saw her head struck by the ambulance.

“… A terrible way to go,” Compton said. Pelko said the driver of the ambulance, and the patient it was originally transporting, were taken to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center.

LifeCare Chief Operating Officer Kim Mason said, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of life today while responding to an emergency call in Elyria.

“On behalf of everyone at LifeCare, we extend our deepest condolences to the deceased’s family and friends.”

Man killed in shooting at Joker’s Pub

The Community Guide

A Brunswick man is in the Lorain County Jail and facing murder charges stemming from a fatal shooting at a Columbia Township bar Friday night.

Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, deputies were called to Joker’s Pub and Grub, 24517 Sprague Road,

Columbia Township, at 10:51 p.m. Friday for reports of a shooting. Deputies found a man shot, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. He was later identified

as Jason Kleinman, 49, of Avon Lake. Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller said Kleinman, was killed by a gunshot wound.

James Arthur Stewart, 40, of Brunswick, was arrested for the shooting. He has been charged with murder, felonious assault and possession of a firearm in liquor permit premises, all

felonies, as well as misdemeanor using weapons while intoxicated.

“Deputies learned that the physical altercation erupted within the pub which led to a male patron, who was involved in the altercation, producing a hand gun and firing at another male,” the release said.

Stewart was arrested at

the scene and taken to the Lorain County Jail. He faces charges of murder, using a weapon while intoxicated, possession of a firearm in a bar and attempt to commit an offense.

Stewart was being held without bond, according to jail records. He does not appear to have any prior criminal convictions. The incident is still under investigation, the sheriff’s office said.

The owner of Joker’s Pub and Grub, which has reopened after closing for a couple days, said on their Facebook page, “Our hearts are breaking for a dear friend of ours, you were taken way too soon.”

Herb de la Porte of Elyria took the photograph of runway resurfacing at Lorain County Airport, at right.

Herb de la Porte is a pilot himself but said he took this from the passenger seat of a friend’s helicopter.

County airport gets upgrades, repaving

The Community Guide Construction work including paving is being done on a runway and other facilities at the Lorain County Regional Airport in New Russia Township over at least the next month.

According to an update provided by the Lorain County Administrator’s office, the project was supposed to start in May 2023 but ran into supply chain issues and the time available to pave the runway during the season ran out.

The work includes milling down then repaving runway 07/25, upgrades to runway edge lights, beacons, the tie down-ramp for smaller aircraft and the segmented circle — a visual indicator that tells pilots about the traffic pattern at the airport.

The runway will be closed through June 4, will open for another week, then be closed again for five days to groove the runway. It will close again a week after that for striping, according to the county.

ATHLETES SHINE AT SPECIAL OLYMPICS

It was fun and games as hundreds of kids from around Lorain County, above, competed Friday when Mercy Health Field at Ely Stadium hosted the Special Olympics. It wasn’t just the kids competing. School mascots, left, also got in on th action. Who won? Everyone!

BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE

BRUCE

The runway will be closed through June 4, will open for another week, then be closed again for five days to groove the runway. It will close again a week after that for striping, according to the county.

Stewart

Lorain County League Conference Track Championship Hosted

by Firelands High School

Firelands won the event as a team but there were many outstanding participant from other schools. Here, Oberlin’s Evan Hudson turns the final corner in the boys 200-meter race. Hudson won this as well as the boys 100-meter and 200-meter races.

Firelands scores DII softball win

Firelands (No. 6 seed) hosted Bay Village (No. 25 Seed) in a DII Sectional Final game.

Bay Village stayed close early, but Firelands pulled away on several big hits to capture a 10-3 win. Firelands was to move on to face Padua (No. 7 Seed).

Keystone’s Aubrey Cindia clears the bar in the girls high jump. Cindia won the event with a jump of 5’00” in the finals.

Firelands’ Arianah Floyd, Oberlin’s Alyssa Webb and Wellington’s Joyce Stallard near the finish line in the girls 100-meter dash. In another Oberlin victory, Webb won the event, followed by Stallard and Floyd.

Black River’s Braylon O’Neal clears a hurdle in the boys 300-meter hurdles. O’Neal finished first in the event.

Firelands Sarah Blankenship launches a solo home run against Bay Village.

Firelands’ Aubrynn Reichle makes the throw to first base to complete an inning ending double play as Bay’s Julia Mavis slides into second base.

Photos by Russ Gifford The Community Guide

Taste history in Amherst Taste of History, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 14 and June 15 at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave., Amherst. A unique military living history event focusing on the food and rations that fed soldiers across all eras. Sample military chow through the ages available for donation. Military displays, shooting demonstrations, home front and camp follower displays, kids’ activities, vendors and more. Free shuttle and parking at Amherst Junior High School, 548 Milan Ave., Amherst. Registration to be a reenactor or a field kitchen for the event is free. Vendor registration is $50. Registration is available at https://www.mhpg.us/ tasteofhistory. For more information, please contact the Amherst Historical Society (440) 988-7255 or office@ amhersthistoricalsociety.org.

Warehouse sale benefits hospice

Hospice of the Western Reserve warehouse sale, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday 17876 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Gently used home furnishings, accents, and accessories will be available for purchase. All proceeds benefit Hospice of the Western Reserve patients and families.

Junk in the Trunk sale Saturday Fields United Methodist Church “Junk in the Trunk” sale, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 34077 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville (parking lot). Bring your own bag. Admission is free. Rain or shine. If interested in selling, contact Johann at (440) 748-9777 or email jlepley@ oh.rr.com for more information.

Spring plant sale benefits mission trip

Fields United Methodist Church spring plant sale, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, 34077 Lorain Road, North Ridgeville. Offering a variety of perennials, houseplants, vegetables and more. Food available for purchase. Proceeds to benefit a mission trip to Kentucky.

Picnic for a Purpose in June

Primary Purpose Center “Picnic for a Purpose”, starting at 2 p.m. June 1 at The Lodge in New Russia Township, 46300 Butternut Ridge Road, Oberlin. Visit primarypurposecenter.com for more information.

Sandstone car, bike show in Amherst Sandstone Village Car and Bike Show, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 2 at Sandstone Village, 763 Milan Ave., Amherst. Rain or shine. Car registration: 9 to 11 a.m. day of show. Cars should enter through Jefferson Street for registration. Dash plaques to the first 200; photo area; goody bags for first 100 registrants. Free entry for spectators. Free parking and shuttle from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Amherst Junior High School, 548 Milan Ave., Amherst. Village buildings and shops will be open; food vendors; 50/50 raffle; basket raffles and more. For more information, please contact (440) 988-7255 or office@ amhersthistoricalsociety.org.

OPPOSITES

BULLETIN BOARD

UCC making stuffed cabbage

Hungarian cabbage roll sale, 9 a.m. to noon, June 7 and 8 at Community of Faith UCC, 9715 East River Road, Elyria. Cost is $15 per uncooked dozen. Orders accepted through May 24 by calling (440)309-6828 or the church office at (440)322-3781. Please specify pick up date when placing your order.

Drive to Thrive fundraiser

First annual “Drive to Thrive,” 5 to 8 p.m. June 14 at NAPA, 1020 East Broad St., Elyria. $10 registration fee, all makes and models. Dash plaques for the first 50 cars; 50/50 raffle. Non-perishable food donations accepted. Proceeds benefit The Bread of Life Ministry. Rain date: June 21. www.elyriabreadoflife.org

Sports Foundation fundraiser June 18

T3 Sports Foundation fundraiser, gates open at 6 p.m., first pitch at 7:05 p.m. June 18 at the Lake Erie Crushers Stadium, 2009 Baseball Blvd., Avon. Tickets are $13 each. Proceeds benefit athletes in need as a portion of ticket sales and 50/50 Raffle proceeds will go directly to the T3 Sports Foundation. Tickets can be purchased at fevo-enterprise.com/event/T3Foundation.

Amherst City Golf League results

Results from May 7th at Forest Hills:

Low gross went to Vic Bellan with 42; low net was had by Les Kreeger with 30. High points was 18 by Chuck Giebel. League prizes went to Paul Peterson and Olan Reese.

Current Standings-

1) Star Builders 55

2) Hempel

42. “I Like ___,” 1952 campaign slogan

43. Of somber color

45. *Like bride’s accessories (2 words)

47. 60 mins., pl.

48. Indiana ball player

50. One of Three Bears

52. *Day periods (2 words)

55. Vernacular

56. Part of church

57. Soap bubbles

59. Type of small salmon

60. Bound

61. Domingo, Pavarotti and Carreras, e.g.

62. Nicholas II of Russia, e.g.

63. Key next to spacebar

64. Where users review

DOWN 1. Fa follower 2. Between Ohio and Ontario

3. *Opposite of on land 4. Fluffy dessert 5. Hillsides in Scotland 6. Anti-seniors sentiment

*Opposite of awakward and clumsy

Polansky’s Meat Market 26

County gets bike helmets to distribute

The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP) awarded 72 helmets to Lorain County Public Health (LCPH) to promote bike helmet safety. This marks the second year in a row that LCPH has been honored with this valuable resource.

“Biking is just one way to get around in Lorain County. LCPH is dedicated to fostering safer biking environments

*Door instruction (2 words)

Fairy tale opener

for all people, including our youth,” said Mark Adams, MPH, REHS, health commissioner at LCPH. “Wearing a bike helmet every time you ride prevents injuries and can increase your chances of survival in the event of a crash.” According to Ohio AAP, helmet use can reduce the risk of head injury by 85 percent.

These helmets are earmarked for school-aged youth engaged in Elyria Safe Routes to School programs. Additionally, they will be distributed to participants of the Girls in Gear Camp in North Ridgeville this summer, hosted by North Ridgeville Heart & Sole Collaborative. Participants in these specific programs will each receive one helmet at no cost. They will learn how to properly fit and wear the helmet as part of the program. Youth will also get educated on traffic laws.

Any North Ridgeville resident in grades four through nine may participate in the Girls in Gear program. Space is limited; email North Ridgeville Heart & Sole at nrheartandsole@gmail.com for more details on Girls in Gear registration.

Historic church open house

From 1-3 p.m. on Sunday, there will be an open house at the historic Brownhelm Station Church, 1355 Claus Road, Vermilion.

It will include a special presentation by local author, Duane Miller. Duane will share his experiences from his book, “Survivor”, a true story about a life changing experience from his youth. He will also speak about his journey of becoming an author as well as sharing some excerpts from his upcoming book (not yet in print) about legendary Brownhelm stories.

Music therapy at Amherst Library

The Amherst Library will have a session with music therapist Hannah Gonzalez at 11:30 a.m. Friday. Enjoy engaging musical activities for children ages 9 months through 6 years.

Need papers shredded? Do it Saturday

Shred day will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Shoreway Shopping Plaza in Sheffield Lake.

Bring your sensitive documents such as tax forms and medical records to be shredded onsite in the parking lot. Each household may bring up to five standard-size copier paper boxes or five grocery-size bags of documents. Staples are fine, but no paper clips, binder clips, binders, spiral-bound notebooks, other metal objects, batteries or electronics. This free event is provided by the Lorain County Solid Waste Management District. The event may end early if the truck is full.

Carnival Time in Ridgeville

The North Ridgeville Library will host Carnival Time from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. There will be carnival games, plus Spring Mist Farm’s petting zoo between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Twister Girl Balloon Company between 2 and 4 p.m.

et Caught Reading is a campaign to promote the fun of reading books!

The Get Caught Reading organization providesposters to schoolsand libraries that show Olympic stars, entertainment stars and evenpopular book characters reading forfun.

Can you get caught reading thismonth?

Color these readers.Thendraw whattheymightbereading about in the

ScrambledBook Titles Unscramble

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