Lorain County Community Guide 9-26-24 by Lorain County Printing and Publishing

County jail inmate found dead

Coroner finds no sign of injury

Dave O’Brien

The Community Guide

A 69-year-old man arrested on charges he solicited a 14-year-old girl for sex was found dead in his Lorain County Jail cell Sept. 15.

An autopsy found no signs of injury, county Coroner Dr. Frank Miller said. Miller said he is waiting on the results of toxicology and other testing before issuing a final cause of death for Ricky Vankerkhove, who was found dead Sunday morning. Vankerkhove, 69, of Pineola, North

Carolina, was being held in the Lorain County Jail on $350,000 bond when he died. He was facing felony charges including assault and importuning, which means soliciting a minor for sex, following an Aug. 16 arrest by Elyria police. According to the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, Vankerkhove last was seen alive in his cell at 7:30 a.m. Sunday by corrections officers and medical staff, according to an initial report on his death that was reviewed by The Chronicle-Telegram. It was at 11:14 a.m. that a corrections officer found Vankerkhove “unresponsive and slumped over on his bed during a routine check and while passing out meal trays,” accord-

ing to the report. Attempts to wake him up didn’t work, and the corrections officer called for assistance.

Sheriff’s Lt. Joshua Croston said Tuesday there was no apparent sign of foul play.

Vankerkhove was the only prisoner in the cell. All other inmates in the cellblock were in their assigned cells at the time, according to the report.

He was arrested after a 14-year-old girl told Elyria police she was walking on Birch Street near West Avenue in Elyria on Aug. 16 when a man drove up in a silver Toyota Tacoma and offered her $2,000 for sex.

The teen, who was on FaceTime with her mother at the time, took a picture of the truck, its the license

plate and the man, who was later identified as Vankerkhove.

The teen kept him talking long enough for her mother to arrive at the scene, confront Vankerkhove, and get him to admit he had propositioned the girl for sex.

Linda Vazquez told The Chronicle that she punched Vankerkhove several times in the face. He then started to drive away as she tried to pull him out of his truck.

He didn’t get far. Vazquez said Vankerkhove stopped his truck at the end of Birch Street, called back to her and her daughter and again offered money for sex.

“When he got to the stop sign when he left that dead end street (Birch

ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED

This rendering from Cedar Point shows the dead stop and “broken” section of track of the Siren’s Curse, a new roller coaster announced by the Sandusky amusement park for 2025.

Cedar Point getting scary new coaster

The Community Guide

Cedar Point in Sandusky has announced a new roller coaster will debut in 2025.

Street) he said, ‘Are you sure you don’t wanna make $2,000? That’s a lot for a little girl like you,’” Vazquez told The Chronicle at Vankerhove’s Aug. 19 arraignment in Elyria Municipal Court.

Vankerkhove was arrested later that day by State Highway Patrol troopers after a traffic stop near state Route 301 and Webster Road at the border of LaGrange and Penfield townships. He was wearing the same clothing seen and photographed by the teenage girl, police said.

Contact Dave O’Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.

County jail gets clean state review

The Community Guide

The Lorain County Jail has passed its most recent inspection by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction with no violations, Sheriff Phil Stammitti announced Monday.

The jail, at 9896 Murray Ridge Road in Elyria, was inspected Sept. 19 and found to be in compliance with 178 different standards, state jail inspector Jack Barone told Stammitti in a letter that Stammitti shared with The ChronicleTelegram.

Standards included reception and release, security, housing, sanitation and environmental conditions, communication, visitation, medical and mental health

services and more. Stammitti thanked the ODRC Bureau of Adult Detention for the report, and credited jail staff with passing the state inspection.

“As you are aware, working in a correctional facility is no easy task, but I give the men and woman at this facility all the credit in doing a great job day in and day out to keep our residents and staff safe,” Stammitti wrote to Barone.

The county is in the process replacing the aging jail, with the cost estimated at more than $80 million. Two consultants, an architectural firm and county officials have been working on the plans since last year.

Free Covid tests available again

Then it will slowly tilt the entire train into a 90-degree vertical position, where riders can peer straight down to what appears to be open space.

The track will lock into place, sending riders down and through 2,966 feet of track at a top speed of 58

Siren’s Curse — the tallest, fastest and longest “tilt” roller coaster in North America — will feature a multimedia sensory experience as riders ascend an old 160-foot-tall Lake Erie shipping crane tower. Riders will then experience what a statement from the park referred to as its signature moment, a dead stop on a “broken off” section of track.

mph. The ride will feature 13 weightless airtime moments, two 360-degree, zero-gravity barrel rolls and a high-speed “triple-down” element with twisted and overbanked track.

“Record-breaking thrills have always been at the heart of Cedar Point’s roller coaster lineup, and Siren’s Curse lives up to that standard,” said Carrie Boldman, vice president and general manager of Cedar Point.

Community Guide

U.S. households will be able to order as many as four nasal swab tests at COVIDTests.gov when the federal program reopens.

The U.S. Health and Human Services agency overseeing the program has not yet given an exact date when ordering can begin.

An agency spokesperson has said the tests will detect current virus strains and can be ordered ahead of the holiday season, when families and friends gather.

The Community Guide

A federal judge last week sentenced a Cleveland woman to two years in prison for robbing a U.S. Bank branch in Elyria last winter. Tyaesha Hunter, 32, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson, and ordered to pay $797 in restitution and $100 in fines, according to federal court records. Pearson also ordered her to

serve three years on supervised release when she gets out of prison.

Hunter, who was free on bond, was ordered to surrender herself to the U.S. Marshals Service.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office asked for “a sentence on the low

end” of federal sentencing guidelines given Hunter’s “limited” criminal history, according to court records.

Her attorney told the court Hunter is a single mother and abuse survivor whose mother was murdered in 2020. After she lost her job at a hotel in December, Hunter’s mental health broke down and she “made a horrible decision — she planned

and then robbed a bank,” her attorney wrote to the court.

Since her arrest, Hunter found a job at a different hotel, started training to become a health care worker and is on medication, according to court records.

Two family members and a co-worker wrote letters of support on her behalf, according to court records.

Hunter pleaded guilty in June

to a charge of bank robbery. She admitted she walked into the U.S. Bank at 455 Midway Blvd. on Dec. 16 and handed a teller a note demanding money.

The teller handed over $1,452 in cash, of which only $655 was recovered. Hunter then got in a gray 2015 Dodge Dart and drove away, but her car was caught on camera, allowing Elyria police to track her down.

Hunter

OBITUARIES

Evelyn Naomi Brown

Evelyn Naomi (Crum) Brown, 89, residing in Sandusky, passed away Monday, August 26, 2024 at The Meadows at Osborn Park.

Evelyn was born August 28, 1934 in Attica, Ohio to the late Clarence and Alice (Revert) Crum. Evelyn was a proud graduate of Attica High School. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to her work, serving as a sales associate at Sears, Dillard's, Walmart, and Kohl's, where she built lasting relationships with her colleagues and customers. Evelyn was an active member of the Women's Group at Trinity United Methodist Church. In her spare time, Evelyn found joy in crafting, turning her passion into a small business at Lake Erie Arts and Crafts, where she delighted in sharing her creations with others. She also cherished the time spent volunteering alongside her late husband at the Merry-Go-Round Museum. Evelyn's life was marked by her warmth, creativity, and dedication to those she loved and the causes she held dear. Evelyn is survived by her daughters, Rhonda O. Richmond of Sandusky, Ohio, and Vicki L. Brown of Hamilton, Virginia; her son, Roland O. Brown of Sandusky, Ohio; sisters, Carol (Bob) Zeiter and Betty (the late John) McClester; grandchildren, Jay Richmond, Shannon Brown, Jacob Buzza, and Ethan and Noah Gallagher; six great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, and other relatives.

Man who bit man’s face gets 3 years

The Community Guide

In addition to her parents; Evelyn is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Orville Brown; daughter, Debra Alice Brown; and sisters, Bernadine (Henry) Stein and Arlene (Russell) Smith.

Friends called on Friday, September 6, 2024 from 10 to 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 214 E Jefferson St, Sandusky, OH 44870. Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. with Reverend Ted Buehl and Reverend Diane Bell presiding. Entombment followed in Meadow Green Memorial Park, Huron, Ohio.

Those wishing to contribute to Evelyn's memory may do so to Trinity United Methodist Church, 214 E Jefferson St, Sandusky, OH 44870.

Condolences may be shared online at www.grofffuneralhomes.com.

Kathleen 'Kathy' Rae Spanos

Kathleen “Kathy” Rae Spanos, 62, and a resident of Amherst, passed away Sunday, September 15, 2024, at Lutheran Medical Hospital.

Hempel Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Patricia B. Clarkson

Patricia B. Clarkson (nee: Cooper) was born March 21, 1927, in Ashland to Florence Pauline Cooper (nee: Martin) and Donald K. Cooper and died Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at the Anchor Lodge Assisted Living Facility. Arrangements were handled by the Hempel Funeral Home. Brown

Sanitizer fire injures two

The Community Guide

Two workers at ReWorld, a specialized waste removal and recycling facility on Pin Oak Parkway in Avon Lake, were hospitalized Friday after a fire broke out while hand sanitizer was being recycled.

One worker was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland with burn injuries, and a second was taken to University Hospitals St. John Medical

Center in Westlake, with unspecified injuries, according to Avon Lake Fire Chief Jeremy Betsa.

The severity of the injuries was not known.

Betsa said Avon Lake firefighters were called to the business at 33565 Pin Oak Parkway just after 10. At the scene, they discovered a fire had started in machinery that was being used to recycle unused hand sanitizer, he said.

LETTERS

Letters to the editor should be:

• Written to the editor. We do not allow open letters or those to specific residents, politicians, or groups.

• Concise. There is a limit of 350 words on letters.

• Polite. Letters that use crude language or show poor taste will be rejected.

• Opinions. We reserve space for letters that share a unique perspective. Press releases are not letters and will be considered for publication in other parts of the paper.

• Free of advertising, product or service endorsements or complaints, poetry, language that could raise legal problems, or claims that are measurably false.

• Signed. Include your name, address, and daytime telephone number for our records. Up to two signatures.

• The deadline to submit letters is 10 a.m. each Monday. They are used on a space-available basis. We reserve the right to edit any submission for length, grammar, spelling, and clarity, or to reject any submission.

Gary Crow, former executive director of Lorain County Children Services, is pictured at a Children Services Board meeting in 2012. He died at age 82 on Friday at a Delaware, Ohio, hospice.

Civic leader Gary Crow dies at age 82

The Community Guide

Gary Crow, the former director of Lorain County Children Services, died Sept. 6 in Delaware, Ohio, after a brief stay in hospice.

Crow was 82. No cause of death was given, and his obituary said the funeral was private.

Arrangements were being handled by the SnyderRodman Funeral Center in Delaware.

Crow was a social worker, businessman and leadership expert. He held a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, served on the faculty there and at The Methodist Theological School and Urbana University, according to his obituary.

He was a published author of more than 10 books on crisis intervention, suicide prevention and mental health with his wife of 55 years, Letha. They had their own three children, but fostered and adopted more, according to his obituary and a former co-worker.

Kristen Fox Berki, the current director of Lorain County Children Services, joined the agency as a caseworker in 1997.

Already the agency’s director, Gary Crow “was just that person when he was in a room talking, when he started to talk, everyone got quiet,” she recalled. “He was a very good listener, and took in all the information.”

Fox Berki said many people “would describe him as a visionary.”

“He was always trying to be innovative” she said.

“One of the things I credit him with is the focus he put on focusing on the child and making decisions based on the best interests of the child.”

Gary Crow also stressed the importance of extended family in foster parenting, what Fox Berki said is called “kinship care.”

She said in the 1990s, if a child couldn’t stay in their home with their parents, the child “almost automatically” ended up in foster care and grandparents, aunts and uncles weren’t considered as an alternative.

Working with the state, Crow advocated to change that, Fox Berki said.

“He really introduced that to this agency and this community, and I think it’s a hallmark of his. It was a really positive thing,” she said.

During Crow’s tenure, Lorain County Children Services was considered an example to others agencies in the state, and was named a “star performer” by the Public Children Services Agency of Ohio, according to Fox Berki and Chronicle-Telegram archives.

Crow retired in 2013 after 18 years with Children Services. He was a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ohio chapter of the National Association of Social Work.

“Blindness didn’t define him, it emboldened him,” his obituary read.

A former Oberlin College soccer player who attacked and seriously injured an elderly man in 2023 in Oregon during a schizophrenic break and while on drugs was sentenced Sept. 18 to more than three years in prison.

Koryn Kraemer, 27, was sentenced to three years and four months behind bars, with another two years supervised release, in Multnomah County, Oregon, Circuit Court, according to media reports. He pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted assault in a deal with prosecutors, The Oregonian newspaper/OregonLive. com reported Thursday.

The Oregonian reported that Kraemer told Multnomah County Circuit Judge Shelley Russell that he felt “really horribly about what happened, and I know now that by medicating my condition I’ll be able to manage my illness and ensure that nothing violent happens in the future.” With credit for time served, Kraemer could be release from prison as soon as next summer, The Oregonian reported.

Kraemer is a New Jersey native who played goalie for the Oberlin College men’s soccer team in 2015-16. At about 2 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2023, he bit off a 78-year-old man’s ear and part of his face thinking he was a “robot,” authorities said.

The attack happened

at a deserted Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation, or TriMet MAX light rail station platform in Gresham, a Portland. Oregon, suburb. Following his arrest, Kraemer told authorites he could “smell” that the man was a “robot.”

Kraemer also admitted using fentanyl, alcohol and marijuana prior to the attack, according to KATU TV in Portland. In the 18 months between the attack and Kraemer’s sentencing, the victim died of pneumonia. The illness was unrelated to the attack, according to The Oregonian.

Kraemer was initially found unfit to stand trial and briefly hospitalized in the Oregon State Hospital, according to previous Chronicle-Telegram reporting and other media reports. He told the judge at sentencing that he is taking medication to treat his schizophrenia. At sentencing, his defense attorney told the judge that Kraemer dropped out of college and moved to Georgia before ending up in Oregon sometime before the attack.

The Oregonian reported that Kraemer asked to live with his family in New Jersey upon release from prison.

FireFish goes up in flames

The Community Guide LORAIN — As chants of “burn the fish” echoed from hundreds gathered at Black River Landing on Saturday night, the namesake of the ninth annual FireFish festival was set ablaze.

This year’s fish sizzled and sparked, the cardboard scales painted by FireFish Arts interns this summer telling stories of Lorain residents smoldering before being caught by the wind.

For FireFish Arts Founder Joan Perch, who laid the torch down to start the burn, the event was bittersweet. It was the first since her husband, Paul Biber, 75, died earlier this year. The site for the burning of the fish was named in his honor.

“They’re all honoring Paul and letting me light the fish tonight. That’s really special and it’s going to make me cry,” Perch said before the event.

STEVE MANNHEIM / COMMUNITY GUIDE FILE

Kraemer

Area man wins $20K in Pokemon tourney

Third-place also won him valuable swag

Christina Jolliffe

The Community Guide

ELYRIA — An Elyria man nearly caught ‘em all, taking third place in the Pokemon World Tournament in Honolulu last month.

Jesse Parker, 31, one of 1,147 competitors in the Master Division, went undefeated in 14 rounds, making it to the top eight. His third place win earned him $20,000, some valuable swag and an automatic invitation to the World Tournament in California next year.

“It kinda didn’t feel real,” Parker said. “It felt surreal to be undefeated going into the second day.” Parker, who collected Pokemon cards as a child, but didn’t start playing the game until 2017, travels across the U.S. and Canada competing in regional and international tournaments.

This was his fourth World Tournament, having traveled to Washington, D.C., in 2019, London in 2022, and Japan in 2023.

“The World Tournament is the Super Bowl of Pokemon,” Parker said. “It is the best of the best. Some players play their whole lives and never make the top eight. I was never close to the top eight before (in a World Tournament). To accomplish that goal and make it to Day 2, I just thought, ‘Let’s see how far I can go.’”

Parker, a 2012 graduate of First Baptist School in Elyria, describes himself as “really competitive.” Never really into sports, he enjoys video games and board games as a competitive outlet, particularly board games.

“Pokemon is fun because it’s like a tabletop game,” he said. “It’s a different vibe than your average video game.”

Parker, who works at First Federal Lakewood, competes in 15 to 20 major Pokemon gaming events a year, using most of his vacation time to travel and compete.

“All of the friends I have now are friends I’ve met through tournaments,” he said. “Even if I lose, I still get to hang out with friends and it’s a fun little getaway.” For bigger tournaments,

Several of the prizes fetch more than the cash prize if sold.

The third-place trophy card can bring in $50,000 to $75,000.

While Parker does not plan to sell all of his swag, he did sell the trophy card for $70,000.

Parker said he likes to arrive early to spend time relaxing in the city where the tournament is held. When he traveled to Honolulu, he spent seven days there with his sister Deanna before the tournament. His trip to Japan last year was shared with his brother, Luke.

His family supports Parker’s Pokemon gaming with his parents getting phone call updates or watching Parker’s progress throughout the tournament.

“We would watch the link, and it was very impressive,” said his dad, Dan Parker. “If you’ve ever seen the poker championships, it was like that with all of the different cameras and angles. It was really cool. We were pretty thrilled.”

Along with his winnings, Parker, who is sponsored by FCBC Armor, won a third-place trophy card, several prize cards, a special messenger bag, special play mat and a trophy. Several of the prizes fetch more than the cash prize if sold. The third-place

trophy card can bring in $50,000 to $75,000.

While Parker does not plan to sell all of his swag, he did sell the trophy card for $70,000.

The actual trophy will be displayed at RozayPoke Shop in Painesville after its custom trophy stand is completed.

Parker is already gearing up for the new season.

“My goal this season is to win a regional event,” he said.

In 2023, he placed second in the Pittsburgh regionals and made it to the top eight in the Peoria regionals, but has yet to win a first-place prize.

He has plans to participate in the Baltimore regionals this month, Louisville in October and Toronto in December.

“I compare it to chess,” he said. “It’s a game of strategy, but the pieces are always changing because they come out with new cards.”

Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@ chroniclet.com.

Browns rookie pleads to a reduced charge

Enters no contest plea after domestic violence incident in Avon

The Community Guide

Browns rookie Mike Hall Jr. has pleaded no contest to a reduced charge in connection with a domestic violence incident in Avon.

According to Avon Lake Municipal Court records, Hall pleaded no contest to a charge of disorderly conduct persisting. A no contest plea means accepting a conviction without an admission of guilt.

Hall was given a 30-day jail sentence, which was suspended provided he completes two years of monitored time. He was also ordered to pay a $250 fine and $127 in court costs.

Police were called to an Avon house Aug. 12 by a woman who said that Hall had pushed her daughter, his fiancee, and struck her with a baby bottle.

The woman told police she saw Hall choke her daughter by the neck, push her head through a wall and break open a bedroom door to drag her out.

The victim didn’t seek medical attention. Hall was arraigned the next day on a charge of domestic violence.

Hall, a Cleveland-area native who started his high school career at Garfield Heights before graduating from Streetsboro High School, played college football at Ohio State and was a second-round pick (54th overall) of the Browns in this year’s draft.

Shortly before teams had to finalize their roster on Aug. 27, Hall was placed on the commissioner’s exempt list, meaning he’s not on the team’s 53-man roster, but is still getting paid while the NFL investigates to determine if it will issue its own discipline for violation of its personal conduct policy.

An NFL spokesman said Thursday that there has been no change in Hall’s status.

Hall Jr.

PHOTO PROVIDED

Jesse Parker, a 31-year-old Elyria man, holds the third-place trophy he won at the World Tournament in Honolulu last month.

OBERLIN — Residents of Kendal at Oberlin raised more than $1,500 for charity through the Whimsical Art Chairs they created this summer.

The funds will go to Oberlin Community Services.

“This was a resident initiative,” said Terry Kovach, director of sales and marketing for Kendal at Oberlin. “They began the process of getting the chairs and working on them to make them sturdy and strong before turning them into pieces of art.”

That hard work culminated with an art sale at FAVA, where a majority of the chairs sold. Those that didn’t were purchased later by donors.

“We’re very, very happy with the income,” said Kathleen Cerveny, a Kendal at Oberlin resident and manager of the art studio there.

With 16 chairs, donated by Main Street Antiques, a small bookcase and a doll-sized rocking horse, the residents had plenty to offer. Ten items sold at the art sale, bringing in $900.

The remaining eight items sold later for an additional $600.

“We really consider it to be quite a success,” Cerveny said. “Some of the items sold for more than the asking price, too. But the most important thing is that all of the money is going to Oberlin Community Services. This was a partnership between OCS, Kendall and Main Street Antiques.”

OCS was chosen as the recipient of the donations, she said.

“They do so much for people who really are in need,” Cerveny said. “We really wanted to support their mission.”

And OCS is grateful for the generosity.

“The money will be put into the general fund where it is needed the most,” said Jason Hawk, communications and development coordinator with OCS. “It will help offset costs.”

For example, OCS has seen a sharp increase in the number of families coming into its food pantry in recent months going from 220 to 240 families each week to 350 to 400 families.

“We really see a need,” Hawk said. “And just because Oberlin is in our name, we’re not just for Oberlin residents. It’s so great we are able to help so many families in the southern portion of the county. We give food to anyone in Lorain County.”

The project itself took a lot of time, but it’s something the artists enjoyed, Cerveny said. Going forward, Kendal at Oberlin may continue to use chairs as its creative outlet or could choose another medium.

“I know the artists here would be happy to paint more chairs or whatever else,” she said.

Cerveny, a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, was one of 11 artists participating in the event, painting two chairs and the rocking horse.

“It was a totally resident-driven project for a good cause, and it was a lot of fun,” she said.

Contact Christina Jolliffe at ctnews@ chroniclet.com.

“They began the process of getting the chairs and working on them to make them sturdy and strong before turning them into pieces of art.”

Terry Kovach, director of sales and marketing for Kendal at Oberlin

Wendy Kozol and her husband, Steve, are among bicyclists who rode 100 miles to raise money for Oberlin Community Services on Saturday.

OBERLIN COMMUNITY SERVICES FUNDRAISER

raises more than $20,000

Carissa Woytach

The Community Guide

OBERLIN — Volunteers put the pedal to the metal to raise more than $20,000 for Oberlin Community Services’ food pantry on Saturday.

Oberlin Community Services board member

Charlotte McGowan and former board member

Wendy Kozol rode 100 miles around the southern half of Lorain County to raise funds for the nonprofit through its Pedal for the Pantry fundraiser.

The pair, joined off and on throughout their route by other cyclists, started at 7 a.m. Saturday and crossed the finish line outside OCS around 5 p.m. that evening.

This is the second year McGowan has ridden 100 miles for OCS, and she plans to continue the tradi-

tion for at least the next two years until her 75th birthday.

“It’s a wonderful fundraiser and it’s done an awful lot of good for us, especially because we’re seeing so many more families coming to the food pantry that any little bit helps,” said Jason Hawk, communications and development coordinator for OCS.

He said the pantry now regularly serves about 400 families per week — when this time last year it saw about 250 families each week. Those coming to the choice pantry tell volunteers they cannot keep up with grocery costs, he said, and the issue is compounded for families living close to the poverty line, seniors on fixed incomes or just parents trying to put food on the table for their

, 2024 Patricia Wright filed a Complaint or Motion in the Lorain County Court Of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division, Lorain County, Ohio, captioned Patricia Wright Vs Christina Cohoon, et al. 24JG69389 / 24JG69390, for custody of the following child(ren): A.S. D.O.B 2-07-2014 and T.S. D.O.B 2-7-2014. A hearing on this Complaint or Motion is scheduled for the 18th day of October, 2024 at 11:30 AM before the Honorable Judge Frank J. Janik of the Lorain County Court of Common Pleas, Juvenile Division located at 225 Court St., Elyria, Ohio. LCCG 8/19,8/26;10/3/24 20739926

children.

“For folks who are really struggling to get by a grocery bill can present uncomfortable choices — do I buy food this week or do I pay the utility bill? Do I have to limit the nutritious food I put on the table just so I can keep up with rent? It’s choices nobody should have to make,” Hawk said.

Carla Hubbard, of New Russia Township, joined Kozol and McGowan on the first half of their ride Saturday morning. She was one of six at the start of the first leg of the journey.

She said the work Oberlin Community Services does is an important thing for Oberlin.

She understood where some of the families coming to OCS’ pantry were coming from — as she remembered her mom getting blocks of government cheese and budget cuts of meat for their family growing up.

“These places are here for the times you need them,” Hubbard said.

For Kozol, knowing the miles she put on her bike that day went to a good cause helped her get over the hurdle of reaching triple digits.

“You think ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing,’ but it does,” Kozol said. “Every $50, they don’t have to spend on food or they can get help with the rent or something makes it possible their kids eat and keeps some people from being homeless.”

She said those who struggle financially are

often invisible, and OCS helps without judgment.

McGowan said she loves the challenge of riding 100 miles, and appreciated the support she received this year, not only from her friends at Kendal, but those with no connection to Oberlin whatsoever.

“(This year) is a lot more fun because I’ve got people riding with me,” McGowan said, adding alongside Kozol and her husband, Steve Wojtal, riding the full 100 miles, members of local cycling groups came and went over the four legs of Saturday’s journey. The rides took the group as far away as Kipton and Wakeman.

As of Saturday afternoon, McGowan and Kozol had raised $22,989. McGowan hoped to get another $2,011 in donations after the fact to make it an even $25,000 for the pantry.

To donate to Oberlin Community Service or for more information about its services or volunteer opportunities, visit www. oberlincommunityservices. org.

OCS’ choice food pantry is open 1:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 1:30-3:30 p.m. Fridays at The Cooper Community Resource Center, 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin. It is open to all Lorain County residents.

Contact Carissa Woytach at

Christina Jolliffe The Community Guide

CARISSA WOYTACH /

State approves Ford supplier project

Under-construction facility expected to bring 79 jobs to Avon

AVON — Piston Automotive, a supplier of automotive parts, announced Monday it will launch operations in Avon.

Gov. Mike DeWine announced the approval of the project and six others across the state after the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA) reviewed the project during its monthly meeting Monday. The Piston Automotive project is expected to bring 79 jobs.

The state also approved a 1.312 percent job creation tax credit for the project that will run for eight years.

Avon Mayor Bryan Jensen said construction

for the Piston Automotive facility is underway on Avon Commerce Parkway, just off Moore Road.

Tanya Sakhleh, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing, said it targeted Avon because of its proximity to Ford plants in Lorain County. The company primarily supplies Ford with materials for production. The Avon facility will be Piston Automotive’s third in Ohio — the two others are located in Toledo and Marion, Sakhleh said. Sakhleh said construction on the facility is projected to be completed in late 2025, though operations there won’t be running until late 2028. Jensen said his adminis-

tration is looking forward to the job creation the project will bring.

“Those kinds of jobs are not inexpensive jobs — they’re well-paying jobs,” Jensen said. “We’ve seen that it helps our economy. And whether it’s Avon or our surrounding communities, it’s going to bring jobs.”

Sakhleh said one of the company’s values is making a positive impact on the communities in which it sets up operations through boosting the economy and providing job training. The tax credit approved by TCA on Monday will help train and work with the community to ensure people taking the manufacturing jobs will be appro-

priately skilled.

“Creating jobs for the community is one of the priorities of the company,” Sakhleh said. “That’s one of the values we stand by and operate within… just being in the community and helping develop people, help them learn skills in manufacturing. It’s what we do.”

The city of Avon is helping fund roadwork on Avon Commerce Parkway that’s part of the construction,

Jensen said

According to the Lorain County auditor’s office, the 28.3-acre plot of land the facility will be on is currently owned by ODG Avon I LLC, which purchased the land in 2019 for $100,000.

Standoff ... with baby inside

Owen MacMillan

The Community Guide

LORAIN — No one was injured and three men have been arrested after a standoff at a Lorain apartment building on Sept. 18.

Ja`quier Campbell, 23; Daevion Howard, 18; and Steven Baker, 20, were arrested and charged after a brief standoff at Water’s Edge Apartments in Lorain. The incident began with an alleged road-rage incident in Elyria earlier in the day.

Elyria police said that they received a call for service near the Lorain County Justice Center, 225 Court St, at about 8:20 a.m. regarding a “road rage and weapons complaint.”

“The complainant provided the suspect vehicle description and shared that the vehicle was occupied by two black males, both of which displayed firearms during the incident,” Elyria police Capt. Gerald Lantz said.

Police did not immediately find the vehicle in the area, Lantz said, but at around 8:40 a.m. it was spotted by officers in the

driveway or a home on the 1000 block of Barbara Street.

“Officers attempted to make contact with the occupants of the vehicle and the vehicle fled from the scene in a reckless manner at a high rate of speed and eventually officers lost sight of the vehicle,” Lantz said.

Lorain police, who had been alerted by Elyria police to be on the lookout for the vehicle, spotted it just before 11:30 a.m. at the apartments on West Erie Avenue, Lorain police Capt. Jake Morris said.

“The information that we got was something to do with a potential road-rage incident, but a firearm was mentioned,” Morris said.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle, but three men fled from it and ran into an apartment at the Water’s Edge Apartments.

Morris said that when police surrounded the apartment, two of the male suspects surrendered and were taken into custody.

standoff

The third man refused to leave the apartment, and

Morris said police learned there was a toddler in the apartment as well.

The Lorain police SWAT team was called in and took over at the door, but after about an hour of talking with officers, the third suspect agreed to come out and was arrested as well.

“After a brief standoff, if you even want to call it that, the male came out,” Morris said. “Nobody was hurt, no force was used.”

Lantz said police recovered a firearm from the apartment.

It was not immediately clear which of the three suspects was the last to leave the apartment, but Morris said the last suspect to be arrested was charged with obstructing official business by Lorain police.

All three suspects were turned over to Elyria police.

Campbell was charged with failure to comply, reckless operation, aggravated menacing and obstructing official business. Howard was charged with aggravated menacing and Baker was charged with obstructing official business.

Jensen said he hopes the project will facilitate Ford manufacturing plants in the area.

“We’re always excited to see something that’s ancillary to Ford,” Jensen said. “We all realize how

important Ford is to this area. It’s exciting, and it’s a big project. They’re going to be here for a long time.”

Historical marker in Wakeman honors Black inventor

WAKEMAN — One hundred years after opening a recreational country club for “people like him,” African-American inventor and entrepreneur Garrett Morgan and his club was recognized with an Ohio Historical Marker on Sunday.

A Cleveland resident, Morgan invented the three-way traffic signal, sold the patent to General Electric and used the money to purchase 121 acres in Wakeman.

His country club attracted people of color and whites, rich and workingclass, to dance, shoot, fish, and play games.

“There were lawyers and more elite blacks in many cases, but there were also builders and a range of other occupations who were members,” said Wellington resident Marilyn Wainio, a member of the Oberlin African-American Genealogy and History Group (OAAGHG). “It was a place to let your hair down, get away from the city and relax.”

Wainio learned about Morgan’s country club after being told about a connection between Wellington and the inventor of the three-way traffic signal.

attempted to stop

When she discovered the Wellington/Morgan connection, Wainio contacted her friend with OAAGHG, Phyllis Yarber-Hogan, and the two women began looking for information. What they discovered was the country club.

“After Garrett Morgan sold the patent for the traffic signal, he created a recreational country club,” she said. “We were able to find more than 100 names of members. By the 1940s, whether because of WWII or the fact that people were getting older, the members were no longer really active.”

While the country club is long gone, Garrett Morgan III still lives on the property, Wainio said. She and Yarber-Hogan met with him before going to the city to discuss marking the historic site.

Wainio received word that the marker was approved in 2023 and received a grant from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation to pay for it. The marker is being dedicated 100 years after the club initially opened in September 1924. The historic marker was placed in Wakeman Community Park..

“A woman who graduated from Wellington High School married Garrett Morgan Jr.,” she said. “I’d been researching black history in Wellington for quite a while, starting with the history of my home, which was built by an African-American man. In 2015, I started writing posters highlighting different facts and putting them in the library.”

BULLETIN BOARD

All proceeds support the work of the Free Clinic and help provide medical care to the underserved in Lorain and eastern Erie counties.

For more information, contact Paul Baumgartner at 440-315-9012.

Fresh produce at Keystone-LaGrange Library

The Keystone Empowers You Collaborative will host a its final pop-up produce stand of the year at the KeystoneLaGrange Library, 133 E. Commerce Drive, from 5:306:30 p.m. today.

Reserve a bag of fresh fruits and vegetables online at bit.ly/KEYProducePickUp.

If you do not have internet access, you can leave a voicemail for your reservation at (440) 409-7460.

Bags of fresh fruits and vegetables are $12. You may pay ahead via Venmo (@Donna-Pycraft), or pay upon pickup with cash or Venmo.

Fruits and vegetables are provided by Pycraft Farm Market and availability will vary based on what is in season. Keystone Empowers You (KEY) is a communitybased group funded in part by the United Way of Greater Lorain County, and facilitated by Lorain County Public Health.

Red Cross blood drive Oct. 8

In partnership with American Red Cross, Mercy Health hosts regular blood drives to ensure that we have an adequate stock of blood. Mercy Health – Lorain Hospital will be hosting a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Oct, 8 at the hospital. Make an appointment by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or visiting www.RedCrossBlood.org. Use Sponsor Code: Mercy.

To ensure the safety of both patients and donors, there are requirements that must be met. For more information about eligibility, visit redcrossblood.org.

Empty Bowls by the Lake plans fundraiser Guests are invited on Oct. 19 to a simple meal of soup and bread served at ALHS from 11am- 2pm. In exchange for a $25 donation, guests will be asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world.

The event will include live entertainment and a silent auction.

All proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank and other local community resource centers and food banks. When you give to Empty Bowls by the Lake, you are helping feed the hungry and to spread the word about the need that exists all around us.

It’s not too late to join our fight against hunger. Restaurants, we would love to serve one of your delicious soups. Businesses, we would love to feature one of your products or experiences in our silent auction. Volunteers, we could use your help. Please email us at EmptyBowlsByTheLake@gmail.com if you’d like to help in any way.

Avon Democratic Club to meet

The Avon Democratic Club will hold its next meeting on Oct. 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the Avon Library, 37485 Harvest Drive. We will discuss the upcoming election and what we can personally do to elect local and national Democratic candidates.

Local candidates will also be present to meet in person and provide their signage.

More information at https://www.avonohdems.com.

Last County Action Plan summit Oct. 22

The Lorain County Strategic Action Plan Final Summit will be held at the Spitzer Conference Center, Lorain County Community College, 1005 Abbe Rd N Elyria, on Oct. 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Final Summit will be the culmination of the work from the Lorain County Strategic Action Plan process, launched in March.

The Final Summit will include a presentation of the short, medium and long-term actions that have been established from the Task Force sessions.

Oberlin Library board to meet

The Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library Oct.10 at 5 p.m. The meeting is open to the public.

Lost Houses of Lorain County program

A review of selected historic houses and the case for historic preservation and architectural salvage will be the topic of a free program at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Pittsfield Township Hall, State Routes 58 & 303, just south of Oberlin.

The presentation will be given by Col. Matt W. Nahorn, owner and manager of the New Indian Ridge Museum on Cooper-Foster Park Road, in Amherst.

Over the last 25 years or so, Nahorn has salvaged over 60 doors and other materials from old houses, mostly representing the 19th century.

He will talk about the houses from which the salvaged doors, windows, and other architectural features have been saved.

Grandma’s Attic sale this weekend

The Brownhelm Historical Association’s annual sale will be today and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in th Historic Brownhelm School, 1950 North Ridge Road, Vermilion.

All proceeds from this sale will go toward the restoration and maintenance of the Historic Brownhelm School. Everything will be half price on Saturday.

Health/Dentistry CEO to retire after 40 years

The Community Guide

More than 23 years after she founded the nonprofit, Stephanie Wiersma is stepping down as the president and CEO of Lorain County Health and Dentistry.

Wiersma announced the end of her 40-year health care career in a release Friday.

“To say it has been a privilege to lead this amazing organization and serve our community is an understatement for the ages,” she said in a release. Prior to taking over Health and Dentistry, Wiersma worked in Lorain County as a registered

nurse for about 17 years. Lorain County Health and Dentistry started in 2001 when Wiersma was hired by Community Health Partners — now the Mercy Health hospital system — to take over an “underperforming” clinic run by the hospital and break it off as an independent, nonprofit clinic. This separation was intended to make the clinic eligible to qualify as a federally qualified

TheFirstSeatBelt

The first lap belt that resembles the modern seat belt was a strap used onaU.S.Army airplane in 1910. For the next 25 ________, seat belts were used mostly in airplanes.

In the 1940s, studies showed that injuries in accidents were less when aseat belt was worn. Even so, many people did not choose to up.

The government started passing requiring automakers to put seat belts in all cars. By the 1970s, seat belts were used commonly

Acar accident happens almost every minute. Do you think it is agood idea to buckle up? up?