Respiratory illnesses
the rise
Lorain County cases of flu, COVID-19 and RSV ‘dramatically’ increased heading into 2025
GARRETT LOOKER
Cases of respiratory illnesses have “dramatically increased” in late December throughout Lorain County.
The rise has been driven by a convergence of cases of influenza, or the flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), according to local medical professionals.
“All across Northeast Ohio, including Lorain County, we’re seeing kind of what’s typical for this time of year,” said Dr. Amy Edwards, pediatric infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals. “Altogether, it always makes this time of year really,
OWEN MACMILLAN |
The Community Guide Sledders climb the hill at Cascade Park in Elyria to take another spin on Saturday, Jan. 4.
really busy because it’s kind of when everything converges.”
Emergency departments throughout Lorain County are seeing a rise in visits for coughing, fever and vomiting, according to Lorain County Public Health.
Over the past week, confirmed COVID-19 cases have also increased by 28 percent, according to data from Lorain County Public Health.
The rise in cases is not unusual for this time of year. However, a peak number of cases of the flu may have come later in the season this year, Edwards said.
“And then all the sudden, it was like ‘wham,’” Edwards said of the rise in flu cases. “It’s coming on up, just like it should.
We’ll see it rise, usually these cycles take somewhere between six to eight weeks.”
Data from the most recent Influenza Surveillance Report from Lorain County Public Health show that cases of the flu are beginning to rise.
While the overall influenza positivity rate for Lorain County is considered low, the rate has risen for the three previous weekly reports.
“For flu, it was lower earlier in the month, lower than what we typically see,” said Andrea Ferguson, Health Education Specialist at Lorain County Public Health. “However, in the past week or two, we’ve seen a significant jump from previous weeks.”
Slippin’ and sledding
As of Dec. 28, wastewater viral activity levels of influenza A throughout Ohio were low, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It listed similar levels of RSV in the same reporting period.
However, the CDC’s model of epidemic trends shows the number of respiratory infections in Ohio is growing.
“It’s possible that the flu rates will continue to rise, especially considering looking at our historic flu rates,” Ferguson said.
“Usually they do rise at this time of the year. So that’s what we are foreseeing.”
CDC data shows very high wastewater viral activity levels of COVID-19 in Lorain County as of Dec. 28.
Outgoing Judge James Miraldi reflects on 18 years on the bench
DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Jan. 3 was Lorain County Common Pleas Judge James Miraldi’s last day in the office. He spent most of the day packing up the rest of his belongings, giving out hugs and gifts to those he had worked with in his 18 years on the bench.
“It’s been a good run with a great staff,” the longtime judge told The Chronicle-Telegram in
an interview. Miraldi is age-limited out of office under Ohio law, and was not allowed to run again because he would have turned 75 before his next term ended. He will be eligible to be named a visiting judge by the Ohio Supreme Court after 60 days.
Miraldi’s chambers behind courtroom No. 708 will become the office of Judge Giovanna Bremke, a Republican elected in November.
He wished her the best in what
he said is a difficult job.
At 73, Miraldi said he has learned more than a few things in his nearly 20 years on the bench: How trauma in a person’s life will lead them to make bad judgments. How everyone has to recognize each other’s humanity. How well-meaning legislation can have “a lot of unintended consequences.”
And how he has seen some things as a judge, that make him say to himself: “’I can’t believe people live like that,’” he said.
It’s no wonder that police officers and first responders suffer from post-traumatic stress, Miraldi said, saying he has great respect he for law enforcement and what they do every day while also recognizing the many societal factors that caused people to end up in his courtroom.
A Lorain native, Miraldi graduated from Lorain High School in 1969 at the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. He said he was voted
MIRALDI PAGE A3
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses wastewater, or sewage testing data to detect traces of infectious diseases circulating in a community, even if people don’t have symptoms. Considering the rise in respiratory cases, Edwards encouraged others to think of younger individuals, the elderly or those with suppressed immune systems.
“What’s a minor cold to you could land a 2-month-old in the hospital,” Edwards said.
Local medical professionals encouraged handwashing, social-distancing and vaccinations to protect the broader community.
County seeks new dog warden
Timothy Pihlblad died Dec. 30 OWEN MACMILLAN
Lorain County Dog Warden Timothy Pihlblad, of Amherst, died at the age of 67 on Dec. 30, leaving the Lorain County Dog Kennel without a leader.
Pihlblad, originally from Lorain, died at Mercy Regional Medical Center following a brief illness, according to his family.
Lorain County Administrator Jeff Armbruster said that Pihlblad’s death was a “complete shock” to the county, which had not heard an update on Pihlblad’s condition since he took time off with an illness just before Christmas.
“Tim was a very, very good dog warden,” Armbruster said. “He cared, he took care of the dogs and as far as I’m concerned he was just outstanding.”
Pihlblad served as the Lorain County dog warden for over a decade, after previous jobs with U.S. Steel and the Lorain County Animal Hospital.
Armbruster said that Pihlblad oversaw a number of innovations and new programs at the kennel, including a recent program that saw incarcerated individuals in the county assist at the kennel.
“Tim embraced having those guys out there,” Armbruster said. “He was a bit concerned at the beginning,
Janet Lee Eschtruth
Janet Lee Eschtruth, 86, a beloved longtime resident of Amherst Township, was joyfully reunited with her husband, Gerald ‘Jerry’ Harvey Eschtruth, Monday, December 30, 2024, following a life rich in love, service, and purpose.
Born in Alliance, Ohio, in 1938, Janet spent her early years in Paris, Ohio, where she worked on the Cope Fruit Farm, instilling in her a lifelong appreciation for the land and nature. Her journey included working at Neisner’s retail store in Sheffield Center, J.C. Penney in Elyria, and General Industries, before she and Jerry established Eschtruth Wrecking and Excavating, in 1960. Together, they built a business that reflected their hard work, partnership, and entrepreneurial spirit.
Janet was an active member of the Elyria First United Methodist Church, serving faithfully on various committees and supporting the congregation with her warmth and dedication. Her community engagement was seen in her 25 year membership of the Carlisle Grange, Pomona and National Grange.
Her love for the outdoors was central to her lifegardening vibrant flowers and nurturing vegetables, birdwatching, fishing, and traveling to national parks with her family by her side. She found joy in simple pleasures, like attending the Lorain County Fair and other local fairs, often submitting projects that highlighted her creativity and passion. Above all, Janet treasured her family.
She is survived by her children, Thomas Eschtruth, and Carol Dodd (husband Mark), both of Amherst Township; her grandchildren, Major Dr. Jacob Dodd (wife Elizabeth) of Germany, Jeni Nelson (husband Jordan) of Shelby, Ohio, and Juliann (fiancé, Clayton Cochran) of Ada, Ohio; and her great-grandchildren, Carson and Aubrey Nelson. Janet is also survived by her sibling, Nancy White, of North Carolina.
Janet was preceded in death by her beloved husband and best friend, Gerald ‘Jerry’ Harvey Eschtruth, who passed August 11, 2023, after 64 years of marriage. She was also preceded by her parents, George Ellsworth Swan, Sr.; and Esther Marie Swan (née Puhl); as well as her siblings, infant brother, Kevin Lloyd Swan; sister, Joyce Marie Swan; brother, George Ellsworth Swan, Jr.; and brother, Dennis Michael Swan.
Janet leaves behind a legacy of love, faith, and community, cherished by all who knew her. She will be remembered for her warm smile, gentle spirit, and the countless ways she enriched the lives of those around her.
Services for Janet were held privately by the family.
Memorial contributions are encouraged to be made to the Friendship APL, 8303 Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria, Ohio, in her memory.
Bruce Patrick Hambly
Bruce Patrick Hambly, 76, of Vermilion, passed away Saturday, December 28, 2024, surrounded by his family at Mercy Hospital in Lorain.
The Hempel Funeral Home is handling arrangements.
but after the guys got started and they really showed they cared about the dogs that were out there, (Pihlblad) really embraced the whole program.”
With Pihlblad’s death, Armbruster said that the kennel’s daily operations will continue as Pihlblad’s two subordinates already cover alternating days.
“They’ve both been there a fair amount of time, they know exactly what they’re doing and they know to give myself or (Deputy Administrator) Karen Perkins a call if they need help,” he said. Lorain County dog warden is an appointed position, so the county will begin searching for a new warden who will then have to be appointed by a majority vote of the Lorain County Board of Commissioners.
“We’ll be looking for (Pihlblad’s) replacement, and he will be really hard to replace… there’s no question about that,” Armbruster said.
In his obituary that appeared in The Chronicle-Telegram, Pihlblad’s family asked that memorial contributions be made in Tim’s name to the Lorain County Kennel, 301 Hadaway St., Elyria, OH 44035.
Pihlblad is survived by his beloved wife of 46 years, Debbie Pihlblad, sons, Matt and Ryan Pihlblad, grandchildren Blake and Brooke Wilson, and Kennedy Pihlblad, several siblings, nieces and nephews.
John L. Andel
John L. Andel, 94, died Thursday, December 26, 2024 at Mercy Allen Hospital following a short illness. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and was one of nine children in his family. He lived in North Olmsted, Brighton, Huntington, Amherst, and Wellington.
John was a 1947 graduate of Brighton High School, and later attended night classes for six years at Fenn College on the GI Bill of Rights studying Engineering.
He served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean War with the 5th Combat Engineers from 1951 to 1953. He was stationed in Germany a little over one year.
He served a four-year apprenticeship at the Chevrolet Cleveland Parma plant graduating as a Journeyman Toolmaker and Journeyman Die Maker. He worked at the Parma plant until 1956 when he bought a farm in Huntington, moved his family there, and transferred to the General Motors Brown Life Chapin plant in Elyria. Shortly after his transfer, he pursued his Engineering career and retired as a Senior Manufacturing Engineer from the Elyria Fisher Body plant with 36 years of service. He returned to farming part time from 1975 to 1986.
After retiring from General Motors, he opened his own Die Design Company, Liberty Engineering, in downtown Wellington. He completed many Die Designs and also performed Consulting Services for several Northern Ohio Stamping plants, until retiring completely in 1999. He loved Polka music and used to play his accordion every Sunday. John was an avid fisherman and enjoyed fishing for walleye and perch on Lake Erie. He also went on annual fishing trips to Canada with long-time friends and many trips with family as well. He enjoyed hunting in Ohio, West Virginia, Texas, and Canada. He was skilled in gunsmithing and built several high-powered rifles for his personal hunting use. He was an active member of the LaGrange Hunt Club until his decline in health.
He designed the home that he and his wife had built in Wellington, where he lived until his death.
He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Marilyn (nee Willford); son, Paul (Karen) Andel, of LaGrange; daughters, Gloria (Chuck) Litteral, of Deshler, and Charlene (Rick) Rebman, of Lorain; step-sons, Mike Kimmel, of San Diego, and Steve Kimmel, of Lorain; step-daughter, Kathie (Russ) Hartman, of Litchfield; seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; three step-grandchildren; and two great-step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John S. Andel and Bessie (nee Wildman) Andel; sisters, Helen Andel, Ella Jallos, Rose Houlett, Claire DeBus, Betty Pettit, Mary Johnson, and Nancy Robinson; brother, Richard Andel; daughter, Jeannette Bolivar; step-daughter, Terri Titus, and granddaughter, Jennifer Rettig.
Funeral services were held Tuesday, December 31, 2024 at Norton-Eastman Funeral Home, 370 S. Main Street, Wellington. Burial followed at Brighton Cemetery with an honor guard ceremony.
Memorials may be made to the MS Society, 6133 Rockside Rd Suite 208, Independence, OH 44131 or the First United Methodist Church of Wellington, 127 Park Place.
Expressions of sympathy can be given at www.nortoneastmanfuneralhome.com.
Anna Mae Spatharos
Anna Mae Spatharos, 94, longtime resident of Amherst, went home to be with her Lord and Savior on Saturday, December 28, 2024, after a full and meaningful life. Hempel Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Willis Dean Crawford
Willis Dean Crawford, 90, of Chesterfield, Virginia and formally of Penfield, Ohio went to be with the Lord Wednesday, January 1, 2025.
He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Janice Crawford; daughter, Joan Shaw (Randy); son, Keith Crawford (Joy); brother, Neil Crawford (Shirley); sister, Peggy Eaton (Ronnie); four grandchildren, Amelia Shaw, John Shaw (Ivy), Nikita Cotzias (Jack), and Zoe Cotzias; great-grandson, Arthur Shaw; and many other loving family and friends.
Dean was a U.S. Airforce Veteran and retired from Defense General Supply Center after 43 years.
His family will receive friends from 12 Noon to 2 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, January 8, 2025 in Bliley’s Chippenham, funeral ceremony will be held 10 a.m. Thursday, January 9, 2025 in Belmont UMC where he was a dedicated member. Interment to follow in Greenwood Memorial Gardens.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Belmont UMC, 3510 Broad Rock Boulevard, Richmond, Virginia 23234.
Multiple police agencies report phone scams
STAFF REPORT
Multiple police agencies in Lorain County are reporting an increase in scam phone calls from criminals who are pretending to be police officers and try to scam residents out of their money or personal information.
Avon, Avon Lake and North Ridgeville police and Lorain County sheriff’s deputies all reported receiving calls from residents informing them of these suspicious calls.
Residents of Avon and Avon Lake reported receiving calls from people with “urgent” business with the resident.
“These calls are not from us and are a scam,” Avon police said.
In Avon Lake, police reported “receiving numerous complaints from residents regarding receiving calls from a male pretending to be an Avon Lake police officer.”
The caller ID said the call was coming from a legitimate Avon Lake police phone number, which is a scam practice known as “spoofing.” Police said the caller requested the resident send money because
they had missed jury duty. In North Ridgeville, police said people have been receiving calls or voicemails “stating that they were going to be arrested” and that the calls “requested payment to avoid arrest.”
“Please spread the word that this is a scam,” North Ridgeville police wrote on Facebook.
The Lorain County Sheriff’s Office also recently reported that residents were receiving similar calls. The older population is often targeted and is particularly susceptible to these kinds of scam calls. As a reminder: Never share your personal information over the phone with someone you don’t know. Police agencies will not call you first if there is a warrant out for your arrest or for reasons related to missing or being called for jury duty.
Police will never demand payment of a traffic ticket or fine over the phone. Police, courts and federal agencies do not accept gift cards bought at retail stores as payment for tickets or fines and never in exchange for getting rid of a warrant.
Man awarded for blood donations
GARRETT LOOKER THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Jim Richards has been donating blood for 22 years. Over that time, the Lorain resident has volunteered more than 6,000 hours and donated blood 292 times.
Richards received the President Life-Time Achievement award from Vitalant, one of the largest organizations in the United States that coordinates blood donations, according to a news release.
“Giving back to my community is part of who I am,” Richards said in the release. “Every time I give blood or volunteer with Vitalant, I know I am helping save lives and giving others the same hope my family had when we needed it most.”
Richards’ work has changed the lives of more than 800 people, said Maya Santana, communications
“Most Likely to Succeed” and “Friendliest” in his class.
“I like people and I like to be liked,” Miraldi said with a smile, even if being a judge means that sometimes “you have to make unpopular decisions.”
His father, Ray, was an attorney and chairman of the local Draft Board. Miraldi said Lorain in the 1960s was was a bustling, successful melting pot of a city with a wide variety of ethnicities and cultures.
He graduated from The College of Wooster in 1973, Duke University School of Law in 1977, then spent nearly 30 years in private legal practice with the firm of Miraldi & Barrett under the mentorship of Ray Miraldi and Ben Barrett.
A Democrat who had served as an acting judge in Lorain Municipal Court and a court-appointed arbitrator and mediator, Miraldi took the bench in 2007 after a additional, sixth General Division judgeship was created the year before. He won it unopposed.
When he started his first term, James Miraldi said he had 1,000 cases on his docket. That’s a lot, he said, probably two or three times as many as a single judge should have.
The law is in the family. Along with Ray Miraldi being an attorney and judge, uncle Ben Nicola was a Cuyahoga County judge, younger brother David Miraldi is an attorney and author, and their cousin is Judge John Miraldi, who sat on the bench just two courtrooms away but did not seek reelection in 2024.
(There are Miraldis on the other side of the law, too, James Miraldi joked. His grandfather was part of a criminal case that made it to the Supreme Court after he dared to sell booze on a Sunday in Ohio.)
Drugs and drug abuse have driven the numbers of cases up over the years, even as there are fewer and fewer criminal defense attorneys and police officers in service, James Miraldi said. Drugs lead to violent crime and turf wars, and over the years the defendants seemed to get younger and younger, he said.
“We can’t jail or prison our way out of it,” James Miraldi said. “We need to make society more equitable.”
The judge for Lorain County Wellness Court, he was in charge of a specialty
manager for Vitalant. Each blood donation has the chance to help a potential of about three people, she said.
“Richards’ impact on the community is a testament to his spirit and a testament to the power that we can do together when we put our minds to something,” Santana said. “Though blood donation does help the local patients, having a steady supply of blood helps the greater community health system at large.”
More than 20 years ago, Richards’ father experienced a medical emergency that required blood transfusions and Richards was inspired to donate.
“When my dad needed blood, it was there for him
and my family,” Richards said. “That experience showed me how important donating is.”
Richards’ work has made a real impact on the lives of people in the surrounding community, Vitalant officials said.
“JR has made such a positive impact at our blood center and mobile drives,” said Vitalant donor care supervisor Michelle Greenland. “JR has a contagious laugh and truly supports our mission here at Vitalant. We truly appreciate and thank him for all the hard work he does.”
Santana encouraged other community members to follow Richards’s lead and donate blood to help others. Blood of all types is needed year-round, she said.
“The need for blood is constant,” Santana said.
“Every two seconds, somebody in the U.S. does need a blood transfusion, which makes each donation that much more vital.”
OWEN MACMILLAN | The Community Guide Judge James Miraldi was age-limited out of running for another term. He stepped down Jan. 3.
docket for people with serious mental health conditions who got involved with the justice system.
Presiding over that court taught him that people don’t always respond “thoughtfully and rationally,” but the mental health professionals, probation officers and he were a team seeking to find solutions.
It’s about harm reduction and boosting self-esteem, he said. Every now and then, those defendants keep in touch and are grateful for what the court did for them, the judge said.
“If you think the worst about someone, they’ll live down to that,” James Miraldi said.
Though he couldn’t always stay tuned to the media especially when there was a big case before him, he said he was aware of his occasional reputation as a “soft judge.”
For those who believe that, James Miraldi said he has dealt out some of the heavier sentences in recent Common Pleas Court history, like the ones he handed convicted human trafficker Steven Gilbert (life in prison with no parole for 174 years) or convicted child rapist and attempted murderer Brian Fazio, who won’t be eligible for parole until 2067. And if there was someone he gave a second chance to who then committed another crime, “I don’t feel good about that,” he said.
“Sometimes you guess wrong. There’s no magic formula,” James Miraldi said. “If they’re not violent or a risk to others, I’d rather have them on probation holding prison over their head.”
An Avon Lake resident, James Miraldi is married to Marilyn Zeidner, and one
of his great loves is music. He plays guitar and piano and is learning banjo and mandolin, he said.
The judge and a group of friends converted an old barn in into a music venue called Barnegie Hall (a play on Carnegie Hall) where musicians put on charity shows, including many that benefit Music on a Mission, a music outreach project.
James Miraldi also is passionate about Project DREW, which stands for “Delivering Restorative Energy to our Warriors.”
It is a program that brings songwriters and veterans together to turn their service stories into music and honors the late Drew Ferguson, a U.S. Special Operations veteran who lived in Avon Lake and did several combat tours in the global war on terror.
Despite leaving elected office, James Miraldi isn’t done with the law or the courthouse. He said Friday he plans to be sworn in as a volunteer magistrate to assist with the Common Pleas Wellness Court for those with mental health concerns.
James Miraldi said that will help lighten the caseload for Bremke, as well as ensure there’s a familiar face for the defendants who appear in the specialty court.
He called it “an honor” to serve Lorain County.
“I’m grateful, very grateful, to have the opportunity to see people treated fairly in the courtroom,” he said. The courtroom “wasn’t mine. It was for the county, for everyone. I was simply the trustee. I wanted to see everyone treated fairly and I tried to do that. Did I succeed? I tried to do that.”
JIM RICHARDS
Late scoring surge lifts 38 Club over Bittners in 87th Mud Bowl
An early home run and late scoring explosion lifted the 38 Club over the Bittners in the Mud Bowl on Wednesday, the 87th time that the teams have met for their annual New Year’s Day softball game.
It was a typical Mud Bowl at Elyria’s Vic Janowicz Memorial Park, as days of rain combined with dropping temperatures to make the annual softball game a messy and snowy affair befitting its name.
The rough conditions created a slow and defensive game that reached the sixth inning as a 2-2 tie.
“It was a defensive masterpiece, due to the weather,” 38 Club player-coach Chris Sito said. “Being the muddy field it’s just harder to get people on (base). We have some young players and you can tell who they are because they hit the ball pretty darn far, and the old guys either got on base or got in their way.”
But then, as the snow started to fall more heavily, the bats of the 38 Club managed to get hot despite the weather and drove in three runs in quick succession.
The Bittners team found itself in a 5-2 hole to start
it has birthed are as strong as ever.
Chris Sito was happy to report that the Bittners would now need to win 11 games in a row to catch up in the all-time game record. Perhaps Fritz’s boasts during that card game all those years ago were true.
The Sito family has long been an integral part of the game, with Chris and his brother Jack Sito each appearing in more than 40 games. The MVP of the game was Jack Sito’s son Jack A. Sito, who had a home run, a triple, two RBIs and two runs on Wednesday, his 18th appearance in the Mud Bowl.
LifeWise Academy settles lawsuit against parent
RICHARD PERRINS THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
LifeWise Academy, a Hilliard-based organization that provides Bible education for public school students, agreed to settle a copyright lawsuit with a parent who posted its curriculum online.
The organization filed the lawsuit on July 2 against Zachary Parrish, who volunteered as a LifeWise instructor to gain access to the curriculum, in a federal court in Indiana where Parrish lives.
Parrish, formerly of Defiance, Ohio, started his opposition to LifeWise Academy after teachers asked his daughter to take part in the program. After obtaining the curriculum and training materials from the organization, he posted them through Parents Against LifeWise, a Facebook group with over 7,000 members.
“The whole thing was always about transparency with the curriculum, so the parents could review it.”
ZACHARY PARRISH
its original lawsuit, which asked for $150,000 from Parrish.
In a prepared statement, Penton said LifeWise dropped the lawsuit because Parrish agreed to remove full versions of the curriculum from Facebook and elsewhere and will not continue to distribute copies.
the seventh inning, and an early double play made victory an even more difficult prospect.
An easy play at first by Robin Metera, who leads after Mud Bowl players with 52 games played, closed out the frame and sealed the win for the 38 Club, which now leads the all-time series 49-38.
“Just one bad inning,” said John Dixon, playing in his 20th game for the Bittners. “We were in it, but the terrain made it tough. It wasn’t the worst weather I’ve played in, but this one was rough.”
The win was a return to
form for the 38 Club, which lost the Mud Bowl last year for the first time in a decade.
The annual showdown started after a disagreement over a game of cards, when John Fritz claimed he could put together a team and beat Clem Monske’s Bittners fast-pitch team. Fritz’s team would become known as the 38 Club.
Originally played at the Hamilton Elementary School field, the game has changed venues to Vic Janowicz park and shifted from fast-pitch to softball, but both the heated rivalry and the lifelong friendships
Also putting up good showings at the plate were J.T. Cole and Mike Sito, who hit a triple and a double for the 38 Club, respectively. On the Bittners side, David Sito hit a double and scored the tying run in the third inning and Dixon hit a double and also registered both his team’s RBIs.
“There are a lot of people that have played in this game over the years, and its an honor to be able to keep it going,” Chris Sito said. “87 years, I don’t know how many things there are anywhere that have gone on that long, especially a sport (and) especially something as silly as this.”
Under the settlement agreement, a copy of which Parrish provided to The Chronicle-Telegram, LifeWise will be required to share an up-to-date curriculum to those who request it through its website. The agreement is still waiting on final approval from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.
“It’s definitely a big win,” Parrish said. “The whole thing was always about transparency with the curriculum, so the parents could review it. That’s all it was ever about, and I think we’ve reached that.”
Parrish signed the agreement on Dec. 20, and LifeWise founder and CEO Joel Penton signed it on Dec. 23.
The settlement will require Parrish to delete the copies of the curriculum he has and ask others with copies to also delete them. LifeWise dropped its financial demand from
“We believe in transparency and have encouraged families and communities to learn more about LifeWise and the positive impact of Bible-based character education,” Penton’s statement read.
“Our concern has always been ensuring that the parameters of our licensing agreement with the publisher of the curriculum are followed.”
Under the agreement, people wishing to see a copy of the curriculum must be older than 18 and complete a review form. People can share and comment on screenshots of the curriculum on a limited basis, but cannot print out the materials or save them as a full PDF file. The curriculum will only be available for 48 hours upon request.
Despite the limitations, Parrish said he still considers it a success. In July, only sample curricula were available upon request through LifeWise’s website.
“People will be able to see what the kids are being taught now, and that was always the main thing,” Parrish said.
LaGrange names new fire chief
Mike Hornby was appointed to be the new fire chief of LaGrange Township in late December. Hornby’s ascension comes months after LaGrange Township officials fired his predecessor, James Rader, for allegedly padding his time card and overcharging the township for several years, according to an investigation by the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office.
“It’s taken us a while, we have quite a bit of recov-
ery to do after what we went through before,” said LaGrange Township Trustee Rita Canfield. “We’re just trying to take our time and be sure we’re following the right steps to be sure we get things going in the right direction.”
After being fired from the position of fire chief, Rader came to an agreement with the township to repay more than $23,000 in wages he was improperly paid. Rader’s actions were something community leaders never could have imagined, Canfield said. “What the community
and the department went through was pretty rattling,” Canfield said.
Hornby will be paid $800 per month, according to Canfield.
Hornby has been a part of the LaGrange Township Fire Department since March 2013. In that time, he has served as assistant fire chief. Most recently, Hornby served as acting fire chief since Rader’s exit.
“I’m looking to stabilize things,” Hornby said. “Set the tone, set the direction for the department to go.”
Hornby and his family have been a part of the
LaGrange community for decades, he said, with family ties dating back more than a century.
“Our family has a tendency of commitment to the community,” Hornby said.
LaGrange Township trustees acknowledged that the road to Hornby’s appointment has been a rocky path.
“We haven’t had a chief for, I don’t know, six, seven months, but we do now,” said LaGrange Township Trustee Gary Burnett.
“We’re glad to have him on board and after all that with the old chief, that’s over now and we’ll want to
get around that, get back to normal.”
When looking for a new chief, Burnett said Hornby fit the bill. As assistant chief, Hornby was more than qualified, Burnett said, and that the township wanted to hire from within.
“He works hard, been in the community. He lives here and a member of the Lions Club,” Burnett said.
“He just does a lot for the town and he cares.”
Under Hornby’s leadership, the coming months and years will be time to focus on what needs to be improved in an effort to pro-
mote growth and transparency, Canfield explained.
“We’re going to do a much better job moving forward of holding people accountable for their positions and for inventory management,” Canfield said. “Those types of things have to be dealt with. Areas that were uncovered as part of the review of the department after Mr. Rader was gone has highlighted some areas of weakness that we’re going to try to cooperate together with township departments and Mr. Hornby and his new position to tighten those areas up.”
A number of goals have been set for Hornby’s tenure as fire chief from both the department and township trustees. Those goals include adding personnel, purchasing new equipment and increasing transparency throughout the department. Hornby recognized that the community’s trust in the fire department may have wavered following Rader’s actions.
The fire department will have to work to regain that trust, he said.
“I believe that’s a definite,” Hornby said. “We’re working in that direction. … Keep moving ahead, trying to be accessible to the community.”
OWEN MACMILLAN | The Community Guide
MAIN: Mike Sito heads into second base to record a double during the 87th Mud Bowl on Jan. 1,
Mercy Health sues Lorain city, county
Lawsuit alleges retaliation in search warrant refusal case
DAVE O’BRIEN THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Mercy Health Hospital in Lorain on Tuesday filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Lorain, Lorain County, and individual city and county officials for an alleged “discriminatory, retaliatory and constitutionally repugnant campaign” against the religiously affiliated hospital and several of its doctors following their refusal in August to do invasive exams on a man suspected of having drugs in his rectum.
The hospital also asked U.S. District Judge Philip Calabrese for a temporary restraining order prohibiting the city and Police Chief James McCann from terminating an agreement between the hospital and the city permitting its security officers to act as sworn, commissioned police officers, which he allegedly did in November.
“The announcement by Chief McCann has thrust the safety and operation of the hospital into uncertainty,” Mercy Health wrote in its 173-page request for a restraining order, which Calabrese denied Tuesday. He asked the parties to provide more documents.
A statement from Mercy Health said that a security plan was in place, but declined to offer further specifics.
“Mercy Health is taking legal action to ensure the protection and safety of our patients,” the statement said. “Pending resolution in the courts, Mercy Health has a plan in place to assure the safety and security of all who enter our doors.”
Mercy Health and doctors Gil Palmer and Alok Jain sued the city of Lorain, McCann, Law Director Patrick Riley, Assistant Law Director Joseph LaVeck, the Lorain County Board of
Commissioners, former Lorain County Prosecutor J.D. Tomlinson and Assistant Prosecutor Matt Kern, according to a copy of the lawsuit. Five “John Doe” defendants also are included.
The hospital is suing on the grounds of violations of its right to free exercise of religion, state law and state Constitution violations, due process and equal protection violations, for retaliation, unconstitutional conditions and disparate treatment.
The lawsuit does not cite a dollar amount, but asks for compensatory and punitive damages, attorney fees, costs and interest.
The 56-page complaint came from the Lorain Police Department and county Prosecutor’s Office’s attempts to get doctors at the hospital to do a rectal exam on a patient suspected of having a baggie of illegal drugs inside his body.
The hospital’s attorneys argued that for doctors to do the exam “would have amounted to a medical battery, which carried a high likelihood of serious bodily injury or death” to the patient, who was suspected by police of hiding the drugs in his rectum.
Tomlinson and Kern declined to comment on the lawsuit. Messages seeking comment were left for Bradley, McCann, Riley, LaVeck and Assistant Prosecutor Dan Petticord, legal counsel for the Board of Commissioners.
Mercy Health is a private, nonprofit Catholic Church-affiliated health system with hospitals in Lorain and Oberlin, as well as others outside the county. It is the only hospital in Lorain.
Its staff are required to abide by ethical and religious directives, including one that says “ ... no person should be obliged to submit to a health care procedure that the person has judged, with a free and informed conscience, not to provide a reasonable hope
of benefit without imposing excessive risks and burdens on the patient or excessive expense to family or community,” the hospital’s attorneys wrote in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, Lorain police brought a suspect to the hospital’s emergency department on Aug. 10, asking doctors there to remove a “foreign object ... described as a baggy partially sticking out of Patient’s rectum at the time of their arrest that LPD suspected contained drugs.”
Police were armed with a search warrant ordering them, Lorain County corrections officers “or any authorized medical personnel acting as an authorized agent” of Lorain police to remove “any” foreign objects.
Doctors ordered a computed tomography or CT scan to first see if there was a foreign object in the man’s rectum, and the man gave consent.
It wasn’t clear from the scan if there was a foreign object or just stool, and the patient had a bowel movement after the CT scan that didn’t have any foreign objects in it, according to the lawsuit.
“No foreign objects were ever recovered. Patient refused any further medical imaging” and also refused a manual rectal exam, the hospital wrote.
Doctors also believed there was a high risk of any baggie breaking and if drugs were inside, they could have been quickly absorbed in the rectum and the patient could have died, according to the lawsuit.
Two days later, an officer returned to the hospital with another search warrant directed at doctors Palmer, Jain and others “demanding that the cavity search and foreign body removal was performed.”
“Importantly, the ‘order’ in the warrant to conduct the search
was not made with input from a medical provider,” the hospital wrote. McCann also allegedly threatened to arrest Palmer on an obstruction of justice charge if he didn’t comply.
When Palmer got home that same night, McCann allegedly called him and demanded he show up at the hospital or be charged, threatening to arrest Palmer personally according to the lawsuit.
Mercy Health said there were alternative safer options to a manual exam, including allowing the patient to evacuate his bowels under observation or move him to a “government health care facility” rather than force Mercy to do it.
State law “unequivocally allows medical practitioners and health care institutions to refuse to participate in any medical procedure which violates the practitioner’s right of conscience — including religious objection,” Mercy Health wrote.
On Aug. 13, the Prosecutor’s Office filed with Judge James Miraldi a request for Mercy Health to “show cause” why it shouldn’t be held in contempt of the court-ordered search warrant.
On Aug. 14, Kern emailed a hospital attorney, writing: “Frankly, it sounds like Lorain Police consider Mercy’s actions refusing to comply with the court’s orders as a form of obstructing official business” under state law.
“You should also know that they had similar problems with University Hospital in Elyria where they took a suspect for a blood draw last year — which is to say that the police are frustrated with hospitals refusing to comply with search warrants issued by judges,” Kern wrote.
“This situation from earlier this week does not exist in a vacuum in their mind.”
A copy of Kern’s email was included in the hospital’s court filings.
Families skate into the ‘noon year’
More than 200 children and family members gathered at Elyria’s Roll Arena skating center Dec. 31 to ring in the new year.
Kids zipped around the rink and clamored toward the back of the arena just before balloons were released from the ceiling — all timed to fall at the strike of 12. But it wasn’t midnight at the roller rink. Instead, it was a Noon Year’s Eve celebration, an event to give young families the chance to enjoy the holiday without staying up so late, said Allan Mitschke, general manager of the Roll Arena Family Skating Center.
McCann got Miraldi to quash a subpoena for his personal cellphone records when the hospital attempted to get access to them to support its defense, according to the lawsuit and court records. Miraldi told the parties to try to come to an agreement on procedures to avoid a similar conflict in the future, according to the lawsuit, but the hospital “made clear that they could not agree to a proposal which compelled medical providers to perform procedures which ... are unjustifiably dangerous, breach the standard of care, or constitute medical battery,” according to the lawsuit.
Mercy Health has nine police officers, a chief of police and six full-time and part-time security officers. On Nov. 13, McCann allegedly terminated the Lorain Police agreement with Mercy Health’s “to establish the Mercy Health Police Department,” which his predecessor Cel Rivera signed in January 2018.
McCann said that agreement was terminated and would end Jan. 1, which was Wednesday. The hospital said the letter was sent without notice, and was a “decision to strip dedicated and employed police presence from the 338-bed hospital” on the authority of LaVeck, Riley, Kern and/or Tomlinson.
Mercy Health reached out to Bradley to intervene in the disagreement but that didn’t work, it wrote.
Tomlinson and Kern “actively advised” the city, McCann, and the city law department “to engage in retaliatory, discriminatory, illegal and unconstitutional acts against” Mercy Health and its doctors outside the authority of the Prosecutor’s Office, the hospital alleged.
The contempt proceedings are ongoing in Common Pleas Court. A status conference by phone is scheduled for Jan. 13, according to court records.
Tall Oaks West event center hosts open house
The Tall Oaks West event center held its open house Sunday in Sheffield.
Attendees walked around The Grand Barn, a 13,000 square foot event space that will one day soon welcome brides and grooms as well as other events.
“We’re here today to show the progress that we’ve made,” said Jaime Cordova, Tall Oaks vice president of sales, operations and culinary.
Tall Oaks West’s main building is in the final stages of being completed, Cordova explained.
Oaks event space in Kirtland, Cordova said. Gallo and her fiance, Eric Price, will be having their wedding ceremony at the Tall Oaks West event center later this year. The couple toured the barn at Kirtland and said the look and size of the venue was a part of their choice.
“Big,” Gallo said of the size of space needed for their upcoming wedding. “Big enough for our amount of guests, and this fit all of our criteria.” Tall Oaks West’s main barn in Sheffield will be able to accommodate 350 guests, according to the Tall Oaks website.
Music blared throughout the arena and children laughed as hands reached high into the air to grab the balloons as they fell. The young skaters were encouraged to pop the balloons. Inside were tickets that could be turned in at the concession stand for free pizza and other snacks.
“I love these types of events,” said Roll Arena employee Julia Collins. “I love seeing a bunch of people come and skate. … Events like New Year’s and our big 75th anniversary, they just bring me a lot of joy.”
“We love to see the families, that’s really what it’s all about,” Mitschke said. “Families and their kids having a good time together. … It’s great to do it, we picked 12 o’clock still, so it’s like we’re counting down to something. The kids are still going to get to bed early, they’re having a great time with the family.”
Collins and other employees spent hours the night before preparing for the event, taking the time to place the tickets and secure the balloons to the ceiling.
Karie Behm and her two children celebrated the new year at the roller rink Tuesday.
While Behm and her family normally go skating every week, she said that they were very excited to learn of the “pretty creative” event.
“It was awesome,” Behm said. “It’s awesome to have this because, you know, the kids, we want to have them up, but it’s too late to be up. So when I heard it was ‘Noon Year’s Eve,’ I thought that was a pretty fabulous idea.”
It wasn’t the ball drop at Times Square in New York City, but the noon balloon drop at the Roll Arena in
Elyria may just become a tradition for some families.
“We’re trying to make sure that we have new traditions with the kids,” Behm said. “It’s good, it’s a lot of fun.”
The Noon Year’s Eve celebrations has been an annual event at the Roll Arena for around a decade.
To Mitschke, expanding that tradition to people like Katie Behm and her children is what it’s all about.
“I absolutely love that,” Mitschke said. “We see people year after year and we see our regulars. But also, we see a bunch of new people that learn about this, and then we start to see them as regulars. Once they get out here and remember that roller skating is a thing and how fun it can be, we start to see them back year after year and even week after week.”
“The building is somewhere between 80 and 90 percent done,” Cordova said. “Now, we’re in the finishing stages which goes very quick. We’re planning our grand opening for April 15.”
It will still be a few months before the event space is completely finished. Construction equipment is still parked next to the structure and much of the landscaping is unfinished.
But for Sarah Gallo, the vision of what her wedding day will look like is easy to come by.
“We’re really excited,” Gallo said. “We wanted like a barn-vibe, but we wanted it to kind of be elevated and little bit nicer.”
Once all construction, landscaping and design is complete, the Tall Oaks West “Grand Barn” will appear exactly like the Tall
Cordova explained that the venue’s size was a main consideration when building. They knew it would be a popular destination for weddings, he said.
“There’s more rustic, barn-type structures all over the place,” Cordova said. “What I love about this property is, it really is rural.”
The Grand Barn, which Cordova said will have a “rustic” appeal, is one of two structures currently being built on the more than 140 acres at 1451 Lake Breeze Road. The second structure, also an event space, is a 7,000 square foot building in the middle of Lake Oliver.
The second structure is known as “The Island Barn,” and will be accessible via a covered boardwalk. It will feature a different appearance than its mainland counterpart.
GARRETT LOOKER
THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
GARRETT LOOKER | The Community Guide
Children and parents reach up to grab falling balloons as the clock strikes noon to celebrate the new year on Dec. 31, 2024.
GARRETT LOOKER THE COMMUNITY GUIDE
Haddix earns junior college All-American honor
An Amherst native received a national honor for her 2024 season with the Lorain County Community College Commodore volleyball team.
Ava Haddix, a Marion L. Steele High School graduate, was named to the National Junior College athletic Association’s Division III Second Team All-American list, a first in her career according to a college news release.
The honor capped the Amherst native’s sophomore season, which saw her also named the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Setter of the Year and named to the First Team All-OCCAC in November.
Ted Whitsel, Lorain County Community College head volleyball coach, lauded Haddix performance that season.
““She was our leader, she took charge as the captain and setter for the team,” Whitsel said. “She was very coachable and willing to listen to whatever you had to comment on about her play. She was a very big piece of the puzzle to our team.”
Haddix was the offensive engine for the Commodores throughout the whole season. She helped them to an 8-4 record in the OCCAC which included a stretch where the Commodores won 10 out of 11 contests from September 11 to October 23.
She ranked first in the conference in assists with 812 total and 10.02 per set. She had 17 matches this season where she accumulated 30 or more assists. She only failed to get 20 or more assists in one contest. In late September, she had three matches in a row where she had more than 50 assists, and had six total for the year. Nationally, among DIII players in the NJCAA, Haddix ranked third in assists per set and ninth in total assists. On Aug. 27 and Sept. 16, she received Player of the Week Award from the OCCAC.
Keystone best Firelands for 12-0 streak
RUSS GIFFORD | The Community Guide
Firelands hosted Keystone in an important Lorain County League battle on Jan. 4. Keystone trailed by 2 points after the first quarter then led by 3 points at the half. In the third quarter Keystone took over the game and took a 9 point lead. Keystone held off fourth quarter runs by Firelands to secure a 45-40 win to move to 12-0 on the season.
ABOVE: Firelands’ Stella Federick tries to get to the lane past Keystone’s Madyson Sokolowski.
UPPER RIGHT: Keystone’s Madyson Sokolowski brings the ball up the court under pressure from Firelands’ Kendra Hardwick.
LOWER RIGHT: Keystone’s Sophia Clarico celebrates a Vivian Cassell three-point shot with the Keystone bench at Firelands.
Lady Dukes fall to New London Wildcats
GIFFORD | The Community Guide Wellington’s Lady Dukes traveled to take on the New London Wildcats in a non-conference game on Dec. 30. Wellington struggled all night to get off a shot, much less make one. The
could only manage 3 points in the first quarter and 2 points in the second quarter to trail New London 21-5 at halftime. The lone bright spot was Brooke Lehmkuhl crossing the 1,000 career point milestone in the third quarter. Wellington did not score a point in the fourth quarter as they fall 48-10.
ABOVE: Wellington’s Kalynne Pickering scrambles for a loose ball as New London’s Gracie Thomas looks on.
UPPER LEFT: Sister Morgan Lehmkuhl, left, and mom
kuhl’s 1,000th point at New London.
LOWER LEFT: Wellington’s Brooke Lehmkuhl gets to the
AVA HADDIX
RUSS
Dukes
Staci hold up signs celebrating Brooke Lehm-
basket at New London.
Workshop
Players
TIME: Monday, January 27, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at 7:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Workshop
Players Theater
44820 Middle Ridge Rd. Amherst, Ohio
SYNOPSIS: In the early 1960s, loyalty, duty and friendship conflict with one another in suburban London when an ordinary family is enlisted by MI5, Britain’s intelligence agency, to keep watch on its neighbors and best friends who, the Jacksons are shocked to discover, are suspected Russian spies.
Note: Actors must be able to play the ages indicated. Some characters have British accents.
ROLES:
Barbara Jackson (40s) –Stay-at-home English wife and mother who becomes increasingly distressed over the government’s intrusion into her home
Bob Jackson (40s) –Husband and father, generally content with life, who must balance family stability with duty to country
Julie Jackson (16-17)
– Bright, outgoing British high school student who, of course, spends time with a boy of whom her mother disapproves Stewart (40+) – Courteous but quietly intimidating MI5 agent who treats candor as just another item in his toolbox
Helen Kroger (45+) –Vivacious, slightly vulgar but inoffensive American neighbor of the Jacksons whom Bob describes as a “Dizzy Lizzy” Peter Kroger (50+) –Helen’s husband, an affable
SNOW DAY
ACROSS
1. Larger-than-life
5. Capone’s family
8. Wild swine
BULLETIN BOARD
The Lorain County Community Guide Bulletin Board is for local nonprofit and not-for-profit events. Items are published on a space-available basis and will be edited for style, length, and clarity. Send your items to news@lcnewspapers.com
antiquarian book dealer whose mysterious business activities mask more nefarious schemes
Thelma (25-35) – Wellmannered “ex-regular army girl” assigned to the Jackson home by Stewart to surveil the neighborhood Sally (25-35) – Pleasant second agent assigned to the Jackson home by Stewart (appears briefly in Act II)
Auditions will consist of readings from the script. Production dates are April 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, and 13, 2025. For more information, contact the director, Brad Sales, at hanlons razor@msn.com
Genealogy meeting
Join us for a free online program titled “Expanding your Prussian Search: Beyond Church Records”. Stephen Wendt will give this presentation at the monthly meeting of the Lorain County Chapter of the Ohio Genealogy Society on 7 p.m. Jan. 13. Sometimes, Prussian research problems cannot be undertaken using church records alone. Gain a better understanding of the importance of pursuing non-church records in historical Prussia with numerous examples and resources. The presenter, Stephen Wendt, MLIS, is a profes-
12. “You’re not allowed,” to a baby
13. Deal with it
14. Cunningly
15. Shower with affection
16. Allege
17. City in Belgium
18. *Snow Day exercise?
20. Poet Pound
21. Ovine sign of the zodiac
22. Tasseled hat
23. All together (2 words)
26. Military College of South Carolina, with The
30. For every
31. a.k.a. association football
34. *All-day Snow Day garb?
35. Delete
37. Crude fuel
38. Read-only disc
39. Good’s counterpart
40. Popular flowering shrub
42. Female ancestor
43. Two heads are better than one, e.g.
45. Bering Strait state
47. Rudolph’s Clarice, e.g.
48. Like thick smoke
50. Fountain option
52. *No two are alike, sing.
56. Surround (2 words)
57. Tangerine plus grapefruit
58. *Like a river, with over
59. #51 Down, pl.
60. Heidi’s “Magic Wooden Shoe”
61. Olufsen’s partner
62. Sound of a bell
63. Not him
64. Surfer’s stop DOWN
Some tournaments
*Severe weather
Deed hearing
sional genealogist, instructor, and writer. He is the founder of Roots Quest and Tree Tidings Genealogy. Stephen assists global clients with their diverse genealogical needs. Originally scheduled for November but postponed due to illness, this program will help genealogists and family history enthusiasts learn about the vast wealth of information available for your Prussian research.
Guests can attend this free online presentation on January 13 at 7 pm. Request a link to this ZOOM meeting by emailing meetings@loraincoogs. org and asking to be added to the list.
Lorain County Metro Parks
● Garage sale
The Friend of the Lorain County Metro Parks will host a garage sale 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 25 and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Jan. 26. Sunday is $5 to fill-a-bag. Donations for the garage sale will be accepted 1-4 p.m. Jan. 19, 1-7 p.m. Jan. 20 and 4-7 p.m. Jan. 22. Clothing, shoes, large furniture, Christmas trees, electronics, car seats and strollers will not be accepted.
For more information, call (440) 213-4273, or email skipthepenguin8@ gmail.com
Indoor walking events
North Ridgeville Heart & Sole will host two indoor walking events on Jan. 13 and 14. The events will include food demonstrations where participants can sample “energy bites” at the North Ridgeville Library branch. Walking events will be at the Ridge Campus of Lorain County Community College, 32121 Lorain Rd in North Ridgeville, from 5:30 p.m. until supplies run out.
New Russia Township
The New Russia Township Board of Trustees canceled its Jan. 7 meeting. Its first regular business meeting of the new year is 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at the Township Office, 43600 Butternut Ridge Rd., Oberlin.
Knights of Columbus
The Avon-Avon Lake Knights of Columbus #3269 will host Deacon Bob Walling for a presentation on the liturgy and Eucharist at 7 p.m. Jan. 16. Walling’s program will include an episode from the video series on Catholicism by Bishop Robert Barron titled “Word Made Flesh, True Bread of Heaven.” Light refreshments will be served. The event is at Ragan Hall, 1783 Moore Rd., Avon.
Oberlin Library
The Oberlin Public Library Board of Trustees will hold a regular meeting at the library at 5 p.m. Jan. 16. The meeting is open to the public.
Manning named speaker pro tempore of the Ohio House
STAFF REPORT
State Rep. Gayle Manning, R-Avon, was sworn in Jan. 6 as speaker pro tempore of the Ohio House of Representatives.
Elected unanimously by her House colleagues, she becomes the first woman in Ohio history to hold the position. It makes her the second-ranking member of Ohio House leadership, assisting Speaker Matt Huffman with managing legislative operations and advancing the House agenda.
Manning is a former elementary school teacher and North Ridgeville city councilwoman who is in her third term in the Ohio House after eight years in the Ohio Senate, where she was majority whip.
“I am deeply honored to take on this responsibility and grateful for the trust my colleagues have placed in me,” Manning said. “We
have a great deal of work ahead of in this General Assembly. I know I speak for all of my fellow members of leadership when I say that we look forward to a productive, meaningful session that will move our state forward.”
“Gayle Manning is a dedicated public servant whose leadership, experience, and vision make her an excellent choice for this historic role,” Huffman said in a news release. Gayle Manning’s husband, the late Jeff Manning, also served in the Ohio House. Her son Nathan is a Republican state senator and her daughter Allison is the elected judge of Avon Lake Municipal Court.
Health & Dentistry names Ben Kosewski new president, CEO
STAFF REPORT
The Lorain County Health & Dentistry board of directors has named Ben Kosewski the organization’s next president and chief executive officer, the community health center announced Monday.
Kosewski will join the organization as CEO-elect on Jan. 13. He succeeds Stephanie Wiersma, the organization’s founder, former president and CEO who announced her retirement in the fall and will leave the organization on Feb. 28.
Kosewski is an executive with 12 years of experience in health care administration. He comes to LCH&D from Mercy Health where he served since 2020 as the director of the oncology service line.
At Mercy, Kosewski was responsible for daily and strategic operations, financial management and operational leadership of the oncology service line at five Mercy hospitals in
Lorain and Youngstown, and collaborated with leaders in primary care, cancer screening/services and geriatric services.
Prior to joining Mercy Health, Kosewski was executive director of Cancer Services and Palliative Care at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Western Maryland in Cumberland, Maryland, where his responsibilities were program development, strategic and business planning and operational and financial management. Kosewski has MBA in organizational leadership from Ashford University and a master’s degree in genetic counseling from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas.
BEN KOSEWSKI
©2025byVickiWhiting,Editor Je Schinkel,Graphics Vol. 41,No. 6
What if this news story were true? Arethe schools in Spottville treating all children equally?
Dottie and lotsofkids from her school are speaking out against the Freckle Rule. Use the code to see what their signs say
Work with a partnerathome to complete thefollowing diagram.
1. Lookatthe list of traits. In the upperpart of the top oval, writeall of yourtraits.
2. Write your partner’s traits on thelower partofthe bottom oval.
3. In the area where thetwo ovals connect,write the traits youBOTH have
his story may seem a bit silly Sadly,there is some truth to it. For many years, groups of people in the United States were treated differently just because of the way they looked.
DidDottieand herfriends get ridofthe Freckle Rule? To ndout,color the spaces withtwo dotsRED and the squareswith onedot BLUE
Dr.Martin Luther King knew what it was like to be discriminated against. He had been called namesand told he could not do all of the things other people could do. It wasn’t because of freckles that Dr.King had these problems. It was because his skin was black.
In the 1950s and 60s, many Americans, Black and white, spoke out and even fought against unfair laws that discriminated against Black people. Dr.King was one of the leaders of this struggle called the Civil Rights Movement.
Find the twobells that areexac tly
fter years of struggle, the Civil Rights Act made discrimination against the law. However, Dr.King knew it would take more thanalaw to change people’shearts and minds. He continued to teach peoplethat discrimination was unfair Each year on his birthday, Americans remember this man who believed the dream of equality and freedom should ring true for all.
King’sdream
newspaper for examples that show the dream is alive. Do you see examples that show that his dream still isn’talive for all people?
Look through the newspaper for pictures and stories that show the freedoms Americans enjoy Cut these out and make a poster called: “The
NO FRECKLES
With hundreds of topics,every KidScoop printable activitypack features six-to-seven pages of high-interest extra learning activities forhome and school! Getyour free sample todayat:
verb to volunteer means to work or help someone for no pay
The fourth grade students volunteer to read to the kindergarten students.
Tryto use the word volunteer in asentence today when talking with your friends and family This week’sword: