TRUCK PLOWS THROUGH BACK OF ELYRIA HOME

Elyria – An Elyria resident was awakened by the sounds of a truck plowing through her house late Thursday night.

Police say 36 year old Chet McLaughlin of Elyria was traveling West on South Glen (a dead end street) when he went off the road, up over a small grass hill, through a fence and into the back of a house at 333 Longfellow Street.

McLaughlin’s 2009 Silverado was completely inside of the resident’s home, back wheels and all. About 8 feet to the left was the resident’s bedroom.

McLaughlin was not responding to Elyria Police and Firefighters as they tried to gain entry into his locked truck. Firefighters had to bust the passenger side window to get inside to begin treating McLaughlin who eventually came to and began speaking.

Once Firefighters removed McLaughlin from the truck LifeCare Paramedics treated and then transported McLaughlin to Elyria Memorial hospital. He was later transferred to a Cleveland hospital for further evaluation.

Once McLaughlin was out of the house a Firefighter jumped in his truck and backed it out so the resident could be freed from her bedroom.

McLaughlin’s history shows OVI’s in 1995, 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. McLaughlin also has a Domestic Violence charge in 2000 that also included Resisting Arrest and Assault. In 2008 he was charged with Disorderly Conduct – Intoxication and Domestic Violence.

McLaughlin told Police he had been drinking but it is still not clear what his blood alcohol level was at the time of the crash.

 

The crash remains under investigation.

PHOTOGALLERY

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CHEERS TO A PROACTIVE FIRE DEPARTMENT SEEKING INFO ON AN ARSON

Cheers to the men and women of the Wellington Fire District for thinking outside the box and reaching out to the community in an effort to find an arsonist.

Firefighters posted the following on their Facebook page:

On Sunday, July 8, at 11:14 am, an abandoned house at 25763 West Road, in Huntington Township was intentionally set on fire. This fire has been ruled arson and investigators need your help.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Wellington Fire District at 440-647-2245 or contact Deputy Mickey Jackson at the Lorain County Sheriff's Office at 440-329-3801. If you are able to furnish information that leads to the identification of the person(s) responsible for this fire, there could be up to a $5,000 reward.

Arson is one crime that is very difficult for investigators to wrap up and bring someone to justice. Some arson fire investigations sit idle for so long some residents and business owners who have been victimized by arsonists feel nothing will ever be done. Wellington Firefighters have shown their residents that they will do whatever they can to solve this crime and they should be applauded for thinking outside the box.

ELYRIA POLICE ARREST SUSPECT IN 5 BREAK INS

Elyria – Members of the Elyria Police Neighborhood Impact Unit arrested 26 year old Benjamin Krugman of Elyria for a rash of recent break-ins.

The arrest was the result of an ongoing investigation by Detective Jay Loesch and the report indicates that more charges are possible.

Krugman was charged with breaking into the American Legion (2 counts), Twist & Shake (2 counts) and Ten to Ten (1 Count).

In all Krugman was charged with 5 counts of Breaking and Entering (Felony 5) and 1 count of Tampering with Evidence (Felony 3).

Krugman is being held in the Lorain County Jail on a $100,000.00 bond.

 

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MAJOR FIRE BREAKS OUT AT ELYRIA FOUNDRY

Elyria – Elyria Firefighters were busy all night after a fire broke out at the Elyria Foundry on Filbert Street just before 10pm Friday night.

Elyria Firefighters remain on scene this afternoon checking for hot spots and overseeing demolition.

Fire Officials have not yet released information about what may have caused the blaze as it is still under investigation.

Several departments from the area were called in for mutual aid from surrounding communities.

No injuries have been reported.

PHOTOGALLERY

 

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BLUE STAR MOTHERS HONORED AT ELY PARK

Elyria – Home Front Moms – Chapter 60 dedicated a rock on Sunday to the Blue Star Mothers, an organization that was formed in 1942 to serve military past and present.

The Blue Star Mothers of America, inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan, non-political organization. They do not support any political candidate or any religious organization. According to the Blue Star Mothers, “the Military represents all aspects of America as does our organization.”

Home Front Moms participate in Honor Flights, Welcoming Home Soldiers, Sewing Circles, Veterans Breakfasts and also creating and mailing Care Packages to active Soldiers serving overseas.

If anyone would like to donate to their Care Package Program you can contact Home Front Moms @ bsmhomefrontmoms@yahoo.com or by calling 440.865.9445.

PHOTOGALLERY

 

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BIKER INJURED AFTER HE LOSES CONTROL ON LORAIN BLVD

Elyria – An Elyria man was injured Saturday night after he lost control of his 2009 Harley Road King on Lorain Blvd.

Police say 51 year old Robert Golinski of Elyria was traveling south on Lorain Blvd at a high rate of speed when he failed to negotiate a curve near Erie Street and lost control of his bike. Golinski went off the left side of the road and flipped over before coming to rest approximately 322’ from where his skid marks started.

Golinski was taken to Elyria Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Police cited Golinski for Reasonable Control and a Felony OVI. The OVI was classified as a felony due to Golinski having 4 prior OVI’s.

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POWER LINES TIP DUMP TRUCK OVER ONTO ITS SIDE

Elyria – A full size 10-ton dump truck was turned onto its side Saturday afternoon after a clash with power lines.

Police say 54 year old Franklin Skaggs of Elyria was traveling westbound on Pine Street in a Griffith Paving dump truck when the dump bed began to rise due to a mechanical failure. The top of the dump bed got caught by the power lines going across the road causing the truck to tip over ending up on the driver’s side.

Griffith Paving employees assisted Skaggs in getting out of the truck right after the crash.

Skaggs was treated at the scene and taken to Elyria Memorial Hospital. He was later transported to Cleveland for further treatment.

No citation has been issued.

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CAMPAIGN SIGNS STOLEN – SIGN POST THEN USED TO SMASH STOREFRONT WINDOW

Elyria Township – With just two days to go campaigns are heating up. In Elyria Township this morning someone who is apparently not a supporter of AJ Torres, Republican running for the Office of Lorain County Sheriff, ripped down a number of signs and then smashed out a storefront window using one of the sign posts.

Russ MacNeal, owner of Underwater Dive Center Inc, said he has had the Torres for Sheriff signs in front of his business on North Ridge Road for about 4 weeks with no problems. Then this morning he receives a call from one of his customers saying one of his windows had been broken out. “I came down right away to see what had happened and found the window broken and the signs gone. The Sheriff had already been here and took the sign post to the Elyria Police Department for fingerprinting. Another Deputy was just here taking a report.”

MacNeal said it was bad enough that his store window was broken out – but then he was shocked at the response he received when he called his Township Trustee. “I call Trustee Rob Scheithauer and explained what had happened. His only response to me was, “maybe you had the wrong candidate sign in your yard.” I didn’t appreciate that at all, he’s a supporter of Sheriff Stammitti and I respect that, I just wish that he could respect my decision to support AJ and as an elected official act professionally.”

When asked if he was reluctant to post new Torres signs in his yard MacNeal said no, not at all. “This is America. The signs are going back up.”

Torres himself showed up with his son to speak with MacNeal and to post new signs. Torres said it is sad that the election has turned to dirty tricks like this. “I left my job at the State Patrol and got into this race to make a difference in the Sheriff’s Office. My goal has been to help people in the Townships who so desperately need patrol and enforcement. Since the campaign has been heating up I have had more than a hundred signs stolen, most from the Amherst area but nothing like this where a window has been broken out of a supporters business.”

PHOTOGALLERY

VAN SLAMS INTO TLC BAR THEN FLEES

Elyria – Police are searching for the man who drove a work van into the side of the TLC bar on Clark Street Friday night leaving a giant hole in the building and a lot of shaken patrons inside.

The driver struck the Kipling Street side of the building taking out the wall that leads into the kitchen where people were working. The driver then backed out and fled the scene traveling down Clark Street towards the hospital. Pieces of brick were found on the road as far away as the hospital by Police searching the area.

While Police were investigating the crash they were contacted by the State Patrol who said they believed they had the van on Robert Lane in Carlisle Township.

The driver of the van had turned down Robert Lane from East River and went off the left side of the road where he rolled over a shrub and then came to a stop after striking a utility pole guide wire. Neighbors say by the time they got outside to see what had happened the driver had already fled the area on foot.

Although there was extensive damage to the building nobody was taken to the hospital.

Elyria Firefighters were on scene to examine the damage to see if the structure was sound. A construction crew was on scene about an hour after the crash and sealed up the hole.

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DRIVER CRASHES INTO LIFECARE VAN ON ROUTE 57

 

Elyria – A wheelchair patient being taken to a routine appointment by LifeCare Ambulance transport service ended up going to the emergency room after the van was struck from behind Friday afternoon.

Elyria Police say the LifeCare wheelchair van was stopped on Route 57 at a red light about 500 feet south of Cleveland Street when 48 year old Karen Costa of Hambden, Ohio struck the rear of the van.

The driver of the van, 20 year old Zachary Kasperovich of Lorain, was ok but the man he was transporting complained of back pains and was transported to Elyria Memorial Hospital for evaluation. Costa also refused treatment or transport.

Police cited Costa for Assured Cleared Distance.

DRUNK DRIVER CRASHES INTO NEIGHBORS CAR

Elyria – Early last Sunday morning Elyria Police arrested 21 year old Shaun Carson of 173 Delaware Cir after he crashed into a neighbors car parked in the driveway at 126 Delaware Cir.

Carson told Police he was traveling east on Delaware Cir when his car went off the road first striking a utility box and then a neighbors parked car. Carson was found on the ground across the street when LifeCare Paramedics arrived and refused any treatment or transport.

Officers performed a field sobriety check on Carson and after failing he was placed into custody for OVI.

Carson was charged with DUI, OVI – Low Order BA, Reckless Operation and Driving Unsafe Vehicle.

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SCRAP METAL THEFT PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO OHIO’S INFRASTRUCTURE

COLUMBUS – Whether it is the theft of railroad spikes and rails or copper communication lines, scrap metal theft presents a significant threat to Ohio’s infrastructure. These types of thefts can create disruptions in communication services and dangers to the public. It can also create a significant financial burden to property owners. That is why the Ohio Department of Public Safety (ODPS) and Ohio Homeland Security supported Senate Bill 193 which creates a mandatory online registry for scrap metal and bulk merchandise container dealers in Ohio.

The online registry, which must be completed by January 1, 2013, aims to create an infrastructure within the industry to crack down on scrap theft, thereby protecting Ohio’s infrastructure by focusing on the end point - the dealers and recycling facilities. The bill also defines and establishes criminal penalties for purchasing, selling or receiving a special purchase article.

By 2014, dealers are required to report transactions through an electronic reporting system maintained by ODPS. In addition, ODPS will maintain a “Do Not Buy From” list for use by law enforcement agencies and dealers. The list contains the names of known scrap thieves in the area.

In order to help raise awareness and knowledge concerning Senate Bill 193, ODPS will offer training for both law enforcement officers and representatives from the scrap metal industry. The training will provide a comprehensive overview of the bill. Attendees will also receive information on how and where to register, what penalties can result for failure to comply with the revised law and ways to determine if someone may be attempting to scrap stolen property.

For more information on the training dates and locations, visit http://homelandsecurity.ohio.gov/doc/scrapmetal.pdf

If you See Something, Say Something. Contact Ohio Homeland Security at 1-877-OHS-INTEL or for emergencies, call 911.

 

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