Elyria News

The Elyria Education Association is asking its members to show up to tonight's Elyria school board meeting as a sign to the board that they will continue to fight for a fair contract.

A $1.9 million grant from the Ohio Department of Development will be used to turn a former industrial site believed to be contaminated with hazardous materials into a prime area for redevelopment.

ELYRIA -- A former county commissioner in northeast Ohio has been convicted on charges alleging he took bribes to steer county contracts to certain companies.

An Elyria school board meeting Wednesday night turned into a referendum on the current impasse between the district and the teachers union over contract negotiations.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Elyria – A late night fire with the threat of exploding propane tanks had Elyria Firefighters battling the fire defensively with their newest weapon – Tower 8.

An alert Elyria Police Officer, Sgt. Ryan Warfield, while on patrol spotted the fire behind a fence at A-1 Welding on Infirmary Road across the street from Westway Garden apartments. Warfield radioed for his Dispatcher to contact the Fire Department. Warfield also warned other Officers responding to the area to stay back due to large propane tanks near the fire. Police then secured the area so nobody would get close to the blaze in case of an explosion.

When Firefighters arrived they held at a safe distance while they investigated the safety of the area. It was decided by Captain Tim Mitchell of the Elyria Fire Department to fight the fire in a defensive mode by using their new Tower 8.

Tower 8 was set up a safe distance away and the Tower was extended out to its limit to shoot water onto the fire from above. Mitchell said that the Tower worked out very well for them in getting the fire under control.

By MEGAN ROZSA mrozsa@MorningJournal.com

ELYRIA — Just three days before Christmas, Elyrians will vote on whether Mayor William Grace should continue in office. In a special meeting last night, City Council set the date for Dec. 22.

Council was also set to vote on a resolution that called for council's support of the mayor in the recall, but several members questioned why it was necessary for council to have an opinion.

"Council needs to be neutral," Ward 3 Councilman Garry Gibbs said. "I've never signed the petition. This dispute is between the mayor and the citizens. When you talk about the special election costing $50,000, that's the price of democracy."

Lorain County Board of Elections Director Jose Candelario has estimated the cost of the special election to be around $50,000 because each of the 40 precincts in Elyria will cost between $900 and $1,300 for pollworkers, delivering equipment and postage for absentee ballots.

Candelario plans on asking the Lorain County Commissioners for money to cover the election, which will then be repaid by Elyria.

Ward 4 Councilman Mark Craig also questioned the legality of having council vote collectively on supporting the mayor. He said that each person should have their own opinion, but since council members represent all residents, a collective vote is uncalled for.

"We don't vote as a council to represent candidates in regular elections," Craig said. "So why should we vote in this one?"

Ward 1 Councilman Larry Tanner agreed and said, "It's their fight, not a council fight. It has nothing to do with me personally."

Elyria's Law Director Terry Shilling said he did not know whether the council voting as a whole to support the mayor was a legal or illegal action. Until he could clarify, council decided to table the issue.

ELYRIA a ' Those automated garbage trucks that empty trash and recycling cans could be coming to 16,500 households in Elyria soon.

The Elyria city council will choose the date for a special election tomorrow evening... one which could result in a mayoral recall.

LORAIN a ' An Elyria man is facing several charges after leading police on a chase through Amherst and Lorain Tuesday that ended with a foot chase and the suspecta TMs arrest, according to a sheriffa TMs report.

The Elyria Police Department will have 10 fewer police officers next year. A group of Elyria police officers gathers outside Monday's City Council meeting, where cuts were announced.

Electronics left in plain sight in your car are a target for thieves. Elyria Police say thieves hit 13 cars in a matter of five days stealing iPods, laptop computers, and GPS units among other things.

After the failure of Issue 10, deep cuts to Elyriaa s budget were inevitable. And tonight, theya ll be official and live online as Mayor Bill Grace outlines his budget for 2010 to City Council and The Chronicle streams it live on the Web.

Earl, where did you retire from? Earl: I retired from the Ford Motor Company in Lorain.

Police are investigating whether two men stole jewelry from one downtown store Thursday and then tried to pawn it at a second store, stealing more jewelry in the process.

Mike Panter cradled his mother's dog, Harley, as he looked at his childhood home.

A deliveryman was robbed of $400 at gunpoint Thursday evening while delivering food to the Midview Crossing apartments in the 1800 block of Middle Ave.

Avon Middle School art teacher Anne Maiden has been tied to five vehicle break-ins in two local park systems, and at least a half dozen other agencies in Lorain and Medina counties want to talk to her, according to Pat McCaslin, assistant director and chief ranger for the Lorain County Metro Parks.

Mayor Bill Grace walked into the Clerk of Council's office at City Hall late Thursday afternoon and was served with a packet of papers by Law Director Terry "Pete" Shilling announcing Elyria residents had collected enough signatures to hold a recall election.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Elyria – The Lorain County Board of Elections declared that Stand Up Elyria has obtained enough signatures to force a recall election of Elyria Mayor William Grace.

The group fell short initially by just over 400 valid signatures when they turned in their petition the first time in mid October. The group hit the streets and returned on November 2nd with 902 signatures to be validated.

Today the Board of Elections said that of the 902 names 530 were valid signatures.

A group was just formed recently to combat Stand Up Elyria and their recall efforts. YesElyria.com said they will work to inform citizens why they feel Mayor Grace should not be recalled and that he has done nothing to warrant such actions by citizens. YesElyria.com also says that a recall now would cost the city too much money and now with talks of layoffs we shouldn’t be spending money on such things.

Craig Bevan, co-chair of Stand Up Elyria, says that now is the time to spend that money. “This Mayor and his administration has wasted so much money over the years, if he is allowed to spend another two, who knows how much more he’ll waste. It’s time for him to go and it’s time for the citizens of this town to stand up for Elyria.”

With the petition now being certified Mayor Grace would have 5 days to step down according to the rules of a recall. Mayor Grace has said that he will not step down rather he will fight to keep his job by telling citizens about the accomplishments of his administration. Grace said that he believes that he will win a recall election saying; “The group will find out that it is one thing to get enough names to force a recall election but it’s another to get enough votes to overturn an election that happened less than two years ago.”

TMC NEWS POLL

A pregnant Elyria woman is recovering after being attacked by two dogs in her front yard.