Pages of the Press

: Written by Larry Limpf; October 09, 2009; Hits: 1450

The issue of landowner rights along the Lake Erie shoreline is now before the Ohio Supreme Court.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray is appealing a decision by the 11th District Court of Appeals which ruled the land beneath the waters of the Lake Erie shoreline is open to the public and lakefront property residents own the land above the waterline.

The decision also set limits for the attorney general’s participation in the case, ruling that office’s authority to enter such a case is determined by the governor or state legislature.

“This ruling by the appeals court undermines the attorney general’s authority and duty to represent the people of Ohio,” Cordray said. “It also affects the rights of all Ohioans, including private landowners, along the shores of Lake Erie.”

: Written by Larry Limpf; July 23, 2009; Hits: 1560

Three suspects in the case of an elderly rural Gibsonburg couple who were beaten and robbed in their home will likely face a special grand jury this week, according to the Sandusky County Sheriff’s Department.

Ronald Ruby, Jr., 32, Toledo; Paul Biddwell, 32, Fostoria, and Jimmy Houston, 33, Woodville, have each been charged with attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, theft, and kidnapping during the commission of a felony.

Detective James Consolo said additional charges may be filed but no other arrests are anticipated.

The three were arrested July 22 in connection with the July 2 break-in of the State Route 600 home of James and Mary Kohler.

: Written by Press Staff Writer; October 09, 2009; Hits: 2368

The Birmingham Hall of Fame will hold its 33rd Annual Inductee and Scholarship Banquet Oct. 18 at St. Stephen’s School Hall, 2018 Consaul St., Toledo. There will be seven inductees and 15 $1,000 scholarship recipients honored this year.

The celebration will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a social hour. Dinner will include the Hall of Fame’s“World Famous Chicken Paprika and Pig in the Blanket” dinner, served family-style at 6 p.m.

Guest speaker will be Terry Awls, general manager of the Sylvania Country Club,

who is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $20 per person and $10 for children 6-12. Children under 6 will be admitted free. To order tickets, call Takacs Grocery & Meats at 1956 Genessee St., Toledo, or call 419-693-9233.

The Hall of Fame was founded in 1976 as a charitable organization for the Birmingham Ethnic Community in East Toledo. In the first two years, all profits were given to the Birmingham Coalition for advancement and development of the neighborhood. During the following years, profits were donated to the four neighborhood churches and community activities.

In 1991, The Birmingham Hall of Fame Scholarship Program was established. The program awarded $750 college scholarships to a few outstanding high school students. This year, 15 $1,000 scholarships will be awarded to entering college students.

: Written by Kelly Kaczala; July 23, 2009; Hits: 1172

St. Charles Mercy Hospital plans to upgrade its substation and run a new set of power lines to increase its supply of electricity.

But the city requires new electric lines in residential subdivisions be underground.

FirstEnergy, which owns Toledo Edison, has insisted that the lines have to be above ground because they are high voltage, Mayor Marge Brown told city council last week.

Brown, public service director Paul Roman, Administrator Ken Filipiak, and Law Director Paul Goldberg met with Edison officials last week “to show our side of the equation,” said Brown.

“They are telling us they cannot bury the wires, they have to be above ground. These are 90 foot wires you will see when you come off I-280 to Navarre,” said Brown.

: Written by Larry Limpf; October 09, 2009; Hits: 1043

Residential electric customers in Lake Township can expect a 6 percent discount off the rate to be set by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for member communities of a coalition, Tom Hays, township solicitor, said last week in a memo to the township trustees.

Hays and other representatives of Northwest Ohio Aggregation Coalition communities met recently to discuss a proposal by First Energy Solutions to extend the coalition contract for another six years.

“During this extension period FES will provide a 6 percent discount for residential customers and a 4 percent discount for small commercial customers from the standard rate set through the PUCO process,” the memo says. “In addition, Lake Township would receive a one-time payment of $30 per customer.”