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| More than 100 arrested in gang roundup A gang roundup held this week netted more than 100 arrests and led to the confiscation of drugs and weapons, Toledo authorities said Saturday. The roundup was held because of the gang activity [in the city], Toledo Police Deputy Chief Don Kenney said. We wanted to make a statement that it was not going to be tolerated. Area law-enforcement agents executed 111 search warrants, made about 120 drugs and firearms-related arrests, and seized $12,000 to $15,000 worth of crack cocaine and marijuana, four handguns, and a shotgun in the roundup held Thursday and Friday in Toledo, authorities said. Chief Kenney spoke of the roundup yesterday to scores of Toledo Area Block Watch activists at their annual picnic at the Liz Pearson Shelter House in Ottawa Park. Mayor Carty Finkbeiner also spoke to the group. |
| Pike-Delta-York voters approve levy, official count in The official count is in and voters in Fulton Countys Pike-Delta-York Local School District have approved a three part bond request. Board of Election officials released the vote Saturday morning after recounting the votes and adding the provisional ballots to the final count. The request a 2.5-mill bond issue, a 1.8-mill levy, and a 0.5-mill levy for facilities construction and maintenance passed 918 to 912. About $10 million of the $25 million project must come from local taxpayers. The approved levy will cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $151 annually for the first 23 years and $135 for the remaining five years. |
| Downtown Toledo arena naming rights prove to be a slow sell With the opening of Toledo's new downtown sports arena still more than a year away, project officials concede the city's struggling economy is confounding efforts to find a company willing to pay millions of dollars for naming rights. "Obviously, when possible, you'd like to get a major sponsorship commitment of that level sooner than later, but we've never, quite frankly, experienced an economy as unusual as this one," said Joe Napoli, vice president of the Toledo Mud Hens. "That's been a bit of a challenge for us." The new arena will be operated by Toledo Arena Sports, Inc., a nonprofit organization that is a subsidiary of the Mud Hens organization. Mr. Napoli said his organization is in contact with several companies and eventually will find a sponsor - but now may not be the best time to sign a deal. "For a company to make a long-term commitment for naming rights in the current environment is a new experience, even for us," Mr. Napoli said. "I can't even compare it to our last experience, because it's not the same." To negotiate the naming rights, county officials hired Gateway Consulting, a Cleveland-based firm whose other clients include the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers, along with the Mud Hens. "We could sell the naming rights tomorrow, but I don't think that's the best thing for the project," said Tom Chema, a consultant with Gateway. Mr. Napoli and Mr. Chema wouldn't say how much they were asking for naming rights, but because the stadium will be open year-round and will host other events besides sports, they are expecting much more than the $5 million that Fifth Third Bank paid to sponsor the Mud Hens' home. Naming-rights revenue is intended to help Lucas County pay off debt from the arena's construction. The planned 8,000-seat arena, situated between Madison and Jefferson avenues in downtown Toledo, will host the Toledo Walleye minor-league hockey team, plus concerts and other events. It is scheduled to open in the fall of 2009. County officials said they are looking for other teams - perhaps an Arena Football League team, or one from the NBA Development League - to play at the arena. With a price tag of about $100 million, the arena's price tag easily doubles that of the Fifth Third Field, which opened for the Mud Hens in 2002. The county plans to borrow about $90 million, using 35-year bonds, to finance the project. The balance will come from state grants, investment income, and other sources. An increase in the county's hotel-motel tax and revenue from the stadium is expected to fund the debt service, as was done with Fifth Third Field. The money for arena-naming rights, along with other sponsorships and ticket sales, will immediately go back to the county to help it pay off the debt. County Administrator Michael Beazley said he expects the revenue to be between $1 million and $3 million per year. In the Mud Hens' deal with Fifth Third, the bank owns the naming rights for the stadium for 15 years plus a 10-year option. Officials said they still were negotiating the period for which the arena's naming rights would be sold. If the economy worsens, Mr. Napoli said, they even could wait until after the arena opens to sell naming rights. "Everything is within the realm of possibility. We still have 14 months to go. We still have an exceptional chance to sell the naming rights," Mr. Napoli said. "But I would certainly not hit the panic button if that did not occur." He said he had faith in the project's ability to attract residents downtown and promote the area, but it may be necessary to wait until the national economy improves in order to maximize the facility's value. But despite the economy, Mr. Napoli said his organization has had "exceptional" success selling club seats and other sponsorships within the stadium. "That's been surprisingly fruitful, taking into account the economy," Mr. Napoli said. On Aug. 11, Standard & Poor's issued its highest possible rating for $34 million in one-year bond-anticipation notes that the county issued for the arena project. The county already has bid most of the project's construction, with about $9 million in contracts remaining. So far, county officials say the project is actually $4 million under budget - savings that could pick up the slack if the naming rights are sold for less than expected. Contact Alex M. Parker at: aparker@theblade.com or 419-724-6107. |
| University of Toledo decides United Way building unsuitable for its use The University of Toledo will not purchase the United Way building, President Lloyd Jacobs said yesterday after he and a dozen UT staffers toured the downtown Toledo property. The United Way of Greater Toledo last week announced plans to build a new structure and tear down its current home because of the extensive and costly renovations that it has said would be required to stay. According to United Way estimates, updating the 1969 building would cost at least $10 million, while new construction would cost $6 million - including the current structure's removal. Though Dr. Jacobs said he admired the "interesting and beautiful" structure, he said it would need too much renovation to be useful to the university. It had been suggested as a possible location for UT's law school. Dr. Jacobs said he liked the building's downtown location, but said it had a "tremendous amount of infrastructure needs," citing its roof, plumbing, wiring, and the amount of work it would need to remodel its offices into university classrooms. Yesterday's tour was led by Brian McCarty, the local United Way's director of facilities, and Bill Kitson, the local chapter's president and chief executive. The tour started on the building's roof and worked its way to the basement, with participants examining offices, roaming hallways and stairwells, and peeking in closets and bathrooms. On the roof, Mr. McCarty said leaks are a problem, as he pointed to a spot he patched within the last few weeks. The roof has passed its 20-year life expectancy, he said. Mr. McCarty also showed UT officials the rooftop cooling tower. Its machinery is 40 years old though its intended life span was just 15 years. "It's a constant headache for me," he said. OneSphere, a Perrysburg firm that surveyed the building in 2003, said in its report to the United Way that "this unit has definitely reached the end of its useful life." The same report found that some aspects of the building functioned well, but it recommended numerous upgrades, as well as making the building more accessible for people with disabilities. In a stairwell, UT representatives examined a large crack caused by a 1986 earthquake, which measured 5.0 on the Richter scale. Tour participants asked about plumbing, water damage in the building, electrical systems, phones, Internet capability, sprinklers, and the building's mechanical systems. The tour ended after Mr. McCarty showed the building's air conditioning system. The system shuts down when it overheats, which has left the building without air conditioning several times this summer, Mr. Kitson said. The compressors are overworked, Mr. McCarty said. "It's like keeping your car motor floored, night and day," he said. "After awhile, it can't handle the load." The Lucas County commissioners have expressed interest in examining the building, potentially for the county's department of Job and Family Services. Mr. Kitson said county officials will tour the building next week. The United Way has drawn fire from preservationists, as well as Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner. The structure was designed by prominent Toledo architect Byron West to house the United Way and other nonprofit agencies in one building. Its construction was heavily financed by $3.8 million from the Stranahan Foundation. Michael Young, a former Toledo city planner who is now an urban designer in San Diego, said in an e-mail to The Blade that he remembers the building's signature "multiple planes, and mysterious castle-like profile." "Even today, after 46 years in Toledo and another 11 in California, I have not found another building like it. The United Way building was distinctive then, and it is exceptional now. It is a triumphant departure from the featureless and impersonal office buildings that have dominated architecture in the past 50 years." Contact Kate Giammarise at: kgiammarise@theblade.com or 419-724-6133. |
| 2 arraigned in BP slaying Molly Dugan burst into tears yesterday as the man charged with killing her brother Wednesday morning during a robbery at a West Toledo convenience store was escorted into a Toledo Municipal Court room to appear before a judge. Anthony Belton, 22, of 934 Cuthbert Rd., wearing a brown jail-issued jumpsuit, held his head low as he walked into the courtroom, packed with family and friends of both the victim and suspects. Mr. Belton was charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery, both with gun specifications, in connection with the shooting of Matthew Dugan in the BP station at 3306 Dorr St. Judge Robert Christiansen set his bond at $2 million. Dymon Bolton, 18, of 623 Ranch Drive, who police believe drove a getaway car, was charged with aggravated robbery. His bond was set at $500,000. Both suspects remained in the Lucas County jail last night. A woman who declined to comment after the hearing began wailing when Mr. Belton appeared in court. Another unidentified woman left the courtroom in tears after Mr. Bolton was brought into court. A third suspect, Tony Bivens, 17, who police believe was a passenger in the getaway vehicle, turned himself in at the Safety Building downtown at about 1:30 p.m. yesterday. The Bivens youth, accompanied by his attorney, was charged with aggravated robbery with a gun specification, and remains in the Lucas County Juvenile Justice Center. Mr. Belton is accused of entering the convenience store about 7 a.m. Wednesday. He stopped at the counter, walked back to a cooler and grabbed a drink, and then returned to the cash register, pulled out a gun, and demanded money, police said. Mr. Dugan, who had worked at BP only two months, handed the assailant an undetermined amount of cash and then was ordered to get the robber telephone calling cards from behind the counter. When he turned around to get them, police said Mr. Belton shot Mr. Dugan once in the back of the head and then fled. Mr. Belton and Mr. Bolton were apprehended about 8:30 p.m. Wednesday outside of a house near 1018 Ranch Dr., police said. Mr. Dugan was pronounced dead at the scene about 7:50 a.m. Mr. Dugan's mother, Cindy, with her daughters Molly and Rachel by her side, said she appreciated the support she has received from both city leaders and the general public. Speaking softly, Mrs. Dugan also thanked the police department for its diligence. "It makes me feel good and grateful," she said. "Thank you from our whole family." Mr. Dugan was the son of Tom Dugan, a longtime Toledo firefighter and former president of International Association of Firefighters Local 92 who died of cancer in 2004. He had taken the job at BP after he was laid off from his full-time job as a production assistant at Great Lakes Window. Will Scarberry, who worked with Mr. Dugan at the window company for a little more than a year, said he was a hard worker and was among about 20 people who were laid off. "He didn't let nothing upset him or bother him," Mr. Scarberry said. "He talked about God a lot." A man caught on video stealing cigarettes from BP about 20 minutes after the shooting occurred also turned himself in to Toledo police yesterday. Michael Johnson, 36, of 1210 Elysian Ave. was charged with petty theft and failure to report a death to police, court records show. Police said he admitted to having stolen the cigarettes, but denied seeing Mr. Dugan's body behind the counter. The video showed the man leaning over the counter to take a pack of cigarettes before leaving. He is free on $600 bond, authorities said. According to Michigan Department of Correction records, Johnson served eight years in prison for a homicide conviction. After pleading no contest to a second-degree murder charge in August, 1998, he was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison. He was released Oct. 31, 2006. Johnson also has a previous conviction from 1989 of receiving stolen property for which he served five years in prison. Both offenses occurred in Washtenaw County, Michigan. Staff writer Gabe Nelson contributed to this report. Contact Laren Weber at: lweber@theblade.com or 419-724-6050. |
| Kirk - Democratic convention |
| United Way decision was necessary I have lived in the Toledo area for just over three years and I enjoy being a part of this community. I appreciate this community's openness to share their viewpoints, especially on the issue of our United Way building. However I feel it's critical I share some background. Last week the United Way of Greater Toledo Board of Trustees approved a building project. It was not a hasty decision but, rather, a decision based on years of research and study. The decision was not only smart but necessary. The board needs to be commended for making a tough decision to an emotional issue. I am also compelled to publicly say thank you to all of the volunteers who have invested significant time and expertise in advising our board on all the available options. Much has been made around the funding of the new building. Donor contributions are not going to pay for the construction of a new building. United Way donors are paying for our current building's operating costs. As those costs climb, so does the drain on United Way's budget. The new building will be paid for by our Board Designated Fund, an endowment-like fund established by community leaders in the mid-1970s. At the end of the day, United Way's mission is to advance the common good of our community. Our mission is not to serve as a landlord or to preserve buildings. With all the public conversation since our announcement last week I have been presented with several possible solutions; unfortunately, none of them have been financially viable. Thank you to those of you who have expressed your support of our difficult decision. Bill Kitson President & CEO United Way of Greater Toledo DJ's rude behavior should be stopped An Aug. 1 letter in the Readers' Forum took issue with the late-night antics of Boomer on the Radio from 92.5 Kiss FM. I am a long-time listener of Kiss FM and I do most of my listening at work. If we could get another station inside our plant when Boomer is on, we would change the station. The girls I work with find his jokes to be juvenile, rude, upsetting, unspeakable, and appalling. Frankly, we think this infantile behavior must be stopped. We also find it horrendous that Kiss FM, allow Boomer to speak negatively about people in this city. There are other ways to gain listeners than poking fun at those who are listening. Tammy La Tonya Midwood Avenue Martz was top commercial radio talent Half of the people who watch the Super Bowl dont care about the game; they are there to watch the commercials. Half the people I knew in Toledo listened to radio just to hear Bob Martzs latest commercial creation. Bob Martz was the best commercial radio talent in America. MIKE SMYTHE Vice President/General Manager KFVS-TV (CBS) Cape Girardeau, Mo |
| Hillary's moment THE latest question for the Democratic Party is whether its presumptive nominee, Sen. Barack Obama, has given the Clintons too large a role in next week's national convention. While Sen. Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, correctly ceded the race for the nomination to Senator Obama and pledged to work for his victory in November, there is well-justified suspicion and uncertainty about what the Clintons are up to. Senator Obama, nevertheless, is playing the matter correctly. In quest of Senator Clinton's supporters, who potentially are more attached to her than to the Democratic Party, he is giving both Clintons maximum exposure at the party's signature event. This is not unprecedented. Mr. Clinton, after all, is a former two-term Democratic president, the first since Franklin Roosevelt. Allowing the name of a rival defeated in the primaries to be put into nomination is also not new and can serve as a way to forge party unity around the chosen candidate. Senator Obama also is showing generosity consistent with his pledge to bring Americans together. In doing so he is also laying down a marker that says to the Clintons and the party that if during the campaign they undercut him, or do not work sincerely for his election, a Democratic loss in November will lie on their heads. Prominent play at the convention for the ambitious Clintons constitutes a gamble for Senator Obama. If they respond to his openhandedness in good faith, he should have more support from the Democrats' core constituency than he would have otherwise. If the Clintons try to double-cross him, failure at the polls for the party will be due, at least partly, to them. Should that occur, the chances that Senator Clinton might have for the Democratic nomination in 2012, which some feel is the Clintons' real goal, would be dead. One has to assume that Senator Obama and his political strategists know what they are doing as they construct the convention scenario. Senator Clinton, late and ungenerous in letting go of her primary run, needs to play it straight from now on by demonstrating unconditional support for her party's nominee. Generosity on Senator Obama's part is not only right, but also smart. |
| McCain's foreign agent SEN. JOHN McCain wants the 2008 presidential election to be about experience, especially on foreign policy issues. So what does it say when he gets his advice from someone with a financial interest in those policies? It raises serious concerns about the candidate's judgment and ethical choices. Randy Scheunemann is Mr. McCain's chief foreign policy adviser, the man who prepped the Republican candidate before he issued a particularly bellicose statement insisting that the United States must get behind the Republic of Georgia, even if it means putting this nation nose-to-nose with Russia in a Cold War-like confrontation. Mr. Scheunemann is a partner "on leave" from the lobbying firm Orion Strategies. He has been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in recent years to promote the interests of Georgia. In April, a month and a half after he stopped working for Georgia but a month before he stopped being paid by Orion, his partner signed a $200,000 deal with the Georgian government. In the last four years, Georgia has shelled out at least $1 million for, among other things, Mr. Scheunemann's access to lawmakers such as Mr. McCain. Over the years, Mr. Scheunemann has lobbied Mr. McCain for and received support on four bills concerning the former Soviet republic. Mr. Scheunemann's firms also have lobbied for various military contractor and oil interests. It would not be unreasonable to expect that at some point Mr. Scheunemann will return to Orion, which raises ethical questions about the wisdom of following the advice of someone who was and may again be an agent of a foreign nation. We believe it is unwise of Mr. McCain to do so, and it would be just as unwise if Barack Obama had a similar adviser. In addition to the ethical question, there's the fact that the presumptive Republican nominee has for years been closely associated with Mr. Scheunemann, a neoconservative who has pushed for regime change in Iraq since the 1980s. As an aide to former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, he helped build support for the Iraq war and has been closely associated with former Bush Administration favorite Ahmad Chalabi. His right-wing credentials are impeccable and that's dangerous. Considering the fruits of the policies Mr. Scheunemann has advocated, we wonder what Mr. McCain was thinking when he made the lobbyist a senior foreign policy adviser in 2007. Americans have had enough of overseas adventurism, regime change, and the fear-mongering associated with the "war against terror." Attaching his aspirations to stale, failed policies of his party's neoconservative fringe might be a good way to secure the GOP base but it hardly seems the ideal way to win the confidence of an American electorate disillusioned by a war based on lies. Americans have grown tired of that tune, and Mr. McCain would be well advised to find someone who can whistle another. |
| Toledoan Jastremski ruled the pool before Spitz, Phelps Before Michael Phelps was regarded as the best swimmer on the planet, there was Mark Spitz and his seven gold medals from Munich in 1972. And, a decade before Spitz, that lofty status was once reserved for Toledos own Chet Jastremski. Although Jastremskis Olympic record pales in comparison to those of Phelps and Spitz, the 1959 graduate of St. Francis de Sales was once regarded as the Worlds Best Swimmer. That was the declaration on the cover of the Jan. 29, 1962 issue of Sports Illustrated magazine inset with a photo of Jastremski, then a junior swimmer at Indiana University under legendary coach James Doc Counsilman. Inside that SI issue, the related article written by Arlie Schardt described Jastremski as follows: Beyond argument the best swimmer in the world. Last summer broke world records in his specialty not once but again and again, and in doing so changed the basic conception of the stroke itself. That stroke was the breaststroke and Jastremski, with Counsilmans help, revolutionized it with a new whip-style kick that is still used today. I remember the people from Sports Illustrated coming down for the picture, Jastremski said. That was a great thing, and I really enjoyed the experience. But, by the year after, I was largely ignored. There wasnt much emphasis on swimming then. The interest was in professional sports. Jastremski had come to Indiana as a butterfly specialist who was adept at all four competitive strokes, but he basically owned the breaststroke during the early 1960s, set 12 world records, and his body of work led to his induction in 1977 into International Swimming Hall of Fame. So why doesnt the name Chet Jastremski evoke the same level of awe as Spitz or Phelps? That question is where this story begins and ends because, as talented as he was in the water, Jastremskis historic legacy is tempered with misfortune or hard luck or poor timing, or some combination of all three. EARLY RIPPLES: On the infrequent occasion that Chet Jastremski, 67, gets into a swimming pool these days, its usually during the summer months. Most often its outdoors at a YMCA in Bloomington, the home of Indiana University and the city where he was a family practice physician for 35 years before rheumatoid arthritis led him to retire last year. It was at the indoor YMCA pool in downtown Toledo where it all began for Chester Andrew Jastremski Jr. in late 1949, when his mother enrolled him in a swim class. My mother [Gertrude] was deathly afraid of the water and never learned to swim, but she wanted me to learn how, said Chet, who was later joined by younger brother, Duane. FIRST SPLASH: Just weeks after starting classes, the Toledo YMCA swim team coach, Tom Edwards, dropped by the pool one day to check for prospects. Edwards timed the youngsters with a stopwatch as they swam a lap or two, and was impressed by young Chets speed. He said, I want you to start on our swim team, so I did, Jastremski said. Within a short time I swam in my first race just after I turned 9. I dont even remember how I did. Jastremski was soon traveling with his parents to regional YMCA meets. When I started out it was just for enjoyment, and my mother and father were very interested and wanted to go to the competitions, Chet said. By the time I was 12 the family and I were traveling to invitational meets to places like South Bend and Cuyahoga Falls. When I was about 13 our coach took us to swim against college teams. A lot of times we won. The oldest kid we had was 17. It was an opportunity to improve without really thinking about it or trying to be good. KICKED OUT: By age 15 Jastremskis talent was obvious, and he and father, Chet Sr., registered young Chet for the 1956 U.S. Olympic trials, which were held in Detroit in advance of the Melbourne Games. Jastremski won the 200-meter breaststroke competition, but after a disputed officials ruling, was denied a spot on the U.S. team. It was kind of wide open back then, Jastremski said. They just said heres the times for the races, and you had to get your entry in a few weeks ahead of time. Then you just showed up. I entered several races, but in the 200-meter breaststroke I had the best time. This time the best time was not good enough. What was related to me was that it was one official at the far end of the pool, Chet said. He was supposed to be new, and he called somebody else over, and then there were more people. I guess they finally reached some kind of a quorum and decided I wasnt going to the Olympics. My dad told me that they explained that, on a turn, my legs went down in something like a dolphin kick, and that wasnt allowed. I was upset but not really bitter. I was still in high school so it wasnt a big deal. I just felt like I lost an opportunity. There wasnt any meanness associated with the decision. I just dont think anybody was really sure about the rule. Ironically, the second-place swimmer who moved into Jastremskis breaststroke slot on the U.S. team was also a member of the U.S. water polo team and, when a scheduling conflict occurred at the games, that swimmer skipped his breaststroke heat to compete in a water polo match. PROBATION: When Counsilman was coaching at Indiana University from 1957 to 1990, the Hoosiers often had one of the best programs in the country. They once won six straight NCAA mens team titles (1968-73). But IU had no chance at titles from 1960 through 1964, the years Jastremski swam on scholarship at IU. In fact, the Hoosier swimmers never made it to an NCAA meet during that time. Because of a third major recruiting violation by IU football coach Phil Dickens and his staff during the late 1950s, Indiana was placed on a university-wide probation by the NCAA, and was not permitted to compete in NCAA tournaments in any sport for those four school years. Thus, Jastremski, whose event times were the best in the world for much of that time, never even got a chance to win an NCAA event title. EARNED BUT BURNED: In 1960 Jastremski took another shot at the Olympics at age 19 after his freshman year at IU. Once again, what he did in the water did not count. His 200-meter breaststroke time was the second best at the U.S. trials, but the criteria allowed for two breaststrokers to join the team in Rome. The second qualifier would compete for the U.S. in the 100-meter leg of the 400 medley relay team. Jastremskis 100 time wasnt up to his standards, but was better than the next leading competitor. Californian Paul Hait, who was also vying for the spot. Instead of simply putting Jastremski on the team based on merit, Hait was named by the committee in charge of selecting the team. Bill Mulliken from Ohio University went and swam the 200 and won the gold medal, Jastremski said. The next year I broke his 200 record by eight seconds. They had criteria about qualifying for the team and they could only take two breast-strokers. They wanted the person to be fast for the relay, and also to be good in the 200. I was second in the 200. I was slower in the 100, but I was ahead of Paul Hait. Hait swam the breaststroke leg on the U.S. 400-meter medley relay team that won the gold medal. I was never really sure what happened or how they made the decision, Jastremski said. I was told by somebody that, since we already had several guys on the team from Indiana, that they might have wanted some more equity from other parts of the country. Paul was from California. Whether that is true or not, I dont know. James Counsilman was in on that meeting, and whatever happened in there died with him a few years ago. Councilman, considered as greatest swimming coach of all time and the coach of highly successful U.S. Olympic teams in 1964 and 1976, died at age 83 in 2004. If you look at something like that now, Jastremski said of being bypassed, everybody would go running to a judge. BURNED OUT: In 1964, Jastremski finally made the U.S. Olympic team, qualifying for the 200 breaststroke. This time he seemed poised for a gold medal run. But his rigorous pre-Olympic training under Counsilman proved counterproductive, and Jastremski took home a bronze medal from Tokyo for the 200-meter breaststroke, the only Olympic award he would ever win. Years after that, James Counsilman said, in retrospect, that he might have trained me inappropriately for the 200, Jastremski said. We trained so hard during that time that we were very tired. He thought that maybe the distance training broke me down. BEST, BUT NO GOLD: Jastremski had recently finished medical school at IU in 1968 when he decided to make an attempt to qualify for the Olympic games in Mexico City. He was not able to peak by the time of the trials, but earned a spot as an alternate. Continuing his training between the trials and competition in Mexico City, Jastremski did peak. Swimming only a preliminary heat on the medley relay team, Chets 100-meter breaststroke split in that heat turned out to be .02 seconds faster than the eventual gold medal winners time in the individual 100-meter final. Don McKenzie of the U.S. swam 1:07.7 to take that gold. I had just graduated from medical school and there was not enough time to train before the trials, Chet said. I only had eight weeks. Looking back, did any swimmer ever have greater misfortune in relation to the Olympics? If there was, Ive never seen it, Chet said. But actually the coaches had a harder time with it than I did. You just have to deal with it. If you let those kinds of things get you down, theyre probably going to bother you the rest of your life. I didnt want to worry too much about things that happened in the past. TWO OTHER OLYMPIADS: Jastremski had just finished a four-year military commitment with the U.S. Army (one year of residency at a base in Texas and the last three at West Point) in 1972 when he decided, at age 31, to try the Olympics once more. Although he swam a qualifying time that enabled him to compete at the U.S. trials after not swimming for four years, the training time was not sufficient to get him close to the best from U.S. By the time I qualified for the trials, I realized I didnt have a prayer, said Jastremski, who did travel to the Olympics twice more. In 1976 in Montreal he was a team physician for the U.S., and in 1980 in Moscow, he on part of the Olympic drug testing committee. ON SPITZ AND PHELPS: Mark Spitz was a great swimmer, Jastremski said. Actually, me and some of my teammates helped recruit him to Indiana. Mark had a perfect body style for swimming for his time. He was svelte and had long arms and he was really great. This year, with Michael Phelps and some of the other swimmers, Im very interested in watching the Olympics. I think hes fantastic. Its obvious that he and his coach have a very good relationship, and that his coach has prepared him very well from the time he was a young boy. Hes a very strong individual with long arms and big feet and big hands. Thats the physical side. But he seems quiet and he also seems like a very nice person. After youve done what he did four years ago and is doing now, it would be easy to get full of yourself or to become aloof. But he seems like the same person hes always been. I admire that. Contact Steve Junga at:sjunga@theblade.comor 419-724-6461. |
| Phelps swims into history, winning 7th gold medal BEIJING - His Olympics looking lost, Michael Phelps decided to flap those gangly arms one more time. Milorad Cavic, inches from spoiling it all, glided along just under the surface, convinced he had won gold. But it didn't matter who was fastest. Just first. Phelps swam into history with a magnificent finish Saturday, tying Mark Spitz with his seventh gold medal by the narrowest of margins in the 100-meter butterfly. One-hundredth of a second, the time it takes lightning to strike the ground. Whew! "Dream as big as you can dream and anything is possible," Phelps said. "I am sort of in a dream world. Sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it is real." Call it the Great Haul of China and it's not done yet. Phelps has one more race on Sunday, which will likely complete his coronation as the greatest Olympian ever. Spitz already ceded the title. "It goes to show you that not only is this guy the greatest swimmer of all time and the greatest Olympian of all time, he's maybe the greatest athlete of all time," said the icon of the 1972 Munich Games. "He's the greatest racer who ever walked the planet." The finish was so close the Serbian delegation filed a protest and swimming's governing body had to review the tape down to the 10-thousandth of a second. Phelps thought he lost until he saw the "1'' beside his name on the scoreboard. "When I did chop the last stroke, I thought that had cost me the race," he said. "But it was actually the opposite. If I had glided, I would have been way too long. I took short, faster strokes to try to get my hand on the wall. I ended up making the right decision." Phelps' time was 50.58 seconds, the only time in these Olympics that he won an event without breaking the world record. Not to worry. The 23-year-old from Baltimore has now pulled even with the greatest of Olympic records. "One word: epic," Spitz told The Associated Press from Detroit. "I'm so proud of what he's been able to do. I did what I did and it was in my day in those set of circumstances. For 36 years it stood as a benchmark. I'm just pleased that somebody was inspired by what I had done. He's entitled to every second of what's occurring to him now. "I feel a tremendous load off my back." Phelps will return on Sunday to swim in his final event of these games, taking the butterfly leg of the 400 medley relay. The Americans will be heavily favored to give him his eighth gold, leaving Spitz behind. Phelps slapped his hands on the water and let out a scream after the astonishing finish. The crowd at the Water Cube gasped it looked as though Cavic had won then roared when the "1'' popped up beside the American's name. Cavic's time was 50.59. The Serbian delegation filed a protest, but conceded that Phelps won after reviewing the tape provided by FINA, swimming's governing body. USA Swimming spokeswoman Jamie Olson said the tape was slowed to one frame every 10-thousandth of a second to make sure Phelps actually touched first. It was impossible to tell on regular-speed replays. "We filed the protest but it is already over," said Branislav Jevtic, Serbia's chief of mission for all sports. "They examined the video and I think the case is closed. The video says (Phelps) finished first. "In my opinion, it's not right, but we must follow the rules. Everybody saw what happened." FINA referee Ben Ekumbo of Kenya said there was no doubt who won after a review of the super-slow replay. "It was very clear that the Serbian swimmer touched second after Michael Phelps," he said. "One was stroking and one was gliding." Cavic still wasn't sure he actually lost, but said he would accept FINA's ruling. "I'm stoked with what happened," Cavic said. "I don't want to fight this. People will be bringing this up for years and saying you won that race. If we got to do this again, I would win it." Cavic watched the replay himself. "It's kind of hard to see," he said. "I know I had a long finish and Michael Phelps had a short finish." A notoriously slow starter Phelps was seventh out of eight at the turn he really turned it on with the return lap, his long arms gobbling up huge chunks of water as he closed the gap on Cavic and fellow American Ian Crocker, the world record-holder. As they approached the finish, with Phelps' head in line with Cavic's shoulder, the Serb took his final big stroke and glided underwater toward the gold. Phelps, his timing a bit off but fully aware of where he was, did another mini-stroke, propelling his upper body out of the water, swooping his arms in a huge circular motion and slamming the wall with his hands on the follow-through. Phelps watched the replay on the video board, then saw it again in the massage area. "I saw it slow down frame by frame," he said. "It's almost too close to see." It was reminiscent of the 100 fly finish at Athens four years ago, where Crocker appeared to have the race won but Phelps got him at the wall by 0.04. "I thought four one-hundredths was close and I was shocked then," Phelps said. "I'm even more shocked now than I was then. One-hundredth is the smallest margin of victory in our sport. I guess it's pretty cool." Makes that 400 free relay, in which Jason Lezak chased down France's Alain Bernard to win by eight-hundredths of a second, look like a blowout. "My last two Olympics I've been able to nail my finishes, and it's been by four one-hundredths and one one-hundredths," Phelps said. "I'm happy and kind of at a loss for words." As if Phelps needed any extra motivation, his coach, Bob Bowman, took note of Cavic's reported comments a day earlier that it would be best for the sport if the American lost. On their way to breakfast, Bowman brought it up. "I wasn't going to at first, then I was saying to myself, 'This race is going to be very tight and I'm going to use everything I got,' so I put it out there," Bowman said, chuckling. "Maybe it was worth a hundredth." Just enough. "It fires me up more than anything," Phelps said. "I always welcome comments. It definitely motivates me even more." Cavic didn't leave anything to chance, either. Right before the race, coach Mike Bottom shaved a few stray hairs off the back of his swimmer's neck, looking for any edge he could get. Phelps collected a $1 million bonus that Speedo, one of his sponsors, first offered four years ago if he could tie or break Spitz's record. Phelps failed to cash in at the Athens Games, where he won six golds and two bronzes, but he got it on his second try. What's left? Already the winningest Olympian ever with 13 golds and most likely a 14th before he leaves Beijing, Phelps will have another thing to shoot for at the 2012 London Games. Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina captured a record 18 medals in her career: nine golds, five silvers and four bronzes. "My big goal is to change the sport of swimming," Phelps said. "I am sure Bob and I can think of some more goals in the next four years." Phelps set world records in his first six events, some of them by ridiculously large margins. He merely settled for a personal best and Olympic record in the 100 fly, which will at least give Spitz's supporters some reason to gloat: all seven of his wins in Munich were with world records. But, like Spitz, Phelps is 7-for-7 with a chance for one more. Or maybe that should be 6.99-for-7. Andrew Lauterstein of Australia won the bronze medal in 51.12. Expected to be Phelps' main challenger, Crocker was again denied the first individual gold of his career. He didn't even win a medal, finishing fourth by a hundredth of a second in 51.13. "It was a tight one," Crocker said. "I saw my short differential between getting a medal or not, but then I realized Michael's was pretty close, too. I'm really glad that he came out on top. "It was everything that an Olympic final should be. It doesn't matter who's in the heats, you just got to get out and race and it's anybody's game. It was one of the more intense races that I've been in, which makes it a great way to end the meet." While the medley relay figures to be nothing more than a coronation, Phelps isn't ready to talk about No. 8. "It's not over yet," he said. "I really think the Australian team looks great for the relay. It's going to be a race." Lauterstein was just thrilled to be part of history. "It was an amazing final," he said. "Every time you race Phelps, you'll have a great race and a great time. Just hearing his arms slap on the block gets your heart racing, he's amazing." Those arms sure came in handy Saturday. Overshadowed by Phelps, two more world records fell on the next-to-last day of swimming the 22nd and 23rd of a lightning-quick week. Rebecca Adlington of Britain won gold in the 800 freestyle, breaking Janet Evans' 19-year-old world record the oldest in swimming. Adlington touched in 8:14.10 to crush the mark of 8:16.22 set by the American in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 1989. Alessia Filippi of Italy took the silver and Lotte Friis of Denmark the bronze. Adlington completed a sweep of the women's distance events in Beijing, having upset American Katie Hoff to win the 400 freestyle. There were no Americans in the field after Hoff and Kate Ziegler were shockingly eliminated in the preliminaries. Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe finally won a gold in Beijing, defending her Olympic title in the 200 backstroke with a world record of 2:05.24. She lowered the mark of 2:06.09 set by Margaret Hoelzer at the U.S. trials last month. Hoelzer not only lost her record but had to settle for silver. Reiko Nakamura of Japan earned the bronze. No one was happier that Cesar Cielo, who won Brazil's first swimming gold with an upset in the 50 freestyle. He broke down crying on the medal stand and was mobbed by his teammates on deck. He won in 21.30, lowering his own Olympic mark of 21.34 that he set in the semifinals. Amaury Leveaux of France took the silver in 21.45. Alain Bernard of France, the 100-meter champion, won bronze in 21.49. World champion Ben Wildman-Tobriner of the United States was fifth and Aussie Eamon Sullivan, the world record-holder and silver medalist in the 100, could only manage sixth. Also, 41-year-old Dara Torres of the U.S. cruised into the final of the 50 free with the fastest semifinal time, 24.27. Australian teenager Cate Campbell was second at 24.42. The final is Sunday, the wrapup to a thrilling competition at the Water Cube. But the legacy of these Olympics is already assured. The Phelps Games. |
| Vickers takes pole at MIS BROOKLYN, Mich. This just might be the place where Brian Vickers really reclaims his stride. The former Nationwide Series champion will be starting from the pole position in tomorrows 3M Performance 400 Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway after he blew away the rest of the field in qualifying. Sometimes you just hit it, and you dont know why, Vickers said yesterday after turning a lap at an average speed of 188.536 mph, taking just 38.189 seconds to circle the two-mile oval. Today when we unloaded, the car was just awesome. It was quick with great grip. Jimmie Johnson, the Sprint Cup Series champion the last two years, qualified second at 187.028 mph. In winning his first pole since the 2006 season, Vickers was better than three-tenths of a second faster than Johnson, while less than a tenth separated Johnson from third-place qualifier Elliott Sadler. That was a great lap he put down, Johnson said about Vickers, who from 2003-06 was his teammate at HendrickMotorsports. We picked up some speed after practice, but I just knew in the car it wasnt the fastest lap. Vickers, who tumbled to 38th in the points standings last year while racing a 22-event schedule in the baptismal season for both Toyota and his Red Bull Racing Team, appears to be on the rebound. He was fourth in the Cup race here in June, and has moved up to 17th in the points. Im very proud of everybody at Red Bull Racing and Toyota, said Vickers, who claimed the fifth pole of his career. Weve come a long way since last year. Johnson said the rocket ride Vickers took around the MIS track yesterday did not come as a surprise, since Vickers has a history of running well at MIS. He was eighth in the Cup race here a year ago, and ninth the previous year. Hes awfully fast here, so it didnt really shock me that much. Hes a guy who ran up front the majority of the race here in June, Johnson said. And I think for that Red Bull team and Brian, this has been a track that fits their style. Hell be ever more of a threat come race time. Dale Earnhardt Jr., Johnsons Hendrick teammate and the winner of the June Cup race here, qualified fourth. Four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon was the third Hendrick driver to qualify up front, running fifth fastest. Vickers, whose lone Cup win in a career that spans six seasons came at Talladega in 2006, said he was proud that after his team ran fastest in the early practice session yesterday, they were able to come out and repeat the performance when the pole was on the line. To lay that lap down in practice and then back it up in qualifying, thats a really good feeling, he said. We tried some other things in practice that didnt work at all, so we went back to where we were and I think thats one of the best qualifying cars Ive ever had. Cup Series points leader Kyle Busch starts 11th in tomorrows race, while Defiance native and Sprint Cup rookie Sam Hornish Jr. will start 23rd. Im just looking forward to this weekend, and Ive been looking forward to it for a long time, said Hornish, who stands 33rd in the points after 22 races. Contact Matt Markey at:mmarkey@theblade.comor 419-724-6510. |
| Newman steps up at QB for Start BOWLING GREEN Its no secret that Start coach Pat Gucciardo is a great developer of quarterbacks in the City League. Since 2002, Start quarterbacks have produced more completions, more passing yardage and more touchdown passes than any other Division-I team in northwest Ohio. That little nugget of information is prominently featured in the records book section on the Start Spartans football programs website, and Aaron Newman showed signs of being the next in a line of great Start signal callers under Gucciardo. Newman, a junior seeing his first action in a high school football contest, threw for a pair of touchdowns in the BCSN/Old Newsboys Shoe Bowl presented by Columbia Gas last night at Doyt Perry Stadium. The Spartans came from behind to defeat Northwood 13-12 in their first scrimmage and then shut down Woodward 21-0 in the second contest of the evening. In the other exhibitions, Northwood tied Woodward 0-0, while St. Johns Jesuit routed Scott 27-6. It was good to see our kids compete, Gucciardo said. They were put in some situations where they had to come back and make some plays, especially on fourth down. In the Northwood game, being down six points with about a minute and a half to go and 30 yards away, it was good to see we were able to move the ball down the field, get out of bounds, make some good plays and good catches and good throws to get us in the end zone. Newman conducted the game-winning drive against Northwood, finding Devin Price in the back of the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 18.4 seconds remaining. Gucciardo and Newman, the starting second baseman for the Start varsity baseball team, have had conversations since Newmans sophomore year about getting him on the gridiron. Hes a wonderful kid, Gucciardo said. He has a high GPA, a 3.5. Hes a good leader. He just has to get that quarterback side of him. When you walk him through stuff and were doing drills, he can do a lot of good stuff. Hes very strong and hell get better as he gets more reps as the season goes by. Start entered this season with a big question mark at quarterback with the graduation of Brad Leestma, the leading passer in City League history, but Spartans senior running back Troy Bell likes what he sees from Newman so far. He really impressed me, said Bell, who opened the scoring for the Spartans with an eight-yard TD run 2:16 into the contest against Northwood. I didnt know how hed handle the pressure of going against other good competitors, other than what he sees in practice. He did a pretty good job tonight. On the other sideline, senior quarterback Kyle Gunn proved to be the sparkplug for Northwood for much of the evening. Gunn rushed for a 22-yard touchdown and later his 34-yard run set up Northwoods second score on Nate James two-yard plunge across the goal line that gave the Rangers a 12-7 advantage with 2:44 to play. Gunn is so fast that if he can find some open space, hell make some big plays for us, Northwood coach Ken James said. Hes very talented. For St. Johns, Ian Gaston and P.J. Wimberly had touchdowns runs of 50 and 30 yards, respectively. Contact Zach Silka at: zsilka@theblade.com. |
| Willis talks with arm, Ryan with bat as Mud Hens top Richmond RICHMOND, Va. By this date in 2005, Dontrelle Willis had already won 15 major league games en route to a 22-win season with the Florida Marlins. Three years later, things have changed significantly for the 26-year-old, who before last night had just one win all season, a six-inning decision against Columbus on May 17. That might explain why Willis was in no mood to chat following a 7-2 triumph over the Richmond Braves last night in his second stint with the Toledo Mud Hens. Willis did not talk to reporters after an outing in which he surrendered just two runs in six innings. After struggling through injuries and control issues early in his first season with Detroit, Willis was sent down to Class A Lakeland on June 29, where he was 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA. Making his first start since being promoted to Toledo, Willis displayed stronger command. He walked just two while striking out five. I thought [Willis] stayed under control and did a good job tonight, said Toledo manager Larry Parrish. He was a little erratic at times, but sometimes thats sort of a good thing. He kept them a little off balance and they couldnt really sit on anything. Though Willis lost his final three starts with Lakeland, those three appearances were what prompted his promotion to Toledo. Willis gave up just one earned run in five innings on July 31, his first outing of five innings or more since being demoted in June. He then pitched into the seventh inning on Aug. 5 and into the eighth inning on Aug. 10. Over his final three starts in the Florida State League, Willis surrendered nine runs in just under 19 innings. Against the Braves, Willis threw 103 pitches and reached the low to mid 90s on the radar gun. He looked better than when we saw him in May, Parrish said. Hes really progressed nicely. I think, right now, he just needs to take it one step at a time. With Toledo still clinging to a 1-0 lead, Willis worked himself out of a jam in the fourth inning. With runners at second and third with one out, Willis struck out Jason Perry. After issuing a walk to Corky Miller, Willis got Wes Timmons to ground weakly to shortstop Max Leon for the final out. The lefty returned for the sixth inning, needing just 15 pitches to retire the side. Willis received aid from the Toledo bats, particularly that of Dusty Ryan. The Toledo catcher finished 3-for-5 with four RBIs, including a three-run home run in the fifth inning. Thats a kid whos made a lot of progress in a year with the bat, Parrish said of Ryan. Hes always been able to throw, but hes made a lot of progress as a hitter. Hes been stinging the ball since hes got with us. I look for him to get a September call-up. Hes a guy whos played his way onto the map. In just 10 games with the Mud Hens, Ryan is batting .389 with two home runs and 10 RBIs. Im just seeing the ball really well right now, Ryan said. When youre locked in, youve got to take advantage and put good solid contact on the ball. I guess thats what I did tonight. |
| Ohio unemployment rate soars to 7.2% in July Unemployment in Ohio rocketed to its highest level in nearly 16 years last month as soaring pump prices took a bite out of the state's service sector, officials said yesterday. The July unemployment rate rose to 7.2 percent - the highest monthly rate since December, 1992 - as 36,000 more Ohioans were added to jobless rolls, according to the state Department of Job and Family Services. Across the state, 430,000 workers were unemployed. Employers in Ohio shed 11,600 jobs during the month, with the bulk of the decline among service providers. "The report doesn't make for good reading," said economist Ken Mayland, of ClearView Economics LLC in Pepper Pike, Ohio, outside Cleveland. "We're seeing some of the fallout from high gas and oil prices." The state unemployment rate climbed from 6.6 percent in June. It was 5.6 percent in July, 2007. The national jobless rate last month was 5.7 percent. Michigan's remained at 8.5 percent. In the service sector, employ-ers cut 9,100 jobs, including 3,000 in leisure and hospitality and 2,500 in trade, transportation, and utilities. "A lot of the industries who would hire college help ... were looking at ways to cut back," said Brian Harte, a spokesman for the state's jobs agency. State traffic figures indicate fewer cars and commercial vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike. "People are doing a lot more staying at home this summer," said Bob Schulte, owner of Spherion of Lima Inc., an employment service with 12 offices across the state. Business at the firm has fallen 5 to 10 percent so far this year. Still strong, however, is demand for workers from Japanese-based auto manufacturers and their suppliers in the Marysville area, he said. In contrast, the Detroit Three auto firms, with their heavy reliance on pickup truck and sport utility vehicle sales, continue to struggle, said Mr. Mayland, the economist. In July, manufacturing employment declined by 900. Since July, 2007, factories and other "goods-producing" industries have cut 10,900 jobs, state officials said. That situation, along with high energy prices and turmoil in the nation's financial sector that has spread to Ohio banks, likely means that unemployment will continue to rise in the months ahead, he added. "It's like being on a roller coaster at Cedar Point," he said. "You're on the top and you're looking down and it looks mighty scary. But there's no getting off." Bruce Rumpf, president of Toledo employment agency Job1USA, said, "The marketplace continues to be rough. There's no smooth sailing on the horizon." Contact Gary Pakulski at: gpakulski@theblade.com or 419-724-6082. |
| Plastechs existence up to claimholders It was once one of the busiest automotive suppliers in North America, producing plastic interior and exterior components for some of the worlds biggest automakers, including several parts for Jeep. But if claimholders approve a liquidation plan filed this week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Detroit, Plastech Engineered Products Inc. soon could cease to exist, and some of its creditors could wind up with little to show but unpaid bills. Plastech filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Feb. 1 as Chrysler LLC canceled its contracts and prepared to show up at Plastechs factory doors and yank out its tooling over a pricing dispute. The dispute shut down production for several days at four Chrysler assembly plants across North America, including Toledo Jeep Assembly. Chrysler immediately filed suit asking for its tooling back, but the court sided with the parts maker, saying it had a right under the bankruptcy laws to continue its contracts with the automaker. Before its bankruptcy, Plastech had 35 manufacturing facilities nationwide, employed more than 7,700, and was one of the largest-owned minority businesses in the industry. Plastech had four manufacturing facilities locally, two in Monroe Countys Frenchtown Charter Township and one each in Wauseon and Bryan. Those were purchased in July by JCIM LLC as part of a $199 million transaction and continue to operate, Johnson Controls Inc. spokesman Debbie Lacey said. Johnson Controls owns 70 percent of JCIM in a joint venture with Plastech creditors. Together, JCIM is made up of 29 plants in North America, including the four local ones, and produces injection-molded components and assemblies like floor consoles and door panels. JCIM has about 300 employees at its two facilities in Frenchtown, which along with its plants in Wauseon and Bryan makes injection-molded plastic parts for the automotive industry. Ms. Lacey could not say how many employees work at its plants in Wauseon and Bryan. In addition to the sale of Plastechs interiors business, the bankruptcy court approved the sale in July of its exteriors business for $24.6 million and its carpet business for $650,000 more. The sale of Plastechs assets resulted in cash of $268 million; the bankruptcy court listed claims totaling $560 million. The court has set a Sept. 12 hearing in Detroit on Plastechs liquidation plan. Contact Larry P. Vellequette at:lvellequette@theblade.comor 419-724-6091. |
| Jarring economy spurs rise in home canning To Amy Hobbs Harris, a dozen jars of strawberry preserves are worth $391 the amount she estimates she'll save in a year by canning the fruit herself. Not that she normally would spend that much on jam. But the savings add up once she factors in other uses giving them away as gifts, for example, or stirring the preserves into plain yogurt instead of buying pricier flavored cups. Harris, 33, of Tipp City, Ohio, started canning for the first time last summer, putting her a bit ahead of a trend seen around the country: As food prices rise and the economy declines, more people are turning to home canning. "I started canning to save money," said Harris. "I really love the self-sufficiency of it, that I know where the produce started and what the process is." Harris, a literature professor who chronicles her efforts to pay off her credit card debt on her blog, "My Daily Dollars," considers canning a frugal way to enjoy high-quality ingredients. Though she has a garden, most of what Harris cans comes from her local farmers market. "Especially in the winter, when I go down in the basement to get the jars, it's a nice feeling," she said. "So many things are unknown with the way food is produced that it feels really good to keep control of it." The trend is reflected in the sales of the popular Ball canning jars and supplies, said Chris Scherzinger, vice president of marketing for Jarden Home Brands, the maker of Ball products. Retail sales of Ball canning products have increased nearly 30 percent this year, and sales of the company's plastic freezing containers have doubled over last year, according to market data from Information Resources Inc. "It fits with what we've seen historically from the 1970s and even before then: When people tighten their belts, they focus a little bit less on convenience items and convenience foods and focus a little bit more on staying home and making their own, whether you're talking about food or fun," Scherzinger said. Louise Johnson of Auburn, Maine, grew up tending her parents' garden and has planted her own for several years. But she didn't start canning her produce until this summer, when she no longer could stomach the thought of paying higher prices for food packed with preservatives. "The straw that broke the camel's back was the economy," said Johnson, a 33-year-old mother of three boys. "But the underlying reason is healthier food we're tired of food that has tons of sodium, preservatives and all the nasty stuff they put in food that you don't have to be eating." Alice Mullen of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension said the canning demonstrations she offers at farmers markets around the state have begun attracting larger crowds. In Florida, the Citrus County Canning Center has seen a steady increase in customers this year, said manager Cindy DeVries. Customers bring their own produce and jars to the center, which has been open since 1935, and can use the kitchen's community stoves and sinks. "What I hear is the words 'the economy,' and 'We've started growing a garden because we don't know what's going to happen to the economy in the future,'" she said. Kathy Savoie, who has been teaching canning classes through the University of Maine Cooperative Extension for 12 years, said she usually offers four to eight workshops in a typical summer. This year, she has 25 scheduled through the fall. She anticipated the demand back in the spring, when she heard from a huge number of people starting gardens for the first time. "This year has been a real surge," said Savoie, who attributes the explosion in interest to three factors: the economy, retiring baby boomers seeking a simpler life and people who want to extend their access to local food. Paula Stotts, who runs a small farm with her husband in Mechanic Falls, Maine, began getting calls in February from customers interested in buying their produce through a community-supported agriculture program. "If I had 1,000 acres, I don't think I would have been able to accommodate all the phone calls I had," she said. "And the next question I was frequently being asked was, 'Do you teach canning?'" She didn't, but she arranged for a cooperative extension educator to offer a class in the area and has another planned for later this summer. Johnson, who was one of 12 participants in the first class, came away impressed and determined to can the 14 different fruits and vegetables she has planted this year. Cramming everything from tomatoes to zucchini into glass jars is part of her family's overall plan to insulate themselves against economic uncertainty, Johnson said. They've also cut down on driving and are installing a wood stove. "We're working at more long-term solutions as opposed to being so dependent on oil and grocery stores, which seem to be whacking out right now," she said. |
| Planet Madden arrives just in time for kickoff "...as human beings we are capable of making sense of situations based on the thinnest slice of experience." Malcolm Gladwell, author of Blink and The Tipping Point. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 FOR THE ROOKIES: So you've broken down and purchased a Madden NFL 09 game and now you're mucking around on it, but it just feels like you're twiddling your thumbs. Here are a few places you might want to explore. Bet you didn't know there's a whole planet for the game filled with all kinds of tips. If you're puzzling over defensive formations and all sorts of other stuff, there are Web sites out there with plenty of advice. Check out Kirk Baird's review. (RL) FRIDAY, AUGUST 15 SOME PEOPLE TALK TOO MUCH: Whether you agree with Rush Limbaugh's politics or not, he sure does say some controversial things that make it really easy for guys like Keith Olbermann to let him have it. (RL) REMEMBER THIS GUY? You know, the former actor known as Ahnold? Well, he likely won't be back reprising his iconic role as The Terminator, but with a new Terminator flick in the works, the Thin Slices staff recommends the original and its first sequel as your weekend DVD picks. It's a twofer. (RL) LULLABY: Yeah, let's see the Dog Whisperer do this. Cuteness factor off the charts. (KC) SERIOUS EATS: What does Michael Phelps eat? Watch! The big man moves through several Ann Arbor area restaurants. (RS) THURSDAY, AUGUST 14 THEY'RE BAAAAAACK: No more therapy, no more ranting about downloading, no more rehab, Metallica's ready to roar again with a new disc a tour that brings them to Detroit in January, and a lot of love for producer Rick Rubin. (RL) TROPIC THUNDER FALLOUT: No, not the controversy over the use of the word "retarded," we're talking about Tom Cruise, who can't get a break even when he shows up on the red carpet acting subdued. For the record, The Blade's Kirk Baird thought the movie was worth three and a half stars. (RL) WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13 DISNEY'S FIRST BLACK PRINCESS : New concept art has been recently released for Disney's new animated feature, The Princess and the Frog. The film, scheduled to hit theatres in December 2009, depicts Disney's first African-American princess, Tiana. The company previously received criticism for the film, which was formerly titled, The Frog Princess, because that version depicted a black heroine named, Maddy, who worked as a chambermaid. After much criticism, Disney reworked the film, which is depicted in early-20th century New Orleans. Disney says princess Tiana will be added to its line of princess characters, including Cinderella, Snow White, Mulan, and Aladdin's Princess Jasmine. (CA) HERE'S NEWS YOU CAN USE: With tips on everything from making pancakes to getting out of a speeding ticket, this Web site is an invaluable resource for both the big stuff and the little stuff. (RL) TOLEDO ROCKS: Saturday night the new Toledo Civic Theatre will host the six piece Flobots , a band that's not afraid to take a political stance even though their first single "Handlebars" might seem a bit light. It's not. (RL) TUESDAY, AUGUST 12 REST IN PEACE, SOUL MAN: Isaac Hayes was a performer who transcended generations, from his early career as a Memphis soul legend to his iconic role in transforming a blaxploitation flick into something more with his soundtrack to Shaft. Finally, he's remembered for his irreverent turn on South Park. Hayes died Sunday. (RL) REST IN PEACE, FUNNY MAN: Bernie Mac had a unique ability to be both edgy and mainstream, but he was always funny. Bernie Mac died Saturday at the age of 50. (RL) ROLLING: Yes, even Barack Obama has been RickRoll'D. You've never been RickRoll'D? You have now. Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and desert you." (KC) MONDAY, AUGUST 11 NEW 'DO: X17 has photos of Katie Holmes' new hairdo. Find our favorite classic Katie 'dos and sweaty-running-the-New-York-City-marathon 'do. (KC) OLYMPICS BAH: You want real athletes? Go to the Sauna World Championship. Leila Kulin sweated her way to the Women's title with a time of 5:22 minutes. "I could do 5:22 in a sauna," you say. In a 'contest' sauna? (KC) BAD JUJU: Top 10 pop culture curses: everything from The Dark Knight to Madden video games. (RS) ACID SOUNDS: A Protein Primer: A Musical Introduction to Protein Structure takes 20 amino acids and assigns them to a musical scale. Music samples are produced from protein and DNA sequences using software to give you the sounds of a Beta Globin and a Blue cone receptor? (KC) THIN SLICING Have some Thin Slices to contribute or comment on? Rod Lockwood Kevin Cesarz ARCHIVES Week 1 Slices Week 2 Slices Week 3 Slices |
| Game review: Madden NFL '09 a step forward for both casual and hard-core fans Before you read this Madden NFL 09 review, I have a confession: Im not a Madden player. I love pro football, mind you, but Ive never felt the urge to indoctrinate myself into the world of Madden, with its elaborate control schemes and uber-detailed offensive and defensive plays the franchise is known for. To a Madden devotee, the games detailed mimicry of the NFL experience from the pages-thick team playbooks and the ability to perform so many on-the-field moves is what make it so much fun. (As the EA Sports slogan says, If its in the game, its in the game.) But for me and for many casual players, too the time and effort required to enjoy that realism and to become a reasonably proficient Madden player is too daunting. As a result, its been several years since I really played the game, other than spending a minute or two fiddling around with it at a retail store. So when the just-released 20th edition of Madden arrived at my desk for a review, I wasnt sure what to expect. After spending nearly a week playing it, I can say Im now a fan. Madden NFL 09 is a game for non-Madden gamers. Its play mechanics, while still daunting at times, can be moderately dumbed down, as can most of Madden NFL 09s features, so that even after playing only a few games, the novice player wont feel frustrated by not being able to complete a pass or to stop a run. Thats not to suggest that diehards wont love the game as well; they will. The title still has all of the details that make playing it as close to experiencing an NFL game as 99.99 percent of the world will ever have. Madden NFL 09 also has an intriguing new feature to appeal to the casual and hard core player: the adaptive difficulty engine. The engine assesses your stick skills and tailors the games difficulty level to match your onscreen abilities. If youre at a rookie level, for example, the defenses you encounter will be similarly matched. Conversely, if youre a top-notch All-Madden player expect insanely difficult AI. The adaptive difficulty engine is such an integral part of Madden NFL 09, when you start the game youre given the option for the engine to determine your skill level via a hologram practice field called the virtual training center. The center runs you through four training levels: running, passing, tackling runners and defending passes. Once you play through the levels, youre assessed in each skill. I scored All-Madden in rushing the highest level but scored at the rookie level in passing, run tackling and pass defending. Your scores determine your adaptive difficulty engine. So, for example, based on my scores, I would face a difficult run defense, but an easy passing defense, as well as easy-to-stop opposing running and passing offenses. My next stop was the practice field, where I ran through a series of pass plays. Once I felt reasonably confident in my abilities, I decided to try a real game. As I expected, the game was an offensively ugly defensive struggle, with me on the losing side of a 14-6 score. I tried again and the results were even worse. Feeling frustrated, I returned to the virtual training center and worked on my passing and defense. I eked my skill levels up a notch to pro level and then tried another game. I lost again, but I took solace in the wry observation of Chris Collinsworth, Madden 09s color commentator: The game was a lot closer than the score would indicate. Yes, its pathetic that a cliche boosted my deflated ego, but it worked. My next game I couldnt be stopped. Playing as the Dallas Cowboys, I thrashed the Cleveland Browns 35-0. Controlling Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, I went 12 for 12, including five touchdowns the last of which came as the game ended. I was merciless. (The great thing about running up the score on the computer is you dont have to worry about the revenge factor.) But my victory wasnt completely on the up-and-up. Madden NFL 09 also introduces another new feature, the rewind. Its a tool that allows you to replay a successful offensive or defensive call to see if you or your opponent can reproduce the same results. The purpose of the feature, say the games producers, is to taunt your friends. Sure, make me replay that touchdown, and I will still score on you. For me, rewind was a free do-over: I narrowly missed connecting with a receiver for a touchdown? Rewind. My running back is stuffed in the backfield for a loss of yards? Lets try that play again. If only the NFL had such an option. Out of the half-dozen rewinds I used, five turned a negative play into a positive outcome, including two first downs, two touchdowns and a six-yard run. Once, my rewind resulted in a loss of net yards from the previous play. As for the graphics ... the Madden series is known for its lifelike realism of players, stadiums even photographers lining the sides of the field. Madden NFL 09 doesnt disappoint. There really isnt anything negative to say about Madden NFL 09. Not that it really matters. Madden has become so big 70 million copies of the game have been sold since 1989 that the title is nearly impervious to negative reviews. Frankly, Madden fanatics are going to buy the game no matter what. But to the causal gamer, Madden NFL 09 represents a big step forward. No matter how weak your skills are, the game will finally sink to your level. Contact Kirk Baird at: kbaird@theblade.com or 419-724-6734 |
| Quest for Gold: A quick look at video games for the Summer Olympics Were pitting three Olympic games against each other to see who will bring home the gold: Beijing 2008 from Sega, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games, a Nintendo/Sega cooperative, and Summer Athletics: The Ultimate Challenge from DTP Entertainment. Gamers, take your marks! Set! Go! Graphics Segas effort to ensure a realistic look of the characters in Beijing 2008 is inspiring. The graphics were done well, with realistic skin textures, good playing surfaces and nice background images. Of the three, this one far surpassed the other two. Mario & Sonic sported the usual Nintendo characters and the rendering was about the same as other Mario titles. Well done indeed, but not realistic enough for the true sports genre fanatic. By default Mario & Sonic take the silver and the bronze goes to Summer Athletics. They faulted with character models and scenery that were clearly last generation technology at best. If you want finely detailed realism while you strive for greatness, the gold goes to Beijing 2008. Animation Animation was pretty basic in all three games, but Mario & Sonic take the gold in this event as the realism wore off for Beijing 2008 in the animation sequences. There werent enough variations and Mario and his pals are more entertaining to watch. The animation in Summer Athletics were almost as bad as their graphics. Enough said. Gameplay & control This is where the real differences come in. Character control and button combos were difficult on the Beijing 2008 engine. And it took way too long to qualify for the Olympic game mode, which seemed to be almost as tough as qualifying for the real Olympics. Although I found all three games had controls that were too difficult for most peoples liking, I caught on much quicker to the Mario version and found the work necessary to achieve a good score or time in the other two to be too complicated. Summer Athletics characters were a little easier to control than the characters in Beijing 2008, but the instructions explaining the moves and button combinations at the beginning of each event were confusing and nearly novel-length. The lack of on-screen prompts for launching out of the starting blocks or releasing the shot put was the real downside to Summer Athletics and almost as frustrating to play as Beijing 2008. But not quite, so Summer Athletics takes the silver. Another gold for Mario and pals. Variety What the games offer is pretty similar in terms of mini-games. They all have a good assortment and all three did a decent job. Play modes are similar as well. All three have a Competition Mode that allows for immediate events against friends, and an Olympic mode that allows Olympiads to compete as their favorite nation. Marios extras were just a little more fun and he takes the silver over Summer Athletics. The gold goes to Beijing 2008 for online play. Price Both Beijing 2008 and Mario & Sonic were $49.99. They will tie for a silver medal finish. Summer Athletics is asking only $29.99. I gets the gold. Fun Factor For all-around playability and entertainment we have to give the gold to Mario & Sonic. Unless you absolutely need the realism that accompanies most sports games, this title will give you an Olympic experience thats sure to satisfy. While Beijing was fun to play once the moves were learned, its difficult gameplay and button combos were almost enough to take the fun away. Still, for Olympic fun I give the silver to Beijing 2008, leaving the bronze for Summer Athletics again. Overall After a quick tally and analysis of the data, one has to give the gold to Mario & Sonic, with Beijing 2008 taking silver and Summer Athletics the bronze. So start the anthems and celebration, adorn the necks of Mario & Sonic with gold medals, and let us hail the champion! |
| Journalist Helen Thomas shares half a century of political memories Not everyone has a front-row seat to history, but Helen Thomas has for nearly half a century. Thomas, 88, a member of the White House press corps since 1960, has covered nine presidents, from John F. Kennedy to George W. Bush. For much of that time, she worked for United Press International and occupied a coveted spot in the front row at presidential press conferences in the White House. For years she had the honor of asking the first question as well as informally bringing each session to a close with what would become her signature line: "Thank you, Mr. President." In an HBO documentary - called naturally enough, Thank You, Mr. President - that debuts at 9 p.m. Monday, Thomas reviews her lengthy career in a freewheeling interview with award-winning filmmaker Rory Kennedy, daughter of Robert F. Kennedy and niece of JFK. Their conversation, which includes Thomas' candid impressions of the presidents she's known, is supplemented by clips of the veteran journalist in action. Born in Kentucky and reared in Detroit, Thomas joined UPI in the 1940s, and became one of the few female journalists in Washington. She ultimately made it to the White House in 1960, covering JFK. She recalls the first press conference where she used her famous closing line to bail the President out of a rough spot. "I could see President Kennedy was struggling," she recalls, "so finally I got up and I said, 'Thank you, Mr. President.' I got him off the hook." But that doesn't mean Thomas couldn't be hard on a president when she thought it was warranted. "I think that presidents deserve to be questioned, perhaps irreverently, to bring them down a size," she says. "You should always ask the question that's on your mind. You've got to be a little daring. You might incur the wrath of the powers that be, but so what? If we don't ask the questions, they don't get asked." The most interesting portions of the documentary are Thomas's observations on various occupants of the White House. LBJ: "He didn't want to be the first president to lose a war, but he should have had more courage to pull out and he didn't, and it did him in." Richard Nixon: "Once you lie, your credibility is shot, and I really think if you lie too many times, it's all over." Jimmy Carter: "I think he almost missed his calling. He would have been a great minister." Ronald Reagan: "One day we asked him about what was happening, and he said, 'I can't answer that.' We said, 'Why?' He said, 'Because they won't let me,' and he pointed to [presidential aides] Baker, Meese, and Deaver, standing behind him. And I said, 'But you're the president!' " George H.W. Bush: "At the tail end, both he and Mrs. Bush began to really think that we were the cause of all their troubles, so the press was not liked at all." Bill Clinton: "[He] didn't understand that he was being denied his legitimacy as president by the ultra-right who never gave him one second, one moment, where he could prevail." George W. Bush: After noting that Bush doesn't allow follow-up questions at his infrequent news conferences, she adds, "Why did he invade Iraq? To this moment, we don't have an answer." Like many journalists who enjoy routine access to newsmakers and powerful people, Thomas seems a little too impressed with herself and her colleagues, who spent every working day in the corridors of power. Nevertheless, she berates them all, herself included, for their failure to go beyond the information that they're spoon-fed at briefings and press conferences. A prime example of this was Watergate, which "shamed" the White House press corps, she says, "because it took two outside reporters to uncover the details of the scandal." She also takes the press to task for letting the White House off too easily on the war in Iraq. "I feel that the press really laid down on the job, they let the country down," she says. "They defaulted when they should have been asking the tough questions." And despite the obligation of the press to keep an eye on things at the White House, Thomas leaves no doubt that the job does have its limitations. "Access to a president doesn't mean you're going to get the truth," she says. Thomas left UPI in 2000 after the news service was acquired by the Unification Church, and she became a columnist for Hearst Newspapers. She's been on a medical leave of absence since May and is not expected back anytime soon. Even if she never returns to the White House, though, she's already established a legacy that's unlikely to be matched. |
| Silence on Georgia DID YOU see the huge crowd outside the Russian embassy protesting the war in Georgia? Neither did I. Now that we have a genuine war of aggression, the silence on the Left is deafening. "You might think, at a moment such as this, that the moral calculus would be pretty well understood," the Washington Post said in an editorial Thursday. "Russian troops are occupying large swaths of Georgia, a tiny neighboring country, and sacking its military bases. Russian jets have roamed the Georgian skies, bombing civilian and military targets alike. Russian ships are said to be controlling Georgia's port of Poti, while militia under Russia's control reportedly massacre Georgian civilians. Yet in Washington, the foreign policy sophisticates cluck and murmur that, after all, the Georgians should have known better than to chart an independent course." It is scandalous to liberals that terrorists at Gitmo don't have easy access to lawyers, but most don't care how many Georgians the Russians kill. Vladimir Putin is counting on this. "The Russians have sized up the moral bankruptcy of the Western Left," wrote the military historian Victor Davis Hanson in National Review. "From what the Russians learned of the Western reaction to Iraq, they expect their best apologists will be American politicians, pundits, professors, and essayists." Columnist Robert Scheer speculated this week that Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili deliberately provoked the invasion to give John McCain a boost in our presidential election. Mr. Scheer is a moonbat. But his charge was echoed by Susan Rice, a foreign policy adviser to Sen. Barack Obama (and the woman who advised President Clinton not to intervene to stop the genocide in Rwanda). "Barack Obama, the administration indeed, and all of our NATO allies took a measured and reasoned approach because we were dealing with the facts as we knew them," Ms. Rice said on MSNBC's Hardball program Tuesday. "John McCain shot from the hip, very aggressive, very belligerent statement. He may or may not have complicated the situation." Ms. Rice was trying to explain away Mr. Obama's initially tepid response to the Russian invasion, in which he expressed a moral equivalence between the aggressor and his victim. Mr. Obama's stance has since evolved into what might be termed "McCain lite." Other prominent Democrats also are more concerned about the domestic political implications of the Russian invasion than they are of its geostrategic implications. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, who's been vetted as a potential running mate for Mr. Obama, ludicrously declared it was Mr. Obama's belated criticism of the invasion that caused the Russians to agree to a cease-fire (which they have not kept). New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said the matter should be left to the United Nations. This caused columnist George Will to wonder how Mr. Richardson could have been U.N. ambassador without learning Russia has a veto on the Security Council. This emphasis on domestic politics is a product of cowardice as well as self absorption. If blame can be laid on Mr. Saakashvili or Mr. McCain, then maybe there isn't a vicious, hungry, nuclear-armed bear prowling the woods. Cowardice and self-absorption are unlovely qualities in themselves. Combined, they're deadly. Because in the real world, the United States faces dangers greater than the election of Republicans. Vladimir Putin wants to reconstruct the Soviet empire. And he won't be deterred by "world opinion" alone. President Bush, who once described Mr. Putin as a man he could trust, was caught flat-footed by the invasion. His administration's neglect is as egregious as the failure of the Clinton administration to recognize and deal with the threat of al-Qaeda before 9/11. The only Western political leader to understand Russia's geopolitical intentions, and to speak out against them, was Mr. McCain. In an article published March 30, Helene Cooper of the New York Times snarked at a speech he'd made the week before: "For many Americans, Mr. McCain's rhetoric sounded almost like a trip back in time, to the days of the Cold War, when major foreign policy addresses by American presidential aspirants always included the requisite bashing of the Soviet Union." But Mr. McCain understood - as The New York Times and most Democrats did not - that history didn't end when the Berlin Wall fell. |
| Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont is given photo, bracelet of former first lady It was said that President Rutherford B. Hayes was never without a favorite photograph of his wife, Lucy. He carried an oval-shaped, tintype portrait inside a hinged case in his pocket during the Civil War and throughout his years in the White House. Now, the memento has come home. Last week, Stephen Hayes, a great-great grandson of the 19th president, presented the Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont with the cased photograph of Mrs. Hayes, along with a diamond bracelet given to her by President Hayes for his inauguration. "They just felt it was the right place for it to be, rather than for it to just keep getting handed down through the generations," Thomas Culbertson, executive director of the presidential center in Fremont, said. Stephen Hayes, who serves as president of the presidential center's board of trustees, was in Fremont last weekend for a family reunion of sorts. Descendants of both President Hayes and Lucy Webb Hayes were at the center for a first-of-its-kind "Celebrating Presidential Memories" event. Mr. Culbertson said staff had been unaware of the existence of either the photograph of Mrs. Hayes or the bracelet until Stephen Hayes presented them. "The Hayes family continued to occupy the house until 1965, and some of the things that were Rutherford's and Lucy's were kept as mementos, so it's fortunate when something comes back voluntarily," he said. The date of the portrait is unknown, although Hayes officials figure it must have been taken when Mrs. Hayes, who was born in 1831, was in her late 20s or early 30s. The case, which measures about 4 by 2 1/2 inches, opens like an oyster shell, and has oval-shaped glass over the tintype photo. "It looks like a cameo, but it is a tintype photo," Mr. Culbertson said. The diamond bracelet was believed to have had a narrow band in its original form, but the diamonds were reset into a wide bangle bracelet about 20 years ago, Mr. Culbertson said. Both the picture and the bracelet will be on display as permanent exhibits at the Hayes Museum, most likely in one of the cases that contain personal items such as clothing and jewelry, Mr. Culbertson said. |
| Wood County agency starts campaign for Nov. levy BOWLING GREEN The Wood County Board of Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services plans to kick off its levy campaign Treatment Works, People Recover, at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Wood County Historical Center. Wood County voters will be asked in November to replace the boards 10-year, 1-mill levy, which helps pay for substance abuse and mental health services. The boards regular monthly meeting will follow the levy kickoff at 7 p.m. |
| Parker Hannifin promotes two executives Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:06:00 EST The diversified manufacturer has given new roles to two officials in its finance area. |
| Ferro prices $150 million note offering Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:54:00 EST The maker of specialty chemicals said the proceeds will be used to buy notes that carry a higher interest rate. |
| Bill Murray leaps 13,000 feet to beach CHICAGO Bill Murray landed in Chicago on Friday like he never had before - by jumping from an airplane 13,500 feet up. The 57-year-old actor took several deep breaths before stepping out the open door... |
| Madonna an unlikely inspiration for 50-plus set NEW YORK Sure, Madonna may have scandalized the Vatican and shocked nearly every parent in America at some point during her long and provocative career full of shrewd image transformations. But as the... |
| Texas town responds to 'outhouse' slam CANTON, Texas Stephen Colbert's one-man campaign against towns named Canton has its latest target firing back. A city councilman in Canton, Texas, joked that he would "mash his nose" after the comedia... |
| IAC plans to lay off at least 80 CANTON More than 80 Steelworkers will be laid off from the International Automotive Components plant on Seventh Street SW. Shelly Turner, a member of Steelworkers Local 550L, which represents about 12... |
| United Foundries selling assets to Whemco CANTON United Foundries has agreed to sell all of its assets to Pittsburgh-based manufacturing conglomerate Whemco. United, almost a century old at 1400 Grace Ave. NE, makes the huge iron rollers - ca... |
| Ohio jobless rate highest since 1992 CLEVELAND Ohio's unemployment rate reached 7.2 percent in July, the highest level in more than 15 years, led by job losses in the leisure and hospitality industries, state officials said Friday. The j... |
| Why isn't Washington offering any relief for the good guys? WASHINGTON Two giant mortgage companies get into hot water over risky investments. The government steps in to throw them a lifeline should they need it. Hundreds of thousands of Americans buy homes mo... |
| Markets close mixed with same concerns NEW YORK Wall Street closed mixed Friday after playing out a familiar scenario: upbeat sentiment about falling oil prices amid onging concerns about weak credit markets and the economy. The major inde... |
| Local law student will meet Obama In the last presidential election, James Fondriest, a Jackson Township native and College Republican at Ohio State University, was writing messages in chalk on sidewalks supporting President Bush's re... |
| B-24 pilots return to the skies Ralph Lynn of Perry Township, Donald Block of Jackson Township and Clair Alexander of Akron flew back to war Friday. The World War II bomber pilots went by way of their memories and in the bellies of ... |
| Copper theft may have caused blast CANTON Firefighters are investigating the possibility that a copper pipe thief is to blame for a natural gas explosion that destroyed one home and the resulting fire that damaged four others. "The gas... |
| Crime CANTON ARREST Dante L. Harvey, 39, of 1704 1/2 15th St. SW, was arrested at 2 p.m. Friday at his home on warrants charging him with suspended license, failure to appear in court and two counts of drug... |
| Crime reports Information for the crime section comes from reports provided by area law-enforcement agencies and collected by Repository staff members. ALLIANCE ARREST Timothy D. Edwards, 50, of 623 E. High St., wa... |
| Troopers' speeding stop leads to drug arrest CANTON Troopers say a Canton man stopped for speeding was arrested after they found more than a half-pound of marijuana in his car Thursday night. Justin B. Starr, 26, of 1441 Rachelwood Ave. NW, Apt.... |
| K-Rod gets 47th save as Angels beat Indians 4-3 CLEVELAND (AP) - John Lackey earned his fourth straight win, Francisco Rodriguez tied his team record of 47 saves and the Los Angeles Angels took advantage of four Cleveland errors to defeat the India... |
| Lee at 17 wins and counting CLEVELAND Success brings expectations for more success. Cliff Lee doesn't mind it. "That's good," the Indians All-Star lefty said. "I expect it too." Lee hasn't disappointed himself or Tribe fans much... |
| No more mowing along highways AKRON In the interest of safety and saving money, Akron officials want the city to stop mowing around the city's expressways. But first, they have to get rid of the grass. Mayor Don Plusquellic announ... |
| Bathtub death: Wife's version TRENTON A woman left her boyfriend's corpse in a bathtub for about a week before calling to report she had killed the man, police said Friday. Joanna Hull, 42, called police Wednesday and told a dispa... |
| Bathtub death: Husband's version CINCINNATI An Ohio man whose wife of a few months drowned in their bathtub was indicted Friday on a charge of aggravated murder. Police said Ryan Widmer, 27, called 911 late Monday to report he had fo... |
| Ohio to receive $541K in settlement COLUMBUS Ohio will receive $541,000 as part of a health insurer's $20 million settlement of allegations that it misled consumers and mishandled claims. State Department of Insurance Director Mary Jo H... |
| Cleveland bus accident in Ala. A church van from Unity Baptist Church of Cleveland overturned on Friday in McCalla, Ala. The van's driver, 45-year-old Diane L. Hill of Euclid, was killed in the crash. Five passengers, Lillian Robin... |
| Inspiration "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16) God and the host of heaven are on the side of His people. Be encouraged. God is in control. G... |
| Through a century 100 YEARS AGO Canton Water Superintendent L.B. Ohliger said record use of water this summer kept four scouts busy looking out for lawn sprinkling violators. 50 YEARS AGO A petition signed by 86 reside... |
| Speech coverage was disappointing I was very disappointed in The Repository's enshrinement speech coverage this year. Last year was my first time going to the ceremony, and The Repository wrote exactly what they said. This year, I was... |
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