James Selch

A 75-year-old former Hinckley Township man who was charged in September with raping two young girls was indicted last week with raping a young man.

James I. Selch now is facing a total of three counts of raping a child under age 13, three counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition.

The charges are first- and third-degree felonies, punishable by up to life in prison.

A Medina County grand jury indicted Selch on the new charges Nov. 5.

The indictment said Selch is accused of raping a young man three times in October and November 2009 while he was “substantially impaired because of a physical or mental condition.”

Selch was charged Aug. 27. He is accused of raping two girls, who were 8 to 10 years old at the time, between April 2006 and 2007, according to the grand jury indictment.

Selch, who is listed in court records as a resident of West Salem in Wayne County, is being held on $250,000 cash bond at the Medina County Jail.

Medina County Common Pleas Judge James L. Kimbler scheduled Selch for trial Jan. 5. Kimbler also scheduled a Dec. 29 hearing to consider defense motions to suppress evidence.

Contact reporter Nick Glunt at (330) 721-4048 or nglunt@medina-gazette.com. Follow him on Twitter @ngfalcon.

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CHATHAM TWP. — A 33-year-old Elyria man died this morning in a single-car crash on state Route 83.

According to the Medina post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Blessed Lovejoy was driving a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am northbound at 6:05 a.m. when he attempted to pass another vehicle. He lost control while passing, drove off the west side of the road and rolled.

Lovejoy, who was ejected from the vehicle, was transported to Lodi Hospital with serious injuries. He was flown to Akron General Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds.

According to Lorain County Probate Court records, Lovejoy was once known as Danuel Adam David Amerson. He legally changed his name in 2006.

The Highway Patrol reported the crash is still under investigation, and drugs and alcohol do not appear to be a factor in the crash.

The Medina County Sheriff’s Office and Lodi and Chatham fire departments aided at the scene of the crash.

To date, there have been 13 fatal crashes in Media County this year,resulting in 14 deaths.

Two traffic fatalities in the county were reported last year — a record low — compared to seven in 2012 and 16 in 2011.

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Mike English, of Lafayette Township, gives a $10,000 check Wednesday to Sandy Hinkle, executive director of Feeding Medina County. English started his business, Frontier Equipment, last year and wanted to donate the money to hungry children in the county as a challenge to other local business owners. (KATIE ANDERSON / GAZETTE)

Mike English started his own business last year. On Wednesday he donated $10,000 of his small company’s profits to feed hungry children in Medina County and is challenging other businesses to do the same.

English, of Lafayette Township, presented the check to Sandy Hinkle, executive director of Feeding Medina County.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Hinkle said. “This is such a generous gift, and I just don’t even know what to say.”

English said he worked for companies in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning industry for 18 years but lost his job in July 2013. Three months later, he decided to start his own business, Frontier Equipment, representing other manufacturers in the industry.

“I’ve been blessed with success in my first year,” he said.

English said he’s lived in Medina County since 1974, but didn’t realize the seriousness of the hunger problem until two years ago.

English, a single dad of two teenage daughters, said a representative from Feeding Medina County showed up at his church, Medina Presbyterian Church, 5020 Burgundy Bay Blvd., and gave a presentation that inspired him.

“I didn’t know there were kids that don’t want a snow day because they won’t get a lunch that day,” he said. “I never saw it, and I grew up out here.”

A good portion of his $10,000 donation will go toward buying peanut butter and milk for the organization’s Weekenders for Children program that provides bags of food, such as macaroni and cheese or pasta, for elementary-age children to take home with them on the weekends.

Hinkle said the weekend program, which reaches more than 650 children, usually doesn’t give out peanut butter and jelly because that cost too much. With English’s donation, she hopes to provide the children with a jar of peanut butter once a month.

“When somebody feels moved to do something like that, we’re certainly not going to say no,” Hinkle said.

English said he hopes his donation will set an example for other companies in the county, especially with the holiday season approaching.

“I want all 4,000 companies in the county to match this,” he said. “If a guy who’s been in business for a year can do it, then a guy who’s been around for 30 years or so should be able to do it.”

Contact reporter Katie Anderson at (330) 721-4012 or kanderson@medina-gazette.com.

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A local business is planning a coyote hunt after complaints of coyotes harming livestock and invading property have “grown exponentially” in Medina County in the past year.

Flyaway Outdoors, a local hunting and guide service, will host the coyote hunt Nov. 28 to 30.

“Coyotes are not afraid of humans and development any longer,” Melissa Skrant, director of operations for Flyaway Outdoors, said. “We are doing this as a benefit to our farmers.”

The guide service leases land from area farmers and hosts guided hunts for sportsmen throughout the year.

In Ohio, it is legal to hunt coyotes anytime outside of city limits with permission of the landowner.

“A predator hunt is something that is not for needs but it is done to protect properties, animals and families,” she said. “A lot of times it is done at night. Some people set traps, but we call them and shoot them.”

Skrant said most of the coyote reports have been coming in the eastern and southern portions of the county.

“It has increased exponentially,” she said.

Skrant said the coyote hunt is the first of its kind in Ohio.

“Coyote hunts are kind of a bigger thing down south,” she said, “But weather change is bringing the animals into Ohio.”

Flyaway is charging $45 for each team of three people who want to participate in the hunt.

Prizes will be given to the team that has the most kills over the weekend and the team who has the largest kill. The guide service also will host a chili cook-off that weekend.

“While it is a competition, we really want to focus on helping the farmers,” she said.

Registration for the coyote hunt will be at the Ohio Sportsman Farm League, 1775 S. Jacoby Road, Copley. Check-in is noon to 11:30 p.m. on Friday and weigh-in closes at 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

For more information or to register for the coyote hunt, call Skrant at (330) 703-5855 or email Melissa@flyawayoutdoors.net.

Contact reporter Andrew Davis at (330) 721-4050 or adavis@medina-gazette.com.

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Medina County commissioners have made an offer to one of 19 applicants seeking to succeed county Administrator Chris Jakab, who is retiring at the end of the year.

On Monday, commissioners interviewed four applicants: Kimberly Bolas-Miller, a Sharon Township trustee; David Lair, Geauga County administrator; Dave Schaeffer, manager of the Auto Title Division for the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Department; and Scott Miller, the Medina County finance director.

Miller has been the county’s finance director for eight years. Before that, he was the senior audit manager for the state auditor’s office from 1999 to 2006.

Lair, Geauga County administrator since 2005, previously worked as director of special projects for Geauga County commissioners from 2004 to 2005. He served as chief financial officer of Newbury Township from 1988 to 2011.

Schaeffer has been the auto title division manager for the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Department for two years. Previously, he served as audit manager in the state auditor’s office from 2005 to 2012.

Bolas-Miller served as Sharon Township’s fiscal officer from 2000 to 2008, when she became a trustee. She also works as a private banker with FirstMerit Bank.

Commissioner Steve Hambley said the four were chosen after all 19 applicants went through a first round of interviews over the past two weeks with Jakab and human resources director Holly Muren.

Hambley said Commissioner Pat Geissman made an offer to one of the four.

Geissman declined to say which of the four got the job offer because commissioners haven’t received a response yet.

“I was supposed to hear from him today, but I haven’t yet,” Geissman said Wednesday afternoon. “If I don’t hear anything by 9 a.m. tomorrow, I will give him a call.”

Asked about the salary offered, Hambley said it would be no more than the about $90,000 a year Jakab earns.

“It will be that or less,” Hambley said.

Geissman said commissioners are hoping to hire the successor soon so the appointee would have about a month to work alongside Jakab before he retires at the end of December.

Contact reporter Katie Anderson at (330) 721-4012 or kanderson@medina-gazette.com.

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David Reed

A Bronson Street man who police say attracted criminal activity to the area pleaded guilty Thursday to letting his friend sell drugs at his Medina home in August.

David Reed, whose home was padlocked last month as the result of a lawsuit by the city to label the house a “habitual resort” for criminals, was convicted of a fifth-degree felony charge of permitting drug abuse. He’s scheduled for a Jan. 8 sentencing hearing before Medina County Common Pleas Judge-elect Joyce V. Kimbler.

The lawsuit against Reed, who previously had been convicted of drug trafficking, was filed in March after a woman said she’d been held at knifepoint at Reed’s home by another man. When police executed a search warrant for the knife, they found three of the five people in the house were wanted by police.

While awaiting trial on the lawsuit, Medina County Drug Task Force agents reported they witnessed a 24-year-old man sell heroin at Reed’s home while he was there. Reed was arrested and charged.

Reed’s home will be padlocked until next October. He told The Gazette last month he will stay with his mother until the home is re-opened. The house is owned by his brother, Edward Scott Reed.

Reed has maintained he no longer sells drugs and is trying to clean up his life. He told The Gazette he knows his friends use and sell drugs, but he does not permit them to do it on his property.

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Jon Wysochanski and Anna Merriman | The Gazette

The life of an off-duty firefighter, who died on Thursday afternoon, often has been marked by moments of pure heroism.

Avon Lake firefighter Larry “Gomer” Heczko died instantly Thursday when a concrete wall he was working on collapsed on top of him, according to a news release from the Avon Lake Fire Department.

The Avon Lake and Avon fire departments were called to 31964 Lake Road shortly before 2 p.m. for reports of a man trapped under a cement wall that had collapsed. Heczko’s distraught co-workers stood by as first responders tried to save him.

Multiple departments took part in the rescue attempt, including members of the Lorain County Technical Rescue Response Team. Berry said there were difficulties in accessing Heczko because of the location along Lake Erie.

“We weren’t able to get equipment around (the back of the house), and we had to do everything by hand,” Berry said.

Avon Lake Fire Chief Chris Huerner said Heczko was a 23-year veteran of the department.

“He was a great firefighter,” Huerner said. “All of us here at the fire station are very distraught. He was well liked, a great medic and just a good guy.”

Avon Lake fire Capt. Jim Berry said Heczko worked for a sea wall restoration company on his days off. Berry said the wall collapsed during repairs, and Heczko fell 12 feet onto a concrete slab with the collapsed breakwall falling on top of him.

“The whole department is devastated by his loss,” Avon Lake Mayor Greg Zilka said. “For the firefighters and paramedics that responded to the call, it was very difficult for them to find one of their own in that circumstance.”

However the feeling of loss reaches beyond the department and even the Avon Lake community. For Heczko’s friends, it was a difficult realization that someone they revered as a hero, had died.

“There are just so many everyday things he did,” Naaman Torres said. Torres and Heczko met around seven years ago at a church in Bay Village where Torres said Heczko always talked about how he could be a better person. “That’s the kind of person he was.”

Torres said Heczko often lived up to that goal of bettering himself. Torres remembers one day a few years ago when the shingles blew off of his roof and Heczko — well-versed in construction — replaced the shingles for free.

“He wouldn’t take any money for them,” Torres said.

One moment in Heczko’s life sticks out in Torres’ mind and caught the attention of people around Lorain County more than 10 years ago.

In July 2004, Heczko, a diver for the Avon Lake department at the time, was lowered into dangerous surf in Lake Erie off Rosewood Drive to save a man trapped in the water under a pier, according to a 2004 article in The Chronicle-Telegram.

Heczko was the only person who went in to rescue the man who had been clinging to the pier as the water washed over him for more than an hour. The man grabbed on to Heczko during a lull in the waves, and the two of them were pulled to land.

It was a story that Torres said his friend didn’t often recount for the many media outlets that tried to interview him following the rescue.

“He was humble … a lot of people who do great things aren’t that humble,” Torres said.

Contact reported Jon Wysochanski at (440) 329-7123 or jwysochanski@chroniclet.com. Contact reporter Anna Merriman at (440) 329-7245 or amerriman@chroniclet.com.

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Buehler’s customers throughout Medina County raised $1,308 for Medina County Habitat for Humanity last month.

For two weeks in October, customers could purchase paper hammers, which were hung on the walls inside Buehler’s stores.

The money raised will go toward building materials for two houses Habitat for Humanity plans to build in 2015 as part of Brunswick’s bicentennial.

Norman Glance, of Medina County Habitat for Humanity, thanked Buehler’s for hosting the fundraiser and Sue Bloch, of ID Creative Group Ltd., for designing the paper hammer.

Glance said the idea to host a drive came up in August when the nonprofit was looking for ways to increase community engagement.

Since 1991, Habitat for Humanity has built 22 homes for county residents in need.

The nonprofit uses donations and sale from its Restore, 342 E. Smith Road, Medina, to fund housing projects throughout the year.

Glance said residents interested in donating to the nonprofit organization can make checks payable to Medina County Habitat for Humanity and mail them to the Restore, 342 E. Smith Road, Medina, OH 44256.

Contact reporter Andrew Davis at (330) 721-4050 or adavis@medina-gazette.com.

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Steve Fugate, 68, who is traveling on foot across the country, arrives in Brunswick on Thursday night with the message “Love Life.” (LOREN GENSON / GAZETTE)

Steve Fugate has trekked the Appalachian Trail and crisscrossed the country seven times on foot while dragging a cart with a few bags and his tent behind him.

As snow was falling Thursday, Fugate, 68, reached Brunswick. He carried a sign high over his head that read “Love Life.”

He’s not raising money or looking for handouts. He said walking is his form of therapy.

“It’s not about anything other than Steve Fugate making his children proud,” he said during a layover at the Quality Inn in Brunswick.

Fugate is passing through Ohio on his latest mission to travel to each of the lower 48 states. He’s headed to Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. When he reaches Maine, he plans to turn south and travel through Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the Carolinas on his way home to Vero Beach, Florida. He’s been zigzagging through the country since March, and it’s his eighth cross-country trip.

“I’ve gone through 50 pairs of shoes,” he said.

With cold and snow in the forecast, Fugate said the tent and sleeping bag he travels with should shield him from temperatures of up to minus-20 degrees.

“I know it’s going to be cold. I’m ready for it,” he said.

Fugate walks to honor the memory of his children, Stevie and Michele. Stevie committed suicide and Michele died of an accidental drug overdose.

In 1999, Fugate was walking the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Georgia to Maine. He had made his way into Pennsylvania when he received word Stevie had died.

He headed home, but eight months later, with the help of Michele, he picked up the trail in Blue Mountain Summit, Pennsylvania, where he had left off.

The pair worked to plot a course that would allow him to arrive at the end of the approximately 2,180-mile trail on the one-year anniversary of his son’s death.

“I picked up where I left off and I finished the thing,” Fugate said.

The hike inspired Fugate to plot other treks, sharing the memory of his son, and a message of loving life.

“I’ve met some of the greatest people on earth,” he said.

But tragedy struck again in 2005. While finishing a cross-country trip his daughter had planned, he learned she had died of an accidental drug overdose.

Fugate said Michele had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and had overdosed on her medication. He said that while the death was ruled accidental, he knew she struggled with her brother’s death.

“I know she never really got over his death,” he said.

Three weeks after her death, he returned to the course she had plotted for him, and finished the walk.

“My babies are gone, but I’m still carrying on for everyone else’s babies,” he said.

Fugate said during his stay here he has heard about local families losing their children to suicide and his heart ached for the families and community.

“They take their lives because they feel they don’t see a place for them to fit into society,” he said. “But it’s not them that’s broken. It’s society. I wish they could see that.”

In September 2013, a Medina High School freshman took his life in the woods behind his family’s home. In 2012, a 14-year-old Medina Middle School student also died by his own hand. In January, two Brunswick students were found dead from apparent suicides.

Teen suicides in Medina County prompted county health officials to examine the issue in February, and the United Way of Medina County allocated extra resources this school year to ensure more mental health professionals are available at area schools.

Fugate’s walks have been covered by local TV stations, NPR and USA Today. He said he hopes his message can reach people who are considering suicide and remind them of those who care and would be left lost without them.

“I’m about loving life. I want other people to love life,” he said. “That’s what this is all about.”

To follow Fugate’s journey, visit lovelifewalk.com or follow him on “Love LIFE Walk” on Facebook.

Contact reporter Loren Genson at (330) 721-4063 or lgenson@medina-gazette.com. Follow her on Twitter @lorengenson.

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Michael and Angela Smith, lieutenants with the Medina Salvation Army, 425 W. Liberty St., stand in front of The Gazette’s sign for the Not-Forgotten Box, which is a food and toy drive for families in need during the holiday season. The drive runs Monday through Dec. 12. (KATIE ANDERSON / GAZETTE)

The Gazette’s Medina office will start to look a lot like Santa’s workshop next week. On Monday, the newspaper launches its Not-Forgotten Box to collect new, unopened toys for underprivileged children through Dec. 12.

This year’s goal is 2,000 toys. Last year it reached 1,400.

The Gazette also will accept nonperishable food items with all donations going to the Medina Salvation Army’s Christmas Cheer program for families in need.

Michael and Angela Smith, lieutenants with the Salvation Army, said they have 215 families signed up to receive toys this year.

The Christmas Cheer program allows parents to fill out an “angel tag” listing their child’s or children’s top three gifts less than $55.

From left, Lorain County Printing and Publishing employees Lucy Velez and Barb Ritsko-Stephens put up signs and holiday decorations for the Not Forgotten Box, a food and toy drive for families in need during the holiday season. The drive will begin Monday and will go through Dec. 12. (KATIE ANDERSON / GAZETTE)

The tags are distributed to several Medina businesses — including Wal-Mart, Miss Molly’s Tea Room and Summa Health Center at Lake Medina — where employees or customers can pick one up and shop for toys to be donated.

But not all of the tags are picked.

“Last year, we wouldn’t have had enough toys to give to all the children if not for the Not-Forgotten Box,” Michael Smith said.

He said volunteers will start packing the toys for families Dec. 15 and they will be distributed to families Dec. 18.

People can bring in donations for the Not-Forgotten Box from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Cash donations also will be accepted. Please make out checks to Not-Forgotten Box/Medina Gazette. Checks can be delivered to the Medina office or mailed to: The Gazette, 885 W. Liberty St., Medina, OH 44256. Please mark NFB on the envelope.

Contact reporter Katie Anderson at (330) 721-4012 or kanderson@medina-gazette.com.

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Lacey Huffman, left, and Sandi Piper will showcase their art at Sand & Lace Fine Art Gallery, 23 Public Square. The two will hold seminars and classes, as well as showcase other local artists at the space. (ANDREW DAVIS / GAZETTE)

Artists Sandi Piper and Lacey Huffman are bringing their love of nature-inspired art to Public Square. Their new art gallery, Sand & Lace Fine Art Gallery, opened Friday at 23 Public Square in Medina.

The landscapes and naturescapes of Piper and Huffman will be showcased, as well as the work of other local artists.

The gallery features artwork from sculptors, typographers, potters and fashion designers — all from the Medina area.

“We want to support the local art scenes,” Piper said.

The gallery has been a dream for Piper and Huffman. The two met last year when Huffman moved to Medina with her husband, Clay.

(ANDREW DAVIS / GAZETTE)

Piper is a transplant from Alabama who has been creating art for much of her adult life and is self taught.

“When we were moving, we were looking for a place to live and Medina was a picture-perfect location,” she said.

Piper’s work, with textured strokes of acrylic to oil on canvas, ranges from landscapes to more abstract, impressionistic mixed-media takes on the natural world.

Huffman, originally from Circleville, south of Columbus, studied landscapes at the Columbus College of Art and Design. She said her origins in Circleville, a town with a population of about 13,000 in rural Pickaway County, inspire her to paint landscapes.

“Medina, with the farming culture, is a great place to create art,” she said.

Huffman said she will look for inspiration from Medina’s historic Public Square in her new role as co-curator of the gallery.

“I am very excited to have this opportunity so early on in my career,” she told the crowd at the ribbon cutting.

Piper said she plans to hold workshops for children and adults at the gallery in the coming months. The artists are also available for commissioned pieces and pet portraits.

The two are steadfast in helping both national and local nonprofits.

“It is our hope to raise awareness for breast cancer, children’s hospitals, the Humane Society and the Ohio Regional Music Arts Culture Outreach that provides underprivileged children with the opportunities to be involved in all types of art, music and theatre experiences,” Piper said.

Contact reporter Andrew Davis at (330) 721-4050 or adavis@medina-gazette.com.

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Shaun Mollohan

Mollohan was chosen for the honor by his fellow officers at the post based on leadership abilities, professional ethics, courteous treatment of others, enthusiastic work attitude and cooperation with supervisors, peers and the public.

Lt. Mark Neff, commander of the Medina post, said Mollohan is now in contention for the district and state Trooper of the Year Award.

Mollohan grew up in Ravenna and graduated from Ravenna High School. He joined the Highway Patrol in 2011 and has served at the Medina post since receiving his commission.

He and his wife, Jessica, live in Mogadore with their two children, Rachel, 5, and Jacob, 2.

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Fourth-graders have until Monday to enter an essay contest spotlighting their favorite pooch in Medina County.

All entrants will receive gift certificates for Dairy Queen ice cream cones, and winners can receive prizes for their dogs, themselves and one of 2015’s first dog tags.

“Kids love this contest,” said Medina County Auditor Mike Kovack, whose office hosts the Top Dog Essay Contest each year to remind residents to renew their dog tags. “We get hundreds of essays every year, ranging from the funniest ones you will ever see to ones that absolutely break your heart.”

Kovack said some local teachers use the contest in their lesson plans on composition and grammar.

This is the 20th year for the contest. Students — who can be schooled publicly, privately or at home — should write the essays on their own and should focus on why a particular dog is the best in Medina County. The dog doesn’t need to be owned by the writer, but it must be alive and living in the county.

All entries must be received by the auditor’s office by Monday. They will be judged by a panel of staff members, and awards will be presented at a ceremony Dec. 1 at the county administration building.

For more information, contact Deputy Auditor Beth Kilchenman at (330) 725-9756 or bkilchenman@medinaco.org.

The 2015 dog licensing period will last from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31.

All dogs 3 months old or older should be licensed yearly, according to the auditor’s office website. Licenses cost $10 per year, $30 for a three-year license and $100 for a lifetime license.

Dog tags used to cost $12, $36 and $120, but county commissioners reduced the fee this year.

Contact reporter Nick Glunt at (330) 721-4048 or nglunt@medina-gazette.com. Follow him on Twitter @ngfalcon.

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Shaw Road, between Congress Road and Richman Road North in Chatham Township, will close Wednesday for repairs to a bridge, the Medina County Engineer’s Office announced. The road is expected to reopen Friday.

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To see a breakdown of crime statistics in Northeast Ohio, click here

For the first time the police departments of all three cities in Medina County are represented in the FBI’s annual “Uniform Crime Reports” — the nation’s official tally of violent and property crimes.

The latest report, which covers 2013 and was released last week, includes statistics from the cities of Brunswick, Medina and Wadsworth, as well as the police departments in the townships of Brunswick Hills, Hinckley, Medina and Montville and the village of Lodi.

The Wadsworth Police Department is the only city in the county to appear in every report, going back to 1995.

Brunswick was included in the 2011 report but city officials complained that at least one of the numbers — the total of aggravated assaults — was wildly off. Brunswick was not included in the 2012 report.

Until this year, Medina’s police department never was in the report.

Medina Mayor Dennis Hanwell, who served as the city’s police chief from 1996 to 2009, has said he never submitted data to the FBI because of concerns over the system used to classify crimes.

But Medina began reporting data in May 2012 using a new software that aimed to better standardize the classification of crimes.

“I felt that was important because people here in Medina should have a gauge to get a handle on what’s going on,” Police Chief Patrick Berarducci said. “These statistics give us a frame of reference.”

According to the new report, none of the Medina County cities had more than 20 violent crimes — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — in 2013.

“These are very low numbers in terms of violent crimes, and I think that’s got to do with our aggressive dealing with drugs and heroin,” Berarducci said.

Compared to similar-sized cities in other counties, Medina County’s cities report substantially fewer violent crimes.

Cities such as Shaker Heights in Cuyahoga County, Barberton in Summit County and Wooster in Wayne County — all with similar populations to Medina — reported 40 or more violent crimes.

None of the other departments in Medina County reported more than five violent crimes.

Berarducci said Medina’s crime probably would be even lower if not for events like the Medina County Fair and the many events on Public Square hosted by Main Street Medina.

“Those are good for business, but it’s not necessarily good for crime,” he said, because the events draw hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.

Berarducci commended Medina’s residents on helping police keep crime low.

“We have a partnership with the people of Medina, and that’s the key to keeping crime down,” the chief said. “I’m really happy where we’re at.”

Other police officials agreed that community involvement is the key to low crime rates.

“We ask that the community keep telling us when they see suspicious things,” said Montville police Lt. Matt Neil. “That one thing that may seem odd to a resident — it may seem insignificant, but it may be the key we need to solve another crime.”

Montville Township’s crime numbers were among the lowest in the county, and Neil said that’s because police there work to keep high visibility.

“We focus a majority of our policing in the neighborhoods,” he said. “When you see a black-and-white car, and you’re driving through that neighborhood looking to do no good, you’re going to think twice.”

Additionally, Neil said the local homeowner associations stay alert for crime and keep police informed when they spot something suspicious.

Among the township and village police departments, Medina Township was notable for reporting 180 thefts — three times as many as other townships.

Police Chief David Arbogast said that’s because of the big-box stores in the township’s business district.

“Wal-Mart and Kohl’s are our two big places for theft offenses,” he said. “The residential subdivisions are much less affected by property crimes.”

According to the FBI report, Medina Township reported only 10 burglaries and one vehicle theft.

“If the FBI broke out the residential neighborhoods from our commercial districts, I think this report would look significantly different,” Arbogast said.

Lodi police, who reported the fewest property crimes in the county, warned against leaving cars unlocked because that’s where most of the village’s crime originates.

Property crimes include burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson. No police department reported more than two arsons.

Lodi reported 53 property crimes — 48 of which were thefts.

“We try to let the people know not to let their things stay in their cars overnight because people are stealing from unlocked cars and houses,” Lodi Police Chief Keith Keough said. “Some of it might be juveniles wanting change to get change for cigarettes, and other times it’s a drug problem, where people are stealing things in order to buy drugs.”

Other police departments, like Hinckley Township, cautioned that some of the statistics may be misleading.

The township reported two rapes and 64 property crimes, but Chief Tim Kalavsky said he wasn’t sure it was accurate to draw conclusions from the data.

“We had two rapes reported, sure, but I don’t know that those came out to be convictions or not,” he said, “so I don’t know that it’s accurate to say we had two rapes here.”

Still, he said he was glad the report showed low numbers in the township.

“I like to think of it as good news,” Kalavsky said.

Brunswick Hills Township, which reported no violent crime and 87 property crimes, had similar concerns.

“The numbers might be off because they could have been closed or found to be unfounded out since we reported,” Lt. Tim Sopkovich said. “It does change. Once it goes to the prosecutor’s office, they might tell us to reduce charges or throw them out.”

Additionally, he said the FBI report leaves out many types of crime, including domestic assault.

A number of communities in Medina County also are not represented in the report: There are no statistics from the Medina County Sheriff’s Office, which provides police protection for most of the county’s 17 townships.

The police departments of three villages — Seville, Spencer and Westfield Center — also are not included in the report.

Contact reporter Nick Glunt at (330) 721-4048 or nglunt@medina-gazette.com. Follow him on Twitter @ngfalcon.

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Brunswick Finance Director Todd Fischer presented a $37.1 million budget for 2015 to City Council members during Monday’s finance committee meeting.

The city appropriated $34.9 million for this year’s budget.

Fischer said his proposed budget calls for $205,502 more in spending than projected revenues. But he said he thinks the gap could be closed by the end of the year.

“This is the first time in the last four years that we’re going to spend more than our revenue,” he said.

New spending includes $620,280 to complete the resurfacing Grafton Road. The city also had workers’ compensation costs rise by $110,000 because the city had a number of incidents in 2014.

“We had triple the number of injuries this past year,” Fischer said. “When we’re trying to retain general fund dollars to make improvements and these incidents happen, it makes it difficult.”

Fischer said a bright spot is that the city is no longer using tax dollars to pay off debt payments and has a little more flexibility with spending on capital items and other improvements.

Fischer said bargaining agreements reached with the city’s six unions in early 2014 included raises for most employees but also had agreements from employees to pick up between 1.5 percent to 5 percent more of their health insurance premiums.

“Insurance premiums will be up 9 percent, but the impact on the budget won’t be as much,” he said.

Fischer said the city has developed a strong relationship with state leaders with the Department of Transportation, and in 2015, ODOT will complete a resurfacing of Center Road at relatively low cost to the city.

The $3.5 million resurfacing project will be paid for with federal and state funds, with Brunswick chipping in $150,000 for curb and sidewalk improvements along the road.

“I feel like the relationships with state leaders have come a long way,” Fischer said.

Fischer said the city has improved its finances since 2010, but noted the budget still includes only a small percentage for capital expenses and infrastructure improvements.

Most city departments spend only about 3 percent of their budget on capital expenses, he said, and the rest goes toward operational costs.

“You like to see it closer to 10 percent, but four years ago we were at zero in most departments,” Fischer said.

This year’s budget calls for the replacement of three police cruisers, the fire chief’s SUV and a dump spreader and plow, but Fischer said many departments are using old equipment and urged Council to develop replacement plans for equipment.

Fischer thanked voters for approving a street levy that allows for smaller neighborhood repair projects to move forward.

“Our residents really helped our situation,” he said.

He said the city has worked hard toward fiscal responsibility, but said five-year projections show revenues will continue to decrease while costs go up.

“We will have to decide, do we try to expand our revenue resources, or do we make changes and try to live within them,” he said.

After the budget presentation, finance committee Chair Pat Hanek, at-large, said the next big levy will be a renewal of a safety levy in 2017. Police and fire expenses make up about 59 percent of the proposed 2015 budget.

“I think we’re making strides, but we do have to keep an eye on those revenues,” she said.

Contact reporter Loren Genson at (330) 721-4063 or lgenson@medina-gazette.com. Follow her on Twitter @lorengenson.

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Medina students will be taking a state-required test online rather than with paper and pencil.

Brian Farson, principal of Medina High School, said students will take the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers tests on computers.

Farson said the students will either sit in a computer lab for the tests or they each will be provided with a laptop for the hour and 25 minutes the tests take.

The high school will borrow computers from the middle schools, since their schedules to take the tests are different.

“The technology department is working to make sure we’ll have enough hardware to get through this,” Farson said. “The main thing is making sure we have the technology ready to go.”

He added that the district may need to consider purchasing more computers for the tests.

Farson presented the schedules for the various state tests, which mostly will happen in February and March, at Monday’s school board meeting.

At the high school level, subjects to be tested include English, algebra and geometry, which will be required of freshman, and students of any high school grade will be tested in science, American history and American government.

“It is a lot of testing, but it’s what the state requires,” Farson said.

Farson said this year’s freshmen will continue the tests throughout their high school years, making the class of 2018 the first in Medina Schools to pass all four years of the program before graduation.

Farson said students in advance placement courses will not have to take the tests.

Contact reporter Katie Anderson at (330) 721-4012 or kanderson@medina-gazette.com.

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Staff and wire reports | The Gazette

Winter has arrived a month early — at least according to the calendar. As of 5 p.m. Monday, 2.5 inches of snow were recorded at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the National Weather Service reported.

Monday’s first snowfall of the year blankets Allardale, the Medina County Park District’s park in Granger Township. (DAVID KNOX / GAZETTE)

The white stuff is going to stay a while: Temperatures were expected to plunge to the low teens today, with daytime wind-chill factors well below zero. High temperatures aren’t predicted to break the freezing mark until Friday.

Medina Service Director Nino Piccoli said plows had no trouble clearing the streets Monday.

“We had out six big trucks and a couple smaller trucks,” he said. “It wasn’t an all-out event because the roads were wet but it wasn’t an ice issue.”

Wadsworth announced a snow emergency parking ban on all city streets until 8 a.m. today.

Northern Ohio didn’t go into the freezer alone. The early blast of winter churned across the state Monday and caused power outages and school closings in southern Ohio.

While the weather service reported accumulations of 2 to 4 inches of snow in northern and central Ohio by Monday morning, the southwest saw more — 3 to 5 inches.

The season’s first snowfall resulted in thousands of power outages in the Cincinnati area. The city set a snowfall record for the date when accumulations reached 3.2 inches by 7 a.m. Monday, topping the record of 3 inches for Nov. 17 set in 1920.

Duke Energy Ohio & Kentucky reported as many as 9,500 customers without service at one point Monday, and more than 7,000 without power during much of the morning.

Spokeswoman Sally Thelen said tree limbs and vegetation coming into contact with power lines and vehicles hitting utility poles were causing outages on both sides of the Ohio River, with the most widespread in eastern Cincinnati neighborhoods.

Most of the area’s largest school districts, including Cincinnati Public Schools, closed because of concerns about road conditions and driving safety.

Ohio Department of Transportation Spokeswoman Melissa Ayers said more than 1,000 snow plows were working around the state Monday. She said drivers should be reminded to slow down and leave room for plows and other vehicles.

Kimberly Schwind, spokeswoman for the Ohio AAA in Columbus, said call volume Monday was triple what the auto club normally sees during the morning commute. Crews were seeing more towing requests than usual as drivers re-learned how to navigate snowy roads, she said, and it was taking crews one to two hours to respond to calls.

“It is taking us a little bit longer to get to people, just because the roads are so backed up,” she said.

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There were plenty of young people among the more than 50 volunteers who helped decorate Medina’s Public Square in preparation for this weekend’s 30th annual Candlelight Walk: from left, Joe Obermeier, 15, of Medina; Ian Otter, 16, of Medina Township; Loren Sefcik, 14, of Montville Township; Sydney Wagner, 15, of Medina Township; and Katie Otter, 14, of Medina Township. The Candlelight Walk begins 4:30 p.m. Friday with the lighting of luminarias lining Public Square. The Holiday Parade of Lights around the square begins 5:30 p.m. Saturday followed by a fireworks presentation. (DAVID KNOX / GAZETTE)

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Nina Bates, left, a staff member of the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities puts the finishing touches on a Karate Bear, along with Dr. Kaye Stanley-Bryson, director of children’s services, as part of the Build-A-Bear program for disadvantaged children sponsored by the Medina Sunrise Rotary Club in partnership with the county Juvenile Court. About 140 bears were completed Tuesday by staff, volunteers and clients at the Medina County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ Achievement Center, 4691 Windfall Road, Granger Township. (DAVID KNOX / GAZETTE)

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