Kudos to Firelands students on giving back | Bouquets and Brickbats | Crime

BOUQUETS >> To the Falcon Leadership and Character Class, a class for eighth-grade students at South Amherst Middle School for organizing charitable drives and focusing on ways to improve the lives of those around them this semester.

Isabella Simmons, a 14-year-old student, said, “We organized a collection of clothes for those in need. The drive focused on helping those in our own school and throughout the community with the help of Genesis House.”

Isabella said during the drive, the students donated over 100 articles of clothing, including hats, coats, shirts, pants and other items for boys and girls.

The students gave the clothes to the guidance counselor and what was left was donated to the Genesis House, a domestic violence shelter in Lorain.

Jacob Halliwell, 13, said he helped organize a collection in honor of Firelands alumnus U.S. Army Staff Sgt. James Hunter, who died in 2010 while serving in Afghanistan.

The students deserve a commendation for doing a phenomenal job with the drive. They have shown as great passion for helping others.

BOUQUETS >> To the Elyria Works Now! job placement program, which kicked off in September, and has helped 12 Elyria residents find jobs through four of the city’s major manufacturing companies.

Mayor Holly Brinda recently announced 311 Elyria residents registered for the pilot program through its website.

Three months into the program which ends in March, Brinda said the number of people who registered shows there’s “clearly an interest” in those seeking jobs or needing assistance.

Brinda said 59 of those who have registered have gone through information sessions, and 36 of them have gone through the total training program.

The mayor said, “It’s a very good sign that these companies are responding positively and that we’re able to provide some folks with the skills that they need for these entry level positions.”

And 12 residents have landed jobs with Multilink, Elyria Foundry, Dura-line and United Initiators.

Elyria Works Now! is proving to be a program that will have great success.

We applaud the creators of the program.

BRICKBATS >> To the 18-year-old Lorain woman who police said along with a 24-year-old Elyria man stole a ferret Dec. 18 from an Elyria pet store.

Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino said officers arrested the woman and charged her with theft, a first-degree misdemeanor, but the man still is on the run.

Officers responded to Best In Pets, 233 Abbe Road, after the store manager said a black female and a black male walked around the store for a couple of minutes before arriving in the ferret section.

The male then grabbed a tan-colored ferret, valued at $150, and placed it in the woman’s purse.

The two then walked around the store for an additional five minutes before leaving in a silver vehicle.

Costantino said the ferret was found, returned to the pet store and is in good health.

The woman and her alleged accomplice are innocent until proven guilty.

Just about every business in the entire country has security surveillance, so why would anyone steal an animal from a pet store?

It doesn’t make sense.

BRICKBATS >> To Terrence L. Taylor, the 45-year-old Lorain man who was charged Dec. 21 with a slew of drug-related crimes following a car chase with police.

Taylor is facing charges of possession of crack cocaine, two counts possession of powder cocaine, one count of fentanyl possession, operating a vehicle under the influence (OVI), OVI-refusal, driving under suspension and failure to comply, resisting arrest, obstruction official business, possession of drug paraphernalia, reckless operation, possession of marijuana and a stop sign violation.

After a police pursuit, Taylor turned onto the 800 block of Water Street, exited the vehicle and pounded on the door of a house.

Officers used a stun gun on Taylor and then arrested him.

Police said Taylor possessed marijuana, a 4.2 gram bag of cocaine, a 15.3 gram bag of crack cocaine and $849, and his car had 0.2 gram bag of cocaine, a digital scale and fentanyl.

Taylor is innocent until proven guilty, but the number of charges against him are mouth dropping.