Leaf Thursday, May 23, 2024 Vol. 30 No. 21 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com $1.25
Aquilla Village May Soon Cease to Exist Financial Straits Cause Officials to Consider Dissolution By Ann Wishart ann@karlovecmedia.com Aquilla Village residents might be asked to vote Nov. 5 to dissolve their status as an independent corporation and rejoin Claridon Township after 75 years of independence. Aquilla Village Council discussed the issue of insufficient revenue to cover the small com-
munity’s expenses at its May 14 meeting, which about 30 residents attended, said then-council member Chris Alusheff — who resigned that same day, citing a desire to remove himself from a political environment. “It was standing-room only,” Alusheff said in a phone interview May 17. Officials talked about the fiscal realities of the village, which has fewer than 400 residents.
Alusheff said he felt there was a general lack of understanding among those in the audience of how government budgeting works. Officials answered questions as best they could and Alusheff said it boiled down to a simple fact. “Without having the highest taxes in Geauga County, we can’t keep our heads above water,” he said Friday, adding it seemed to him about See Aquilla • Page 4
Morrissette Gets 8 Years in Prison for Attempted Murder By Brian Doering brian@karlovecmedia.com
AMY PATTERSON/KMG
Chester Township Police Chief Craig Young testifies in a May 24 hearing regarding former officer Nick Iacampo.
Iacampo’s Defense Argues Rights Were Abused Prosecution Lays Out Timeline of Offenses By Amy Patterson amy@karlovecmedia.com In oral arguments May 14, defense attorney Ian Friedman sought to probe whether the rights of former Chester Township police officer and West Geauga Schools Resource Officer Nick Iacampo were violated during an investigation into charges he sexually abused a minor last August. Iacampo, 29, who lives in Painesville with his wife, pleaded not guilty in December to charges of felony sexual battery and unruliness or delinquency of a child, a misdemeanor, for an alleged Aug. 6 incident with the 16-year-old girl. See Iacampo • Page 5
An emotional Brandon Morrissette expressed remorse for bringing a gun to West Geauga High School last year with plans to kill several students as he awaited sentencing May 15 at the Geauga County Court of Common Pleas. Morrissette,19, who brought a 9mm handgun with three loaded magazines to the school last April, pleaded guilty in March to attempted murder and illegal possession of a weapon in a school zone. Wednesday afternoon, Judge Carolyn Paschke sentenced Morrissette to serve eight to 12 years See Morrissette • Page 6
The State of Ohio May Be Holding Your Money! The list of local people owed unclaimed funds
INSIDE THIS EDITION
Maple Leaf
GEAUGA COUNTY
Thanks to the lists that appear in Ohio newspapers each year, thousands of Ohioans receive funds they didn’t know they were owed – hundreds of dollars or more in many cases. Be sure to check the list to learn if the Ohio Department of Commerce is holding money owed to you, your family or friends. You’ll also get information on how to submit a claim.
BRIAN DOERING/KMG
Brandon Morrissette enters Geauga County Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Paschke’s courtroom to await sentencing May 15. Morrissette was sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison for attempted murder and illegal possession of a weapon in a school zone.
Memorial Day Roots Honored in Geauga By Rose Nemunaitis editor@karolovecmedia.com
ROSE NEMUNAITIS/KMG
Local historian Bari Oyler Stith, left, and Mary Ann Dottore, Hambden Township Cemetery sexton administrator, look at tombstones in the cemetery to add to its historical records.
Flags wave proudly and red flowers honor those who died in service of the nation as Memorial Day approaches. Early observances on Decoration Day are rooted in the rich history of Geauga County, where generations of ancestors served and gave all. Three years after the Civil War ended, the Grand Army of the Republic established Memorial Day as a time for the nation to decorate veterans’ graves with flowers, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. See Memorial Day • Page 7
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