Leaf Thursday, August 31, 2023 Vol. 29 No. 35 • Chardon, Ohio www.geaugamapleleaf.com $1.00
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Fiery Crash Leaves Driver Critically Injured Staff Report Jack Sherwood, 39, of Painesville, was seriously injured after his pickup truck burst into flames following a one-vehicle crash on Chardon-Windsor Road in Huntsburg Township around 2:30 a.m. Aug. 23. Middlefield Fire Department Capt. Ben Reed said the vehicle fire was fully involved when the ambulance arrived. The full-sized pickup was nearly torn in half and the driver was ejected from the vehicle. EMTs found Sherwood in the woods west of state Route 86 near the township line, Reed said. Sherwood was transported to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, where he was picked up by a Medivac helicopter and taken to UH main campus in Cleveland. Reed said in a phone interview Aug. 28 the last he heard, the driver was still in critical condition. “It was one of the more horrific accidents I’ve seen in a while. The See Crash • Page 3
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Tony Adamic, of Munson Township, stands next to the 90-foot cottonwood tree that fell in his yard during the severe storm and tornadoes that swept through Geauga County Aug. 24. He and his wife, Kathi, had lovingly called the tree “Lucy,” as its profile reminded them of Lucille Ball. “Lucy” barely missed their home and clipped their deck, Kathi said.
County Continues Recovering From Storm, Tornadoes
FirstEnergy Offering Free Water, Ice to Those Without Power By Cassandra Shofar cassandra@karlovecmedia.com
As of 1 p.m. Aug. 28, the National Weather Service confirmed three tornados touched down in Geauga County during last week’s severe thunderstorm — in Middlefield/Huntsburg, Claridon and Bainbridge townships — which resulted in a large number of
downed trees, road closures and power outages across Ohio. Work crews around Geauga County continue to recover from the storm, which also hit Erie, Cuyahoga and Lake counties hard, with tornadoes confirmed to have touched down in Cleveland, Warrensville Heights/Bedford Heights and Mentor. FirstEnergy Corp serviced a
total of 2,110,142 customers in Ohio by 5 p.m. Aug. 29, with 973 customers still affected by power outages, according to the company’s website. In Geauga, 39,483 customers had been serviced as of Tuesday afternoon, and 113 remained without power. Several schools were closed See Storm • Page 6
New Leaf Graduate: ‘This Program Really Saved My Life’ By Rose Nemunaitis editor@karlovecmedia.com For healthy trees and their leaves to grow, it takes the right place, the right nutrients and other environmental factors. Such is the case for Geauga County Common Pleas Court’s New Leaf Program, which has seen a healthy harvest of graduates under the leadership of Judge Carolyn Paschke and with the help of various community support. New Leaf Program participants Benjamin Kozelka, Courtney Ricket and Randy Verdi graduated Aug. 24 on Chardon Square during the Rockin’ with Resources Community Connection event that drew 26 interactive community partner organizations. See New Leaf • Page 5
Opinion page 10
Sports page 14
Obituaries pages 17
Sheriff’s Sales & Legal Notices start on page 20
Classifieds start on page 22 karlovecmediagroup
Seeking Sales Rep Karlovec Media Group is hiring commissioned account representatives to sell print and online advertising in and around Geauga County, specifically in the eastern part of the county and in the Amish community. Candidates must be able to manage time wisely, meet deadlines and have reliable transportation. All of our staff must be willing to work in a team environment to help grow our newspapers. The ability to understand and live with a deadline-driven business is a must. Submit resumes to editor@karlovecmedia.com
Middlef ield Community News from Middlefield, Parkman, Huntsburg and Surrounding Areas
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ROSE NEMUNAITIS/KMG
Geauga County Common Pleas Judge Carolyn Paschke congratulates New Leaf Program graduate Benjamin Kozelka on Aug. 24 during a ceremony on Chardon Square at the Rockin’ with Resources Community Connection Event.