Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025
Submit items to news@LCnewspapers.com
Cold, colder, coldest ... ugh Everybody’s talking about the weather Flu not waning as it usually does in February
The worst cold may be over, at least for now The Community Guide
Garrett Looker The Community Guide
Throughout Lorain County, residents have been stricken with the flu as cases continue to rise. As most years, cases of influenza are prevalent in the winter months. However, this year has been an unusual flu season, according to Mitch Dandurand, an epidemiology supervisor at Lorain County Public Health. There’s no indication that flu cases will plateau in the coming weeks, local health experts said. “This year, it is going the opposite direction, as of the start of February,” Dandurand said. “It’s a little bit of an unusual season compared to other flu seasons. … We remain in very high flu activity.” According to data from Lorain County Public Health, 52 individuals were hospitalized due to reasons associated with influenza in the final week of January. “This is a later flu season peak, and it’s way more aggressive than usual,” said Dr. Philip Cataline, an infectious disease physician with the University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center. Activity for respiratory illness throughout Ohio remains “Very High,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
BRUCE BISHOP / COMMUNITY GUIDE
Abby Knapp poses Thursday with Blanche after she got back on her feet after slipping and falling.
Falling on ice is scary; just ask Blanche Bruce Bishop and Garrett Looker The Community Guide
When Blanche the cow slipped on ice and fell last Thursday morning, Abby Knapp was worried there may not be enough help to get her vertical again. “It was probably around 10:30 that Blanche had fallen on the ice,” said Knapp, who added that Blanche is “an extremely large” dairy cow. “My dad was actually the first one out here, tried to get her up, she went back down,” continued Knapp, who takes care of a Grafton farm with her father, her grandfather and her fiancé. That’s when Knapp contacted a veterinarian. But the news was not encouraging for Blanche the cow. “He said ‘Really, there’s nothing that I can do to really, kind of, help
her get up,’” Knapp recalled. So Knapp turned to social media in search of help. Knapp posted in a Grafton community page, seeing if anyone in the area had the type of equipment that would be able to lift the cow up.
Heavy machinery brought in An individual showed up to help with a skid loader, Knapp said, a construction machine often used for hauling heavy materials. Knapp said the show of support in person and online meant a lot. “It was just nice to see that there were, you know, people from all over willing to come out and help if they could,” Knapp said. In the end, Blanche the cow was able to get up off the ice after being coaxed with food, Knapp said — no
need for the use of a skid loader. “We ended up being able to kind of get her up with some food,” Knapp said. “Kind of a little incentive there.” It’s been a dream of Knapp’s to have and work on a farm, she said. It’s her second winter with heavy animals like Blanche, and this year’s ice has presented new obstacles. “The good part is, you know, with learning as we go, we just make the changes as things happen, and you know, try to do our best and make sure our animals stay safe and care for them the best we can,” Knapp said. “It’s good to see her actually back up and standing, so hopefully the prognosis will end up being good.” Contact Bruce Bishop at bbishop@chroniclet.com. Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com..
After a week in which Lorain County was blanketed in several inches of snow and overnight temperatures dropped to minus 9 degrees Fahrenheit, temperatures are expected to rise. A bit. “It’s going to be a slow climb through the week,” Brian Mitchell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Cleveland, said. “It’s going to be just a gradual warm up. By Sunday, it should touch at least freezing, maybe a couple degrees higher.” The freezing temperatures come on the heels of five inches of snow that fell in Elyria on Sunday. In response to the “anticipation of extreme cold temperatures,” Lorain will keep three warming shelters open through Friday morning. Two of the shelters will operate through the night; one at Lorain High School, 2600 Ashland Ave., and another at Stevan Dohanos Elementary School, 1625 E. 32nd St. The third shelter – Faith Ministries Christian Center, 1306 Euclid Ave. – will be open during the day. By this time of year, temperatures are normally near or above freezing. According to the National Weather Service’s annual averages, the middle of February usually features highs of around 39 degrees and lows of around 24 degrees Fahrenheit.
Driver in crash that killed boy on bike won’t be charged Bill Lantz said. Warner’s 2001 Jeep SUV hit Bryant The driver of the Jeep involved in an ac- “Tide” Bartlett, 9, and Aiden Hellend, 10, cident on Burns Road in October in which as they rode their bikes in the road. Lantz said the decision not to bring a 9-year-old boy on his bike was killed and charges came after an investigation that another seriously injured won’t be crimiinvolved “thorough crash reconstruction nally charged, Elyria police said. and (a) review of all available evidence.” Nico Warner, 20, will be cited with The Elyria City Prosecutor’s Office speeding, a minor misdemeanor, for aldetermined that while Warner was travellegedly going faster than 25 mph in the ing above the posted speed limit, there 100 block of Burns Road when the crash is no evidence to prove speed caused the occurred, Elyria police spokesman Capt. Dave O’Brien The Community Guide
accident. “As a result, no criminal charges will be filed in connection with this incident,” he wrote. “However, based on the investigation’s findings, Mr. Warner will be cited for speeding.” Police said a call came in just before 6 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2024, that two boys had been hit when Warner tried to maneuver around them. The boys changed direction on their bikes and collided with the Jeep, according to Elyria police.
Bartlett died at the scene. Hellend was taken first to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center and then flown by helicopter to UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. Warner was not injured in the crash. The Bartlett family and dozens of supporters held a memorial at Hilltop Park for the boy the week after his death. Bartlett liked working and playing outdoors, worked and played hard and had a “huge heart,” his family said.
INSIDE THIS WEEK The secret to long life?
Moen leaving Ohio
Home invasion charges
Hmm, it could just be orange sherbet. A5
30 years after leaving Elyria, it heads to Illinois. A3
Two spotted on security camera already felons. A5
SPORTS A6 • CROSSWORD A7 • SUDOKU A7 • KID SCOOP A8