According to Detective Lieutenant John Begovic, the first report on Dec. 30 was from a couple, one residing in Aurora and the other in Chardon, who found a rental listing on Facebook Marketplace for the residence at 3092 Lost Nation Road.

They made contact with a male who identified himself as Kyle Averson, the property manager, and had a heavy Indian accent.

The couple completed a self-guided tour of the residence and decided to go forward with the lease. They provided personal information for a background check and were immediately approved.

According to Begovic, Averson directed them to send the first month’s rent in total of $1,295 and a security deposit for $700 (later $1,000) through Zelle. They attempted to send the money, but their bank stopped the transaction because it was suspicious. They became suspicious and were able to locate the actual rental agency — Imagine Homes.

The couple spoke with someone from the company who advised them Kyle Averson does not work for them. They checked further and found the same house on other legitimate rental websites for $1,995.

They are not at any financial loss.

The second report of suspected housing scam was taken on Jan. 2.

According to Begovic, a man who resides in Perry found the same rental listing on Facebook Marketplace and contacted Averson. The man toured the house as well and decided to rent the home from Averson.

The man was emailed a rental contract and was instructed to send $1,000. He did so via the Walmart to Walmart payment system. He arrived at the residence shortly after and waited to retrieve his keys but no one arrived, according to Begovic.

Averson’s Facebook profile picture is that of actor Michael J. Fox.

The incident is currently under investigation.

That point is very clear for the Willoughby Police Department, as retired K9 Loki died at the age of 10, having retired from active duty in September of 2022.

K9-handler bond can’t be duplicated, Willoughby officers say

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Sergeant Matt Neath and his family,” Police Chief Jim Schultz stated in a Facebook post. “Sergeant Neath and Loki were partnered together and protected our city for 9 years. Sergeant Neath and Loki were a part of our strong Lake County law enforcement K9 group that trained multiple times a month to continue improving their skills.”

Schultz continued in the Facebook post:  “Loki was a friend to our community, always protected our officers, and was loved by many. Loki and Sergeant Neath were an outstanding pair patrolling our streets.

Schultz went on to note that the opportunity to work with Loki wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the support of the Willoughby Fraternal Order of Eagles and the training by the Shallow Creek Kennels.

Neath recently received a financial award from the Veterans and First Responders Foundation’s Howling Heroes division providing five retired police K-9s and their families the K-9 Guardian Award of $5,000 per year for medical and wellness expenses such as office visits, prescriptions, accidents or illnesses, rehabilitation, physical therapy and ultimately cremation services.

He was emotional and quick with a response to the passing of Loki.

“All I can say is he was an amazing partner, an incredible friend and a wonderful family member,” Neath said.

According to a Russell Township Fire Department news release, at 5:17 a.m., fire crews were dispatched for a truck that crashed at the intersection of Chagrin Mills Road and Chillicothe Road. Crews arrived to find a dual-axle tanker on its side and off the roadway.

The driver of the truck was transported to Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital by Russell Township paramedics.

According to the release, multiple utility lines and a utility pole were down as a result of the incident and CEI was contacted. The Chagrin Southeast Regional Hazmat team responded due to the diesel fuel that was spilled and the hazmat crews were able to contain it upon arrival.

The contents of the tanker were identified as a Class 9 hazardous material, approximately 4 to 5 gallons were potentially spilled and contained by hazmat crews, according to the department.

As of noon, Chillicothe Road was still closed from Kinsman Road to Music Street for cleanup and repairs to the electrical lines.

Russell Township Fire Department, Russell Township Police Department and the Chagrin Southeast Regional Hazmat team remained on scene.

Representatives from Ohio EPA, Ohio Public Utilities Commission, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Valley Enforcement Group Accident Investigation Unit, Norfolk Southern, and utility companies all responded to the incident.

Euclid Fish Co. has signed on to the “100 percent Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” publicly committing to using 100 percent of each commercially caught Great Lakes fish productively by 2025, according to a corporate news release.

As part of the pledge, Euclid Fish will explore and implement innovative applications for fish byproducts including fertilizer, protein, marine collagen, leather and other new, high-value products.

According to the release, the Great Lakes are home to a sizeable commercial fishery, but only the fillets of these fish are usually eaten while the remaining 60% of the fish is relegated to inexpensive animal feed or discarded. Some initial studies in the United States determined that the value of a whitefish could jump from $12 when used only for fillets to nearly $4,000 when 100 percent is used for various applications.

This pledge is part of the 100 percent Great Lakes Fish initiative created by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, an organization representing the governors of the Great Lakes States and the Canadian Premiers of Ontario and Québec.

“Euclid Fish Company’s commitment is commendable, and we are excited to have them join with other companies from around the region on this important initiative,” GSGP Executive Director David Naftzger stated.

“Their leadership will benefit our commercial fishery, the Great Lakes and our economy,” he added. “We look forward to collaborating with them toward the goal of productively using 100% of each commercially caught fish from the Great Lakes.”

The project and pledge are the first of its kind in the region.

“Euclid Fish Company is excited to sign on to the 100 percent Great Lakes Fish pledge and feel that this innovative approach to full fish utilization proves further commitment to the great resources of the Great Lakes,” said John V. Young, the company’s vice president of operations. “As a fourth-generation distributor, Euclid Fish Company’s first offerings were Lake fish.

“To this day, we are thrilled to see how far this resource has come and where it can go.”

According to the dispatch log, at 9:39 p.m. Nov. 2, a caller contacted the department claiming to have shot his mother in the living room of a Mayfield Heights home. The caller said he would burn the house down if anyone came to the door and that his mother was dead.

Later in the call, the caller said he was going to stab his brother and that his brother was dead in the bedroom.

According to the log, shortly after, the caller admitted he was part of group that makes prank swat calls. As the police attempted to knock on the door of the home and make contact, the caller played sounds of shooting.

Contact was made with a retired couple who was home alone in the house. By 10:57 p.m., all units were clear.

“The incident is still under investigation so the report is not available for release at this time,” Mayfield Heights Police Chief Anthony Mele said. “We’re still trying to determine how and why this particular address was targeted. The residents that live there are an elderly couple who live by themselves.

“Typically when we have this type of incident, there is a motive as to why the address was selected,” Mele added. “In this case, there’s no apparent motive, but our department is continuing to investigate the incident.”

Reports suggest the call originated out of the country.

According to attorney Tim Misny, his firm has filed two lawsuits in Lake County Common Pleas Court.

One is on behalf of Alane Echon, a Kirtland resident whose 8-year-old son suffers from severe sensory issues and has been “brutally traumatized by this ongoing ordeal, and (the second is) a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the hundreds of residents who have been equally traumatized.”

The suit includes a motion for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against the country club.

The country club, located at 39438 Kirtland Road, has had skeet shooting for the last eight years.

Misny accuses the club of lying about how loud the gunshots would be and their guarantees to reduce the noise during the application process to get a special permit from Willoughby.

“The bottom line is that the club never should have gotten the permit to have an outdoor shooting range within a densely populated residential area which includes at least 475 homes, 75 of which are shockingly within 1,000 yards of the muzzles of their guns,” Misny added.

The following statement was sent to The News-Herald from Kirtland Country Club COO/general manager Mark Petzing:

“The Kirtland Country Club has successfully defended itself against a number of similar cases over the past years. We were successful in both the trial court and court of appeals. This latest case is simply another rehashing of the same baseless and frivolous claims that have already been litigated and dismissed. We expect this case will be dismissed as well. Kirtland Country Club will defend itself in court and has no further public comment on this matter.”

According to Misny, the decibel reading recorded in the backyards is consistently in the 90s and in some situations reaches 104. He added to put it in perspective, if a high-powered firecracker, an M80, goes off 4 feet away from a person, the decibel reading registers 102.

The suit names a minimum of 20 John Doe defendants.

Misny offered up several examples of residents affected by the skeet shooting, including an 82-year-old man dying of cancer who could not relax on weekends, a Vietnam vet who had flashbacks triggered by gunshots, a former nuclear submarine commander with PTSD and a grandmother with increased hypertension and grandchildren who won’t visit on weekends.

“It is important to note that none of the residents and/or plaintiffs are taking an anti-gun stance,” Misny said. “The vast majority are gun owners and Second Amendment supporters.”

Misny added the right thing for Kirtland Country Club to do is to spend the money and build noise abatement structures that will alleviate the problem.

On Oct 22, the dive team conducted training at White Star Quarry in Gibsonburg in Sandusky County.

According to a post on the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page, this location is a popular site for scuba divers as it provides clear visibility for divers to safely dive at various depths. More often than not, divers find themselves working in waters with less than 1 foot of visibility, so the divers were motivated to train at a location with over 20 feet of visibility.

According to the post, there are several attractions at this site for divers such as training platforms, sunken boats, a school bus and confined space obstacles. Divers were able to safely dive around and inside of these vehicles to familiarize themselves with how to safely approach and work around such obstacles they may be called to respond to.

While at this location, Deputy Justin Nevison and Sergeant Michael Suschak engaged with civilian divers from across the state by participating in an underwater pumpkin carving contest to help with manual dexterity while wearing dive gear and while being underwater.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team consists of seven divers made up from Road Patrol, Corrections and Special Deputy Divisions.

Nevison said, the dive team receives around a half dozen or more activations per year.

“Typically, distressed swimmer or distressed boater calls are first received by the United States Coast Guard and our Marine Patrol who are able to quickly respond and provide assistance without the need of the dive team,” Nevison said. “Our dive team can be requested by any agency within Lake County as well as police departments and sheriff’s offices outside of the county.”

Divers first obtain their basic scuba diver certification. According to Nevison, from there, they continue to receive advanced training not only through additional classes, but from the leadership of the team who have over 20 years of public safety diving experience.

Throughout the year, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team trains in topics such as rescue techniques, search patterns, salvage, vehicle recovery, evidence recovery and crime scene processing to just name a few.

The divers work closely with the Marine Patrol Division as well as surrounding dive teams to prepare for a response to water-related emergencies, according to the post.

According to a Chester Township Police news release, officers were dispatched at approximately 1:05 p.m. to the church in reference to property damage and a possible arson complaint.

Upon arrival officers noted that at least one incendiary had struck the exterior of the church, resulting in minor damage. No portion of the structure appeared to have ignited, however scorching was noted on the exterior.

The church was unoccupied at the time.

Penny pleaded guilty to violating the Church Arson Prevention Act and to using fire and explosives to commit a felony.

According to a United States Justice Department news release, Penny was arrested and charged earlier this year with violating the Church Arson Prevention Act, one count of using fire to commit a federal felony, one count of malicious use of explosive materials and one count of possessing a destructive device.

“Attempting to burn down the Community Church of Chesterland for their support of the LGBTQI+ community is reprehensible,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “There is no room in this country for such bias-motivated violence and terror, and the Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans in their free exercise of religious beliefs by vigorously prosecuting those who target houses of worship.

“Our churches should be safe havens for all people, not sites subjected to violence motivated by hate and vitriol.”

“Mr. Penny admitted to attempting to burn down a church because he did not like the way congregants chose to express their beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Such acts of extremist violence are antithetical to core American values of freedom of expression and worship and we will not tolerate those who would use force to deny our citizens the free exercise of their rights.”

According to the release, Penny faces a maximum 20 years in prison for the violation of the Church Arson Prevention Act and a 10-year mandatory prison sentence that will run consecutively with any other prison term imposed for using fire to commit a federal felony.

Sentencing has been scheduled for Jan. 29.

A 2022 Ford F550 Ambulance from South Central Ambulance District in Ashtabula County was transporting a person to UH Geauga Medical Center.

According to the release, the ambulance was traveling southbound on Route 528 approaching the intersection of Chardon Windsor Road. A 1995 Jeep Wrangler was traveling eastbound on Chardon Windsor Road and failed to yield at the stop sign, striking the ambulance, authorities say.

The ambulance overturned, traveling off the west side of the roadway. The Jeep caught on fire after the crash.

William Maley Jr., a 47-year-old Dorset resident, was being transported in the ambulance. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the release.

Both EMTs were transported with serious injuries. The EMT who was driving the ambulance was taken to UH Geauga Medical Center by Huntsburg Township EMS. The EMT seated in the rear of the ambulance with the patient was transported by Stat MedEvac to UH Cleveland.

The driver of the Jeep, 36-year old Jason Slepsky of Chardon, was taken to UH Geauga Medical Center by Huntsburg EMS with non-life-threatening injuries. He was wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash.

Slepsky was arraigned in Chardon Municipal Court on Sept. 26 and charged with one count of second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of fourth-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault. The hearing was presided over by Judge Terri L. Stupica.

The OSHP states alcohol and drugs are suspected to be factors in the crash, which remains under investigation.

On Aug. 15, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Timothy McCormick sentenced 41-year-old Leander Bissell to serve his sentence at the Lorain Correctional Institute, according to court documents.

Bissell was indicted on seven counts, including murder, felonious assault and aggravated vehicular homicide.

Johnny Tetrick, a 51-year-old Kirtland resident, was killed Nov. 19 in the line of duty while responding to a crash on Interstate 90.

At approximately 8:15 p.m., Engine 22 responded to Interstate 90 eastbound at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Drive for a motor vehicle crash involving a flipped vehicle. During the response, Tetrick was struck by a passing vehicle, whose driver then fled the scene, according to the post.

Tetrick was transported to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Colleagues and friends remember Cleveland firefighter, Kirtland resident Johnny Tetrick killed in the line of duty

At approximately 12:20 a.m. Nov. 20, Cleveland Police officers located the vehicle that struck Tetrick at East 152nd Street and Ridpath Avenue. The suspect, later identified as Bissell, was taken into custody by Bratenahl Police Department in connection with aggravated vehicular homicide and failure to stop after an accident on public roads or highways.

Tetrick served with the Cleveland Division of Fire for over 27 years, most of that time he spent assigned to Engine 22 on the city’s east side.

He is survived by his family, including his wife and three adult daughters.