Congrats to area squads on robotics work

BOUQUETS >> To the members of the Horizon Science Academy of Lorain’s robotics team, Robo-Cyclones, which is one of five squads that qualified for the World Championships in Louisville, Ky. The Robotics World Championships start April 29 in the Kentucky E

Serdar Muhametberdiyev, one of the team’s coaches, said the Robo-Cyclones competed in three different qualifiers, which led them to the Ohio State Championship in Marion, Ohio, in late February.

Robo-Cyclones team members are: Matthew Derry, 12, seventh-grade; Nathan Antus, 14, eighth-grade; Devin Frazier, 11, sixth-grade; and Esad Gurbuz, 11, fifth-grade.

Matthew said the world championships will be a great experience and a lot of fun.

This also is Horizon Science Academy’s first time participating in the world competition.

Also representing Lorain County at the world championships are Brookside Intermediate School, Longfellow Middle School in Lorain, and Elyria and Brookside high schools.

We congratulate all of the schools and members and wish them much success at the Robotics World Championships.

BOUQUETS » To the Lorain Public Library System for the second time this year presenting Food and Fun at the Main Branch.

During the event, teens and youngsters received boxed lunches consisting of healthy foods before learning about how to color their palate with healthy food activities.

Youth Services Librarian Julie Brown engaged the audience through activities to promote healthier living.

Brown introduced foods in groups of fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy and the calorie content.

The participants identified foods by color and type of food group.

Brown also provided a colorful Southwest Chicken salad for a more visual and tasty experience.

Said Brown: “We are trying to do this at a very visual, hands-on kind of way for the kids to promote healthy living.”

To conclude the program, participants received food kits from Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio that included recipes and foods to encourage youngsters to eat healthier and create meals with families.

We applaud the Library System for giving families options to healthy foods and living.

BRICKBATS » To Christopher Lindner, the 54-year-old Lorain man who was sentenced to three years of probation March 14 for selling the drugs that led to the 2016 overdose death of Charles Everett.

As part of a plea agreement, Lindner pleaded guilty Feb. 1 to an amended indictment of involuntary manslaughter, attempted corrupting another with drugs and trafficking in drugs.

At 11:50 p.m. April 3, 2016, police and paramedics were dispatched to 2214 W. 14th St. in Lorain for an unresponsive male.

Everett overdosed on a drug believed to be heroin, and he was transported to Mercy Health in Lorain, then to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he died.

Lindner was arrested after information turned up during the investigation led police to believe he was the culprit who sold Everett the drugs that killed him.

For the next three years, authorities will monitor Lindner’s activities.

He’d better stay out of trouble or he could find himself behind bars, and possibly for a long time.

BRICKBATS » To Matthew R. Fugate, the 21-year-old Cuyahoga County Community College student from North Olmsted who is facing charges of possessing a handgun March 20 while at the school’s Corporate College in Westlake.

At 12:52 p.m., Westlake officers received a report from Cuyahoga Community College police that a student possibly was carrying a gun at the campus, 25425 Center Ridge Road.

Westlake police along with college police located the student in class.

He was questioned by officers and a handgun was recovered before he was placed under arrest without incident.

Police said there were no known threats to the school and the student did not brandish the firearm.

Fugate, who is innocent until proven guilty, was charged with single felony counts of carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a firearm in a school safety zone.

It’s too early in the investigation to know if Fugate knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm in a school safety zone.

Hopefully, he and others will learn from this incident.