Brickbats and Bouquets

We’re confident the city will benefit from this. There already is interest. In October, the owners of Neff Bros. RV confirmed they hope to move into the former Joe Firment Chevrolet building, one of the structures that would tie into the new sewer line. We applaud the council for promoting economic expansion in South Lorain.

BOUQUETS: To Kevin Rhomberg, manager of the Lorain County Ironmen, and the team for joining a new baseball league and creating a new baseball tournament for the 2015 season at the Pipe Yard Powered by FirstEnergy Solutions on 2840 Meister Road in Lorain. The team announced it will play in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, which will have a dozen teams in Ohio, Michigan and Kentucky.

The change is designed for geographical advantages, and ease of travel for the players, Rhomberg said. This also will be a more competitive league and we’re sure we’re going to see some future stars honing their skills for Major League Baseball.

“We are excited to be able to give the people of Lorain County, the opportunity to experience the best high school baseball in the state of Ohio,” Rhomberg said.

The Ironmen also will host Lorain High School for the team’s third season. High school teams from Strongsville, St. Edward and 2014 state qualifier Massillon Jackson also will play at the Pipe Yard. We’re excited for the move. Now, we have to support the Ironmen.

BRICKBATS: To Christian McGhee, the Elyria man who will spend the next four years in prison for severely injuring his thengirlfriend when he punched her in the face July 9 during a dispute.

Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Rothgery sentenced McGhee, 24, on felonious assault and domestic violence charges. Elyria police received a call from McGhee who told officers that he punched his girlfriend in the face.

Police found her crying and bleeding heavily from the left side of her face.

Lifecare transported the woman to Elyria Memorial Hospital for, what police called, severe injuries. McGhee told the responding officer that he also was injured, showing him a small scratch on his back which he claimed was caused by his girlfriend. Police observed McGhee to have swelling and two lacerations on his left cheek and nose. McGhee received the appropriate punishment for beating on a female.

BRICKBATS: To Lorain County Sheriff’s Sgt. Donald McCurry who pleaded guilty last week to misdemeanor charges against him after he admitted to striking an Elyria man in the head with a flashlight in August 2013.

McCurry, 48, pleaded to assault and dereliction of duty and prosecutors agreed to dismiss a more serious charge of felonious assault. McCurry allegedly threatened his daughter’s friend, Joseph Reiger, with his duty pistol and proceeded to hit him in the back of the head with the flashlight.

Reiger needed stitches to close a wound in his head. No sentence date has been set for McCurry.

We hope he will be punished to the maximum. Luckily, your actions didn’t put a bad light on the good law enforcement officers patrolling Lorain County.