Kudos to Tri-C on recognition for military aid

BOUQUETS >> To Cuyahoga Community College for earning its ninth consecutive Military Friendly School designation in recognition of its commitment to serving veterans and active military students, as well as their families.

Tri-C received the honor from Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs and other publications serving the military community, according to a news release.

The college was designated as a Top 10 school for the second consecutive year.

Victory Media created the Military Friendly School designation in 2009 to help service members and their families select the best college, university or trade school to receive the education and training needed to pursue a civilian career. Institutions earning the designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a Victory Media survey.

We applaud and congratulate Tri-C for this accolade and for its commitment to serving its community.

BOUQUETS » To Ohio Gov. John Kasich for the ceremonial signing into law of Senate Bill 7 which give prosecutors more power to go after people who violate protection orders.

The legislation, which actually became a part of Ohio law Sept. 27, strengthens existing law so offenders who avoid service of a protection order and knowingly violate the terms of the order can be prosecuted.

State Sen. Gayle Manning, a North Ridgeville Republican, was a joint sponsor of the legislation.

The legislation overturns an Ohio Supreme Court ruling that determined current Ohio law does not permit prosecution in cases where the offender knowingly violated a protection order, but did not receive formal service prior to the violation.

Senate Bill 7 ensures that violators of protection orders may be charged if the prosecution can establish the violator knowingly violated its terms.

This is a law that was long overdue. Filers of protection orders should be protected from abusers and aggressors.

We applaud and congratulate Tri-C for this accolade and for its commitment to serving its community.

After all, that’s what the law is supposed to do: protect.

BRICKBATS» To the 26 people indicted in federal court recently for their roles in two separate conspiracies to bring large amounts of drugs — including fentanyl, heroin and cocaine — to Northeast Ohio.

Fifteen people were charged in a 29-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine and U-47700 (a fentanyl analogue). They are: Irwin Jose Vargas, 42, of Euclid; Keyra Linnette Martinez, 42, of Euclid; Irwing Vargas Rosario, 24, of Cleveland; Isidoro M. Gonzalez, 41, of Cleveland; Alcides Garcia, 46, of Ponce, Puerto Rico; Austin Natale, 27, of Cleveland; Kayle Mae Jonela, 22, of Brook Park; Rosemary Howell, 55, of Cleveland; Dennis Mansfield, 58, of Cleveland; William Rodriguez, 41, of Cleveland; Jeffrey Mack, 44, of Cleveland; Victor Felix, 39, of Cleveland; Nelson Benitez Jr., 34, of Cleveland; Thomas Lopez, 39, of Cleveland, and Edgar Arroyo, 37, of Cleveland.

Twelve people were charged in a 26-count indictment with conspiracy to distribute cocaine, N-Ethyl Pentalone (an analogue to MDMA or “molly”) and marijuana. They are: Emad Silmi, 43, of North Olmsted; Christopher Young, 46, of Westlake; Herbert Shaw, 44, of Cleveland; Samer AbuKwaik, 46, of Cleveland; Nelson Benitez Jr., 34, of Cleveland; Jonathan Smith, 34, of Lathrup Village, Michigan; John D. Ciarlillo, 42, of Medina; Anthony Quinn Greenlee, 26, of Huron; Santana Jones, 22, of Cleveland; Gregory Lowery, 32, of Painesville; Mogahed Mustafa, 30, of North Olmsted, and Erkan Nevzadi, 29, of Cleveland.

They are, of course, innocent until proven guilty.

But let these indictments serve as a warning to those who would peddle such trash on our streets.

We are not going to tolerate it.

“These groups brought hundreds of pounds of dangerous drugs into Northeast Ohio and sold them throughout our community,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman said. “We will continue to work collaboratively to shut off the flow of drugs and seek long prison sentences for traffickers.”

The opioid scourge has taken a heavy toll in our communities. We must fight back together.

Consider yourselves warned.