GIRLS BASKETBALL Medina falls in regional semi B1 Today’s weather Serving HIGH: 45 Medina County LOW: 31 since 1832 n n n Sunrise: 6:57 For home delivery, call (330) 725-4166 Sunset: 6:20 T HEHE G AZAZ E TTETTE WEDNESDAY, March 3, 2021 $1.25 PUBLIC DEFENDER PLEADS TO KEEP OFFICE FROM CLOSING Commissioners: Decision final Bob Finnan requested a budget of almost $800,000 The Gazette Commissioners passed a resolution Jan. 19 citing Ohio Revised in 2021, which was rejected. Instead, the Code to terminate the Medina County Public Defender county approved a 90-day budget. MEDINA — Chief Public Defender The state now is reimbursing coun- Jocelyn Stefancin made a final stand Commission. By law, it had to give the commission a 90-day ties at a rate of 80 percent for indigent Tuesday to try to save the Medina defense. County Public Defender’s Office from notice. All employees will lose their jobs at that time. Stefancin said the public defender’s closure. office provides many resources to the Despite her pleas, the Medina Defender Commission. By law, it had to to hire an attorney. Public defenders courts will appoint private attorneys to community, most notably a file sys- County commissioners wouldn’t give the commission a 90-day notice. are provided in the two Medina County fill the role of indigent defense. tem for indigent clients. budge and said they will follow All the employees, including Ste- Common Pleas courts and Municipal Commissioners said they no longer “Where are those files going to be through with plans for the office to be fancin, will lose their jobs at that time. Courts in Medina and Wadsworth. believe the public defender’s office is maintained?” she asked. “Where are terminated, effective April 30. Public defenders provide legal repre- Even though the commissioners are cost efficient. you going to keep them? Who’s going Commissioners passed a resolution sentation services in criminal proceed- disbanding the office, they stressed that County Administrator Scott Miller to have access? Those documents are Jan. 19 citing Ohio Revised Code to ings to adults and juveniles accused or public defenders still will be offered to said the budget of the public defender’s privileged.” terminate the Medina County Public convicted of a crime who cannot afford those who can’t afford an attorney. The office has doubled since 2014. The office See DECISION, A8 CORONAVIRUS LEVY PUSH PANDEMIC CONTINUES Death ‘A great team effort’ Wadsworth reporting purchases systems land for fire station to change Jonathan Delozier The Gazette ‘Human error’ blamed WADSWORTH — A recent land acquisition by the city of Wadsworth is a hopeful early step for innacurate counts, toward construction of a new fire station. In separate purchases, a total of about state health dept. says $500,000 has been paid for property at 329 College St., as well as four additional adjacent Dylan Reynolds parcels, Public Safety Director Matt Hiscock The Gazette said Tuesday. COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Although past talks regarding a new station Health will move away from its system for have centered on specific building plans at reporting COVID-19 deaths toward a different other proposed locations, Hiscock said choos- system that Chief Medical Officer Dr. Bruce ing a design is still a ways down the road. He Vanderhoff called “the gold standard” in a call added that it’s still too early in the process to Tuesday with members of the media. point to any definitive timelines for construc- The change comes after the February tion or opening a new station for service. announcement that about 4,275 Ohio COVID- “This location and these parcels presented 19 deaths were underreported in the old system, the best combination of meeting recom- a misstep blamed on human error. The new sys- mended lot size needs for a new facility while maintaining department and community tem, according to Vanderhoff and Department response times, and coming in under budget,” of Health Director Stephanie McCloud, relies Hiscock said. “We’ve outgrown our existing more on technology and less on manual entry. PHOTO PROVIDED facility in many, many ways.” Under the old Ohio Disease Reporting Sys- Willowood resident Kathleen crafts a heart during a Valentine’s Day event. Staff at The land purchased on College Street covers tem (ODRS), death reports were gathered from Willowood Care Center in Brunwswick have been working the past year to keep residents happy and healthy during the coronavirus pandemic. roughly 3 acres. hospitals, urgent care facilities and local health The city conducted a 2016 study on how districts, then published to the Ohio Depart- much it would cost to replace the existing ment of Health website. Wadsworth Fire Station No. 1, 153 N. Lyman “The ODRS has been crucial to the pandemic Willowood leans on creative St. Results came in at $9 million for a new site response in Ohio, but it can’t be overemphasized on Broad Street and $9.76 million for a larger that the program is outdated,” McCloud said. programming during pandemic building on West Walnut Street. The existing The state health department will seek fund- engaged while locked away on both the defense, fighting building is 58 years old. ing for the process of updating it in the next Jack Kopanski The Gazette from family and loved ones. to keep the highly contagious “It wasn’t built in 1963 with the needs of our state budget. Shutting down nursing virus out of the facilities’ wings, current community,” Hiscock said about Fire For the purpose of reporting COVID-19 BRUNSWICK — In what has homes to protect vulnerable and the offense while attack- Station No. 1. “It was all volunteer back then. deaths, the department will shift to the Elec- been a stressful and challeng- Ohioans was one of Gov. Mike ing isolation and depression Now, we’re a combination department. We tronic Death Registration System, which relies ing 12 months for staff at Wil- DeWine’s first acts nearly a year among residents forced to see have both genders at the station. There’s lim- on death certificates that have been reviewed lowood Care Center, the biggest ago to help stop the spread their families through win- ited separation from contaminated zones of and coded by the Centers for Disease Control test proved to be finding ways of the coronavirus in Ohio. It dows from a distance. the station and living quarters. The layout is and Prevention. just not ideal.” to keep residents happy and put nursing home employees See CREATIVE, A8 See SYSTEMS, A3 See STATION, A2 RUMPKE BUYS TRASH HAULING COMPANY FEEDING MEDINA COUNTY TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL ORGS C. Martin Trucking business sold Food distribution Bob Finnan Curtis Perkins, 66, has worked for C. Martin The Gazette Trucking for 51 years, the last 37 as owner. MEDINA — For years, competitors site coming to would inquire to see if owner Curtis Per- His uncle started the business in 1946. As of kins was interested in selling his busi- Monday, Rumpke Waste Services took over ness, C. Martin Trucking. Lodi campground the trash hauling business, located at 5604 Perkins, 66, has worked for C. Mar- The Gazette porting our mission during tin Trucking for 51 years, the last 37 as Lafayette Road. these times,” said Feeding owner. His uncle started the business in Feeding Medina County Medina County’s new execu- 1946. same,” he said. “That’s what I’m told.” was killed in a traffic accident recently in has partnered with the tive director, Katy Fuerst. “It Akron-Canton Regional Food- “Normally, I’d say, ‘Not interested,’” There were 21 employees at the business. Lafayette Township. is critical that we do more to Perkins said Tuesday. “This time, I said bank and Medina County Park All but three have remained on the job. “I’m going to change course,” he said. serve our entire community.” I’d sit down and talk.” “I’ll miss the customers,” Perkins said. District to bring a monthly “I’ve worked with my granddaughter the Feeding Medina County, a As of Monday, Rumpke Waste Ser- “Some of my customers have been with food distribution to Lodi. last four or five years. I’d really like to hunger-relief partner within vices took over the trash hauling busi- us 40 or 50 years. I’ll miss the work.” The plan is to use the get in another business with her. I don’t the Akron-Canton Regional ness, located at 5604 Lafayette Road. He said he went to bed at 6 or 7 every Medina County Park District’s know what that is.” Foodbank’s network, already Perkins’ business hauls trash in Medina, night, except for Mondays, when he Perkins said in the last 50 years, he’s Hidden Hollow Camp, located Cuyahoga, Summit, Ashland and Wayne at 8672 Richman Road, Lodi. works to provide monthly stayed up to watch Medina City Council never taken a full week’s vacation with counties. meetings. Even though he no longer has Food insecurity continues food distributions at the his wife, Patricia. That’s going to change, “This has been on my mind for about to get up so early, he said his body wakes to rise in Medina County, as Medina Fairgrounds every he said. a year,” he said. “It was real serious the him up at 2:30 a.m. every day. thousands of people continue third Thursday of the month. last two or three months. Timing is every- “We’ll see how that goes,” Perkins said. He wants to take a trip on Route 66, to experience unemployment However, Fuerst and her team thing.” But Perkins is not calling it a “retire- from Chicago to California.