Ohio — Businesses at the Twinsburg Town Center are under construction after a car crashed into it Thursday afternoon Play It Again Sports employee Ryan Short said he felt the building shake I didn't think anything of it because people are on the roof all the time and there was a car through the building,” Short explained Short said a paramedic was inside Play It Again Sports when the crash occurred grabbed his bag and helped the guy out of the car He’s slowing up and then he just went fast right through a pillar The pillar the driver crashed into is in front of TNT Tanning Right next door to the crash is Mango Thai Cuisine Mango Thai Cuisine Owner Nok said she was in the kitchen when the crash happened “We were having some customers in the dining room but they were sitting at the right side of the restaurant I asked them to move and then the fire department and the police came in and asked us to evacuate all the customers out of the building from the back,” Nok shared Nok said officials then told her everyone could go back inside only the left side of the dining room would be usable “The reason we decided to close is because we talked to the owner of the building and he said it might cause some part of the stone to hit the glass so it might not be safe for the customers to come in,” Nok said An excavator was at the property Thursday afternoon It demolished part of the shopping center up to the business's front door knocking down the pillars and partially ripping up the roof Mango Thai Cuisine plans to reopen on Friday We reached out to Twinsburg Police for more information a Twinsburg-based business that creates marketing materials for companies across the region the designs are local—but the materials are global “We do all the marketing and collateral for businesses that want to promote their own businesses,” said owner Fernando Bertero Bertero said while his team handles the customization in-house the raw goods—especially promotional items like mugs tumblers and stainless steel materials—are imported he said vendors are already signaling a price surge “All our vendors in China are warning us there will be an impact,” Bertero said Bertero said he’s explored American-made alternatives manufacturing is either limited or uncompetitive “We’ve asked specific companies to look at this in the past and they put together their Excel spreadsheet and they say it’s not a good idea to even consider this because of the competitiveness with China on this type of product,’” Bertero said Despite efforts to support U.S.-based suppliers Karla Jo Helms of JOTO PR Disruptors said transparency with clients is critical “The companies that win are the companies that communicate the most,” Helms said Even without the full effect of price hikes Bertero said some clients are already hesitating “We’re feeling a little bit of reluctance from some customers,” he said “Larger customers immediately react to policy or changes in the environment So we’ve had two or three customers cancel some fairly large orders with us.” the shop is doing its best to keep operations running smoothly dependable service and clear communication in a rapidly changing market “Regardless of which side of the aisle you’re on… we can only pray and hope that whatever’s going on in Washington ultimately is going to benefit everybody,” Bertero said Months after Twinsburg police officer Matthew Pfeifer's firing, Pfeifer dropped his corruption and misconduct allegations Monday against the Twinsburg Police Department in an ongoing mandamus action demanding access to records The decision to drop his claims is the result of an arbitration agreement negotiated after his termination last July, Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association attorney Daniel Leffler explained Pfeifer and two other Twinsburg police officers — Daniel Fidoe and Olivia Bartulovic — were fired for allegedly violating department policies after they filed the mandamus action in April 2024 The court filing aired allegations of corruption tampering with records and retaliatory practices Fidoe and Bartulovic are also in arbitration but Leffler said their claims remain active Attorney Brian Bardwell represents Fidoe and Bartulovic Bardwell and a spokesperson for the City of Twinsburg were not immediately available for comment Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Jennifer Towell presides over the case Officers accuse Twinsburg police chief of pattern of misdeedsThe three officers described themselves in a legal petition as seeking to "clean up" a pattern of misbehavior that they assert has been condoned in the department since before Thomas Mason became chief in 2021 They accused the city of denying document requests for files that would show a pattern of corruption personnel files and communications between police leadership Officers fired: 2 Twinsburg officers who raised corruption allegations fired, accused of misconduct Among Pfeifer's dropped accusations is that high-ranking officers accessed the department's record-keeping system and altered old reports including those that involved Mason's children Twinsburg Mayor Sam Scaffide has denied the allegations outlined in the petition and complaint describing them as "unsubstantiated and inflammatory concerns" that "have nothing to do with the underlying public records complaint." Why was Pfeifer fired?Pfeifer was fired on July 31, 2024, after an internal investigation determined he violated department policies across two incidents, according to his termination letter The investigation found Pfeifer engaged in misconduct on Aug when he removed his weapon from its holster and placed it in the "high carry position" when talking to another officer in or near the patrol room At least one other officer was in the potential line of fire because the muzzle pointed up He was also accused of failing a polygraph test during his Feb Witness statements also contradicted his statements Mandamus action: 3 Twinsburg officers accuse city of withholding records that could prove police corruption Bryce Buyakie covers courts and public safety for the Beacon Journal He can be reached by email at bbuyakie@gannett.com or on X Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInTWINSBURG Ohio (WOIO) - Lightning caused havoc in Northeast Ohio Wednesday A house was struck in Twinsburg Wednesday afternoon Twinsburg Police confirmed that Meadow Boulvard is closed at Parkview Drive and Scenic View Drive due to lightning striking a home 19 News crews are on their way to the scene Lightning is causing issues across Northeast Ohio Chardon Fire is warning of downed wires and power outages after multiple lightning strikes to buildings and wires in the area of Chardon Square Firefighters provided some tips on lightning safety in a Facebook post You can share your weather photos and videos here Be sure to check back with 19 New for updates The Federal Bureau of Investigation recognized members of the Twinsburg Police Department for their efforts in a case that led to apprehending suspects involved in a nationwide criminal scheme The city announced during a ceremony Wednesday at Twinsburg City Hall that the officers' work led to the capture and prosecution of three individuals connected to ATM thefts across multiple states involved an attempted theft of an ATM in Twinsburg which was linked to similar crimes in South Carolina and Michigan The suspects were arrested due to the quick response of Twinsburg officers retired Sergeant Eric Sawyer and Dispatcher Miriam Stubbs were among the officers honored and work seamlessly with our federal partners led to the successful resolutionof a major criminal enterprise," Twinsburg Police Chief Tom Mason said in a statement "I couldn’t be prouder of their efforts and the well-deserved recognition they are receiving today.” Twinsburg Mayor Sam Scaffide expressed his gratitude to the FBI personnel in attendance at the ceremony noting how special the FBI's honoring of Twinsburg's officers was and dedication of our officers set a high standard and this recognition only reinforces what we already knew—Twinsburg’s safety forces are second to none," Scaffide said in a statement "We appreciate the FBI for taking the time to be here and for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe.” FBI Supervisory Special Agent Kirk Dirker emphasized the importance of collaboration with local law enforcement “The most valuable thing for a resident agency is our relationship with the local police departments Whether it's a kidnapping or something in progress that we're working and he or she is getting us the resources we need." The FBI commended the department’s quick thinking use of technology and commitment to publicsafety underscoring the importance of local-federal partnerships in addressing organized crime Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@gannett.com The Twinsburg boys soccer team is headed to a state championship match for the first time in program history Senior Lucas Elias scored a goal Wednesday night to guide Twinsburg to a 1-0 win over Columbus St Francis DeSales in a Division III state semifinal at Clear Fork High School "It was a tale of two halves," Twinsburg 33rd-year coach Michael Lally said DeSales went to a high block and it look us a long time to solve it we did much better in possession and really didn't give them much in the attack." Twinsburg (21-2-0) will meet Cincinnai Indian Hill (22-0-2) in the Division III state final at 1 p.m Indian Hill topped Lima Shawnee 4-2 on Wednesday at Fairborn "It is kind of crazy all the support we are getting from the community and all of the people coming to our games everyone is so happy for each other and for the program itself."  Elias scored his goal with just under 18 minutes remaining when he left-footed the ball into the net from about six yards out The goal came on a rebound after he right-footed a penalty kick that was batted away by the DeSales goalkeeper "[Junior] Ryan Humberson has been such a load on corner kicks and throw-ins," Lally said That is what you expect in big games from big-time players." Humberson was fouled in the box after Elias set in a corner kick "The ball was for Humberson and the keeper had to come out and get it," Lally said "He caught Ryan [in the head] to get the PK ...Keepers are taught to punch the bottom half of the ball out to safety if they can't catch it Twinsburg sophomore Cooper Goodman earned the shutout at goalkeeper "This team is so fun to watch develop," Grant said "We have all been playing with each other since AYSO [American Youth Soccer Organization] years Our chemistry is on another level right now with playing everyday after school eating together and doing extracurricular activities with each other." senior Evan Schneeman and senior Keelin Fuentes Senior Alec Utrup started at striker and senior Devin Couch and junior Mario Sanders were the wings "I am really proud of how the guys came out and played in the second half," said Lally who is in his 35th year as a Twinsburg High School teacher "They took to the tactics and got after it but we were starting to get good looks at the goal Evan Schneeman bounced around from the midfield to a striker pressing for all the pressure they were under in the first half Nate Grant and Theodore Goodman did a wonderful job." Schneeman described Twinsburg's tournament run as "amazing." "The team has been so upbeat the whole time," Schneeman said we take the serious things serious and we just keep going It is going to be a lot of fun going to Columbus The boys team has never done this and neither has the girls team This means a lot for the soccer community in Twinsburg." Couch said he and his teammates are "one big family." "No one is separated from each other," Couch said No matter how old you are from freshmen to seniors everyone is close and everyone is connected I think that translates well onto the field Tigers seniors Andrew Searles and Andrew Davis sophomore Amire Harper and freshman Jackson Trudell made an an impact as reserves "Where Twinsburg was 33 years ago and where Twinsburg is now are two totally different places," Lally said there has been so many great coaches in other sports that have helped us and helped me Administrators and our travel soccer program people have been great There have been a lot of landmarks along the way They recognize that there have been really great teams before them and a lot of people over the last 20 years have built a great soccer culture at Twinsburg This is a fantastic place to be a soccer coach Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com Ohio (WOIO) - I-480 in Twinsburg is shut down due to high water high water under State Route 82 bridge is shutting down traffic on I-480 Wednesday afternoon 19 News is working to learn more about the closure A 35-year-old man from Cleveland died inside the bottom of a railroad tanker car at Emerald Transformer in Twinsburg Township Friday morning according to the Twinsburg Fire Department and Summit County Sheriff Kandy Fatheree the fire department responded to a business in the 1600 block of Highland Road for a report of someone who "fell into a tank," the department said Fatheree said the man entered a tank to conduct an air quality test while two other men waited outside The two men noticed the 35-year-old was unresponsive and began to assist him Firefighters determined the person in question was lying unresponsive inside the railroad tanker car Authorities said the man was a contractor hired to clean and test rail tanker cars After the fire department spoke with company representatives and monitored the surrounding areas the department said it was determined that the employee entered the railcar with an oxygen-deficient atmosphere and succumbed to the environment as a result The sheriff said the 35-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene Authorities said no other employees or firefighters were injured and the incident is still under investigation Ohio (WOIO) - Police are searching for an 18-year-old male who was last seen on Monday Justin Ryan Davis walked away from his home near Presidential Pkwy If you see him or have any information about his whereabouts please call the Twinsburg Police Department at 330-425-1234 The city of Twinsburg agreed to pay roughly $90,000 to former police officer Matthew Pfeifer in an arbitration agreement approved by Twinsburg Council in late March. In exchange, Pfeifer permanently dropped his accusations of corruption and misconduct in late March against the Twinsburg Police Department which were part of an ongoing mandamus action for records This deal comes after the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association and the city negotiated an arbitration agreement following Pfeifer's termination last July Abandoned allegations: Ex-Twinsburg police officer who raised corruption concerns abandons allegations Pfeifer and two other Twinsburg officers — Daniel Fidoe and Olivia Bartulovic — were fired for allegedly violating department policies after they filed the mandamus action in April 2024 A spokesperson for the City of Twinsburg did not respond to an email request for comments and questions What does the arbitration agreement say?That 10-page arbitration document outlined a series of promises Pfeifer the OPBA and the city of Twinsburg agreed to carry out The city agreed to pay Pfeifer $89,999.70 and amend his termination to voluntary resignation in good standing Pfeifer agreed to withdraw grievances against the city and to end his involvement in the mandamus action by dropping his claims Twinsburg Council approved the agreement in a 5-0 vote on March 25, according to a video recording of the meeting A mandamus action — also known as a writ of mandamus — is a civil legal action used to compel a public official or entity to perform an official duty or correct a previous action The three officers aimed to "clean up" a pattern of misbehavior in the Twinsburg Police Department They accused the city of denying document requests that they said would show this corruption Twinsburg Mayor Sam Scaffide has denied these allegations Ohio (WOIO) - A car caught on fire just after pulling up to a pump at a gas station early Thursday morning Twinsburg firefighters said this happened around 1:05 a.m Employees quickly shut down the pumps using the emergency shut off and called 911 they said they quickly extinguished the blaze and there were no injuries The pump will remain out of service until Sheetz can have it inspected Firefighters are also asking drivers to be careful because the runoff water quickly turned to ice The Twinsburg school district is mourning the loss of a high school counselor, who died over the winter break after a tree-cutting accident A memorial service was held Saturday at Twinsburg High School Rutkowski had been a school counselor at Twinsburg High School since August 2014 said Twinsburg Superintendent Kathryn Powers She said the district is making counselors available to students mourning Rutkowski "Losing a trusted educator is very difficult for our students," Powers said Rutkowski will be missed by all who had the good fortune to know him Please continue to keep the Rutkowski family in your thoughts and prayers during this very difficult time." A resident of Gates Mills for the past eight years John Carroll University and Cleveland State University he was an avid outdoorsman and loved spending time on the Chagrin River with his family to relax when they were both outdoor education teachers in Brinkhaven Rutkowski enjoyed tinkering and being an all-around handyman and always said if he weren’t in education he would be a handyman an avid reader and proponent of human rights through which he served as a wedding officiant Rutowski is survived by daughters Jade and Rose Dan (Megan) and numerous nieces and nephews He is preceded in death by his father Peter 2025Dylan HefflingerPrep Baseball Ohio Editor in Chief/Advanced Scout Follow on Twitter- @PrepBaseballOHFollow on Twitter- @PrepBaseOHScoutFollow on Instagram- @prepbaseballohio Prep Baseball Ohio is eagerly anticipating bringing the Buckeye state the best high school coverage that can be found anywhere in 2025 we began releasing team previews for squads across the state we will have Preseason All-State Teams as well as the Preseason State Rankings coming your way To view the full list of 2025 Team Previews that we have already completed, please click here If you are a coach and haven't filled out your 2025 Team Preview, click here Interested in attending a Prep Baseball Ohio event? Check out our schedule by clicking here Team Name: Twinsburg TigersHead Coach: Jim LipinskiDivision: III2024 Record: 24-72024 Tourney Finish: D-I State Finals loss to MasonReturning Starters/Pitchers: 4/6 Coach Outlook: "This group of young men are excited for the 2025 season to begin We lost a couple of key seniors but bring back 4 starters in the field and 6 pitchers that helped us win the Suburban League National Conference We play in one of the most challenging leagues in the state and have put together a very tough nonconference schedule to help prepare us fore the tournament." To view the 2024 Team Previews, click here To view the 2024 Ohio Spring HS Report, click here To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Roundup To View the 2024 PBR All-State Teams, click here To view the 2024 Preseason All-State Teams, click here To view the 2024 Ohio Spring Scout Blog, click here To view the 2023 Team Previews, click here To view the 2023 Ohio Spring HS Report, click here To View the 2023 PBR All-State Teams click below: To view the 2023 Preseason All-State Teams To view the 2023 Ohio Spring Scout Blog, click here To view the 2022 Team Previews, click here To view the 2022 Ohio Spring HS Report, click here To View the 2022 PBR All-State Teams click below: To view the 2022 Preseason All-State Teams To view the 2022 Ohio Spring Scout Blog, click here To view the 2021 Team Previews, click here To view the 2021 Ohio Spring HS Report, click here To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Roundup To View the 2021 PBR All-State Teams click below: To view the 2021 Preseason All-State Teams To view the 2021 Ohio Spring Scout Blog To view each of the parts to the No 'Last Dance' Series To view the 2020 Team Previews, click here To view the 2020 Preseason All-State Teams, click here To view the 2020 Virtual Ohio High School State Tournament/Preseason Team Rankings, click here To view the Ohio High School All-Decade Team 2010-2019, click here To view the 2019 Team Previews, click here To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Roundup To view the 2019 All-State Teams To view the 2019 Preseason All-State Teams To view the 2018 Team Previews, click here To view the OHSAA Baseball Tournament Roundup To view the 2018 All-State Teams To view the 2018 Preseason All-State Teams To view the 2017 Team Previews, click here To view the 2017 Preseason All-State Teams           Mike Lally is going out on top Lally opted to take an early retirement package from Twinsburg City Schools leaving his position as a social studies teacher at Twinsburg High School at the end of this school year Lally is forbidden from working with the district in any capacity for the next five years It was one of those deals where I had to take it," Lally said "I'm really proud of what we did at Twinsburg has been in charge of the Tigers since 1989 He also helped found the Twinsburg AC youth program which has become the primary feeder for Twinsburg's boys and girls high school teams "It's very rare that you get to start with something and see it all the way to fruition," Lally said I think it took a bit longer than we hoped to bear fruit The last five years have been so gratifying for us I'm proud of what Twinsburg soccer is all about right now." Twinsburg athletic director Brian Fantone said Lally's decision was no surprise to him "He had been talking since the summer whether this would be his last year," Fantone said "It would have been great to see him go out with a state championship last November Coach Lally and I both talked at the end of that run I told him to go to talk to his wife and daughter about it He let me know two weeks ago the decision that he landed on." Lally's final season in charge of the Tigers was his finest After decades of competing at the Division I level Twinsburg took advantage of OHSAA's divisional expansion It makes it a little easier for me," Lally said While noting the district had yet to post the boys soccer coach position as available Fantone said he expected the process of finding Lally's replacement to move quickly "We have some really strong internal candidates," he said The assistant coaches are running all the weight room sessions Lally said he believes the program should be in good hands whoever the district chooses as his successor "We have a bunch of teachers in the building who have been college soccer players and high school coaches," Lally said along with spending more time with his family Lally said he doesn't plan to be away from the game "I'm going to continue to be around high school soccer someplace," Lally said "There's a lot of administrative things that go with being a head coach I'm looking forward to just being on the field with the kids." Within the heated atmosphere, Northwest executed down the stretch to edge the Tigers Late free throws paved the way for a 50-47 win by Northwest (18-6) over Twinsburg (13-10) Northwest advanced to the district final at North Royalton at 7 p.m "That's two really good basketball teams that played really hard and got after it," said Northwest coach Michael Lower "Both teams really wanted to win and it showed I'm just thankful that we came out on top." but the turning point came midway through the fourth quarter A scuffle near the Northwest student second yielded two technical fouls on Twinsburg's Jayden Patton and Robert Herndon Chase Badger made all four technical free throws to give Northwest a 44-42 lead Twinsburg fought back with Patton leading the charge He scored eight of his 16 points in the final quarter He's a four-year starter," said Twinsburg coach Dominique Sanders It's a testament to his work ethic as he was able to come back from injuries." Northwest's Tristan Pennington showed poise down the stretch at the line He made two free throws with 29.7 left to give Northwest the lead and then nailed two more with three seconds left to ice the game "We've lost a couple games by not making [free throws]," Lower said We hit some free throws and we got some steals down the stretch "We had some careless turnovers late in the game We just weren't able to keep our composure late in that game." Twinsburg got 16 points from Patton and Cameron Suggs Here's how the game took place in live updates Northwest took advantage of its free-throw opportunities to outscore Twinsburg 20-15 in the fourth quarter and pull out a 50-47 win over Twinsburg Tristan Pennington fished with a game-high 22 points including the final four free throws to ice the game Tristan Pennington hit a pair of free throws with 29.7 left Twinsburg takes timeout with 12.1 seconds left giving Twinsburg a 47-44 lead with 1:19 left Twinsburg had a pair of technical fouls called on it and Northwest's Chase Badger hit four straight free throws to take the lead Northwest calls timeout with 2:50 left in the game Twinsburg boys basketball stays in front of Northwest after three quartersTristan Pennington has pulled Northwest back with a pair of threes but Twinsburg still leads it 33-30 after three quarters Pennington and Twinsburg's Cameron Suggs each have 16 points Cameron Suggs hits for 8 points early in the third quarter which pusehd Tigers out to a 30-22 lead midway through the third quarter Twinsburg led 18-12 late in the second quarter but Northwest was able to close on a 7-2 run to make it 20-19 Tigers at the half Twinsburg is led by Cameron Suggs with 8 points while Northwest is led by 8 from Tristan Pennington Twinsburg fights to take 3-point lead after one quarterTwinsburg got off to a slow start as Northwest opened the game with a 7-2 run the Tigers found their shot late in the quarter and took an 11-8 lead after one quarter COLUMBUS — The Twinsburg boys soccer team broke through this season with its first state final appearance. Unfortunately for the Tigers they'll have to wait at least another season for their first state title Cincinnati Indian Hill made sure of that with a 1-0 win to take the Division III championship on Sunday Like the school's baseball team in the spring which is a gigantic accomplishment in its own right "It starts with these guys as players," Twinsburg coach Mike Lally said "These guys come into camps so the younger guys know who they are Both the boys and girls teams support each other tremendously in the school "The other part is that Twinsburg is a pretty tight school It's a special place to be for students and teachers For a school our size to be in the baseball state championship and soccer state championships tells you the quality type of kid we have at Twinsburg." It's the first state title for the Braves (23-0-2) who had runner-up finishes in 1986 and 1987 Indian Hill earned its title by scoring the match's lone goal near the start of the second half Zohaib Kalloo put a ball on the foot of Aiden Faber at the top of the box on the right side and the senior beat his man to the touch line on the dribble He crossed the ball in front of the goal mouth to Max Grebe Grebe one-touched it into an empty net with 33:15 to play Indian Hill's win happened in large part because its defense didn't allow a shot on frame It marked the 14th shutout for Indian Hill which allowed just three goals in the postseason "We've had some great teams in the past," Lally said "It's been hard for these guys to break through It was getting them to realize that potential The thing I'm most excited about with these guys is the work they put in to get better throughout the course of the year." Here's how the game unfolded through our live updates: Twinsburg is pressuring more but hasn't been able to crack an Indian Hill defense has allowed only three goals this postseason While the Tigers are getting into the offensive third more there still hasn't been a shot on frame Zohaib Kalloo put a ball on the foot of Aiden Faber at the top of the box on the right and the senior beat his man to the touch line on the dribble It's 1-0 Braves over the Tigers with 33:15 left The Tigers switched from a 4-3-3- to a 3-5-2 to a 5-3-2 midway through the first half and it alleviated some of the pressure off the backline Indian Hill immediately moved its center forward to an attacking midfielder While Indian Hill has put 12 shots at the goal The Braves have 11 shots at goal on two shots on goal to Twinsburg's two shots at goal with 8:02 remaining It's been a credit to Twinsburg's backline and keeper Cooper Goodman that it remains scoreless to the point Just phenomenal defense being shown by the Tigers It's easy to see why the Braves average 4.3 goals per game The ball has constantly been in Twinsburg's defensive third for the first 20 minutes Indian Hill with first real chance against TwinsburgIndian Hill's Connor Wilkes took a free kick from 20 yards out in the middle and peppered the left side of the goal but Cooper Goodman was able to get a mitt on it to keep it out of net Twinsburg 0 with 32:26 to go in the first half As stated above, Twinsburg is playing in its first championship Indian Hill is playing in its third title game They haven't been to a championship since 1987 Twinsburg players to watchDevin Couch (13 goals four assists) are ones to pay attention to as well Indian Hill is led by Connor Wilkes (39 goals eight assists) and Liam Brady (seven goals seven assists) are scoring options as well Indian Hill OHSAA postseason resultsDateOpponentResultOct 4-2Contact Brad Bournival at bbournival@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @bbournival A Twinsburg man was arrested Tuesday for allegedly firing a gun outside a Ravenna home in August according to a Ravenna police news release Hale-Jones was taken to the Ravenna Police Department 12 to the 400 block of Madison Street in Ravenna after receiving a 911 hang-up call and officers began searching the area about 10 p.m and found a shell casing near the driveway of a home More shell casings were found in the home's front yard and two vehicles parked in the driveway and the garage bay door also were struck Police say the shots were fired from the sidewalk in front of the home and say they found two 9 mm and nine .40-caliber casings One bullet traveled through two wooden fences and became lodged in a tree on a Jefferson Street property to the east Four neighbors questioned were consistent in their estimates that six or seven shots were fired Police said security cameras identified a vehicle which eventually led to Hale-Jones' arrest He is faces two counts of felony improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or school safety zone in Portage County Municipal Court in Ravenna Court records did not show any court hearings scheduled as of Tuesday afternoon Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com When the Ohio State Buckeyes took to the field in Atlanta for the National Championship game that quarterback by the name of Will Howard is pretty important there's another player on the field that stands out This player carries a sousaphone and dots the "i" in Script Ohio Twinsburg grad Mike Sterling was selected along with Delaware native Sam George by the fellow sousaphone players to dot the "i's" on the double Script Ohio in Atlanta It marked the fifth time including at the recent Rose Bowl game that Sterling has had the honor it is an honor he doesn't take lightly and without some trepidation you go to bed and think about not losing your hat or if you might lose your mouthpiece The tradition of Script Ohio dates back to 1937 This will mark the last time Sterling will take the field in the uniform for the Best Damn Band in Land He has graduated from Ohio State and this is the last season he is eligible to march with the band He now works for the university as an assistant flight instructor A third Twinsburg police officer involved in a lawsuit against the city and its police chief has been fired Officer Matthew Pfeifer was fired at the end of July He and two other officers filed a lawsuit in April against the city and its police chief over allegations of sexual harassment The reason the city gave for firing Pfeifer involved an incident in which he drew his weapon in the police department on Aug "There isn't really an allegation that he's threatening anyone with it," said Bardwell who also represents the other two officers who were fired "It's hard to say exactly what exactly they're saying according to a witness statement from Officer Rodney Gist recorded on Feb right before the three officers were placed on administrative leave with no explanation Pfeifer drew his weapon and pointed it at the ceiling after some joking banter between the two of them That looks like a threat to me." As Pfeifer brought the weapon down He interpreted the act as a show of force or intimidation Pfeifer appears to contest that this event even occurred stating in an investigatory interview that he at no point removed his weapon from his holster and placed it in the high carry position while speaking with another officer according to a pre-disciplinary letter from the city Bardwell called the city's depiction of the incident a "gross mischaracterization." Pfeifer was placed on administrative leave with the other two officers in March A pre-disciplinary letter from the city calls Pfeifer's actions "unacceptable" and "unprofessional." “I don’t think anyone thinks it’s a fireable offense other than the chief of police and Mayor [Sam] Scaffide," Bardwell said everything is a fireable offense if they don’t like you.” The two other officers involved in the lawsuit were terminated in April for engaging in an inappropriate workplace relationship which Bardwell maintains is retaliation for the lawsuit "There's a set of rules for people who play along with Mayor Scaffide and with the chief and then there's another set of rules for anybody who's trying to do the right thing," Bardwell said Since Bardwell filed the lawsuit on behalf of the three officers in April the city has began filling their records requests Some records pertain to allegations of nepotism against Police Chief Thomas Mason in the lawsuit including whether he removed his son's name from a police report of an underage drinking party and intervened when his wife was caught speeding "We've definitely confirmed that Tracy Mason was out there speeding and got a warning," Bardwell said "Our allegation is that there was this phone call that eventually resulted in the officer getting called off by Chief Mason." the records have not included body cam footage from this incident which is part like if no video exists that means that they violated their body cam so we'll be looking to see whether they disciplined the officer for that," Bardwell said "But we're pretty sure either that body cam does exist or she was permitted to not generate any body cam." Bardwell has also received records pertaining to the house party on Halloween "We continue to maintain that they've been falsified that they've been tampered with to remove his son's name," he said Mayor Sam Scaffide called the allegations "unsubstantiated," "inflammatory" and "untrue." Wadsworth kicked off the fourth week of their season with a 55-10 victory over Twinsburg Twinsburg will look to bounce back as they prepare to face their next challenger Wadsworth Head Coach Justin Todd was selected as the Cleveland Browns High School Coach of the Week Brysen Hall (#16) emerged as the MVP for Wadsworth displaying outstanding offensive skills with an impressive 4 quarters Hall's contributions as quarterback were instrumental in securing Wadsworth big win helping to shut down Twinsburg offensively and sealing the victory Stay tuned for next week's thrilling matchup and be sure to follow us on X (formerly Twitter) @BrownsYouthFB and Instagram @BrownsGiveBack for live updates and scores Clearview was last week's High School Game of the Week winner Ursuline was the High School Game of the Week winner on October 11 Struthers was last week's High School Game of the Week winner  Walsh Jesuit was last week's High School Game of the Week winner  Ashland was last week's High School Game of the Week winner  Ohio – The offensive numbers for the Indian Hill boys soccer team get a lot of attention the Braves only scored one goal Sunday afternoon but the defense made it stand for a 1-0 win over Twinsburg in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division III boys soccer state championship game at Historic Crew Stadium Indian Hill won its first state title in team history finishing undefeated with 23 wins and two draws The Braves were runner-up in 1986 and 1987 “Gratitude for these guys and all the guys back in the locker room,” said Indian Hill head coach Bryan Daniel “I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the work they put in Behind veteran senior playmakers Connor Wilkes and Aiden Faber the Braves came in with 102 goals for the season The Braves outshot the Tigers 20-11 for the game The Braves had 11 shots on goal and allowed no official shots on goal to the Tigers Twinsburg did have several good chances and shots blocked by defenders in the goal box which was all they needed seven minutes into the second half Junior Max Grebe scored his ninth goal of the season off a pass by Faber "It started off with Drew (Seinen) being able to play me the ball and then I saw Max," Faber said "I don’t know why they weren’t marking him at all I played him a cross and he buried it into the goal." Grebe was proud to score a goal in a state final I thought to myself I was going to score one handing Twinsburg only its third shutout of the season first in 18 games since its last loss Sept which was playing in Sunday night’s Division I state final “We felt we needed to possess the ball and pass the ball,” said Twinsburg coach Mike Lally We have not been shut out very much this year Indian Hill posted its 14th shutout of the season and allowed only nine goals The Braves felt confident that if they could put one goal in the net "We knew they hadn’t given up a goal all tournament," senior Connor Wilkes said "We knew it was going to be a different type of game To get a shutout in the state final is quite an achievement." Seniors Carter Cushman and Ernesto Rodriguez-Cayro led the way as center backs Nate Bunkowske and Christian Mangano also anchoring the back line Grebe and Brady Evans gave midfield support with senior Alex Swallow posting the shutout in goal but some of them didn’t have much varsity experience especially the ones whose primary roles were defense "Only one of those guys ever had varsity minutes," Wilkes said "It was quite an achievement for them to step up in their roles." Wilkes finished a certain all-state campaign with 40 goals and 26 assists He closes his career with 86 goals and 71 assists Sophomores Liam Brady and Zohaib Kalloo each had seven goals and eight assists Kincaide had four goals on the season and Desta three STREETSBORO — Mike Lally has been in charge of Twinsburg boys soccer for 33 years making him one of the longest-tenured high school soccer coaches in Ohio Lally never experienced the Tigers winning a district title — until this season "We've been in the district final the last four years so we've had some really good teams," Lally said so now that we're playing teams are own size the Tigers want to give their coach his first state final four berth which they are just 80 minutes from reaching Twinsburg (19-2) made two early goals stand up for a 2-0 win over University School in a Division III regional semifinal Wednesday at Streetsboro Twinsburg advanced to play Revere in a regional final game Sunday at Ravenna "I've been on varsity all four years and we've been to the district final every year," said Tigers senior Evan Schneeman After beating University 1-0 during the regular season in what Lally called a "cagey" game We felt like we could beat them," Schneeman said Twinsburg broke through off a corner kick in the seventh minute Devin Couch corralled the ball and shot it through traffic putting it past Preppers goalie Taylor Johnson Schneeman scored one of the goals of the season Twinsburg did what it has done so often during Lally's tenure: Defend and counterattack "We didn't want to cover too much," Lally said They changed their shape and gave us some trouble it was us trying to get a third goal on the counter Twinsburg finished with a 4-0 edge in shots on goal and 2-1 in corner kicks Check here for live updates from the regional semifinal Twinsburg boys soccer's first regional one will continue The Tigers didn't allow University School a single shot on goal in a 2-0 win over the Preppers Wednesday at Streetsboro University School is pushing extra men into the attack but still have yet to register a shot on goal Twinsburg still up 2-0 with less that 10 minutes left in regulation Twinsburg keeping University at bay early in the second halfThe second half has not started as frantically as the first The Tigers has been keeping the ball in the front of the them and attacking when possible While University had a good spell of possession in the final 10 minutes of the first half not allowing the Preppers any shots on goal Twinsburg maintains a 2-0 lead at the half thanks from goals from Devin Couch in the 7th minute and Evan Schneeman in the 13th minutes Here are the halftime stats - Shots: Twinsburg 5-2; Shots on goal: Twinsburg 3-0; Corner kicks: Twinsburg 2-0; Fouls: University 9-4 Twinsburg has kept in possession of the ball most of the first half and a few more chances just miss University School is yet to mark a shot on goal as the Tigers lead 2-0 with 11 minutes left in the first half Evan Schneeman just double Twinsburg's lead with a goal of the year candidate but the ball found Schneenman about 30 yard in front of net smashing a high shot that flew just under the ball Twinsburg leads 2-0 with 27.44 left in the first half GOAL: Twinsburg boys soccer gets early breakthrough vs. UniversityTwinsburg got off the perfect start against the Preppers the ball bounced off several heads before falling to Twinsburg's Devin Couch Couch turned and hit a half-volley through traffic and past University goalie Taylor Johnson Twinsburg leads 1-0 with 33.09 left on the first half clock Twinsburg defeated University 1-0 during the regular season Twinsburg coach Mike Lally is in his 33rd season in charge of the Tigers this is the first time in school history Twinsburg has won the district title which they claimed with a 2-0 win over Rocky River Saturday University School is coached by John Placek The Preppers defeated Canfield 4-3 in a shootout to claim its district title Fox 8 Cleveland WJW Lightning is believed to be responsible for a large fire at a home in Twinsburg The lone victim of a deadly plane crash Monday evening in Ashland County has been identified Residents of a Berea home escaped a house fire that broke out early Tuesday morning Another round of rain will develop on the backside of the low Tuesday afternoon/evening Scattered showers are decreasing through the late night and overnight There are still a few leftover showers and storms through late evening There's a new push to install seatbelts on school buses in one local district Akron police said they arrested a 31-year-old man who crashed his car into an apartment building striking a gas meter and prompting an evacuation then rammed a police cruiser multiple times hey're invisible invaders found in the air Tears of joy over a positive pregnancy test quickly turned to tears of fear for a Conneaut woman The National Weather Service has issued Severe Thunderstorm Warnings for Coshocton A major dredging project is now underway along the Cuyahoga River and Cleveland Harbor Army Corps of Engineers and its contractor beginning work to clear out the vital shipping lanes Ohio — One of the state’s best teachers is here in Northeast Ohio The Ohio State Board of Education recently named Twinsburg High School English teacher Daneé Pinckney the 2025 Ohio Teacher of the Year I think it’s important that I’m able to highlight all of the others around me that didn’t have a giant assembly that didn’t get to have a giant banner,” Pinckney told News 5 influenced by her mother’s career in education “My earliest memories were - ‘this is what I want to do.’ I wanted to be a teacher,” she recalled “My mom is one of those teachers who really loves her children beyond the classroom So I had a lot of god-sisters and god-brothers and aunties and uncles who were really just her students and their families that she had taken in.” Some may describe Pinckney’s teaching style as informal often sitting in small groups with students and playfully tossing a soft stress ball to get their attention “When a principal comes in and they evaluate me but it’s like organized chaos,’” she laughed Students and administrators have praised Pinckey’s creation of an “Exploration of Black Voices in Literature” course “This is essentially a passion project for me,” she said The senior-level elective examines the literary and artistic contributions of early Africans and African Americans to American culture “I took it because I wanted to learn more about my culture I feel like a lot of African Americans lose their cultural identity And it would be nice to get that knowledge back,” Logan said Pinckney hopes the class provokes deep discussions promotes understanding and empowers students “If we feel pride in where we come from and who we are it allows to be inspired about where we can go,” she said “There are some students who’ve never seen themselves do well because they weren’t seeing themselves in what they were learning And they may get to leave from this classroom saying The State Board of Education’s announcement about the 2025 Teacher of the Year touted Pinckney's works to encourage students’ engagement in community service and activism projects instilling in them a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement The state-level recognition came during a surprise announcement at a recent school-wide assembly at Twinsburg High School “We’re just very proud,” said Twinsburg High School principal Emily Hunt Pinckney pointed out most teachers don’t enter the profession for accolades People are not going to recognize what you do And you do it for the love of kids.’ And I think that is 100 percent true,” she said of education want to be affirmed in what they do and that they do it well And all people want to feel appreciated and She said she hopes to give her students similar affirmation “I hope that my students take away from my class that they are loved they are important and they can make a huge change for the good in the world,” Pinckney said Pinckney went through a rigorous selection process before she was chosen as the state’s Teacher of the Year She was previously named the 2023 Twinsburg City Schools Teacher of the Year and an Ohio regional district Teacher of the Year A selection committee from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) will now review all State Teacher of the Year winners and nominate four finalists to interview for the title of National Teacher of the Year.