Amherst News-Times

01/27/2023

01/27/2023

08/15/2022

SHARE YOUR BEST MEMORY! What is your favorite memory of the Lorain County Fair? Tell us here, and it could be included in the paper!

04/12/2022

Shocked by grocery prices? We're looking for a parent to talk with us for a story about inflation. Please call Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 and leave your phone number!

02/07/2022

We are seeking information about local Lenten meals, which are always popular. Send your meal info to [email protected]. Lent begins March 2.

02/03/2022

The Lorain County JVS will be closed Friday, Feb. 4.

02/03/2022

Amherst and Firelands schools will be closed Friday, Feb. 4, due to the continuing effects of the winter storm.

02/03/2022

Who's out making snowmen and having snowball fights during the storm? Post photos here and yours could appear in the next Lorain County Community Guide!

02/03/2022

The Lorain County Sheriff's Office has increased its snow emergency from Level 1 to Level 2. This means: "Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution."

02/02/2022

Due to the approaching winter storm, Amherst and Firelands schools are among those in Lorain County that have canceled classes for Thursday, Feb. 3. The Lorain County JVS has also canceled.

01/27/2022

Due to sub-zero wind chills, Amherst and Firelands have canceled school tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 27.

01/12/2022

WEIGH IN: We're writing about inflation today, since the latest numbers show it's blowing up prices on everything from food to gasoline to clothing, cars, rent and new homes. TELL US: What cost increases are digging into your wallet? What are some increases you just can't believe? What is your family doing to deal with higher costs?

11/19/2021

Avoid food poisoning this Thanksgiving

Lorain County Public Health is reminding those who prepare Thanksgiving dinners to keep their guests safe by following food safety guidelines.
The agency’s top advice: Be sure to thaw turkey and other meats in the refrigerator, and use a meat thermometer to make sure the turkey is fully cooked.
“Raw meats are more likely to carry germs that make people sick, so handling meat properly is one of the best ways to prevent food poisoning,” said county Health Commissioner David Covell. “We recommend that holiday cooks thaw the turkey in the fridge, and that they use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.”
A thawing turkey must defrost at a safe temperature. When the turkey is left out for more than two hours, its temperature becomes unsafe.
Bacteria can grow quickly in the “danger zone” between 40 and 135 degrees. Check the label for guidance — depending on the size of the turkey, it can take several days to thaw.
Fully and safely cooked, a meat thermometer will show the turkey has an internal temperature of 165 degrees at the thickest part of the thigh. The pop-up thermometer may not check the coldest part of the meat.
Follow these other food safety tips to keep your family safe and healthy:
● Separate raw meat and ready-to-eat foods, and use separate cutting boards for them.
● Wash cooking equipment with hot, soapy water after working with raw meat.
● Wash hands often, for 20 seconds with soap and water, especially after touching raw meat.
● Keep hot foods at 135 degrees or warmer. Use slow cookers, chafing dishes and warming trays to keep food hot on the holiday table.
● Keep cold foods at 40 degrees or lower. Place serving dishes in bowls of ice so they stay chilled.
● Throw away perishable foods that have been out at room temperature for two hours or more.
When it comes to COVID-19 holiday safety, COVID-19 vaccines are still the best way to protect against severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19, the health department says.
Call (440) 284-3206 for an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine of any type or dose.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommend wearing a mask:
● In an indoor public place if unvaccinated or in an area with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
● In crowded outdoor settings if in contact with unvaccinated people or in an area with high numbers of COVID-19 cases.
● If you have a condition or are taking medications that weaken the immune system, whether you’re vaccinated or not, unless otherwise directed by your health care provider.

11/18/2021

Tonight into Friday morning's near-total lunar eclipse is a once in a lifetime sight. It will be the longest partial (almost total at 97-99%) lunar eclipse in 580 years. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 4:03 a.m. EST which will be the best time to observe the red color or "blood moon". To learn more about an "almost total lunar eclipse", see this information from NASA: https://moon.nasa.gov/news/168/an-almost-total-lunar-eclipse/

From Ohio State Parks: If you are interested in viewing the eclipse in a state park, you can! While our parks are usually off-limits at night – stargazing is a legitimate recreational pursuit, and is allowed except at a few specific locations (the day use area trails at John Bryan, Nelson Kennedy Ledges, and Hocking Hills; the Gorge Overlook area and Lyons Falls trail at Mohican; the boardwalk at Maumee Bay; The Lusk Lock and Sprucevale day use areas at Beaver Creek; and The Mount Jeez area and the Butternut trail at Malabar Farm.)

You can also check out the John Glenn Astronomy Park at https://jgap.info/.

11/11/2021

A biplane soared low over Amherst today, rattling windows in a flyover of the Veterans Day ceremony downtown.

10/19/2021

National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is Oct. 23

Prescription drugs can be dropped off for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 23 at locations all over Lorain County with no questions asked.
National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is intended to keep drugs from falling into the wrong hands or into the water supply. The Mental Health, Addiction and Recovery Services Board of Lorain County said 3,883.7 pounds of prescription drugs were collected in a similar event in April.
Participating locations include the:
• Amherst Police Department, 911 North Lake St.
• Avon Lake Police Department, 32855 Walker Rd.
• Avon Police Department, 36145 Detroit Rd.
• Columbia Township Fire Department, 25540 Royalton Rd.
• Elyria Police Department, 18 West Ave.
• Grafton Police Department, 1009 Chestnut St.
• Kipton Police Department, 299 State St.
• LaGrange Police Department, 301 Liberty St.
• Lorain County Sheriff’s Office, 9896 Murray Ridge Rd., Elyria Township
• Lorain Police Department, 200 West Erie Ave.
• North Ridgeville Department, 7303 Avon-Belden Rd.
• Oberlin Police Department, 85 South Main St.
• Sheffield Lake Police Department, 609 Harris Rd.
• Sheffield Village Police Department, 4340 Colorado Ave.
• Vermilion Police Department, 5791 Liberty Ave.
• Wellington Police Department, 117 Willard Memorial Square
Many of the participating agencies will provide free locking medication safes and other drug safety resources.

09/09/2021

09/09/2021

The Amherst Schools have reported more COVID-19 cases among students and staff than any other district in Lorain County this fall. How would you feel about a mask mandate? Should the schools require masks for all students, some or none — and why?

08/19/2021

In just a few weeks, our nation will observe the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Do you remember where you were that day? Do you have a story to share?

08/16/2021

As many are aware, the Amherst Exempted Village schools go back into session on Thursday, August 19. Unfortunately, the Milan Ave. bridge project, (Milan Ave. west of Beaver Ct.) will not be open by the time school starts. Therefore, we would like you to be aware of the closure which prevents traffic from traveling west on Milan Ave. from Main St. (5pts). Due to this closure, drivers will need to find alternate routes to gain access to Amherst Junior High and Powers Elementary. Our city has been working together with the school district in order to assist with the likelihood of the higher volumes of traffic during school times. We encourage those planning to drive in the area to be please patient, anticipate and expect delays. Please plan to adjust your transportation times and routes accordingly. We will have officers at several intersections during the times of higher traffic volume in order to assist with traffic control. We would encourage those who have students that are able to ride the bus to do so in order to lessen the amount of vehicular traffic in the area. Please check the Amherst Police Department social media pages for updates regarding traffic situation.

08/12/2021

Amherst Event Tickets

07/29/2021

Much of the area is under a slight risk for severe storms with damaging wind gusts or 60 mph or greater. The timing for severe weather will be later this morning through the early afternoon hours. Stay aware today!

07/22/2021

Amherst City Council will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, July 26 at CITY HALL. Incorrect information about the venue was provided for today's print edition.
The purpose of the meeting is to hear the public’s views and questions related to the proposed formation of a Tax Increment Finance district. The TIF would divert tax funds from new development along Cooper Foster Park Road and North Lake Street and Oak Point Road on the Amherst-Lorain border. The tax funding would be used to pay for roadway and sewer improvements to relieve traffic congestion and pave the way for commercial expansion.

07/16/2021

Trash collection has fallen behind recently, not just in Amherst but in other Lorain County communities, too. If you're a Republic Services customer, what has your experience been? And has it been a big deal or minor inconvenience? What should be done about it?

06/18/2021

Forecast for Friday, June 18, 2021

What to expect:
Multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms are possible, beginning Friday morning and continuing into Saturday. Strong to severe thunderstorms will be most likely late Friday afternoon into Friday evening, mainly between 3 PM and 10 PM. The initial round of showers and thunderstorms on Friday morning may have an impact on the timing and placement of stronger storms later Friday. We will continue to monitor this and make appropriate adjustments to the forecast.

Hazards:
Damaging wind gusts to 70 mph and hail to 1.5" inches will be the primary concerns. A low end tornado threat will also exist.
In addition, thunderstorms will produce heavy rain and localized flash flooding will be possible.

What has changed:
The severe weather potential for North Central Ohio has been raised to an Enhanced Risk of Severe Thunderstorms.
The remainder of the area remains in a Slight Risk for Severe Weather.

Please review severe weather safety plans and stay tuned for updates on Friday.

The following links can be bookmarked for the latest information:

Updates from the Storm Prediction Center can be found at www.spc.noaa.gov/

As storms develop, Local Storm Reports can be found here.

The latest forecast for your location can be found by clicking on the map at www.weather.gov/cle.

06/05/2021

Ok today is the day! The pool officially opens! The hours will be from 12pm till 5pm on the weekends, and 12pm till 6pm weekdays. Cost of admission is $8.00 and under 3 is free (notice the poetry there). The concession stand will be open the same hours, and if you are not visiting the pool just the park, the concession stand has a window on the park side to service our park patrons. Please dispose of your trash in the provided trash cans.

If you are interested in swim lessons, they are trying to work out the details for that, but you can put your name on a list at the front entrance to be contacted once they finalize a game plan. Have fun, and enjoy yourselves this summer!!

04/28/2021

This past year hasn't been the easiest. So tell us: What things make you happy, especially those things you've been missing during the pandemic?