A Gallup Avenue boy denied sexually molesting an 8-year-old Huron boy during a hearing Wednesday in Huron County Juvenile Court. The 15-year-old Norwalk suspect was charged with three counts of rape, first-degree felonies if committed by an adult, in connection with two incidents Saturday and one Sunday.

I am writing this to voice my opinion about the random drug testing issue that has been discussed the last couple weeks. I, for one, am all for the issue, as my son plays sports for Norwalk High. I have overheard some conversations he has had with other classmates and it shocked me as to what is going on in the high school and the amount of people that seem to be turning their heads to what is happening. I have heard of the possible use of steroids, smoking pot and other drugs along with alcohol. My personal history is that I was a DOPE FIEND for 25 years. I started drinking from my fathers left over kegs at the tender age of 8, and from there I self medicated on alcohol till I was 20, when a doctor told me if I did not quit drinking I would die. So from there, I turned to drugs. If there had been drug and alcohol testing back in my day there's a chance I would have not gone down that dead end road.

Ohio has some of the most lax laws in the land when it comes to drivers convicted of driving under the influence. That all could change now. The Ohio Legislature is considering a bill that would toughen drunk driving laws following Jess R. Brown's 16 1/2 year prison sentence for his 19th and 20th DUI convictions.

A Willard woman pleaded guilty to three of four charges of selling cocaine Tuesday morning just as attorneys were beginning to question potential jurors. Stacey M. Hernandez, 29, of 5 Spring St., will be sentenced May 9 on three counts of trafficking in cocaine, all fourth-degree felonies, for three controlled transactions involving two confidential informants from February 2006, Huron County Prosecutor Russell Leffler said.

The administrator of children services for the county announced this morning he plans to retire this fall. David Broehl, 60, has been with the Huron County Department of Job and Family Services (HCDJFS) since 2002. He said the decision to retire is based on his age and eligibility under the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.

MARCH 6, 1933 The top stories in the Norwalk Reflector-Herald on this date 74 years ago:

I applaud the Reflector staff for the Monday, Feb. 26 newspaper, which overflowed with many feature articles about outstanding people in our area. I really enjoyed reading about their lives and their contributions to our community. Some of the people I knew, and others I wished I had gotten a chance to meet. It is refreshing to know that they are out there and to see them properly recognized. These are the kinds of people we want our children to read about, have in the their lives and emulate. In today's society, there is a lot of hype about the rich, famous and extremists out there. There is plenty of that stuff in the tabloids if you want it!

Norwalk City Schools would save themselves a lot of trouble if officials simply followed the letter of the law. Because, for the second time in a year, the school district has come under scrutiny following a dispute about a student who was "disrespectful" to a staff member off school grounds. Last year, it was a student's MySpace.com Web page that disparaged and insulted the assistant principal. This time, a student allegedly made an obscene gesture to a school official after exiting the bus. Both students were disciplined under a section of the student handbook, which references the Ohio Revised Code, that states teachers are entitled to respect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Huron County Common Pleas Judge Earl McGimpsey released a Cleveland woman from jail last week, but ordered her to appear in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court one day later. Marion R. Thompson-Dent, 43, was wanted in a Cleveland-area case in connection with attempting to fill a prescription illegally, Huron County Prosecutor Russell Leffler said. Court records show Cleveland authorities had listed the woman as a fugitive from justice. Read the rest of this story in Today's Reflector...