Ahmed Elbenni
The Toledo Blade
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Past articles by Ahmed:
Rules stymie blight action by East Toledo residents
Lucas Carpenter, Sr., thought he was doing Toledo a favor. For five years he watched city workers attempt, and fail, to eliminate blight at two non-buildable vacant lots at Yondota Street and Navarre Avenue in East Toledo. Mr. Carpenter, who owns and maintains nine properties throughout Toledo, decided to restore the land himself. So he was stunned when the Department of Economic Development… → Read More
Faith and brotherhood: Muslim fraternity growing at University of Toledo
Ismael Gad, 20, was not always sold on the idea of a Muslim fraternity. He was skeptical when he first heard about the existence of Alpha Lambda Mu, the nation’s first Muslim-interest fraternity, from its founder Ali Mahmoud at the American Learning Institute for Muslims’ summer program. But after extensive discussions with its founder and co-founder, Bilal Ayub, Mr. Gad fell in love with the… → Read More
Rogers High graduate organizes school supply giveaway
Margaret Williams, 64, sat on the bleachers of Rogers High School gymnasium Tuesday afternoon, a bright blue Dallas Cowboy book bag by her side. Inside was a free back-to-school kit: two spiral notebooks, two pencils, two Crayola boxes, two erasers, one orange folder, and a calculator. But Ms. Williams did not come to the gym, where dozens of children claimed book bags stuffed with similar… → Read More
Future doctors step into white coats at University of Toledo
For Yvette Aniagolu, watching her daughter Nkiruka stride across the stage to don her white coat marked the end of one journey as long as it was unlikely — and the beginning of another. Born and raised on the Virgin Islands, Mrs. Aniagolu, 56, met her husband, Emeka, a West African immigrant from Nigeria, while attaining her master’s degree at the University of Cincinnati. The couple moved to… → Read More
Initiative looks to train Toledo residents in use of Narcan
Sarah Heslet’s life had once been defined by addiction. A longtime alcoholic and cocaine addict, she began snorting Oxycontin in 2004 and taking heroin in 2008. It wasn’t until 2015, when she woke up one morning to the realization that “51 percent wanted me to live and 49 percent wanted me to die,” that she ended the potentially fatal habit and co-founded Team Recovery, a non-profit organization… → Read More
Faith-based medical services come to South Toledo
When Andrew Carnegie decided to fund the construction of the South Toledo library building that opened in 1918, he couldn’t know that it would serve its original purpose for nearly a century. When the library’s managers decided to relocate in 2004, they couldn’t know the building would sit vacant for more than a decade. And when Dr. Anne Ruch decided in 2013 to convert the empty building into a… → Read More
Ciao! Ristorante in Sylvania celebrates 25th anniversary
When Ciao! Ristorante opened, it was the only Italian restaurant in Sylvania. Now, it is celebrating its 25th anniversary, marking its success. “Sylvania’s grown, the restaurant has grown with it,” said general manager Terry Kretz. “we stand true to who we are. We’re a rustic Italian restaurant, we serve rustic cuisine. That’s been our philosophy for 25 years.” The anniversary celebration at… → Read More
Waniewski vows to increase Toledo police officers by 100
Toledo mayoral Candidate Tom Waniewski meets with supporters during a news conference at the Northwest District Police Station. THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH Enlarge | Buy This Image Crime was cited as the top concern by some West Toledo residents who responded to a poll conducted by mayoral candidate Tom Waniewski, his campaign said. The Republican district councilman said the poll suggested 55… → Read More
B.G.’s real falcons a soaring success story
BOWLING GREEN — Seven years ago, during the chilly days of autumn, passers-by noticed a pair of peregrine falcons arrive atop the 195-foot-tall clock tower at the Wood County Courthouse in Bowling Green. County commissioners contacted the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. State officers quickly installed a nesting box for the falcons. “Within about an hour of them finishing putting the nest… → Read More
3-D printing of prosthetic limbs aided by state cash
An infusion of state cash will help the Toledo-based Center of Innovative Food and Technology further develop its food safety and 3-D printing programs. The organization, a private nonprofit and affiliate of the Ohio Manufacturing Extension Program, has been providing technical, business, and manufacturing assistance to the region’s food and agriculture industry since its inception in 1995.… → Read More
Memorial ride for Toledo detective roars to close
For the past six years, in early July, Larraine Dressel, 68, has dutifully ridden her white Goldwing Trike through the streets of Toledo alongside fellow bikers and police escorts. The Keith Dressel Motorcycle Memorial Ride honors a slain detective close to Ms. Dressel’s heart: her son. On Saturday, she will attend the final ride, biking one last time through blocked intersections and by parked… → Read More
Bicyclist with MS: 'I'm not giving up'
When people tell Christina Kajfasz, 54, they’re too out of shape to participate in Bike to the Bay, she just looks at her leg brace and says, “Really?” Once an avid bicyclist, Ms. Kajfasz quit 27 years ago after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis — an autoimmune disease that damages the central nervous system. But despite partial paralysis in her right leg, she eventually decided to begin… → Read More
Meijer home delivery offered in Toledo area
When Adam Durdel, 30, saw the Facebook advertisement for working as a Shipt shopper as part of Meijer’s home-delivery service in the Toledo area, he embraced the opportunity. He knew many people are too busy to invest time in shopping, and he loved grocery shopping anyway, so why not? “I’m looking for a way to help out the community,” Mr. Durdell said, hands gripping his mostly empty shopping… → Read More
Volunteers spruce up Toledo Botanical Garden
Visitors to the Toledo Botanical Garden on Friday were greeted by an unusual sight: children as young as 8 and adults as old as 50 immersed in renovating a gazebo and multiple landscaping activities. The group of 60 volunteers consisted of the Lathrop Co. staff and their families. Lathrop Co. volunteers Kim Pease of Petersburg, Mich., Mike Uncapher, and Steve Foster of Toledo, stain the gazebo… → Read More
Students help paint murals to represent areas
When Jacob Maniak, a senior at Bowling Green State University, was deciding on the 4,000-level course he’d take to fulfill his graduation requirements, he found himself attracted to senior lecturer Gordon Ricketts’ special topics class in mural painting. The two-week workshop, already in its eighth year, has 15 BGSU students paint murals in two Toledo neighborhoods. “I really like the idea of… → Read More