Top 10 stories: Sorellé finishes 4th on 'The Voice;' Mansfield area mourns those lost
The News Journal has been counting down the top stories of 2023. Today the series continues with the No. 4 and No. 3 stories of the year, the success of Sorrelle and the loss of prominent citizens.
The Heichel sisters took viewers on a thrill ride during their successful run on "The Voice."
Madi, Ana and Bella Heichel, better known as Sorellé, finished fourth on NBC's popular reality competition in May.
Their run on the show was ranked the No. 4 story of 2023 by News Journal staffers and reader pageviews.
They helped put Lexington on the map during their performances on "The Voice" and captivated the judges with their signature harmonies. They use the stage name of Sorellé because it is the Italian word for sisters.
In their introduction, the Heichels described themselves as social media influencers. They released their first single, "Ghost," nearly three years ago.
Sorellé started as a duo when Madi was 6 and Ana was 5. Bella joined the group in 2019.
Madi and Ana are Lexington graduates, while Bella is a sophomore who attends school online.
Encouraged by the success of a singing trio called Girl Named Tom, which won "The Voice" a couple of years ago, Sorellé decided to try out for the competition.
"We felt that a next step was needed," Madi previously told the News Journal. "We needed to challenge ourselves and find a new audience. We didn't know how far we would make it. We wanted to get past the blinds (auditions)."
"The Voice" started its 23rd season in March with pre-recorded episodes. Madi, Ana and Bella knew they would be in the live rounds but had to keep quiet.
Chance the Rapper, in his first season on the show, coached Sorellé.
On the live finale, the five finalists held hands as host Carson Daly listed them in order of finish.
The Heichel sisters did not feel let down about not winning. Being on "The Voice" expanded their social media presence. On Instagram, Sorellé went from 51,000 followers to 81,400.
"Keep following along on this journey because it's only going up from here," Ana told the News Journal for a wrap-up story after the season ended. "We're only just beginning."
Once back at their Lexington home, the Heichel sisters made a number of appearances, singing the national anthem at Ontario's Fourth of July festival and before a race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
They also served as grand marshals at Lexington's Blueberry Parade. In the fall, Sorellé released a single called "Witchy" before finishing 2023 with a Christmas show in Ashland earlier this month.
No. 3: A number of prominent residents passed away in 2023
The year brought sadness for some with the deaths of a number of prominent and even iconic residents.
Local entrepreneur and philanthropist Grant Milliron passed away on July 26. He will be remembered for his generosity and giving heart throughout Richland County.
Starting with one acre of land and 12 cars, Milliron eventually built successful recycling and auto parts companies. His businesses employed hundreds of people in recycling and waste management.
Milliron was known for his charitable contributions for Friendly House, Shelby City Schools and many others.
In 2022, he sold Milliron Recycling to Australian steelmaker Blue Scope Recycling.
Like Milliron, Jim Gorman was a local industrialist and philanthropist. He died Sept. 21 at the age of 99.
As president of the Gorman-Rupp Co., Gorman oversaw the manufacturing and sales of the company's pump systems from his Mansfield and Bellville plants and plants around the world.
In 2019, he stepped down from the company's board of directors after 73 years.
Gorman was inducted into the North Central State College Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame in 2004.
Earlier in his life, Gorman was an Army Air Corps pilot during World War II, serving in New Guinea and flying 70 combat missions.
Gorman donated 35 acres of land along Interstate 71 and Ohio 97 in Bellville that the YMCA of North Central Ohio will use to construct a sports complex.
The year also saw the loss of officer holders Gary Bishop and Frank Ardis Jr.
Bishop had been the county prosecutor since December 2016. He went back and forth about retirement before stepping down on April 14 while he dealt with esophageal cancer.
Bishop passed away on May 8. His career in law spanned more than 35 years. He came to the Richland County Prosecutor's Office in 2005, spending nearly 10 years there before taking a position with the Ashland County Prosecutor's Office in April 2015.
He returned to Richland County after the 2016 election.
Ardis died Sept. 17. The longtime attorney had been a Mansfield Municipal Court judge since 2010.
Prior to his appointment by then-Gov. Ted Strickland, Ardis was in private practice as a senior partner in a Mansfield law firm for more than 35 years, focusing on personal injury, civil litigation, criminal defense and probate practice.
The West Virginia native also served as an assistant Richland County prosecutor until his appointment to judge.
Some of the other prominent local residents who passed away in 2023, including the following:
Burton Stahl, a member of the Music Explosion, which scored a big hit single with "Little Bit O' Soul in 1968.
Jeff Payton, who broke racial barriers as a Mansfield Municipal Court judge.
Scott Schaut, curator of the Mansfield Memorial Museum.
Chan Stevens, a prominent manufacturer.
Mickey Rupp, who founded Rupp Industries and raced in the Indy 500.
Don Nash, who opened his own clothing shop in downtown Mansfield in 1961.
The Top 10 countdown of the year's top stories continues Sunday with a look at the No. 2 story of 2023.
mcaudill@gannett.com
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: News Journal's top 10 stories include Sorellé and loss of citizens
