Widow sues center

Widow sues center
YOUNGSTOWN -- The wife of a Newton Falls man who died after being treated last year at Physicians Dialysis Center is suing the center and some of its suppliers.
Kay F. Lingo is seeking unspecified damages in the suit filed Friday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Her husband, Lawrence, died Aug. 30, 2000, the same day he received a dialysis treatment at the center.
The suit says that the water used for dialysis treatments that day contained elevated bacteria levels, that the water filters had not been changed as required, and that the water system had not been properly flushed or disinfected.
It's the fourth suit filed against the center since 20 patients became ill after being treated there the same day as Lingo. One other person died several days later.
Also named as defendants are Renal Care Group of Knoxville, Tenn., Northeast Ohio Kidney Group of Youngstown, Dayton Water Systems of Dayton, and United States Filter Corp. of Los Angeles.
Grant covers sewers
WARREN -- Trumbull County will receive a $600,000 grant to make improvements to a sanitary sewer system in the Hilltop area of Weathersfield. The county plans to install about 31,800 feet of sanitary sewer line and one lift station to connect 130 low- and moderate-income households to the system. The project's estimated total cost is $5 million.
The grant was awarded through the Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Water and Sanitary Sewer Program and is administered by Ohio Department of Development.
Critic loses job
YOUNGSTOWN -- A radio talk-show host who has been critical of U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland, D-17th, has lost his job after the station's purchase by a group of investors that includes a large campaign contributor to the congressman.
Talk-show host Louie Free said earlier he was told by the new owners of WASN-AM that his show would remain on the air.
But Atty. Percy Squire of Columbus, a partner in Stop 26-Riverbend Inc. and a Traficant campaign contributor, said he's trying to serve the black community and will convert WASN into a gospel station. "I think there's more interest in gospel music in the Mahoning Valley among African-Americans than there is Louie Free," Squire said.
Invention open house
GIRARD -- Girard Intermediate School will have an open house for its third annual Invention Convention from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday and from 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the school. The school's 144 fifth-graders conducted research to determine if their inventions would be unique, built the inventions and tested them. Inventions will be presented to judges Wednesday morning.