Mayor considers safety chief candidates

Mayor considerssafety chief candidates
SALEM -- A new city safety director is expected to be selected in the next few weeks.
Mayor Larry DeJane said Tuesday that eight people have expressed interest in the post, which involves oversight of the fire and police departments.
DeJane said he is impressed with the candidates and their qualifications.
He added that he's searching for someone with experience in safety forces or in local government.
Safety director is a mayor's appointment and doesn't require city council approval, although DeJane said he hopes council will support his selection.
The part-time job pays $6,700 annually.
Safety director Hank Willard, 66, died May 27.
Willard, one of Salem's longest-serving safety directors who served more than 13 years, had heart problems.
Lisbon sewer work
LISBON -- The village will receive a $470,000 community development block grant to pay for sewer line installation.
The grant is intended to alleviate sewer system overflows that pose a pollution threat to Little Beaver Creek, which flows through parts of the village, said state Sen. Greg DiDonato of Dennison, D-30th.
His district includes Columbiana County.
Money from the project will be used to install about 2,600 feet of sanitary sewer lines and about 5,160 feet of storm sewer lines.
Cross-burning suspects
JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police said they have two teen-age suspects in the burning of a cross on the front lawn of a Scipio Street home in the borough.
Trooper Mark Benson said this morning that it appears the two were pulling what they thought was a prank and weren't trying to terrorize anyone, he said.
The two haven't been arrested, but they are facing charges of ethnic intimidation, disorderly conduct and harassment, he said.
Police said the two placed a wooden cross on the front lawn of a white female in the 200 block of Scipio Street, doused it with a flammable liquid, set it ablaze around 12:15 a.m. Monday and ran off. The fire damaged only the lawn.
The woman's boyfriend is black, Benson said. Police located the teen-agers Tuesday.
Church burglarized
SHARON, Pa. -- Police said a thief got away with $3,000 in cash and checks from an unlocked safe in the rectory of St. Joseph's Church at 79 Case Ave. The money, proceeds from church bingo, was taken between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday, police said. The safe had been left open, police said.
Rape, assault arrest
SHARON, Pa. -- Police said they arrested a 24-year-old Quinby Street man on rape and assault charges just 45 minutes after receiving a report that he had attacked a former girlfriend in her Cedar Avenue home.
The suspect was picked up at his home shortly after 12 a.m. today and charged with rape, aggravated assault, simple assault, burglary, making terroristic threats and recklessly endangering another person.
He was to be arraigned later today.
Police said the victim had left her door open because she was expecting her brother for a late dinner, but it was her ex-boyfriend who walked in around 10 p.m. Tuesday.
After the assault, he left the house, but not before warning her that he would kill her if she called authorities, police said, noting that they were called around 11:15 p.m.