City's tree ceremony to offer caroling, gifts

City's tree ceremony to offer caroling, gifts
WARREN -- Santa and his elves arrive downtown at 5 p.m. Friday.
The city's annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony on Courthouse Square will also include caroling by area high school choirs.
Free rides will be available on horse-drawn carriages, and people are permitted to put a personal ornament on the tree.
Santa will visit with children at the gazebo, posing for pictures and handing out toys and a cookie from "Cookies to Go."
Participating downtown businesses will stay open, offering refreshments and small gifts for children.
Man pleads innocent
WARREN -- A 42-year-old Risher Road man has pleaded innocent to charges of kidnapping and raping a 36-year-old Kent woman.
Johnnie R. Mitchell entered the pleas Monday in municipal court. He is being held in the Trumbull County jail under $100,000 bond.
Police said Mitchell forced his way into the woman's car around 4 p.m. Saturday at a gas station at West Market and Iowa streets.
The woman told police that Mitchell forced her to drive two different locations.
Coin toss, recount planned for candidates
WARREN -- A coin toss to determine the victor in a Lordstown Village Council election and recounts of trustee elections in Braceville, Gustavus and Newton townships will be Monday at 11 a.m. at the Trumbull County Board of Elections.
The coin toss will determine if incumbent Karen Jones or Mary Jane Wilson wins the fourth of four contested council seats.
The coin toss will be followed by a recount, which automatically takes place when candidate vote totals are within 0.5 percent of each other, elections officials said.
Trustees to meet
MINERAL RIDGE -- Weathersfield Township trustees will meet in special session at 9 p.m. today in the township hall to discuss personnel matters and other issues.
Theft charges
NILES -- Three men will return to municipal court next week.
Police arrested John Holbrook Jr., 18, of Butler Street; Terry Clay Jr., 22, of Fifth Street, McDonald; and Edwin Patterson, 22, of Pratt Street, early Monday, charging them with burglary.
They are accused of breaking into a Wood Street home.
They appeared Monday and their preliminary hearings are set for Dec. 5.
To raise funds, school still offers brick sale
MINERAL RIDGE-- Engraved bricks can still be purchased to raise funds for Weathersfield School District's Joe Lane Sports Complex.
Superintendent Rocco Adduci said residents can request a three-line message to be engraved on the bricks they buy.
To order a brick, contact treasurer Angela Lewis at Weathersfield Local Schools, 3750 N. Main Street, Mineral Ridge, OH 44440.
Costs of the bricks vary by size. The purchase price is tax deductible.
Traffic law enforcement
BROOKFIELD -- Township police will conduct their fourth year of post-holiday traffic enforcement Thursday through Sunday.
Additional officers will be on duty to enforce traffic laws, especially speed, seat belt and alcohol violations.
EPA gives stream grant
WARREN -- Trumbull County Health Department has been awarded $49,919 by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency for a stream quality monitoring program in Trumbull and Mahoning counties.
The program will allow students from area schools to assess conditions of local streams.
Results will be compared and the information shared with the community.