Officials investigate blaze at Tire and Lube

Officials investigateblaze at Tire and Lube
LISBON -- Fire officials are investigating the cause of a fire early today at Lisbon Tire and Lube. The business at 7556 state Route 45 north of the village is owned by Ronald May. Chief Jim Blackhurst said the fire was contained in the south garage. He did not have a loss estimate. Blackhurst said 10 firefighters were on the scene about two hours, starting just before 5 a.m. Other area fire departments were on standby, Blackhurst said. There were no injuries reported.
Candidates' night
COLUMBIANA -- Fairfield Harvesters Council of the Columbiana County Farm Bureau will sponsor a candidates' night at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Crestview High School. The six candidates for Fairfield Township trustee will state their positions and answer questions from the public. Voters will elect two trustees from a slate of incumbents Fred Grappy and Wilmer Swope, and challengers Bob Hum, James Kellner, Leonard Pritchard and Merle Travis. The high school is at 44100 Crestview Road.
Candidate leaves race
SEBRING -- Andrew A. Safkow of 596 W. Maryland Ave., one of eight candidates running for four Sebring council-at-large seats in the Nov. 6 election, has withdrawn from the race because of health and personal reasons. Safkow finished third out of 10 candidates running in the Sept. 25 nonpartisan primary runoff, with the top eight finishers going on to the Nov. 6 election.
Robbery suspects in jail
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Three men accused of robbing the Last Minit Mart store at gunpoint early Thursday were lodged in Mercer County Jail this morning with bond set at $50,000. Police said the trio, armed with pellet guns and wearing ski masks, took an undisclosed amount of money from a clerk around 12:40 a.m. but were caught within an hour, and the money was recovered. They were identified as James Ritts, 20, and Matthew Schacklock, 20, both of Coal Bank Road, and Matthew Rossi, 20, of Carrier Road, Transfer. All are charged with armed robbery, criminal conspiracy, theft and receiving stolen property. They were arraigned before District Justice William Fagley.
Lawmaker fights raise
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. Phil English of Erie, R-21st, has again urged members of Congress not to accept an automatic cost-of-living adjustment pay raise. English said members of Congress should vote on a bill to eliminate that automatic increase. "Americans are tightening their budget as the economy continues to be unstable. Members of Congress should do the same. In tough economic times, a congressional pay raise is simply unjustified," he said. Unless Congress votes otherwise, the pay raise is automatic each January. English has always donated his raise to charities in the 21st District.
City to purchase land
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- The city will buy two parcels of land on East Washington Street as part of its plans for downtown revitalization. City council gave the mayor and city controller permission to buy the vacant land, located between an old cinema and a barbershop, for $2,750 from Grove Commons Ltd. Money from the $5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant the city received last year will pay for the land. Downtown revitalization is being done in conjunction with a private developer who plans to open a Hollywood-themed mall surrounding the first theater owned by Hollywood move moguls, the Warner Brothers. City officials did not say what they plan to do with the property.
Man sentenced
CLEVELAND -- A 41-year-old Poland man has been sentenced to 30 days in federal prison, five months' house arrest, and three years' supervised release after pleading guilty to embezzlement and misapplication of bank funds.
U.S. District Judge John M. Manos also ordered the defendant, John C. Leek, of Spring Hill Trail, to make restitution of $11,385 to Cortland Savings Bank. Leek admitted embezzling $13,641 and willfully misapplying an additional $17,771 from the bank over two years, while he worked there. The bank previously recovered some of the funds, and Leek made partial restitution before sentencing, the U.S. attorney said. The Youngstown FBI office investigated the case.