Baby's death probed

Baby's death probed
EAST PALESTINE -- Police and the coroner's office are investigating the death of a 5-month-old infant.
Police said Jennifer Robey, 19, of 1204 Bacon Ave. and Ernest Robinson, 20, of the same address brought their daughter, Brooklyn J. Robinson, to the police station about 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The infant was taken by ambulance to Salem Community Hospital, police said.
Chief Clyde Hofmeister said the couple didn't call for an ambulance because they do not have a telephone in their home.
Fran Rudibaugh, assistant coroner, said the coroner's office routinely investigates deaths of infants and other cases where death is considered untimely or unusual.
Bridge work to start
LISBON -- Crews are expected to start Monday on repairs to the state Route 11 bridge over state Route 517 in Elkrun Township.
Traffic will be maintained during the work, which is scheduled for completion Aug. 31. The repair will cost about $23,000. The work is being done by Post Construction Co. of New Castle.
Watershed Festival
CANFIELD -- The third annual Watershed Festival will take place Sunday at Camp Stambaugh on Leffingwell Road in Canfield.
The free event runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature live amphibians and reptiles, birds of prey, fly-fishing demonstrations, hands-on activities for children, vendors and food and explorations of stream life.
Festival sponsors include the Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian Easements, Mill Creek MetroParks and Youngstown State University.
For more information, call (330) 533-2231.
Rape charges
GIRARD -- A 20-year-old Vienna Township man was charged Friday with rape and attempted rape.
Michael Hill of Smith-Stewart Road is in the Trumbull County Jail on a parole violation. He will be arraigned Monday in municipal court.
Police Capt. Frank Bigowsky said Hill was at a party at a residence of one of the victims when he attempted to rape a 22-year-old woman and then drugged and sexually assaulted a 20-year-old woman.
Family members took the victim to Forum Health Northside Medical Center. A hospital social worker notified police, Bigowsky said.
Drugs taken to prison
WARREN -- Deborah E. Smith, 47, has been charged with conveying drugs onto the grounds of a correctional facility and aggravated drug trafficking after Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers say they saw her trying to sneak drugs into Trumbull Correctional Institution.
Warren Municipal Court Judge Thomas P. Gysegem set bond for Smith, of 3244 Tod Ave., at $250,000 at arraignment Friday.
Troopers said they caught Smith when she came to the prison to visit an inmate. A search revealed that she carried seven balloons carrying drugs including crack, marijuana, Xanax and LSD, they said.
Benefit dog wash
CHAMPION -- A benefit for Angels for Animals will be at Arby's, state Route 45, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. Participants will wash dogs in the restaurant's parking lot to raise money for the organization.
Sewer project grant
COLUMBUS -- A $454,400 state grant has been awarded toward a $2.8 million sanitary sewer improvement project that will benefit 161 households in Liberty Township, Gov. Bob Taft's office has announced.
The grant is being awarded through the Ohio Small Cities Community Development Block Grant Water and Sanitary Sewer Program administered by the Ohio Department of Development. This project involves installation of more than 4 miles of sewer and 71 manholes.
Second bird with virus
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- A second dead bird with the West Nile virus has been found in Mercer County. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported Friday that a crow found in West Salem Township had the disease. It was the second case to show up in the county this week.
The first was a crow found in Hempfield Township that tested positive for the virus Tuesday.
Lunch prices raised
BELOIT -- West Branch schools Superintendent Louis Ramunno said renovation and additions at the high school and the construction of a building for kindergarten through eighth grade will not disrupt the district's opening day Sept. 3.
In other business at the board's meeting Friday, the board raised lunch prices from $1.60 to $1.70 for grades K-6, from $1.75 to $1.85 for grades 7-12, and from $2.25 to $2.50 for adults.