Mayor opens road

Mayor opens road
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- East Washington Street, from Apple Way to Kennedy Square, is open to traffic. Mayor Timothy Fulkerson opened the road Thursday afternoon. The newly resurfaced street and sidewalk are part of a $5 million downtown revitalization program. Fulkerson said the street will close again for a few days later this year when new streetlights and other materials are being installed. City officials are working on the second phase of resurfacing East Washington Street, from Apple Way to North Street. That area will be closed to traffic until later this year.
Crash kills 2, injures 2
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Two people injured in a head-on crash on Pa. Route 18 were in fair condition at UPMC Hospital in Pittsburgh this morning. Douglas W. Rebeor, 27, of East Edison Avenue, and Barry Jose Green, 41, of East Garfield Avenue, were passengers in a van driven by Crystal Carper, 40, of Moye Place. Carper and passenger David Blaine Kerr, 19, of Wick Avenue, were killed when their van was passing a pickup truck and collided with a tractor-trailer at 9:18 a.m. Wednesday. Tractor-trailer driver, Jeffrey House of Ontario, Canada, was not injured, police said.
Man yells at burglar
SHARON, Pa. -- Police said a sleeping South State Line Road man awoke to find a burglar in his home. The victim said he awoke around 10 p.m. Thursday and saw a man standing outside his bedroom door. He yelled and the burglar jumped out of a first-floor window and ran away, police said. Nothing was taken.
Teen faces charges
SHARON, Pa. -- Police have filed charges against a second Ohio teenager in the Tuesday burglary of a home in the 400 block of Lorain Street. Police said a 16-year-old Masury boy was charged Thursday with burglary, theft and receiving stolen property. A 16-year-old Brookfield Township boy was charged with the same offenses Wednesday. Both boys were released into the custody of their families.
Endorsed by group
COLUMBUS -- The Ohio Manufacturers Association has endorsed Jim Calko and Randy Pope in their Ohio House races for the 65th and 61st districts, respectively.
Calko, a Lordstown Republican, is running for an open seat against Democrat Sandra Stabile Harwood of Niles and the Rev. Werner Lange of Newton Falls, an independent.
Pope, an Alliance Republican, is challenging state Rep. John Boccieri, a New Middletown Democrat.
The association represents more than 2,200 manufacturing companies in Ohio. This is the first time it has endorsed political candidates.
Vending-machine area
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Western Reserve Transit Authority Board of Trustees authorized its executive director, James Ferraro, to seek proposals from companies that could provide, clean and maintain a full-service food and beverage vending machine area at WRTA's Federal Station. The machines, which would serve WRTA and Greyhound bus passengers, would be in a former restaurant area with seats and tables. The board also awarded a $10,000 contract Thursday to Aey Electric Co. of Youngstown for new exterior security lighting at its bus garage at 604 Mahoning Ave.
FOP supports Popio
YOUNGSTOWN -- The membership of the Mahoning County Sheriff's Department's Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 141 is endorsing Judge Loren A. Popio of Canfield in the Mahoning County Court judicial race.
The judge is being challenged by Atty. Diane S. Vettori of Canfield and Michael Dockry, Austintown Township administrator, for the seat in the Nov. 5 general election.
Deciding on firing
WARREN -- An arbitrator will decide if a sheriff's recommendation to fire deputy Brian Kaintz will stand, Trumbull County Sheriff Thomas Altiere said Thursday.
Kaintz is on paid administrative leave, but the sheriff said he will try to determine whether he can place Kaintz on unpaid leave pending a decision.
Altiere recommended last week that Kaintz be fired after reviewing an internal investigation into Kaintz's actions during a June 26 chase in which he fired 16 shots.
The sheriff said Kaintz violated department policy on use of deadly force.