Girl rescued from river

Girl rescued from river
WARREN -- City firefighters rescued a 12-year-old girl from the Mahoning River about 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Ashley Batton, of 258 North St. N.W., and a companion, Crystal Lark, 13, of Warren, walked onto the ice on the river about 30 feet above the dam near the 900 block of Mahoning Avenue N.W. Ashley fell through. Crystal ran up a nearby slope and told a person with a cell phone to call for help. Two firemen went out on a 10-foot inflatable "rescue ramp," threw a rope to Ashley and pulled her to safety. Officials estimated she was in the water for about 15 minutes. She was in stable condition in Trumbull Memorial Hospital late Saturday.
Anti-war rally
YOUNGSTOWN -- Those opposed to war in Iraq will begin marching at noon Tuesday from the rock in front of Youngstown State University's Kilcawley Center to the federal courthouses downtown. The protest march, which will be followed by a 12:30 p.m. downtown rally, is taking place on International Human Rights Day and is sponsored by Peace Action Youngstown and the Youngstown Student Peace Action Network.
YouthBuild home
YOUNGSTOWN -- YouthBuild of Mahoning County will cut the ribbon at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the home students have finished renovating at 2107 Ohio Ave. on the North Side. YouthBuild offers education, job training, counseling and leadership development to unemployed youths age 18 to 24. The students renovate dilapidated properties into affordable housing.
Facing drug charges
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two city residents face drug trafficking charges.
Dwayne Howell, 24, of North Truesdale Avenue, faces a felony marijuana trafficking charge after city police stopped him outside a bar on McGuffey Road late Friday, police reports show. Officers said they found a loaded handgun and marijuana. Howell also faces two weapons charges and an open container violation.
Melissa S. Davis, 22, of Edwards Street, faces a felony trafficking in cocaine charge after a traffic stop on West Princeton Avenue at about 12:45 a.m. Saturday. Police said they found suspected crack cocaine. She also faces charges of marijuana drug abuse and a failure to appear in court on a driving-under-suspension charge.