Meeting change
Meeting change
LEETONIA -- Village council will meet at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 7 at village hall. This is a change in the regular meeting date because of New Year's Day. The council regularly meets at 7 p.m. the first and third Wednesday of each month. The council's second meeting for January will be 7 p.m. Jan. 15.
Boy left in store
BOARDMAN -- An 8-year-old boy was abandoned at a grocery store Tuesday after making employees aware of a planned crime, police reports say.
The boy, reports say, was taken to the Giant Eagle grocery store on Doral Drive by a family member who he overheard plotting with others to steal from the store. The boy told store employees about the impending theft. Police said the family member became angry, chastised the boy and left him in the store. Other family members were called to take custody of the child.
Police cite man
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Hubbard man who stopped to help a motorist who had spun out and landed in a ditch near the Madison Avenue Expressway about 8 p.m. Thursday was issued a citation for driving under suspension and expired license plates.
The officer at the crash scene noticed that the plates on John A. Schulte's 1989 Ford Probe had expired. Schulte, 48, of North Main Street, told the officer that he hadn't received the title yet. Schulte also told the officer that he didn't have his driver's license with him, but gave the officer his Social Security number.
As the officer attended to the accident, Schulte unchained his car from the one in the ditch and drove off, reports show. He was later located at the Central Inn on Hubbard Road and issued the court citation. His vehicle was towed with a court hold on it.
Fire strikes business
SHARPSVILLE, Pa. -- A three-alarm fire struck a building housing several businesses. Sharpsville firefighters said an accidental blaze started about 5 p.m. Thursday at LaVan Electric Motor Repair at 270 Hickory St. when a motor baking in an oven caught fire. No one was in the shop at the time, they said. Employees had left around 4:30 p.m. and a police officer noticed smoke about a half-hour later, firefighters said. No injuries were reported. Four other businesses in the same building were damaged by smoke. It's was unclear this morning if they were able to operate today. Hermitage and South Pymatuning firefighters helped fight the blaze.
Cost from tornado
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County Emergency Services Director Jim Thompson says the cost of the recent tornado in Clark has reached $2 million to $2.5 million. Thompson told county commissioners Thursday that the estimate is not complete and excludes emergency response costs, tree clearing, loss of income from hardwoods and the 40 to 50 garages destroyed. He said the county has not received any federal funds because there was no federal disaster declaration.
Voter turnouts
MERCER, Pa. -- Mercer County commissioners were presented with certificates Thursday from the County League of Women Voters honoring the three municipalities with the highest voter turnouts in the November general election. They are Hermitage, 48 percent; New Vernon Township, 57 percent; and Clark, 52 percent.
Hair donations
BOARDMAN -- Members of the community with 10 inches or more of hair are invited to donate some of their hair to the Locks of Love Organization, which makes wigs for terminally ill children.
Donated hair will be cut from 5:45 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Jan. 7 at the Panache Salon on West Boulevard in Boardman. Those under 18 must have parental consent. Questions can be directed to Jean Metzger at (330) 424-1436 .
Video series
YOUNGSTOWN -- Dwight Dumas, senior pastor of Fifth Avenue Community Church, will produce a three-part audio-video series that addresses the dilemma of having to do more with less and how God uses human losses.
Production will begin Sundayduring the 10:30 a.m. worship service. The series, "Multiplication by Subtraction," will be available to the public upon its completion. For more information, call (330) 746-6677 or e-mail fifthavenuecc@aol.com.