Meshel for Strickland

Meshel for Strickland
YOUNGSTOWN -- U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland announced that Harry Meshel, a former state Senate president and ex-chairman of the Ohio Democratic Party, will serve as honorary campaign chairman for the congressman's re-election effort. Strickland, a Lucasville Democrat, has also received the endorsement of the Western Reserve Building and Construction Trades Council of the AFL-CIO. Strickland is running in the new 12-county 6th Congressional District, which includes Columbiana County and all but the northeast portion of Mahoning County.
Knife-fight charges
SALEM -- A preliminary hearing is set for Monday in Columbiana County Municipal Court in Salem for a man charged in connection with a weekend knife fight. Christopher Stragisher, 36, of 2295 Monroe Ave., appeared Monday before Judge Robert Roberts after being police charged him with felonious assault, a second-degree felony. Police say Stragisher cut another man in the hands with a kitchen knife during a fight at Stragisher's residence early Sunday. The man was treated at Salem Community Hospital. Stragisher was being held in the county jail this morning on a $2,500 cash or surety bond.
Hate crime speaker
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Judy Shepard, mother of college student Matthew Shepard, who was killed in 1998 because was gay, will speak at 7 p.m. Thursday at Orr Auditorium at Westminster College.
Matthew Shepard died four days after being attacked Oct. 8, 1998. His mother has appeared on public television spots aimed at curbing anti-gay violence and has testified before the U.S. Senate in support of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
For more information, call Brad Dell at (724) 946-2980.
Storm-related crashes
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Icy and snowy roads caused a flurry of accidents Monday in Lawrence County.
In two accidents, injuries occurred, Pennsylvania State Police said. Joseph Milone II of Cleland Mill Road was in guarded condition this morning at St. Francis Hospital after his car crashed into a tractor-trailer that was stuck in the snow at 5:30 p.m..
David Gaiser of Connoquenessing, Pa., suffered an abdominal injury and was in stable condition this morning at St. Francis after his tractor-trailer jackknifed on U.S. Route 422 in Slippery Rock Township. Jason Medure of New Castle, who was driving a 1993 Honda Civic, crashed into Gaiser's tractor-trailer about 12:20 p.m., state police said. He was treated at St. Francis.
Downed cables
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Traffic had to be rerouted Monday along Pa. Route 388 for three hours as downed electric and cable lines were fixed. Police said someone hit a pole and drove off about 5 a.m..
All-State choir
STRUTHERS -- Two local students qualified for the 2002 All-State Choir, which will perform at 8:30 p.m. Friday in Cincinnati. Kerry Gretsinger, a sophomore in Struthers High School choir, and Todd Kaden, a junior in Poland Seminary High School choir, were chosen out of 497 applicants.
This is Kaden's second time being selected as the only male student representing Mahoning and Columbiana counties. He and Gretsinger were chosen by a state committee based on audition tapes and previous scores at local Ohio Music Education Association contests.
Lions awareneess
BOARDMAN -- The 18th annual Lions Awareness Day is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday in the center of the Southern Park Mall concourse.
The event, sponsored by the Lions and Lioness clubs of Zone 5, includes demonstrations by Pilot Dogs of Ohio, free sight screening, blood pressure testing and blood oxygen screening. There will also be information available on various Lions sight programs, and containers for used eyeglasses and hearing aids. Call (330) 533-9876 for more information.
Writers group meeting
WARREN -- The second monthly meeting of Write On -- The Writers Group will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the community room of Cortland Bank on Elm Road.
Participants are asked to bring examples of their writing to share and can bring a lunch if they want. For more information call Sue Motzer at (330) 394-3924 or Marianne Nethers, (330) 394-1815.