Birds with West Nile

Birds with West Nile
YOUNGSTOWN -- Three black-capped chickadee birds found in Mill Creek Park tested positive for being exposed to West Niles Virus, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
The chickadees were among 64 wild birds trapped in nets from which blood samples were collected in August by Robert Dusek of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Wildlife Health Center, Madison, Wis.
Samples of the blood were sent to the state health department. Results of the Geological Survey's testing have not been received. Local health officials said the most common carriers in this area have been crows and blue jays. Nationally, however, some 80 species of birds have been found to be infected.
West Nile Virus is primarily a wild bird disease that can be spread only by mosquito bites, health officials said.
Bird seed sale
WARREN -- Trumbull County Educational Service Center's environmental program is offering its last bird seed sale of the season.
Sales will be from noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 17 on High Street, in a parking lot across from the main post office, and from 9 a.m. to noon Jan. 19 and 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 20 at Lordstown High School.
Proceeds enable the educational service center to provide environmental programs for pupils in Trumbull County.
Shelter receives grant
YOUNGSTOWN -- Beatitude House has received a $30,000 grant from the John D. Finnegan Foundation at Sky Trust. The money will be used for facilities improvements.
Beatitude House is a not-for-profit organization offering transitional housing for homeless women with children, and education and career preparation programs for women outside the economic mainstream in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
Sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters, Beatitude House operates House of Blessing, which provides transitional housing for homeless women with children, and the Potter's Wheel education/career program.
Detective promoted
WARREN -- A 24-year veteran of the Trumbull County Sheriff's Department has been promoted to lieutenant.
Sheriff Thomas Altiere said Gary Galida, who has been working as a detective, will now be the day-turn uniformed supervisor of deputies on road patrol. Galida lives in Bazetta.
Man arrested
FARRELL, Pa. -- Police arrested Raymond Wilson, 27, of Lee Avenue, on a warrant charging him with illegal possession of firearms and delivery of a controlled substance.
Wilson was served with a warrant at 2 p.m. Thursday at the office of District Justice James McMahon of Sharon. He was taken to District Justice Henry Russo in Hermitage, who arraigned him and sent him to Mercer County Jail in lieu of $30,000 bond. Police had no other details on the case.
Suit over firing
YOUNGSTOWN -- Wilson Adams of West Delason Avenue is suing the Northeast Ohio Correctional Center, alleging he was unjustly fired from his job at the private prison on Hubbard Road.
The suit, filed in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, says Adams was a senior corrections officer at the prison. He was fired in 1997 after an "inmate altercation" in which inmates became combative and were allegedly injured by corrections officers.
Adams was one of five officers who responded to the melee, but was the only officer to be fired, the suit says. He is asking for $100,000 in compensatory damages and $25,000 in punitive damages.
Companies sue woman
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two New Springfield companies are suing a former employee, alleging that the woman embezzled more than $475,000 over eight years.
JCM Contracting and MJT Construction, both of 5199 Columbiana Road, filed the suit this week in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court against Terri A. McCambridge of Macklin Road, New Springfield.
It says that while McCambridge worked for the two companies, she wrote some 200 checks to herself but marked in company ledgers that the checks were written to material suppliers. It also says she forged names on the checks.
McCambridge, 38, was indicted in October by a county grand jury on two counts each of theft and forgery. She has pleaded innocent and is awaiting trial in common pleas court.
Also named as defendants in the civil suit are Bruce Kale, whose listed address is the same as McCambridge's, and Sky Bank, which held the companies' checking accounts.