New Hope principal

New Hope principal
YOUNGSTOWN -- Janice Vitullo of Austintown has been appointed principal of New Hope Academy. A graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, Vitullo received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Youngstown State University. She continued postgraduate studies at universities in Ohio, Texas, California and Illinois. Vitullo succeeds New Hope's founding principal, Dr. Sylvia Imler, who resigned for health reasons.
Child endangeringand rape charges
WARREN -- A 38-year-old Warren man has been indicted on two counts of rape, and his female friend has been indicted on two counts of child endangering. William Lewis of Porter Street and Judy Graham, 43, of Penn Avenue were indicted by a Trumbull County grand jury Friday. They are to be arraigned next week. Lewis is accused of having sexual contact with a 15-year-old girl he knows, and Graham is accused of witnessing the crime and not reporting it.
Bicycle trip fund-raiser
COLUMBIANA -- A charity bicycle ride to raise money for Sept. 11 monuments on two Michigan college campuses will pass through town Aug. 16. The Ride to Remember is being organized in part by Jeff Suffolk, a student at Western Michigan University who was born in Youngstown and lived in Columbiana for a year. His group hopes to raise $1 million during the trip in August from Michigan to each site of the Sept. 11 attacks. The money will fund Sept. 11 memorials on the University of Michigan and Western Michigan University campuses. For information, or to donate money, visit www.ridetoremember911.org.
Agreed to pay fine
SOUTHINGTON -- The former owners of Southington Estates, a 150-unit mobile home park on Herner County Line Road, have agreed to pay the Ohio EPA $15,000 to settle complaints about a substandard wastewater treatment plant. The EPA first noticed violations at the plant in 1998, said Kara Allison, an agency spokeswoman. The agency says pollutants were allowed to run from the plant into a creek. Myrna and Earl Brueggeman, who sold the park in 2001, agreed to pay a $15,00 penalty and have made improvements to the park's treatment plant, the agency says.
Woman chargedwith stealing jewelry
AUSTINTOWN -- A 34-year-old Youngstown woman has been charged with receiving stolen property after pawning several pieces of jewelry at local pawn shops. Angela Cascarelli Catale of Matta Avenue will appear in Mahoning County Court here Monday. She is accused of pawning several pieces of jewelry that were reported stolen July 4 from a Canfield residence. A Talsman Drive woman told Canfield police a gold emerald ring, her engagement and wedding ring and a diamond pendant were taken from her bedroom. The only other person in her home besides family members was a cleaning woman she had recently hired, she told police. The items were valued at $5,000. Austintown police recovered two of the rings and the pendant.
Oak Ridge Boys
SHARON, Pa. -- The Oak Ridge Boys, who were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2001, will return to the hall at 98 E. State St. for a free "meet and greet" session from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Aug. 19. They'll be signing autographs for fans, according to Bob Crosby, president and chief executive officer of the hall.
Parenting classes
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A series of five classes on the challenges of being a parent will be offered by the Penn State Cooperative Extension office. Classes will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Penn State office in the third-floor courthouse annex of the Lawrence County Government Center. The classes are free and will be held each Tuesday from July 30 through Aug. 20. The final class will be Aug. 27. Call (724) 654-8370.
More college grants
HARRISBURG (AP) -- The state agency that oversees college financial aid programs in Pennsylvania will award grants to an additional 4,000 students for the 2002-2003 school year, thanks to a higher-than-expected funding increase in the state budget. The budget signed by Gov. Mark S. Schweiker in June contains $347.9 million in state grants, which are based on financial need, 3.5 percent more than the $336.1 million set aside for the program. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency announced it planned to award grants to about 154,000 students after reviewing the formula it uses to calculate the grants. The agency awards grants of up to $3,300 for full-time students. The number of students who have applied for grants this year was not immediately available. Penn State has raised its tuition 13.5 percent. Pittsburgh raised its 14 percent for in-state residents and 10 percent for out-of-state students.