Lawsuit filed against Smith Twp. trustees

Lawsuit filed againstSmith Twp. trustees
YOUNGSTOWN -- Smith Township trustees are being sued in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court by an Akron man who says he was wrongly fired from his job as a township constable.
Dean C. Prosperi is seeking more than $25,000 in damages. The suit says Prosperi was fired for failing to withdraw an arrest warrant after being instructed by a supervisor to do so.
He's suing on grounds of wrongful discharge, defamation of character and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Probation in theft
YOUNGSTOWN -- Lucille Vukovich, 36, of Campbell was placed on two years' probation Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. She pleaded guilty in June to one count of theft for stealing more than $5,000 from her employer.
Judge James C. Evans ordered her to serve the first 30 days of probation in the county jail and the next 30 days on electronically monitored house arrest.
Prosecutors said she stole from Cambridge Investments of Youngstown, where she was a bookkeeper.
The company's owner, Jeff Moffie, has filed a civil lawsuit against her to recover the money.
Police investigaterape allegation
CAMPBELL -- Police are investigating a 19-year-old Woodland Avenue man after the father of a 13-year-old Youngstown girl told them that the man had sexual contact with her.
The girl told police the man raped her in late June at the man's home. The girl was spending the night with a friend who lives near the man, police reports state, and she and her friend went to the man's home around 2 a.m.
Computer stolen
STRUTHERS -- An employee of Coca Cola Inc., Youngstown, told police a $3,500 sales computer was stolen from his truck while it was parked in the lot at Frattaroli's Sparkle Market Monday afternoon.
According to police reports, the man saw the computer in a box between the seats around 3:10 p.m. and discovered it missing a half-hour later. He said he is certain the driver's door was locked but was unsure about the passenger side.
There were no signs of forced entry and nothing else appeared to be missing.
The computer, the report states, can be used only for ordering Coca Cola products.
Garden fund-raiser
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Area residents can tour gardens while helping raise money for the Lawrence County Women's Shelter/Rape Crisis Center.
Tours will be given from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. There will be refreshments, demonstrations, lectures, a raffle and more at the starting point, the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts.
Featured gardens include those at the Hoyt and the homes of Linda Williams and Marianne Cirelli, Elinore Snyder and Stephen Shaftic, Robert and Linda Vinton and David Polding. Tickets are $10 at the event and $8 in advance.
For tickets call Michael at (724) 652-9206, extension 105, or go to the following locations: the shelter, Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts, Butz Flowers, Weingartner Flowers and Gifts, King's Jewelry in Union Square, the Tavern on the Square in New Wilmington and Elizabeth's Feed Mill.
Quick-change artists
COITSVILLE -- Township police are warning local businesses that quick-change artists have been in the area.
Police took reports Tuesday from two businesses where two men confused the clerks by asking for various denominations of bills. The men left each business in a blue Chevrolet Beretta. The clerks later realized they gave back more in change than they should have.
Lt. Allan P. Morris said the quick-change artists approach when the register is busy with customers.
PayDay robbed
CAMPBELL -- Police are searching for a man who robbed PayDay Cash Advance, 669 McCartney Road, around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Employees told police the man walked into the business and demanded "all of the money and no ones." They said he was wearing a fake red beard and fake hair.
After taking the cash, he fled on foot.