Democrats question tuition payments

Democrats questiontuition payments
YOUNGSTOWN -- A local Democrats group is questioning the city's tuition payment for a council member who attended a police academy.
Mark Belinky, president of the Democrats of the 17th District, is asking city Law Director John McNally IV to seek reimbursement from Artis Gillam Sr., D-1st.
Gillam had city council pay his $2,000 tuition because he considers it part of his training as a councilman. Gillam recently graduated from the Western Reserve Police Academy in Boardman. He is now a reserve Mahoning County deputy sheriff, meaning he is unpaid.
Belinky argues the spending was improper. He contends the tuition is a personal matter and unrelated to Gillam's council position. McNally said Wednesday he hadn't yet seen Belinky's request and couldn't comment.
String of thefts
BOARDMAN -- Police are investigating a rash of vehicle break-ins that occurred throughout the township.
All of the thefts took place Tuesday night, and two were reported by Chester Drive residents. A 31-year-old man told police the left rear vent window was broken out and a gold tennis bracelet and other items with a total value of $650 were removed; a 33-year-old man reported damage to his driver's door window and CDs taken from his vehicle. The property was valued at $525.
Other reports include the theft of a checkbook, credit card and leather jacket from the truck of a 41-year-old South Avenue woman, the removal of a tailgate valued at $1,000 from a truck parked at the residence of a 27-year-old Glenwood Avenue man and the theft of 60 CDs valued at $600 from the vehicle of a 20-year-old Oak Knoll man.
Firearms indictment
CLEVELAND -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Youngstown resident on firearms charges. Adrian L. Gordon, 26, of Parkcliffe Avenue, was charged with possessing an unregistered firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case was investigated by Youngstown police and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Sex offender sentenced
LISBON -- A Salem man who pleaded guilty in April to sex-related crimes involving a 7-year-old girl will serve three years in state prison.
Judge David Tobin of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court sentenced Robert Maines, 27, of E. Sixth Street, Thursday to three years for each of two counts of gross sexual imposition. Judge Tobin ordered that time on one sentence also count on the other. Maines could have gotten up to five years for each offense. The sentence was part of the plea agreement. Maines originally had been charged with rape and gross sexual imposition. But prosecutors agreed to reduce the rape charge to gross sexual imposition in return for his guilty plea.
Authorities say Maines had sexual contact at his home with the girl, whom he knew, on various occasions between 1994 and 1998.
Psychological testing
LISBON -- Judge David Tobin of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court has ordered a psychological evaluation of Michaelene Duffy, 43 of St. Jacob-Logtown Road, Lisbon. Duffy is charged with attempted murder in the April 10 shooting of her former landlord.
Her attorney, Fred Naragon of Salem, requested the evaluation after Duffy pleaded innocent by reason of insanity June 10.
Thomas Rice, 55 of state Route 7 was critically injured in the shooting at his home, but has since been released from the hospital. Police said Rice was shot seven times. Duffy remains in the Columbiana County Jail with bond set at $500,000.
A Columbiana County grand jury has also indicted Duffy on charges of theft, taking the identity of another and forgery. Authorities said Duffy tried to use the identity of Rice's wife, Juanita, and forged both her name and that of Rice at banks and on credit-card applications.