Crash kills Poland man

Crash kills Poland man
SPRINGFIELD -- A 33-year-old Poland man died after his car crashed late Thursday on state Route 165 just south of state Route 617, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said. His name was not immediately available from the Mahoning County coroner. His car, traveling northbound, went off the right side of the road into a ditch around 11:30 p.m. and struck a mailbox, then a driveway embankment, the patrol said. The car went airborne, then hit two trees. Speed was a factor, the patrol said.
Neglected dogs
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police found three malnourished dogs tied up at 605 Roxbury Ave. Thursday evening without food, water or shelter. A pit bull who appeared pregnant was tied to the porch, a husky was tied to the garage and another pit bull was tied to a tree. Police said the South Side house is vacant. At 9 p.m., the officers paged Dave Nelson, Animal Charity humane investigator, who said he would respond to the scene.
Crash knocks power out
YOUNGSTOWN -- Residents on the West Side were without power for more than five hours after a city motorist hit a telephone pole and a tree and kept going. Police charged the 36-year-old Bainbridge Avenue man with DUI and failure to stop after an accident Thursday in which his vehicle hit a pole with a power transformer on Bears Den Road around 7 p.m., reports said.
Police said the man hit the pole and continued driving, but then hit a 14-foot pine tree, which became embedded on the roof rack and hood of his pickup truck. The man continued driving to a Bears Den home, where he parked and left the vehicle.
Officers found the man in the back yard, smelling of alcohol and covered with pine needles and tree sap. The man tested with a blood alcohol level of .174, almost twice the legal limit. He faces an upcoming court appearance.
Crews from Ohio Edison worked to restore power by midnight.
Traficant files appeal
CLEVELAND -- U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr., of Poland, D-17th, has filed a notice of appeal. The congressman, convicted of racketeering, bribery and tax evasion, intends to appeal a decision Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Lesley Brooks Wells to deny him a new trial. A jury convicted him April 11, and sentencing is set for July 30. Traficant's appeal will be handled by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
Unions support Ryan
WARREN -- The six IUE-CWA locals in the Mahoning Valley threw their support behind Timothy J. Ryan's candidacy for the 17th Congressional District, giving $5,000 to the Democrat's campaign.
The unions announced their endorsement Thursday of Ryan, a state senator from Niles. The unions have about 6,000 active members and 6,000 retirees. The 17th District includes portions of Mahoning, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties.
MVSD workers
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Mahoning Valley Sanitary District board voted to begin adding three water purification workers to the district's payroll.
The district now has eight workers in the purification department, not enough to staff the department 24 hours a day without using overtime, said David Tabak, chief engineer. Increasing the number of workers in that department was one of the recommendations in a state audit of the district released last month. Tabak said the district needs to add a total of seven or eight workers to keep up with routine maintenance and operations.
Painkillers stolen
STRUTHERS -- Police are investigating a 42-year-old Poland Avenue woman after her daughter told police that she believes her mother stole her prescription painkillers. According to police reports, the woman's 16-year-old daughter notified police after finding her empty prescription bottle in her mother's dresser. The girl told police she filled a prescription for 30 tablets of Oxycodone a few weeks ago.
The medication had been prescribed while the girl was suffering with broken ribs. The girl said she had stopped taking the medication after only two pills and that her mother suggested they sell the 28 pills remaining. The girl told police she had refused to sell her medication but believes her mother may have followed through with the plan. The girl also told police her mother has been "acting differently," drinking frequently and she suspects the woman may be using drugs.