Money for bridge work

Money for bridge work
SALEM -- City officials are considering undertaking repairs to the West State Street bridge later this year. City council agreed Tuesday to give the first of three required readings to an ordinance appropriating $58,300 to the project, which would be done later this year. The span needs repairs to its sidewalks and curbs, said Councilwoman Nancy Cope, R-at large. Council also gave the first of three required readings to an ordinance approving the purchase of a new car for the utility department. The vehicle would replace a 1994 model with about 35,000 on it that is used by the utilities supervisor.
Election board officers
LISBON -- Atty. Jerry Ward now guides the Columbiana County elections board. Ward, former vice chairman, was chosen chairman of the four-member panel when it recently reorganized. Past president Allen Dickey will serve as vice-chairman. The elections board also accepted the retirement resignation of deputy elections director Janet Mollenkopf, who has been employed at the elections board for more than 30 years. She will be replaced as deputy director by another board employee, Lois Gall.
Cancer screening kit
LISBON -- The Columbiana County Health Department is offering a kit to perform an at-home screening test useful in helping detect colon cancer and other problems. The kit is free to county residents. To get one, call the health department at (330) 424-0272.
Murder trial delayed
MERCER, Pa. -- The murder trial of Shane R. Sloan, 29, of Pine Township, accused of killing his mother, has been delayed. He was scheduled to go to trial this month in Mercer County Common Pleas Court for the Feb. 5 death of his mother, Susan L. Fleeger, 48, with whom he lived. The trial was postponed Tuesday at the request of the defense and won't be heard until at least April. He is charged with criminal homicide and risking a catastrophe. Prosecutors won't be able to use a confession Sloan made to the crime. The court has ruled that confession inadmissible because it came before Sloan was given his legal rights by arresting officers. Police said Sloan strangled his mother and then filled the mobile home with propane gas and threatened to blow it up.
Blood leads to arrest
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A few drops of blood left during a burglary helped police make an arrest. Shenango Township police said William D. Gabriel, 41, of Adams Street, was charged Monday with burglary, criminal trespass and criminal mischief. The charges stem from a June 22, 2001, break-in at a chiropractic clinic on New Butler Road. They said a window had been smashed and a trail of blood was found inside the clinic. Gabriel was arrested about a week later in an unrelated matter. Police said items in his vehicle caused them to look again at the chiropractic clinic burglary. Police said they eventually got permission to take Gabriel's blood, which was determined a match to the blood found in the chiropractic clinic by the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab.
Disorderly conduct
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City police said a man reporting a crime this morning will face a charge of disorderly conduct. Kevin Michael McIntyre, 26, of Phillips Street, was cited at 1:08 a.m. today on Halco Drive.
Police said McIntyre flagged down a patrol car to report that his handgun had been stolen from his car. Police said that when they started questioning McIntyre about the handgun, he started to argue with the officers and was cited. Police said they are still investigating the handgun theft.
Windows stolen
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City police are looking for two large leaded glass windows taken out of the former home of the Lawrence County Women's Shelter-Rape Crisis Center.
The center recently moved to a new home on State Street, but police said someone took two leaded glass windows from their old building at 115 Wallace Ave.
The windows are about 12 feet high and three feet wide and were taken sometime between 4 p.m. Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday, police said.