Candidate withdraws

Candidate withdraws
WARREN -- The sole Republican candidate for Trumbull County commissioner has dropped out.
"My job is very demanding and I don't really have time to work on my campaign," said Tom O'Neil, 28, an insurance agent at Midwest National Life Insurance Co. in Independence. "I'm just not ready at this time."
O'Neil, of 1052 Harvard Drive S.E., Warren, was to drop off a letter at the Trumbull County Board of Elections today formally withdrawing as a candidate.
This would have been O'Neil's first bid for elected office.
He favors families values and a Christian conservative stance against gambling, pornographic book stores and massage parlors.
Facing several charges
HUBBARD -- An 18-year-old Hubbard man who township police say tried to jump from an overpass onto Interstate 80 faces a number of charges.
Brad A. Ottum of Woodbine Avenue was charged Wednesday in Girard Municipal Court with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence, driving under suspension and weaving.
He remains in the psychiatric unit at Forum Health Northside Medical Center, police said.
Police said the vehicle Ottum was driving was stopped Tuesday morning on state Route 304.
He climbed onto the railing and tried to jump from the overpass, but was pulled back by Patrol Officers Craig Callow, Chris Jacobs and Rick Wells, police said.
Guilty pleas stand
WARREN -- A judge in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court has refused to allow a 29-year-old former city man to withdraw his guilty pleas to two counts of aggravated murder.
Judge W. Wyatt McKay ruled Wednesday that Eric Lee Porterfield's pleas will stand. Porterfield pleaded guilty last year and was sentenced to 53 years in prison.
Police said Porterfield caused the death of Charles Mathey III, 40, and Garry Bell, 40, and attempted to kill David Harper during a shooting at Harper's Newton Falls Township home in June 2000.
Festival of Choirs
HOWLAND -- The 15th Annual Warren Area United Methodist Festival of Choirs will be at 7 p.m. Sunday in Howland United Methodist Church, 730 Howland-Wilson Road N.E.
An offering will be taken to help defray expenses. Baby-sitting is available.
Singers from seven United Methodist churches will sing in the combined choir of more than 100. Participating churches are Bristolville, Brookfield, First United, Fowler, Grace, Howland and Tod Avenue.
Edgar Groves, a visiting lecturer at Grove City College and the conductor and music director of the Shenango Valley Chorale and Madrigal Singers, will direct the choir.
Donation to school
WARREN -- Members of Altrusa Inc. of Warren has given $1,000 to Horace Mann Elementary School.
Altrusa has developed programs across the country to help support schools. Members also volunteer in academic tutoring and mentoring.
Board accepts bid
CHAMPION -- The board of education has accepted the lowest of five bids from Sturdi-Steel of Waco, Texas, for bleachers for the athletic complex at $288,900.
Jury indicts 2 men
CLEVELAND -- A federal grand jury has indicted a McDonald man and an Austintown man on cocaine charges.
Michael Green, 21, of Carver-Niles Road, McDonald, and Jason Yuschak, 20, of Frostwood Avenue, Austintown, were charged with possessing with intent to distribute and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute more than a pound of cocaine.
Green also is charged with carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cleveland.
Maple sugaring program
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Registration continues for the Jennings Environmental Education Center's Maple Sugaring program for elementary school teachers and their pupils.
Call (724) 794-6011 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. Fee is $1 per student.
Programs will be offered for grades one to six Tuesday through March 15. Each program lasts about 90 minutes.