Portion of Fifth Avenue to be closed to traffic

Portion of Fifth Avenueto be closed to traffic
LIBERTY -- Fifth Avenue, between Mansell and Colonial drives, will be closed to traffic beginning Monday through Friday next week and again March 29 and April 5 for construction of a sanitary sewer and lift station.
Southbound traffic will be rerouted from Fifth, west on Mansell, south on Cardinal Drive and east on Colonial back to Fifth.
Northbound traffic will be detoured west on Colonial, north on Cardinal and east on Mansell back to Fifth.
Spivey loses appeal
YOUNGSTOWN -- Warren Spivey, 32, of Youngstown, has lost another round in his fight to get off death row, where he has been since November 1989 after being convicted of aggravated murder in the killing of 53-year-old Veda Vesper. A panel of judges found him guilty after he pleaded no contest to the charge.
The 7th District Court of Appeals and Ohio Supreme Court upheld the conviction and sentence.
In 1999, Spivey asked for a new trial based on the argument that he did not understand what he was doing when he waived a trial and made the plea agreement.
That request was denied in May 2000 by visiting Judge Stephen Yarbrough, whose ruling was affirmed Friday by the court of appeals.
Man charged with rapein assaults on children
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 24-year-old man is being held in the Mahoning County jail under bonds totaling more than $1 million.
Alfie Sloane was arraigned Friday in municipal court on three counts of rape.
He is accused of molesting children. Judge Robert A. Douglas ordered bonds of $350,000 on each charge.
A 10-year-old girl told investigators Sloane sexually assaulted her more than 30 times from 1999 to January, when he lived with her family at two addresses in Youngstown.
The girl told police Sloane promised her money and gifts and hit her, threatening her not to tell anyone, police reports show.
An 8-year-old boy, another 10-year-old girl and a 6-year-old girl are also named as possible victims in police reports. One girl said three others were also sexually assaulted.
One of the girls also accused Sloane of showing the children a pornographic movie. He was arrested by deputy sheriffs Thursday at St. Elizabeth Health Center, where he was receiving treatment for what they said were mental problems.
Children to recruitadults as blood donors
WARREN -- A presentation about blood donation and the American Red Cross will be made at 1 p.m. Monday in McGuffey Elementary School, 3465 Tod N.W.
The school is working with the Red Cross on a "Pint Size Heroes," a new program that targets elementary and middle school pupils.
A blood drive at the school will be from 1 to 7 p.m. April 23. Pupils recruit adults to donate.
Each child who sponsors a donor will get a beanie-bag commemorative item called a "Buddy Blood Drive." If they recruit more than one person, they receive a "Pint Size Hero" T-shirt.
School applies for grant
YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown Community School is applying for a grant from the Federal Emergency Repair Program of the Ohio School Facilities Commission.
The application will be discussed at a public meeting at 8 a.m. March 27 at the school on Essex Street, or call the school at (330) 746-2240 to comment.
Philadelphia Candieshas annual Easter tour
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Philadelphia Candies will have its annual Easter Chocolate Factory Tour at 1546 E. State St. from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today.
Visitors can see workers making bunnies from 2 ounces to 2 feet and chocolate baskets up to 25 pounds.
There also will be a display of chocolate animals and novelties, and special guests will be Peter Cottontail, Scooby Doo and Elmo.
The family-owned business has a second retail operation in Boardman.
Emergency response
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Lawrence County will participate in a statewide exercise Tuesday to test how prepared the county is to respond to severe weather.
The disaster drill will allow county and municipal governments, as well as schools, hospitals, nursing homes, day-care centers and other facilities to test their disaster preparedness.
On Friday there will also be a statewide test of the Emergency Alert System, a voluntary network of local radio and television stations and the primary public alert system.