3 new firefighters

3 new firefighters
WARREN -- The city will swear in three new firefighters at 10 a.m. Friday in city hall. The new firefighters are Joseph James Poptic, 25, of Newton Falls; Leslie Hathaway, 28, of Champion, who is a part-time Champion firefighter; and Tyler James, 24, of Warren.
Lange files petitions
WARREN -- The Rev. Werner Lange of Newton Falls, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, filed nominating petitions as an independent candidate for state representative in the 65th District, which includes most of southern Trumbull County.
Man faces rape charge
NILES -- A 34-year-old South Chestnut Street man was to appear in Niles Municipal Court this morning, accused of raping a relative while the girl was between 12 and 16 years old. Mark Ginkinger is charged with one count of rape. The girl, 16, told police that Ginkinger sexually molested her between November 1998 and May 2001 at three different homes in the city.
Route 11 closing
RAVENNA -- The Ohio Department of Transportation will close a five-mile section of state Route 11, northbound and southbound, in Ashtabula County on Friday. The area is in Cherry Valley, Colebrook, New Lyme and Wayne. Route 11 between state Route 6 and U.S. Route 322 will close from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for aerial photography. The detour for Route 11 northbound traffic will be from Route 322 eastbound to state Route 193 northbound to U.S. Route 6 westbound. The Route 11 southbound traffic will detour from U.S. 6 westbound to state Route 46 southbound to Route 322 eastbound.
Spring concert
GIRARD -- The school district's band students, grades 7 through 12, will perform their annual spring concert Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium.
Sexual battery charge
WARREN -- A 36-year-old Southington man pleaded innocent to a charge of sexual battery. Brian Tingler entered the plea Wednesday in the courtroom of Judge W. Wyatt McKay. Tingler is free on a $10,000 bond. Prosecutors said Tingler had sexual contact with a teen-age victim that he knew in December 1999.
Charged with rape
WARREN -- Bond has been set at $500,000 for a Warren man accused of rape and several other charges. Edward Link pleaded innocent to the charges Wednesday in the courtroom of Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. Link, who is being held in the county jail, is facing two counts of rape, two counts of gross sexual imposition, two counts of sexual battery and two counts of importuning. Prosecutors say Link had sexual contact with a female under age 13 in the summer of 2001.
Judge fines man
AUSTINTOWN -- A Warren man has been ordered to pay $75 in fines and court costs for driving around the Ruby Court area with the words County Sheriff and a five-point star on his car. Robert Roushey, 31, of Clearwater Drive, pleaded no contest Monday in Mahoning County Court here to a charge of displaying a law enforcement emblem. Judge David D'Apolito found Roushey guilty and ordered him to pay the costs and fine. Ruby Court residents called police April 19 after seeing Roushey's car in their neighborhood.
Racketeering charge
CLEVELAND -- A federal grand jury has indicted a Youngstown man on a charge of traveling in interstate commerce in aid of racketeering. Joseph F. Drahos, 56, last known to live on Miami Avenue, is accused of traveling from Cleveland to Phoenix on Feb. 10 to engage in illegal activity involving narcotics and controlled substances, the government said.