No new Traficant trial

No new Traficant trial
CLEVELAND -- U.S. Rep. James A. Traficant Jr. of Poland, D-17th, received a fair trial by a legally drawn jury and his claims that jurors should have come from Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties is wrong, the government said Wednesday. The jury selection plan approved by the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is constitutional, the government said in its response to the congressman's request for a new trial. U.S. District Judge Lesley Brooks Wells will consider arguments presented by the government and lawyers for Traficant. The congressman, convicted of all 10 racketeering and tax counts he faced, will be sentenced June 27.
Athletic director hired
LEETONIA -- Leetonia Board of Education hired Marcia Duko as athletic director for the 2002-03 school year. Duko taught high school language arts in Leetonia during the 2001-02 school year and will teach middle-school language arts in the fall. Superintendent Thomas Inchak said Duko's salary as athletic director has not yet been set.
Power outages reported
SHARON, Pa. -- A late-night thunderstorm knocked out electrical service to about 1,000 Pennsylvania Power Co. customers across Mercer County. The storm rolled over the county around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday and lightning strikes that hit poles and downed trees cut power from the Shenango Valley as far north as Greenville. The county's 911 center reported that a shed in Farrell and a house in Hermitage were hit by lightning and caused minimal damage. Most service was restored in about an hour although a Penn Power spokesman said about 70 were still in the dark as of 6:30 a.m. today.
Charged after fight
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A Wallace Avenue man is accused of attempted homicide after a fight in the Lincoln Terrace Projects.
Donald Ray Jones, 24, also faces charges of recklessly endangering another person, terroristic threats and carrying a firearm without a license. Police said Jones was a block party with about 200 other people at 10:30 p.m. Sunday when he got into a fight with another man.
The victim told police that Jones grabbed him and the two started to scuffle. They said Jones then backed up and reportedly pulled out a pistol and fired two shots at the victim. The other man ran off and was not injured, police said. Jones was released without monetary bond and faces a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Friday before District Justice Melissa Amodie.
Police seek safe thief
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- Police are still searching for whoever stole a safe from the Moose Club at 175 Main St. Police said the safe was rolled out of the building through a loading dock door and placed in the bed of a Ford Ranger pickup truck that had been stolen from the Greenville Water Authority building on Clinton Street. Both thefts occurred early Sunday. The truck was found in a field off Kidds Mill Road with the safe still in the bed. It had been forced open and an undisclosed amount of money was taken, police said.
Reassessment meeting
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A public meeting to discuss Lawrence County's reassessment is planned for 7 tonight in Courtroom 1 of the county courthouse.
Commissioner Ed Fosnaught will conduct the meeting. This is one in a series of meetings he has held n various parts of the county.
'Mega Millions' winner
GARRETTSVILLE -- Thelma Hoffman, a resident of this Portage County community, won $175,000 in the May 21 "Mega Millions" Ohio lottery drawing. She matched all five white balls to claim the second-highest prize a player can win in the game, lottery officials said.
Hoffman bought the winning ticket at Graham's Country Store in Parkman. She chose her winning numbers: 4-28-39-41-44. The Mega Ball was 9. After taxes, Hoffman will get a check for $121,625.
Power washer stolen
CANFIELD -- A power washer worth $1,056 was stolen from a garage in the 7100 block of Knauf Road on Tuesday, according to Mahoning County sheriff reports.
Items stolen from car
BOARDMAN -- Police are investigating the theft of more than $8,100 in merchandise stolen from a Grover Drive man's car while it was parked in his driveway Wednesday night. Reports show 450 CDs, a CD player and an amplifier were missing.