Austintown board postpones hearing

Austintown boardpostpones hearing
AUSTINTOWN -- Faced with an overflow crowd Wednesday, township trustees postponed a public hearing on rezoning for the proposed Centerpointe business park to 7 p.m. Nov. 14 at Fitch High School.
With a standing-room-only capacity crowd of about 100 people inside the trustees' meeting room in the township hall on Ohltown Road and about 200 more kept outdoors by a police officer, Trustee David Ditzler asked for a show of hands. An overwhelming majority in the room favored postponement until everyone could attend in a larger facility.
Developers have said the 379-acre park south of Interstate 80 near state Route 11 could create 1,500 jobs. Neighbors have expressed concerns about drainage, noise and traffic problems. Jonathan Levy, president of Route 46 Land Partners of Youngstown, is proposing the park.
Chamber supportssales tax renewal
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, along with other local business and labor officials, announced its support today for a 0.5 percent sales tax renewal on the ballot Tuesday in Mahoning County.
Spokesmen for the chamber, the Greater Youngstown AFL-CIO and the Western Reserve Building Trades Council said the tax revenue is needed for economic development and general operation of county services. The same group lent its support to an unsuccessful renewal attempt in May.
The Mahoning County Fire Chiefs Association also announced its support for the tax this morning.
Charged with theft
YOUNGSTOWN -- Richard W. Varble Jr. promised a taxi driver in Akron that his mother on Midland Avenue in Youngstown would pay his fare, but when the cabbie tried to collect Wednesday, the mother refused, police said.
The cabbie left without his $87.05 fare, and Varble, 24, was charged with theft. Varble pleaded innocent at arraignment Wednesday in municipal court. Bond was set at $1,200, with 10 percent allowed to be posted.
Facing charges
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 1997 GMC Jimmy reported stolen to Liberty police Tuesday wound up on the city's East Side on Wednesday.
The driver, Carlos T. Gowdy, 29, of Canton, faces charges of receiving stolen property and driving without a license. Police arrested him on Truesdale Avenue.
He also was served with a warrant charging him with a probation violation. Gowdy was paroled from Belmont Correctional Institution on Aug. 22. He had been incarcerated Dec. 18, 2001, for attempted receiving stolen property, records show.
Harvest party, danceset for this evening
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Harvest Festival Party and Dance for children ages 5 to 12 is set for 6 to 8:30 tonight at Associated Neighborhood Centers, McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road. Admission is $1 and two canned goods, which will be used for Thanksgiving distribution.
The event aims to provide a safe environment for families who do not want to participate in an outdoor Halloween activity. Games, music and prizes for the best three original costumes that are nonscary are planned.
Early school dismissalfor Youngstown pupils
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown School District will release pupils early Friday for teacher recordkeeping and planning purposes.
Pupils in special education and in alternative programs at Choffin Career Center will be dismissed at 12:30 p.m.
Students at Woodrow Wilson High School and in regular programs at Choffin will be dismissed at 1:30 p.m.
Dismissal at Chaney High and The Rayen School will be at 1:45 p.m.
Dismissal at East, Hayes and Hillman Middle Schools and at Volney Rogers Junior High School will be at 1:15 p.m.
Pupils at Jackson Elementary School will be dismissed at 1:45 p.m.; Harding Elementary School pupils at 2:15 p.m.; and all other elementary schools at 2 p.m.