Landscaper's a no-show for Salem resident

Landscaper's a no-showfor Salem resident
SALEM -- A man reported to Perry Township police that he gave a landscaper $3,000 in May for landscaping work at his home on the 1700 block of East 11th Street.
But the landscaper, believed to be based in Boardman, has yet to undertake the job, the resident said.
Police said the matter was reported to them at about 1:40 p.m. Tuesday.
Bicycling seminarto be offered in Salem
SALEM -- A free seminar on bicycling, including helmet safety, will be given from 6-7:30 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Salem Community Center, 1098 N. Ellsworth Ave.
Ron Glove of Cycle Sales in Boardman and the American Red Cross will team up to offer the class.
Participants are advised to bring their helmets and bikes to get proper fitting tips. All ages are welcome.
Probing cause of fire
SALEM -- Authorities are investigating the cause of a house fire.
The fire was reported about 10 p.m. Wednesday at the home of Christopher Beagle, 247 N. Madison Ave.
The fire originated in the living room while no one was home, Fire Chief Walt Greenamyer said today.
No injuries were reported. Loss to the 11/2-story, wooden-frame home is estimated at $30,000.
Investigating girl's reportthat she was abducted
LISBON -- Columbiana County Sheriff's Department investigators are still probing a 15-year-old girl's claim that she was abducted last week from the Rogers Auction and Flea Market.
There are no new developments in the case, Detective Allan Young said Thursday.
The girl told authorities she was working July 25 in a food concession trailer at the flea market when she left the work area around 3 p.m. to walk to the restroom. On the way, she said she was hit on the back of the head and rendered unconscious.
The girl said she regained consciousness around 8 p.m. and found herself lying on the edge of railroad tracks in Fairfield Township.
She walked about a mile to Crestview Road and was picked up by a passing motorist about 9 p.m., she said.
Young said no motive for the episode has been established so far.
Regatta organizerskeep an eye on water
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Organizers of the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta are closely watching the water to make sure that debris from last week's heavy rains will not affect events planned this weekend, especially powerboat races.
"We're hoping the [Allegheny] river gets a little slower and a little less debris in it," said Diane Greco, vice president of events for the regatta.
"The river is so high upstream that it's picking up debris along the shoreline that it normally wouldn't."
The Coast Guard and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will keep tabs on the river every hour and warn officials if the rivers become unsafe, Greco said.
Doug Alexander, head of the Coast Guard's safety office in Pittsburgh, said the rivers aren't terribly higher than normal.
"Anything can happen. If we get a little precipitation, that could change. If we don't, they should be steady," he said. "It's going to be up to the comfort factor of those professional water skiers and jet skiers."
Bridge, tunnel to reopenin mid-August, state says
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- The reconstructed Fort Pitt Bridge and Tunnel should reopen three weeks ahead of schedule, on the morning of Aug. 16, earning a contractor a $1.5 million bonus, the state Department of Transportation said Wednesday.
But both the inbound and outbound bridge and tunnel will be closed the night before in preparation for the opening, the department said. Also, the outbound bridge and tunnel will remain closed for an additional week so workers can remove crossovers and detours.
The route should be completely open Aug. 23, the department said.
The original deadline for the project was Aug. 15 -- but the state Transportation Department pushed that back to Sept. 6 because it said a special bridge barrier would take longer to install. The barrier will allow motorists to have a picturesque view of the city.
The route is famous because the city appears to pop up before motorists as they emerge from the tunnel.
About 75,000 motorists use the bridge and tunnel daily as the main southern entry into the city.