Santa to stop at Daffin's

Santa to stop at Daffin's
SHARON, Pa. -- Santa will visit Daffin's Candies, 496 E. State St., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. That day, children will receive a free candy cane and a free video of themselves with Santa, courtesy of Daffin's and WKBN-TV 27. Santa will also visit Daffin's Sharon store from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 14 and 20.
Driver causes outagein Greenville area
GREENVILLE, Pa. -- A driver whose blood-alcohol content registered more than three times the legal limit sheared off a utility pole Wednesday evening, knocking out power to a large section of town, mostly the west side, until 2 a.m., police said. A northbound pickup truck driven by Robert Fry, 45, of North Summit Road, hit the pole at 18 N. High St. at 11:21 p.m. Fry, who police said registered 0.3, was charged with driving under the influence. The legal limit in Pennsylvania and Ohio was reduced this year from 0.1 to 0.08. There were no injuries. The power outage area included the Greenville-West Salem police station, whose backup generator didn't work properly, police said. A Penn Power spokesman could not be reached to comment.
Discussing the economy
HERMITAGE, Pa. -- Northwest Pennsylvania's economy will be the topic of two guest speakers at the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission's annual dinner at 6 p.m. Dec. 16 at the Hickory VFW Normandy Banquet Center, 5550 E. State St. Guest speakers will be Venango County Commissioner Bob Murray, who is chairman of the Northwest Commission, and Debbie Thompson, president of Strategy Solutions Inc. and a consultant to the Northwest Commission. The Northwest Commission's recent "Bosworth Report" suggested that the region, which has a lagging economy, must make dramatic changes in planning and economic development. The cost is $16. The public is invited. Call (724) 981-2412, Ext. 217, for information and reservations.
Dedicating WWII memorial
MERCER, Pa. -- A recently built World War II memorial is being dedicated Sunday on the east lawn of the Mercer County Courthouse. The Mercer Community Band will begin playing at 11:55 a.m., and the ceremony will be at 12:55 p.m. Memorial bricks are still being sold at $50 each. The bricks are bought in memory of a veteran who served during World War II. The entire memorial is expected to cost about $100,000.
Arts and crafts show
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Purple Cat will have a Christmas arts and crafts show from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at its office at 117 S. Champion St. downtown. The Purple Cat offers services to adults with mental or physical disabilities. The arts and crafts show will feature handmade ceramics and other crafts made by the center's clients. Admission to the show is free. A Chinese auction will be conducted to benefit the center's client field trip fund.
Splitting federal funds
YOUNGSTOWN -- About 20 Mahoning County political subdivisions and Youngstown State University will split about $800,000 from the federal government for damages they sustained from flooding and a tornado in July and August, county officials said today. The money is for recovery of costs for things such as removing debris, ditching and cleaning out culverts.
Program aids residentswith flooding problems
CANFIELD -- City council is set to create a program that would help residents pay to solve wastewater problems stemming from flooding. The program calls for residents to install devices that would address wastewater backflow. The city would then reimburse the resident for 50 percent of the cost of the work up to $1,000. A first reading of an ordinance to create the program was held Wednesday night. Residents would have to meet several city and county requirements to receive the reimbursement. Those who have installed backflow control devices during the past year also would be eligible for the reimbursement. A final vote on the ordinance to create the program is expected to be held at the Dec. 17 council meeting. Council also voted to prohibit parking on Fairview Avenue within 150 feet of U.S. Route 224.