Armed robbery

Armed robbery
BOARDMAN -- Township police are investigating an armed robbery at the McDonald's at U.S. Route 244 and Market Street. According to police, a man entered the restaurant at 8:47 p.m. Wednesday, jumped over the counter, pulled a hand gun and forced everyone to the rear of the store. The man put all the store's money in a bag, then made the manager walk him to the fire exit where he left the store and ran, police said. The man is described as being in his early 20s, wearing an orange jogging suit and an orange bandana over his face. No arrests have been made.
Attorney appointed
YOUNGSTOWN -- Atty. Ronald Yarwood was appointed Wednesday by Judge Maureen A. Cronin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to help defend John Drummond, who is charged with aggravated murder in the March 24 shooting death of 3-month-old Jiyen C. Dent Jr. Drummond, 26, of Allerton Court, is accused of firing several shots from an assault rifle into the baby's house on Rutledge Drive. One of the bullets passed through a wall and struck the child in the head. If he is convicted, Drummond could get the death penalty. The case is set for trial Jan. 12. Atty. Gary Van Brocklin, one of two lawyers appointed by Judge Cronin to represent Drummond, withdrew from the case because he has represented one of the witnesses in the case, which creates a conflict of interest. Yarwood will replace him and will assist Atty. James Gentile, who is the lead defense attorney.
Facing more charges
CAMPBELL -- Edwin A. Delacruz, 27, of Morley Avenue, is facing additional charges after a confrontation with police while in Municipal Court on Tuesday on a domestic violence charge. During the court appearance, Delacruz, who was handcuffed, began arguing with his mother, Marian, who had filed the domestic violence charge. He refused to leave when ordered out of the courtroom by the judge, and when police tried to remove him, he became violent. He continued yelling at his mother, and pushed and hit policemen and rammed them with his head, according to reports. After he was subdued, he was dragged out of the courtroom, treated for a cut on his head, and taken to Mahoning County jail. Delacruz faces additional charges of assault and resisting arrest, for which a preliminary hearing date has not been set.
Girard school levy
GIRARD -- Voters will see a 7.4-mill levy for the schools on the March primary ballot. The board of education agreed during Wednesday's meeting to ask for the increased millage after a 5.9-mill levy request was defeated in November by about 300 votes. If the measure is approved, money from the levy would not be collected until 2005. Girard schools were put on fiscal watch status by the state earlier this year because of an anticipated deficit at the end of this fiscal year.
MVSD to hire 13 workers
MINERAL RIDGE -- Directors of the Mahoning Valley Sanitary District agreed to hire 13 full- and part-time workers for several departments at the plant. At Wednesday's meeting, the board approved a request to hire six field maintenance workers, one purification operator, three assistant purification workers and three reservoir patrol officers. Directors chose the new hires after interviewing almost 70 candidates from a pool of about 700 applications.
Promoted to board clerk
WARREN -- Paulette Godfrey, a secretary in the Trumbull County Commissioners' office, has been promoted to clerk of the board. She will take the new job in January, after the retirement of clerk-administrator Roselyn Ferris takes effect. With the promotion, Godfrey, an eight-year employee, will see her salary increase from $32,559 to $44,226 a year. Ferris earned $71,089 a year.
Board compensation
MINERAL RIDGE -- The Weathersfield Board of Education approved Wednesday an increase in compensation for board members to the maximum amount allowed by law, raising only newly elected or re-elected board members' monthly pay to the new state limit of $125 a month. Board members who did not face election in November will continue to receive the old rate of $80, including Dr. Douglas Darnall and Bruce Bacak. Board members Lori Garland, Fred McCandless and Marilyn Besoiu will receive the raises.