Threat at mall reported

Threat at mall reported
NILES -- A Campbell man told police he was at Eastwood Mall Saturday evening when a man approached him, threatened to shoot him and produced a six-inch knife.
No description of the man was available.
Security guard, patronbreak window at mall
NILES -- A security guard with Kahunaville in Eastwood Mall was involved in a scuffle with a patron that ended with a pane glass window shattered, reports said.
The guard told police he was working at 9:30 p.m. Saturday when he saw an intoxicated man fall into a table of guests. As the guard tried to escort the man out of the business and into the elevator, the man tried to punch him, the guard told police. During the fight, the men crashed into the glass, which was valued at $650.
Food collection
MINERAL RIDGE -- Pupils at Mineral Ridge Middle School broke their own record in collecting food items for needy families.
Principal William Koppel said pupils collected more than 2,200 canned food items for those in need during the holiday season. In past years, he said, collections were around 1,500 items.
Union to give hams,gift cards to members
WARREN -- American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local 2493 will be distributing hams and gift cards to members who are still on furlough or were just recently recalled to their jobs with Trumbull County.
Union officials say 14 members are still on furlough. Five were recalled only this week.
The packages will be distributed from the county maintenance department from 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Pavilion reservations
NORTH LIMA -- The Beaver Township Park Board will begin accepting pavilion reservations Jan. 2.
Reservations are $40 for residents and $70 for nonresidents.
For more information, call the township park information line at (330) 549-9552.
East Liverpool project
LISBON -- The Columbiana County Engineer's office will conduct a public meeting to report its findings on the research and surveying of Penn Avenue in East Liverpool and Liverpool Township at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The meeting will be at the St. Clair Township administration building on Pugh Road.
Gene therapy research
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- University researchers at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh are receiving $1.02 million over the next four years from the National Institutes of Health to create safer methods for using gene therapy.
"Traditionally, gene therapy involves transferring genes by using viruses that could infect cells, release the DNA and take over the cells' machinery to produce the desirable proteins to fight a variety of diseases or for tissue-engineering purposes," said Prashant Kumta, a professor of materials science and biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon.
Kumta is working with Charles Sfeir, an assistant professor of oral medicine and pathology at the University of Pittsburgh, to conduct gene delivery without the use of viruses.