Strickland to run again

Strickland to run again
LISBON -- U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland of Lisbon, D-6th, filed his nominating petitions this morning to seek a sixth term in the House of Representatives.
Strickland is the only candidate so far to file petitions for the two-year term.
The 12-county 6th District includes Columbiana County and a southern portion of Mahoning County.
Car crashes into Dairy Mart
STRUTHERS -- A city man's 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee crashed into the front window of the Dairy Mart on Maplewood Street.
Police said David D. Bury, no age given, of Como Street, was in the store's parking lot at 3:32 p.m. Saturday when he accidentally drove into the store, causing damage to the window and forcing Dairy Mart to close for several hours.
Bury wasn't ticketed by police.
Lifeguard training course
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning Chapter of the American Red Cross is announcing the dates for its nationally recognized and certified lifeguard training course.
Classes will be Tuesday and Thursday evenings Jan. 13 through Feb. 26 at the Jewish Community Center, 505 Gypsy Lane.
The cost is $150. To register, call the Mahoning Chapter of the ARC at (330) 726-6063.
Suspect kicks himself free
AUSTINTOWN -- Township police said a 20-year-old Youngstown man being held on drug charges was able to kick himself free from a holding cell at the department.
Michael C. Vasvari, of Bon Air Avenue, faces felony charges of escape and drug abuse-cocaine, was issued a summons charging marijuana possession, and was cited on charges of driving under the influence and other driving violations.
Police reports show Vasvari was pulled over after officers saw him driving erratically before he stopped at a store on Mahoning Avenue at about 4:28 a.m. today.
They found suspected marijuana in his coat pocket and three rocks of suspected crack cocaine in his car, police said.
At the department, he refused to be photographed or fingerprinted and attempted to unplug a breath-alcohol counting machine. When placed in the cell, he shouted and kicked the door. When the noise stopped, officers found Vasvari in the department parking lot and discovered that the cell door had been kicked open.
He was taken to the county jail.
Traffic stop nets charges
CANFIELD -- Two Columbiana County men face drug-abuse charges after a traffic stop on Fairground Boulevard near East Main Street.
Driver James E. White II, 30, of Clarkson Road, Rogers, was pulled over at about 11:50 p.m. Friday. Officers found suspected powder cocaine and suspected crystal methamphetamine in his pocket, police reports show.
A passenger, Edward H. Sprouse, 41, of Pine Hollow Road, Lisbon, was found with a silver scale, suspected loose marijuana, two suspected marijuana cigarettes and four blue pills that he told police were a generic form of Valium.
Man faces charges
WARREN -- A Bennett Avenue man was expected to appear in court this morning, accused of aggravated robbery and kidnapping.
Police arrested John L. Armstrong, 28, Friday night.
A 32-year-old West Market Street man told police that he was getting into his car at a Parkman Road business when two men, one black and one white, approached him wearing masks. They pulled out guns and asked for money.
The men got into the victim's car and ordered him to drive to a pay phone and call someone to bring money. They said they wanted between $2,000 and $5,000 or they would kill him.
The man called his wife asking for money. She flagged down a cruiser. Police saw the car near a pay phone at West Market and Southern Boulevard, drove up to it and turned on the overhead lights.
Both men ran from the car, and a police dog caught Armstrong in the 400 block of Southern Boulevard. The other man ran north on Southern and then east across Raiders Path, but police couldn't find him.