Blood donations

Blood donations
YOUNGSTOWN -- The American Red Cross wants the public to start the new year off right by donating blood.
In December, donors in other cities helped fill the needs for this area, which was down 2,000 pints from minimum standards, said Karen Kelly, a Red Cross spokeswoman. As of Dec. 30, for example, the inventory of Type O negative blood was 36 pints, when minimum standard is 225 pints. The need for blood increases during holidays because of traffic accidents.
Qualified donors must be 17, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good health. Only 5 percent of those who can donate actually do so, Kelly said.
Died of injuries
AUSTINTOWN -- Brian Skinner, 26, of North Jackson died in St. Elizabeth Health Center of injuries he suffered in a one-car crash at 2:42 a.m. New Year's Day on Interstate 680, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Canfield post.
A passenger, John Giannini, 31, of Youngstown was in critical condition today in the hospital.
Skinner's vehicle went off the road, struck a light pole and then overturned near Lanterman Road, the patrol said.
Store burglary
YOUNGSTOWN -- Catherine's, a clothing store at 663 Gypsy Lane, was broken into at 12:09 a.m. New Year's Day, but the assistant manager told police that the alarm company didn't notify her until 5:10 a.m.
When the store's district manager contacted the alarm company, she was told that no one at the police station answered at (330) 742-8900, reports show. The number, though, transfers to the 911 center after normal business hours, said Lt. Robin Lees, public information officer. He said the call would be tracked to see what happened. There is a number dedicated solely for alarms, Lees said.
An undetermined amount of clothes, jewelry, leather coats and other items were stolen from the North Side store, reports show.
Arrest in robbery
YOUNGSTOWN -- The FBI believes it has solved the Dec. 26 robbery at Home Savings & amp; Loan with the arrest of Marlin F. McPeters, 37, formerly of Ohio Avenue.
McPeters, who was picked up Monday at an apartment in Detroit by FBI agents and Detroit police on a warrant issued by U.S. Magistrate Judge George J. Limbert, made his initial court appearance in Detroit on Tuesday.
The bank teller told police that the robber said he wanted to make a withdrawal. When the teller asked for a driver's license, he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and wrote "Give me money shoot" and handed it to the teller, reports show.
The teller turned over about $3,000, including four marked "bait" bills, before he briskly walked out the front doors of the bank, at 275 Federal Plaza West.
Municipal court records show only an open-container conviction for McPeters in June 2001.
Drive-by shooting
YOUNGSTOWN -- Devon Clemens, 28, of West Judson Avenue told police he was shot in both legs while at the Shell gas station on Oak Street at 9 p.m. New Year's Eve.
Police collected nine casings from the lot.
Clemens told police he saw a car drive by with two men inside who opened fire.
He was treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Clemens offered police no motive for the shooting.
After chase, boyfaces more charges
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 16-year-old West Chalmers Avenue boy made an unsuccessful attempt to elude police, who saw him driving a stolen 1990 Buick LeSabre at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday on the South Side.
Instead of pulling over in response to police lights and sirens, the boy sped up on Cottage Grove, turned east on Avondale Avenue and then headed north on Erie Street to Marmion Avenue, where he turned onto Rush Boulevard. He struck a building at 271 E. Indianola Ave., jumped out and ran through rear yards into the parking lot of Cardinal Mooney High School, where he struck the door of a cruiser that had pulled into the lot.
The boy continued on, with police in foot pursuit, and was caught in a wooded area, where he tried to struggle free.
Police discovered that a pick-up order had been issued by the juvenile justice center for the boy, a student at Wilson High School. He was wearing an ankle bracelet, used for house arrest, when taken into custody and turned over to the juvenile justice center.
He faces charges of receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding, resisting arrest, no driver's license and possession of criminal tools (screwdriver).