Guns stolen in burglary

Guns stolen in burglary
AUSTINTOWN -- Four guns were among the items reported stolen in an overnight burglary on Carnegie Avenue. The guns are worth a total of about $4,000; the total value of all items reported stolen is about $7,900. Police said a thief entered the home late Monday night or early this morning through a large dog door.
Relay for Life events
CANFIELD -- Eight of 13 local American Cancer Society Relay for Life events planned this year in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties have raised $1.375 million for cancer research, education, advocacy and services. Relay for Life events yet to occur are: Hispanic, Campbell Memorial High School track, Friday and Saturday; Sebring, high school track, June 27-28; Columbiana, Columbiana County Fair Grounds, June 27-28; Lisbon, Columbiana County Fair Grounds, June 27-28; and Lordstown High School, Aug. 29-30. For information, call (330) 533-0546.
Arson suspected
YOUNGSTOWN -- Firefighters were called twice to a West Marion Avenue home in one day to battle a fire. The first one was extinguished, but the second one -- possibly arson -- burned the house to the ground.
Firefighters were called to the three-story, wooden-frame home at 162 W. Marion Ave. at 1 p.m. for a blaze caused by a candle in the bathroom that got too close to a wall, fire Capt. Chester Winebold said. That fire was contained.
Firefighters were called a second time at 11:30 p.m. When they arrived, the house was fully engulfed, Winebold said. No one was home at that time.
"It's very suspicious," Winebold said. "It was too long in between fires for it to be a rekindle."
The house was worth about $10,000 to $12,000, he said.
Repairing waterline break
YOUNGSTOWN -- Drivers are advised to avoid the intersection of South Avenue and East Midlothian Boulevard today as workers repair a water main break. The intersection will be open but reduced to one lane each way, according to the Youngstown Water Department.
Safety record improves
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A small drop in violent crime helped make Pittsburgh the 10th-safest metropolitan area of its size, according to preliminary statistics released by the FBI and city police. The total number of serious crimes decreased from 19,881 in 2001 to 19,737 in 2002, less than 1 percent, said Pittsburgh Assistant Police Chief William Mullen. Homicide fell 14.5 percent that period, from 55 to 47, and arsons fell 34.1 percent, from 173 to 114, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program.
Balloon fund-raiser
LIBERTY -- The Wings of Windsor, a provisional chapter of the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants, is to have a fund-raiser balloon launch at 4 p.m. Thursday at Windsor Resource Center, Church Hill-Hubbard Road.
For a $1 donation, balloons will be tagged the name of the patron, and the first balloon returned will receive a prize.
Proceeds go toward continuing education workshops at the center. Call (330) 759-7858.
Annual Duck Derby
NILES -- The Kiwanis Club's annual Duck Derby takes place at Eastwood Mall at 1 p.m. Sunday. There will be 5,000 plastic ducks available. The ducks will be floated down a spillway in a culvert in front of the mall, along U.S. Route 422. Proceeds will benefit local youth programs supported by Kiwanis. Grand prize is $2,000. The ducks cost $5 each, or $10 for three ducks. Call Ken Kollar at (330) 652-6980 Ext. 14, Dick Richards at (330) 652-7200 or Flo Soletro at (330) 372-3091.
Motorcyclist 'critical'
SOUTHINGTON -- A Southington woman was in critical condition this morning in St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown after running her motorcycle into a dump truck. The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Debra L. Spisak, 46, of Barclay-Messerly Road, was riding north on state Route 534 about 7:30 p.m. Monday when she lost control on a curve, went left of center and hit the left front tire of the southbound truck.