Temporary closing
Temporary closing
WARREN -- State Route 45 will be closed Sunday between North River and Bridge roads for waterline repairs. A detour will be posted.
Trial over will postponed
WARREN -- The trial set to begin Tuesday in Trumbull County Probate Court to determine the authenticity of a will of a man who left the bulk of his estate to a former city treasurer has been postponed.
Maria Bernat, daughter of the deceased Tadeusz Stefanowicz, contested her father's will, which left most of his estate to Patricia Leon-Games.
Officials said the parties are working on a resolution to the case and a judge gave them seven days to reach agreement.
Innocent in shooting
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A city man accused in a shooting that injured a Youngstown man was acquitted of all charges at trial. Brian Lee Payne, 19, of East Lincoln Avenue, was released from jail Thursday after a jury found him innocent of criminal conspiracy charges.
He was accused in the Sept. 8, 2002, shooting of Michael Polite, 23, of Youngstown, and Donald Altman, 65, of New Castle. Polite was shot in the foot, and Altman, a bystander, was shot in the back near the West Side Mini Mart, police said.
A second man accused in the shooting, Jermaine Wilson, 21, of Beech Street, is expected to go to trial next month in Lawrence County Common Pleas Court.
Nominations now open
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Greater Youngstown Italian Fest is accepting nominations for its 2003 Italian Man and Woman of the Year awards. Recipients will be honored July 17 at the four-day fest's opening ceremonies at the Canfield Fairgrounds, 7265 Columbiana-Canfield Road.
Submit nominations to the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest, Flora R. Direnzo Schneider, 110 Longview Circle, North Lima 44452. Deadline for submission is July 1.
Detour during project
SALEM -- A section of Depot Road just north of its intersection with state Route 45 will close Monday.
The closing will last for about 60 days. Depot Road motorists will be detoured.
Traffic traveling east and west on state Route 45 will be maintained, but there could be delays.
The road closing is part of a $700,000 state project that began in May. Work will include installation of lighting, turning lanes and a new traffic signal.
Bridge replacement
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- City council took the first steps toward replacing the aging Grant Street Bridge. During a special meeting Friday, council members approved an agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for the new bridge and agreed that the city will pay 5 percent of the construction costs.
The bridge, built in 1914, was closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic earlier this year after it was deemed unsafe. It was originally slated to be replaced in 2002, but that was delayed by the state transportation department. A new construction date has not been set. City officials expect to pay about $75,000 for the construction of a new bridge. The rest of the cost will be picked up by a $2.4 million federal grant awarded to the city in 1998 for the bridge construction.
Pond Fest planned
CANFIELD -- The Mahoning County Soil & amp; Water Conservation District will hold its second annual Pond Fest from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 26 at the Canfield Conservation and Sportsmens Club on West Galla Road in Goshen Township.
The fest is geared to benefit current pond owners and those planning to build. Sessions will cover pond construction, fish stocking and weed identification and control.
There will be children's activities. Participants are encouraged to bring swimsuits, sunscreen, insect repellent and lawn chairs or a blanket. A $5 preregistration is required. To register, call the Mahoning County SWCD at (330) 533-2231.
Law to get tougher
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Motorists caught speeding through highway work zones could lose their driver's license for 15 days under a new Pennsylvania law that takes effect Monday.
At times when highway workers are on the job and the state highway department has installed signs with flashing white strobe lights, anyone caught driving at least 11 mph over the posted limit could receive a license suspension. Another provision of the new law adds five years to the prison sentence for homicide-by-vehicle cases that occur in work zones.
Last year 27 people were killed in work-zone crashes, including three highway workers, according to PennDOT.