Small gas blast shakes Hubbard Twp. homes

Small gas blast shakesHubbard Twp. homes
HUBBARD -- Some township residents felt a tremor as the result of a small explosion.
The blast occurred at 4:13 p.m. Sunday at 1674 Collar-Price Road, when a worker at a construction site poured gasoline on burning logs.
The resulting explosion shook houses in the neighborhood, but no one was injured, reports said.
Liberty investigatesalleged arson attempt
LIBERTY -- Officials are investigating an alleged arson attempt at a home in the 1100 block of Tibetts-Wick Road.
According to reports, a 37-year-old woman told police she smelled smoke around 9:45 p.m. Saturday.
When she went into the basement, she noticed someone had broken out a window and set the blinds on fire.
There was minimal damage.
Cemetery decorations
NILES -- St. Stephen Cemetery officials ask that all Christmas decorations be removed from graves by March 31 or they will be discarded.
Motorcycle fatality
NORTH JACKSON -- The identity of a man who died when his motorcycle crashed at 8 p.m. Sunday was not released this morning pending notification of family.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said the man was traveling north on Lipkey Road, lost control and was thrown off as his motorcycle overturned and hit a tree.
The accident remains under investigation.
No hit-skip, buta pump skip?
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ray J. Maggianetti wasn't the victim of an unidentified hit-skip driver but the suspect in a gas theft who crashed Sunday afternoon when he was pursued by a gas station employee, police said.
Maggianetti, 25, of Orlo Lane, Boardman, is accused of pumping $24 worth of gas at Marathon on Youngstown-Poland Road at 5:30 p.m. Sunday and leaving without paying for it.
Police said both Maggianetti and the gas station employee lost control of their vehicles at Irma Street and South Heights.
The gas station worker crashed into the rear of Maggianetti's car, and both cars then hit a parked car in the 1900 block of South Heights, police said.
Maggianetti later flagged down police, telling them someone hit his car then took off.
Watershed planning
CANFIELD -- The Ohio EPA's newest guidelines for watershed planning will be the subject of a presentation by Mark Bergman of the Ohio EPA's Twinsburg office at 1 p.m. March 26 in McMahon Hall at the Mill Creek MetroParks Farm.
Bergman will speak at a meeting of AWARE (the Alliance for Watershed Action and Riparian Easements), whose mission is to improve environmental quality by enhancing local watersheds.
Vice cops arrest 4in solicitation probe
YOUNGSTOWN -- Vice squad cops arrested two women and two men over the weekend and charged them with loitering to engage in solicitation. They were due in municipal court today for arraignment.
Police said they saw Kathryn Johnson, 41, of Kenmore Avenue flag down Carl Berg, 39, of Bassett Lane near Oak Hill Avenue and then get into his car about 10:45 p.m. Saturday.
At 9 p.m. Saturday, the officers arrested Lasandra Gooch, 36, of Stansbury Drive after seeing her flag down John S. McQueen, 42, of Medway, Ohio, near Covington Street and get into his car.
Teller pleads guiltyof taking bank's money
PITTSBURGH -- A Sharon woman could face up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for misapplication of bank funds.
U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said Jennifer Marie Turuck, also known as Jennifer Gregory, 26, of Thornton Street, pleaded guilty and faces sentencing June 13.
Authorities said Turuck worked as a teller for First National Bank of Pennsylvania during 2001, and on about 50 occasions between Feb. 26 and Dec. 11 took money from her teller drawer for her own use, then falsified records to conceal the takings.
Losses to the bank totaled $25,600.