Man escapes from court

Man escapes from court
NEWTON FALLS -- A 38-year-old prisoner sneaked out of Newton Falls Municipal Court while waiting to appear before a judge for violating probation, domestic violence and driving under suspension.
Raymond Grimes, who spent the previous night in Trumbull County Jail as a result of the charges, was caught just a few hours after he escaped Thursday afternoon. Felony escape has been added to the charges against him.
According to police reports, Grimes walked out of the court with the assistance of two women.
Man dies in one-car crash
LIBERTY -- The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a one-car crash that killed a 23-year-old Warren man. According to reports, Brian Koehn, of West Gate Drive, Warren, was driving west on Tibbets-Wick Road around 1 a.m. today when he lost control of his vehicle. Koehn's vehicle went off the side of the road and struck a mailbox and utility pole, reports state.
Fire on WCI property
WARREN -- Officials at WCI Inc. are trying to determine what caused a fire to break out at a waste pond on the southwest side of the steelmaker's property. The blaze started after 10 a.m. Thursday and damaged a pump platform that is near the pond, said Tim Roberts, spokesman for WCI. Fire departments from Warren Township, Lordstown and Howland responded. No one was injured. This is the second such fire in a month, officials said.
City manager to stay on
NEWTON FALLS -- The acting city manager will continue to perform those duties come Monday, after council's first choice for the job bailed out at the last minute.
Dennis Recker, former safety service director for Delphos, Ohio, was to report next week as the city's new manager, but instead decided to accept a job as county administrator in Sanilac County, Mich.
Council, which been negotiating the final details of Recker's contract with him, met in a long executive session Thursday night and agreed by a 3-2 vote to extend the contract of Finance Director Marcie Cunningham, who's been filling in since former City Manager Roger Eberhart was ordered to resign or be fired in December.
Councilmen Steve Stevens and Eric Thompson voted against the measure.
Cunningham was the only other candidate council interviewed for the job.
Council had verbally agreed to $63,000 for the first year of a three-year contract.
Prison release denied
WARREN -- A 42-year-old man who was convicted in a 1985 murder and attempted murder must remain in prison a while longer. Clifford Belden's request for judicial release was denied Thursday by Judge John M. Stuard. Belden pleaded guilty in 1986 to the Dec. 29, 1985, shooting death of Gregory Tonkovich, 18, and the attempted murder of Belden's ex-wife, Kelly. Belden was sentenced to 15 years to life.
Warner Road closing
VIENNA -- Warner Road will be closed approximately a half-mile south of state Route 82 from Monday through Wednesday as workers from the Trumbull County Engineer's Office replace a culvert.
The road will also be closed approximately 200 feet south of Smith Stewart Road from Wednesday through Friday for another culvert replacement.
Library's summer hours
WARREN -- The main branch of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library will have reduced summer hours from June 1 to Sept. 21.
Monday through Thursday, the library will open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 p.m., one hour earlier. Friday hours will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
During the summer, the library will be closed Sundays.
Rape threat reported
NILES -- A Woodglen Avenue woman told police she was threatened with rape if she didn't call about a job offer. The woman said she received a message on her cell phone Thursday instructing her to call a Warren number in regard to a job that would pay $100 an hour. According to reports, the person who left the message said if the woman didn't call, the boss would be mad and she would be raped.
Woman reports theft
NILES -- A Fulton Street woman reported the theft of $800 from her purse.
According to reports, the woman said the money was taken Thursday while she was home. The report said the only other person in the home was a nurses aide.