Writing on the floor

Writing on the floor
YOUNGSTOWN -- Members of New Bethel Baptist Church, 1507 Hillman St., will write Scriptures on the floor of its new sanctuary Sunday as part of its $3.5 million expansion. Members will write at 9 and 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The writing signifies that the congregation and visitors are standing on the promises of God. The writing will be covered by carpeting before pews are installed.
Benefit spaghetti dinner
POLAND -- A benefit spaghetti dinner for Anthony Ciavarella, 6, of Poland will be from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday at Poland United Methodist Church. Anthony has been diagnosed with T-cell leukemia.
The dinner is being cooked and served by the Poland Community Baseball Association and members of the Poland Seminary High School leadership club.
Anthony played T-ball with the PCBA last year. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 12 and younger.
Robbery suspect arrested
FARRELL, Pa. -- Police arrested a Lincoln Avenue man about 20 hours after he was suspected of trying to rob an attendant at Jim's BP & amp; Service at 1301 Sharon-New Castle Road. Police said the attendant was approached around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday by a man who wanted him to look at some damage to a truck.
The man then pulled a gun and demanded money from the attendant, who refused to give him anything, police said. At that point, someone came out of the station's restroom, and the gunman fled. Police arrested Correy B. Bryant Sr., 32, near his home around 1:20 p.m. Thursday.
Police charged him with robbery and making terroristic threats. He is in Mercer County jail in lieu of $15,000 bond.
Fire victim leaves hospital
WEST MIDDLESEX, Pa. -- John Pollock, 74, injured Oct. 3 in a fire that killed his son and extensively damaged his home at 10 Old Bedford Road, has been discharged from the burn unit at Akron Children's Hospital. He was discharged Wednesday, a hospital spokesman said.
His wife, Shirley, 74, had been admitted to the burn unit at Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh but was transferred to an undisclosed facility earlier this month.
The blaze, which started in a chair in a basement recreation room, killed the Pollocks' son, Mark, 46, a Shenango Township volunteer firefighter who lived with them.
Farm accident death
NEW WATERFORD -- The Columbiana County coroner's office is investigating the death of a Unity Township man found dead with his jacket entangled in the equipment drive-shaft of a tractor.
Raymond Mansell Jr., 67, of 48757 Hamilton Road, was killed around 11:30 a.m. Thursday in what appears to have been an accident, Fran Rudibaugh, a coroner's investigator, said Friday.
Mansell was working by himself on a farm tractor that was in or near an out-building at his home, Rudibaugh said.
It appears his death occurred after his jacket became caught in the tractor's power take-off shaft, a revolving part operated by the tractor's engine, Rudibaugh said.
An official ruling on Mansell's death has not been made.
BWC signs lease
YOUNGSTOWN -- Downtown's redevelopment agency has signed the last lease needed to build a state-county office building.
The executive committee of the Youngstown Central Area Community Improvement Corp. signed a two-year lease with 12 two-year renewals Friday with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. BWC will pay $244,000 a year rent for 20,000 square feet.
CIC is building a $7.5 million office. The office will house BWC and the Mahoning County Children Services Board. CIC signed a development agreement that included lease terms in September with the county to build the office.
The new office on West Federal Street will be next to the George V. Voinovich Government Center and attached to the center by a pedestrian bridge.
Arrested on drug charges
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 23-year-old West Ravenwood Avenue man was arrested on charges of trafficking in crack cocaine and marijuana, heroin abuse and possession of drug paraphernalia after a Thursday afternoon raid by the vice squad at 855 Parkview Ave.
Police said they arrested Mike Clarett as he attempted to flee the Parkview Avenue premises, leaving his cellular phone behind in the house. Inside the house, police said they found 19 small bags of crack cocaine and 17 small bags of suspected marijuana, all packaged for sale, one bindle of suspected heroin and an electronic scale.
Police said they found a pistol in the rear yard. The house had no furniture other than two couches, a table and a TV in the living room, and no running water, police said.