Body found in river

Body found in river
WARREN -- City police detectives and the Trumbull County coroner's office are investigating the death of a young man whose body was found in the Mahoning River on Monday morning. The deceased was identified as Stephen Barshney, 23, for whom no address was available. Police said they responded to a call reporting someone swimming in the river between South and Market streets at 10:30 a.m., and, upon arrival, they found Barshney's body floating in the river. Firefighters recovered the body from the river. Police Lt. Cathy Giovannone said she believes Barshney was from the Warren area.
Gun-permit revenue
WARREN -- County officials are expecting to collect about $450,000 this year from gun owners who buy freshly available concealed weapon permits.
About half the revenue from sale of the $45 permit will be sent to different state agencies, and half will be for use by the sheriff's department, said Sheriff Thomas Altiere.
He said he the money would likely just cover the department's administrative expenses for giving the permits.
Robber takes cash
GIRARD -- A strong-armed robber got away with cash Monday from the Family Dollar on North State Street after a struggle with an employee. The employee told police a man was checking out when he reached into the cash register drawer and grabbed cash. The worker said she got hold of the thief's hand, and dug in her fingernails. The thief pushed her against the wall and fled.
School library grant
LIBERTY -- The State Library of Ohio has approved a $23,695 grant for the W.S. Guy Middle School Library. The library will receive 19 wireless laptop computers that don't require an electrical connection to function.
The school library media specialist will work with language arts teachers to instruct pupils on electronic resources and with social studies and science teachers on projects.
Talk about mob
CORTLAND -- Atty. James B. Callen, executive director of Northeast Ohio Legal Services, will talk about the mob in the Mahoning Valley at 10 a.m. April 13, in the Viets Museum.
Continental breakfast will be served before the lecture. The cost is $5.
Avalon Inn tour
WARREN -- With the goal of bringing more group tours to the community, the Avalon Inn & amp; Resort today is hosting 45 group leaders from prominent travel companies.
The familiarization event, cosponsored by Buckeye Beeline Tours of Richfield, will offer Cleveland-area travel leaders the opportunity to tour the resort and learn more about what Trumbull County has to offer travelers.
Attendees will be taken on a guided tour of the resort, including the newly renovated indoor Junior Olympic-size swimming pool, as well as comprehensive renovation plans for the resort.
The Trumbull County Convention and Visitors Bureau will be conducting a presentation on area attractions as well as additional presentations by Ridgeview Farms and the Gerald E. Henn Basket Factory.
Public forum
McDONALD -- The public is invited to attend a forum at the McDonald High School auditorium, 600 Iowa Ave. at 7 p.m. Monday.
The forum is being held so that the school administrative staff can discuss the direction the school district will take for the 2004-05 school year.
Items for discussion will include open enrollment, school finances and budget, and elementary and high school curriculum and technology.
Residents are encouraged to attend.
Board, auditors to meet
MINERAL RIDGE --The Weathersfield Local Board of Education will meet in executive session at 6 p.m. April 7 at the high school with state auditors to review and discuss a performance audit the state has been doing in the district since last July.
The audit was triggered by the district's financial status.
The district was placed under a fiscal caution by the state in March 2003.
Mediation session
NILES -- The Ohio Association of Public School Employees Local 365 and the Niles Board of Education will meet for a mediation session Thursday.
The sides have been at an impasse in contract talks since last fall. The 122-member union has continued to work under the terms of the former contract.
The mediation session is the first since the union took a strike authorization vote last week. The union agreed to allow its negotiating team to issue a 10-day strike notice if it saw fit.
Key issues in the contract talks are health care insurance and staffing levels.