Ohio AFL-CIO endorses Cafaro for Congress

Ohio AFL-CIO endorsesCafaro for Congress
The Ohio AFL-CIO, which represents 1,600 unions and more than 750,000 workers in the state, endorsed Democrat Capri Cafaro of Hunting Valley, and formerly of Liberty, for the 14th Congressional District seat. Cafaro is challenging U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette, a Concord Township Republican, who received the organization's endorsement in 2002.
The United Auto Workers also endorsed Cafaro in the race, and had supported LaTourette in 2002. The district includes seven northern townships in Trumbull County, as well as all of Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga counties, and portions of Cuyahoga, Portage and Summit counties.
Police join crackdownon drunken driving
NILES -- City police are participating in the nationwide "You Drink & amp; Drive, You Lose" campaign that began today and runs through Sept. 12. This is the first drunken-driving crackdown since all 50 states and the District of Columbia instituted a legal blood-alcohol limit of 0.08 percent. Police are reminding motorists to not to drink and drive. If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver; use mass transit, a taxi or a sober friend to drive you home; spend the night where activities are held; report impaired drivers to police; and always buckle up.
Kerry office to open
LISBON -- The Kerry-Edwards headquarters for Columbiana County will open at noon Saturday at 124 E. Lincoln Way.
The headquarters will serve as the office for Democrats working to elect John Kerry for president, and the rest of the Democratic ticket. The event is open to the public, and will include prize giveaways and a hot dog roast.
Fire damagesvacant house
NILES -- The fire department was putting out flames until midnight after getting a call at 10:21 p.m. Thursday for a house fire at a 7 W. First St. Fire officials said that the house was vacant and the power and gas were turned off. No one was hurt and damage estimates were not available.
A resident had reported seeing four to five men running down the alley 10 minutes before the fire call. Coinciding with the report, Niles police received an anonymous call at 10:38 p.m. from a person who said that juveniles were supposed to burn down a house on First Street sometime before midnight. There are no suspects at this time, police said.
New county Web site
LISBON -- The Columbiana County Data Processing Board announced Thursday that a new Web site -- www.columbianacounty.org -- will allow access to the records of many county offices that had their own Web sites. They include the auditor, sheriff, treasurer and clerk of courts. The commissioners' and recorder's offices also plan to become linked to the new site.
Illegal immigrants nabbed
MERCER, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police continue to nab illegal immigrants seeking to pass through Mercer County on Interstate 80. Police said they caught four men in a vehicle stopped for a traffic violation in the eastbound lanes in Findley Township around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.
Two were from Peru, one was from Ecuador and one from Colombia. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took the four into custody.
Two immigrants were picked up around 9:15 a.m. Monday in almost the same spot. One was from Sierra Leone and the other from Senegal, police said. Troopers have caught nearly 100 illegal immigrants on I-80 over the past two months.
Hearing scheduled
NILES -- A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday for a 30-year-old man charged with aggravated arson.
Paul E. Myers, of 76 Barcelona Ave., was arraigned Thursday in municipal court. His bond was set at $20,000.
Weathersfield Fire Chief Randy Pugh said Myers is accused of burning down his Barcelona mobile home Wednesday morning. Pugh said the fire caused about $25,000 to his home and $4,000 to nearby homes. He was arrested Wednesday afternoon at a Nash Street residence in Niles.
Pugh said the utilities were turned off at Myers' mobile home for two to three months, but it was furnished and appeared livable.