Newspaper theft

Newspaper theft
YOUNGSTOWN -- An employee of The Vindicator reported to police that she saw two men -- striking Vindicator employees -- take a bundle of Sunday newspapers from a drop-off point at Flynn's Tires on Mahoning Avenue around 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
The witness said she saw one bundle of newspapers had already been placed in the suspects' vehicle. The witness said that, when one of the suspects saw her, he dropped a second bundle. The two men, whom the witness identified for police, then fled.
The witness got the license number for detectives. One man is from Poland, the other from Canfield.
The witness was advised to contact the prosecutor's office to file charges.
Eastgate open house
AUSTINTOWN -- Eastgate Regional Council of Governments is hosting a public open house from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday for area residents to review and comment on the region's long-range transportation plan.
The session will be at Eastgate's office at 5121 Mahoning Ave.
Eastgate officials will provide information on the results of the agency's reassessment of Valley's transportation that was originally approved in 2002.
Rubbish, junk citation
YOUNGSTOWN -- Darrel E. Graffius, 49, of 330 Williamson Ave. was issued a citation charging deposit of rubbish and junk vehicles.
Patrolman Dan Mikus was sent to Graffius' residence Monday after a complaint was lodged about the yard. Mikus said he found 14 vehicles in the yard and adjacent vacant lot, 10 of which were unlicensed and inoperable. He also found a large amount of trash, rubbish, tires, batteries, discarded lawn mowers, old toys, old construction materials, rusty tools, tarps and broken-down trailers.
Mikus said he has issued several warnings to Graffius over the years and Graffius responds that he will do the jail time rather than clean up his property and has no money to pay a fine. A crime lab officer took photos of the debris.
Woman reports robbery
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 47-year-old Struthers woman told police she was robbed of her purse Monday evening in the Big Lots parking lot on East Midlothian Boulevard.
She told police there were several medications, including OxyContin, a powerful painkiller, and cash in her purse.
Man shot in thigh
YOUNGSTOWN -- Chris Shorter, 28, of East Pasadena Avenue was shot in the upper left thigh at 7:20 p.m. Monday when he came out of the F & amp;N Market on Shehy Street, reports show.
When interviewed at St. Elizabeth Hospital, Shorter told police a man he knows pulled up in a car and shot him after asking for money. Shorter told police his coat, with $200 in it, was taken by the shooter.
Covelli's donation
WARREN -- Covelli Enterprises, the largest franchisee of Panera, LLC, was to present a check for $15,000 and a donation of new toys to Toys for Tots today at the Panera Bread Cafe, 3641 Elm Road N.E.
The money will be used to further the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots mission of collecting new, unwrapped toys and distributing them as Christmas gifts to needy children in the community.
House damaged by fire
YOUNGSTOWN -- A fire at 437 W. Boston Ave. did around $15,000 damage to the house and $3,000 to the contents, said fire Capt. Alvin Ware.
He said the origin and cause of the Monday evening fire are under investigation. No injuries were reported, he said.
Mathews board meeting
VIENNA -- The Mathews Board of Education has changed the time of its regular meeting today.
The meeting will start at 5:30 p.m. with an executive session and the regular session will begin at 6 at the board office, 4434-B Warren-Sharon Road.