Grease fire damages bar

Grease fire damages bar
YOUNGSTOWN -- A grease fire at the Royal Oaks, 924 Oak St., resulted in $8,000 damage to the building and $3,000 to the contents, said fire Capt. Alvin Ware. The fire started when employees of the bar were cleaning the oven around 8 p.m. Tuesday, Ware said. There were no injuries. A spokesman at the Royal Oaks said the bar area is open, but he wasn't sure when the kitchen would be ready.
Rape trial under way
WARREN -- Trial is under way this week before Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for Ernest L. Averiett III, 33, who is charged with felonious assault, kidnapping, intimidation, two counts of rape and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer. A woman told police he had burned her with an iron on Aug. 18. He attempted to run from police from the parking lot of Fairview Gardens Housing Projects but was brought down by a police dog. Averiett has remained in Trumbull County Jail.
Children to meet Santa
BOARDMAN -- Shepherd of the Valley-Boardman will host its annual Breakfast with Santa for invited local children from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. SOV-Boardman, 7148 West Blvd., has hosted Breakfast with Santa for six years with an average attendance of 150 children up to age 10 and their families. Each child is given the opportunity to sit and visit with Santa and receives a free photo and small gift from the jolly old elf.
Warren woman indicted
CLEVELAND -- A Warren woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of trafficking in counterfeit copyrighted labels and criminal infringement of copyrights. The indictment says that Cindy A. Martin, 47, of 2881 Fairview Ave. S.E., between Oct. 1, 2003, and Jan. 29, 2004, infringed the copyright of about 100 motion pictures by reproducing and distributing 10 or more copies within a 180-day period. She's also accused of trafficking or attempting to traffic in counterfeit labels affixed or designed to be affixed to 36 audio CDs containing unauthorized or pirated copies of copyrighted music/audio works. The case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Kern, was investigated by the FBI's Youngstown office.
Sobriety tests planned
The Operating Vehicle Under the Influence Task Force will be conducting a sobriety check point Friday at a location in Mahoning County. The sobriety checkpoint is aimed at identifying areas that have high incidents of OVI arrests and traffic related crashes. Officers from various jurisdictions will be staffing the checkpoint. Additionally, Mahoning County police agencies will have extra officers on duty this weekend conducting saturation patrols in conjunction with the checkpoint. The OVI task force is funded by a grant obtained by Mahoning County commissioners and the District Board of Health.
Man faces fraud charges
CLEVELAND -- A New Middletown man has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Gregory A. White, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, said Karl H. Scheetz of 4912 Middletown Road, who worked for hospital supply vendor Source Products of Youngstown, schemed with an employee of Alliance Community Hospital to bill the hospital for supplies it never ordered, from 1997 to 2000. The indictment further charges that when the hospital began to investigate, Scheetz tried to conceal the fraud by destroying hospital records. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Virginia Hearey, after an investigation by the Canton office of the FBI.