Boardman women in crash now in critical condition

Boardman women in crashnow in critical condition
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Two Boardman residents were severely injured Friday in a car crash in Wilmington Township, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Georgeanne Popovich, 50, and Mellissa Popovich, 24, of Lockheath Lane, were flown to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, where a hospital spokeswoman said they were in critical condition Friday night.
According to police, Robert Carrol of Niles, Ohio, drove his vehicle through a stop sign on Johnson Road and crashed into a vehicle operated by Popovich, who was headed north on Pa. Route 158.
Carrol, 42, was not injured in the crash, police said.
Feds bust cocaine suspect
BOARDMAN -- Federal authorities have arrested William Ghinda of Hudson Drive and charged him with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
A spokesman for the U.S. Drug Enforcement administration said Friday that a search warrant was executed at Ghinda's home and suspected cocaine was seized along with documents and assets believed to have been purchased with drug proceeds.
During the investigation, multiple purchases of cocaine were made from Ghinda, the spokesman said.
Chief Jeffery Patterson of the township police department said, "I've long said that drugs are behind 80-90 percent of the crime in Boardman Township. This is another example of the many successes that we have achieved by combining our resources with the DEA."
Victim in intensive care
LIBERTY -- A 71-year-old township man was in intensive care at Forum Health Northside Hospital Friday evening after his car was struck by a hit-and-run driver.
Clayton Orechoneg of 217 Colonial Drive was injured in the 7:35 a.m. accident at the intersection of Trumbull and Belmont avenues.
Trooper Jim Quinlan of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said that Orechoneg was driving his car north on Belmont and had entered the intersection to make a left turn onto Trumbull. He was stuck head-on by a southbound car running a red light. The southbound car left the scene after the crash.
A suspect in the case has been found, but he had not been formally charged as of Friday evening.
Housing group scores well
WARREN -- The Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority has earned a perfect 100 percent score -- for the third consecutive year -- from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for administration of its Housing Choice Voucher Program.
This initiative provides housing assistance to low-income households.
TMHA's performance was measured in 12 key areas relating to its ability to manage the program and help eligible families afford decent rental units at a reasonable subsidy cost.
Base effort commended
VIENNA -- Operation: Save Our Airbase, the community coalition working to protect the Youngstown Air Reserve Station from closing, commended Trumbull County commissioners this week for creating an airport zoning board.
This board is supposed to ensure that future development around the base is compatible with military and Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
The Department of Defense last year announced a round of base closure hearings, with the possibility of closing 25 percent of the nation's installations.
Man pleads innocent
WARREN -- A Grant Street Southeast man pleaded innocent to aggravated burglary and receiving stolen property in connection with a break-in Tuesday on Bittersweet Drive Northeast, Howland.
Robert Leasock, 32, appeared in Warren Municipal Court on Wednesday.
The homeowner had reported the crime and police stopped a van being driven by Leasock soon afterward. The van had been reported stolen in Warren.
Detective reports crime
WARREN -- Trying to steal a vehicle in plain view of a city police detective has landed a Youngstown man in the Trumbull County Jail.
Police report that Detective Geoffrey Fusco observed Charles W. Paige, 46, of Elm Street, Youngstown, taking a vehicle from the Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital lot at 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
Fusco followed the vehicle until other officers arrived, and then stopped Paige on Fulton Street S.E. He is charged with theft of a motor vehicle.