Warren schools project

Warren schools project
WARREN -- The city school board approved an agreement with a Dublin, Ohio, company for architectural services for the school building project.
Fanning/Howey Associates Inc. will perform professional design services for about $9 million, said Linda Metzendorf, board president.
Last November, voters approved a bond issue for the local portion of the roughly $170 million building project. The Ohio School Facilities Commission is providing 80 percent of the project cost with local dollars supplying the remaining 20 percent.
The plan is to build five kindergarten-through-eighth-grade buildings and a high school. The current school buildings likely will be demolished.
Council candidates
WARREN -- Six candidates have submitted their names, seeking to fill a vacancy on the city council.
The at-large vacancy was created when Councilman Robert A. Marchese was appointed council president earlier this month. Bill Dolan, Robert Dean Jr., John Hunter, Ronald White, Tristan Hand, Mike Manios and Manuel Michelakis are seeking the post.
The city's precinct committee members will meet at 6 p.m. March 4 in the cafeteria of Trumbull Business School to fill the vacancy.
Streetlight outages
LORDSTOWN -- Village officials are asking residents to help them report streetlight outages to Ohio Edison.
Street Commissioner George Ebling said his department is working with OE to handle the outages, which have been occurring regularly.
Anyone wishing to report an outage can call the street department at (330) 824-2465, or visit the village's Web site at www.lordstown.com and fill out an online form.
Citation for house
YOUNGSTOWN -- Boyd E. Davis, 67, of Rockwood Drive, Liberty, was issued a citation Tuesday at his home that charges he failed to secure a vacant and unsafe house at 763 Fairmont Ave. on the city's North Side.
Reports show that Davis was told by a housing inspector last July to board up the vacant house and has refused to repair or demolish the structure.
Davis was uncooperative with the housing inspector who issued the citation Tuesday and called Liberty police, who arrived and explained that the situation was being dealt with legally, reports show. Davis then called Liberty police back and demanded that an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper be sent to tow the Liberty cruiser from his driveway.
Davis owes $1,485 in delinquent taxes on the property, which has a value of $5,900, according to Mahoning County records.
Charged in fire
YOUNGSTOWN -- Richard A. Rice, 44, of Cabot Avenue was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated arson in the Feb. 8 burning of a house at 2112 Donald Ave.
Fire Lt. Kevin Johnson said the house was in the process of being sold.
Johnson said Rice's motive for setting the fire was an alleged $50 debt.
The house, valued at $20,000, was a total loss, Johnson said. The renter was away at the time of the fire.
Snow tow ordinance
SALEM -- City residents must get their vehicles off street-side parking spaces during heavy snows, or tow-truck drivers will do it for them.
City council approved changes Tuesday in a snow-emergency ordinance. They include making all city streets, instead of just a few, subject to a snow-emergency declaration.
When an emergency is announced over the radio or television, residents must take their vehicles off the street to allow snow plows to more efficiently remove snow. Vehicles that aren't moved may be towed and their owners fined.