Trumbull Co. spelling bee

Trumbull Co. spelling bee
CHAMPION -- Abbie Rhine, a pupil at St. Patrick School, Hubbard, won first place in the Trumbull County Educational Service Center spelling bee held Wednesday at Champion High School. The annual event is co-sponsored by the ESC and the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber.
The other pupils in the top 10 were: Bethany Schmucker, Southington Middle School, second; Brittany Yeager, Joseph Badger Middle School, Kinsman, third; David Barnes, Lakeview Middle School, Cortland, fourth; Kerstyn Motter, Reed Middle School, Hubbard, fifth; Michael Benich, Lakeview High School, Cortland, sixth; Bradley Baker, Queen of Peace School, seventh; Hannah Jefferson, Gustavus Elementary, eighth; Joey Profanchik, Jackson Elementary, Niles, ninth; and Manish Mehta, Howland Middle School, 10th.
Counting pop tabs
HARTFORD -- Fourteen pupils at Hartford Elementary School will count pop tabs for a worthy cause.
The Shenango Valley Chapter of the Penn-Ohio Singers collected about 175 pounds of pop tabs and donated them to Caryn Devanny's second-grade class at the school, which is part of the Joseph Badger School District.
The class will count the tabs and donate them to the Ronald McDonald House as a service project.
"The Ronald McDonald House recycles them and uses the money so that children's families don't have to pay to stay with them when they're in the hospital," the teacher said.
The children are ecstatic about their donation, she said.
Principal Ken Kashner said that the tabs occupy three large boxes and several bags at the school. Because of the amount, they may change the way they're counted, weighing them rather than counting each one by hand.
About 1,450 pop tabs comprise a pound.
Watershed group to meet
JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- The Penn Ohio Watershed Association is holding its monthly meeting from 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Ranger Station. Topics will include an upcoming teachers workshop on Pennsylvania songbirds and the annual Pymatuning Lake Clean-up Day.
Meetings are open to all who are interested. For more information, call (330) 637-2056. For directions to the Ranger Station, call (724) 932-3142.
Attorney files noticeof appeal in conviction
YOUNGSTOWN -- An attorney for Sabrina Bray, who was convicted earlier this month in a 2001 killing, has filed a notice of appeal with the 7th District Court of Appeals. Bray, 24, of Park Avenue, was found guilty by a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court jury earlier this month of complicity to murder in the 2001 killing of 29-year-old Alyson Buckner.
She was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison by Judge Jack Durkin. Authorities said Buckner was killed over a drug debt. Bray insisted during and after her trial that she is innocent. The notice of appeal was filed by Atty. Dennis DiMartino.
Prostitution-relatedcharges filed against two
YOUNGSTOWN -- Members of the vice squad made two prostitution-related arrests Wednesday evening after setting up surveillance in the Hillman Street area. Stefan Breedlove, 43, of Stewart Avenue and Elizabeth Gregory, 41, of Willis Avenue were arrested at 6:30 p.m. and charged with loitering to engage in solicitation.
Police also served Gregory with six old warrants for prostitution-related offenses. Breedlove was also charged with driving under suspension and possession of drug paraphernalia (crack pipe). Records show Breedlove is on probation to municipal court on a drug conviction and owes more than $2,000 in fines and costs on a variety of cases dating to 1994.
Identity theft
CAMPBELL -- A 45-year-old Porter Avenue man is one of several people whose names, addresses and Social Security numbers have been used to open fraudulent wagering accounts to bet on horse races using the Internet.
City police said the man was notified by police in Grove City, Ohio, that two accounts had been opened using his name, address and Social Security number and that they obtained the information during an ongoing investigation involving "numerous people" whose identities have been used.