World's oldest person gets jury duty summons

World's oldest persongets jury duty summons
NORTH LIMA -- The world's oldest person, Charlotte Benkner, who celebrated her 114th birthday Nov. 16, has been summoned to jury duty.
"I'm sure I could do good service," Benkner told her niece, Mary O'Hare, of Boardman, after O'Hare read the summons to her while opening her mail Friday.
Benkner suffers from macular degeneration and most days can see only shadows.
"I told her, 'But Aunt Charlotte, you can't hear,' And she said, 'They would just have to repeat it,'" O'Hare said, chuckling.
Benkner also wears a hearing aid.
According to the summons, Benkner is to report for duty as a petit juror at the jury office in the Mahoning County Courthouse on March 15.
She is a staunch Republican who has voted in every election since women were given the right to vote.
Temporary closuresof interstate lanes
YOUNGSTOWN -- Motorists can look forward to short-term lane closures on Interstate 80 and 680 next week.
The Ohio Department of Transportation said there will be various lane closures for about one-hour on I-80 between I- 680 and state Route 11 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.
ODOT also said there will be closures for about one hour on I-680 between I-80 and state Route 7 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.
Judge denies request
YOUNGSTOWN -- A judge has denied a request to modify the 10-year prison sentence being served by 26-year-old Danielle Kramer for involuntary manslaughter.
Kramer is in prison for killing Charise Harmon, 25, of Palmer Street, during a fight that followed a traffic accident near F & amp;N Market on Shehy Street in 2000. Her lawyer, Joseph Rafidi, filed a motion in January asking Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to modify the sentence and release her early.
But Judge Krichbaum ruled Friday that a sentence modification is not proper under the law, and denied the request. Kramer is not scheduled to be released from prison until 2010.
Preliminary hearing
CAMPBELL -- John J. Mamounis, 23, of Fairview Street, is set to appear in municipal court June 25 for pretrial and preliminary hearings on charges of resisting arrest, obstructing police business, two counts of carrying a concealed weapon, failure to control his vehicle, and failure to stop after an accident.
He was arrested Feb. 19 after leaving the scene of an accident on First Street and leading police on a foot chase. He was carrying two loaded handguns and extra ammunition.
Forgery charge
STRUTHERS -- Jeffrey M. Gallagher, 21, of Creed Street, was bound over to the Mahoning County grand jury on charges of theft and forgery during a preliminary hearing in municipal court Friday.
According to police, Gallagher stole at least two checks in January from a woman, made them out to himself and cashed them.
Case to grand jury
STRUTHERS -- Ronald Aaron, 40, of Poland Avenue, was bound over to the grand jury on a felony domestic violence charge during a preliminary hearing in municipal court Friday.
According to police, Aaron knocked his 38-year-old girlfriend to the ground, choked her and knocked four of her teeth loose during a fight Feb. 11.
Aaron is also charged with probation violation and is slated to appear in municipal court on that charge March 12. He was sentenced to one year's probation after being found guilty of domestic violence last year. That sentence, the police report states, is applicable until March.
Collecting history
LEETONIA -- Leetonia Middle School problem-solving team is collecting items related to Leetonia's history to create historical trunks. The problem solving team has organized a junior historical society and is seeking items such as clothing, tools, copies of documents or photographs about the Cherry Valley coke ovens, Italian immigrants, American Indians and the Charles Nelson Schmick House. Items may be dropped off at the high school library. For more information, call Jean Metzger at (330) 424-1436 ext. 720.
Meeting canceled
MINERAL RIDGE -- A special meeting of the Weathersfield Board of Education previously set for Wednesday has been canceled. The board is scheduled to meet in regular session at 7 p.m. March 24 in the high school library, treasurer Angela Lewis said