ON THE SIDE. . .

ON THE SIDE. . .
This and that from the world of Valley politics.
JUDICIAL RACE: Mahoning County Republican precinct committee members will meet at 9:30 a.m. Aug. 7 at party headquarters on U.S. Route 224 to select their nominee for a seat on the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The governor appointed Maureen Sweeney of Poland to the position last week. Mahoning Republicans are expected to nominate Judge Sweeney to run in November as their party's candidate. Mahoning Democrats nominated Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court to run as their candidate in the general election. The winner would fill the balance of retired Judge Robert Lisotto's term, which expires Jan. 1, 2009.
Mere crumbs: Congress' 2005 Defense Appropriations Bill is awaiting the signature of President Bush to become law. The bill funds the Pentagon, military installations and projects for defense preparedness, and for emergency funding to pay for the country's operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The $416.2 billion bill includes $719.45 million for Ohio.
So how did the Mahoning Valley do? The only local mention is $7.5 million to be divided among RTI Titanium of Weathersfield with three other companies and The Ohio State University to research and improve advanced aerospace metals manufacturing processes. The press release from the state's two U.S. senators about the bill doesn't mention how that money would be divided.
skolnick@vindy.com