Animal fund-raiser

Animal fund-raiser
WARREN -- Baseball fans can help the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County while enjoying America's pastime.
The league will receive half the ticket price for tickets it sells to Mahoning Valley Scrappers games. Tickets bought through AWL are good for any home game. The cost is $8 for a box seat or participate in the July 10 Bring Your Pet to the Park Day and pay $7 for a grandstand seat.
Call Crystal Shiley at (330) 394-3880 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for more information or to buy tickets.
Power outage
SALEM -- About 17,000 homes and businesses were without electricity for nearly an hour after what is believed to have been a lightning strike affected a power transmission line. The outage, which occurred at 8:30 p.m., interrupted electric service near Canfield, Ellsworth and Salem, LuAnn Koch, an Ohio Edison spokeswoman, said today.
Teacher contract
SALEM -- The school board has agreed to a new one-year labor pact that will have teachers working through next year under virtually the same contract terms they now have.
The no-change deal was adopted because the district is struggling financially. Earlier this year, the district's nonteaching staff made a similar agreement with the school board.
The teachers' new contract, being called a "roll-over" by school officials, starts Sept. 1 and expires Aug. 31, 2005.
Blaze destroys building
JAMESTOWN, Pa. -- A wooden kiln-type oven used to dry raw materials caught fire and the blaze quickly spread, destroying the tear gas manufacturing building at Combined Tactical Systems Inc. on Kinsman Road. Mark Baer, state police fire marshal, determined the cause of the fire and ruled the blaze accidental. The half-dozen employees working in that facility were on break when the fire broke out around 2 p.m. June 2, and no one was in the building at the time. Damage was estimated at $250,000.
Theft, drug charges
ELLWOOD CITY, Pa. -- A 29-year-old man was arrested while running south on 6th Street near Lawrence Avenue after police received a report he had just stolen the pay telephone at Vinny's Restaurant, 620 Beaver Ave. Apprehended Tuesday was Joseph A. Milone, whose last known address was in Tucson, Ariz. A search found him to be in possession of a crack pipe and drugs -- OxyCoden and Alprazolam, police said. Milone was charged with theft, criminal mischief, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal possession of controlled substances.
Woman charged with fraud
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- A 25-year-old city woman is charged with food stamp fraud after Lawrence County Assistance Office accused her of failing to disclose her assets. Melody D. Hake, of Harlansburg Road, is charged with unlawfully obtaining public assistance, a first-degree misdemeanor. Matthew T. Mangino, county district attorney, said Hake collected $2,836 in food stamps while concealing resources available to her from an investment account beginning Aug. 1, 2002.
VA clinics to be closed
YOUNGSTOWN -- In respect of former President Reagan, VA clinics throughout Northeast Ohio and nonemergency outpatient services at Wade Park and Brecksville will be closed Friday. The urgent-care center at Wade Park will remain open. Veterans with appointments for Friday will be notified of a rescheduled appointment. Veterans also may call their VA clinic to arrange a new appointment date.
Office hours changed
HILLSVILLE, Pa. -- Mahoning Township supervisors announced a change in office hours at the township building. New hours, which will begin Monday, are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to noon Friday. The office was formerly open until 2 p.m. but closed during lunch. Supervisors pointed out that the new hours are only for the township offices, not the tax office.