Man cleared in shooting

Man cleared in shooting
YOUNGSTOWN -- A jury deliberated an hour Wednesday before clearing Mark Hopkins of shooting another man last fall.
Hopkins, 32, of Griffith Street, had been on trial in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for felonious assault. Police and prosecutors said he shot Frederick Johnson of Clyde Street during an altercation in October 2003.
"The case came down to the credibility of the state's complaining witness. It was just too inconsistent over time," said defense attorney Mark Lavelle.
Assistant Prosecutor Jason M. Katz said he was disappointed with the verdict.
Judge Maureen A. Cronin issued an order from the bench for Hopkins to be immediately released from jail.
Arrested after crash
YOUNGSTOWN -- Gary D. Carter, 44, of Mistletoe Avenue was arrested at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday after crashing a stolen pickup truck on Hillman Street, police said. Police said Carter is under 10 open suspensions of his license. The 1980 Chevrolet pickup was stolen in Youngstown in late April. Carter faces charges of driving under suspension, receiving stolen property and failure to maintain assured clear distance.
Multiple citations issued
YOUNGSTOWN -- After sorting out a minor three-car crash on Glenwood Avenue on Wednesday night, police cited two drivers -- one for having no license and one for having a suspended license. Police said Jaron B. Oates, 22, of East Lucius Avenue was northbound on Glenwood when his car collided with a southbound car driven byDaniel Feliciano, 41, of Brooklyn Avenue. Police said Feliciano misjudged the distance needed to turn left onto Almyra Avenue Jason Carron, 21, of Spring Park Drive, Boardman, driving behind Oates, then crashed into Feliciano's car, police said. Oates, whose license was suspended for failure to pay child support, was issued a citation for that offense. Feliciano received a citation for having no license, failure to yield while turning and no insurance.
Mayor's court session
LOWELLVILLE -- The first session of the newly established mayor's court Tuesday evening brought in $100 -- $50 in court costs and $50 in fines.
Three cases were to be heard, but one was transferred to Struthers Municipal Court after Mayor Jim Iudiciani decided not to hear the case, and another failed to appear.
The fine schedule is $50 for minor misdemeanors and $100 for fourth-degree misdemeanors. Court costs are $50, with $10 of that earmarked for the mayor's capital improvement fund.
Mayor's court will be on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and will be re-evaluated at the end of the year to determine its cost effectiveness.
Trial set for woman
YOUNGSTOWN -- Trial is scheduled for July 14 in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for bartender Margaret A. Messner, who faces six counts of drug trafficking. The 55-year-old Enon Valley, Pa., woman pleaded innocent to the charges at her arraignment Tuesday.
Magistrate Eugene Fehr set bond at $12,500 cash or surety and Messner remains in the county jail. A defense attorney will be appointed to represent her at taxpayers' expense because Messner was deemed indigent.
Messner was arrested early Saturday at Smitty's Bar, 14156 Youngstown-Pittsburgh Road, New Springfield, where she worked as a bartender. Authorities seized cash and drugs during the arrest.
Answering fund questions
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Board of Education will have two public meetings Friday to answer questions and seek input regarding two types of federal funds allocated to the school district.
A 10 a.m. meeting will consider Title VI-B funds for low-income pupils. An 11 a.m. meeting will consider Public Law 99-457 Early Childhood Funds for pupils with disabilities. Both meetings will be in Room 116 at the Irene L. Ward Building, 20 W. Wood St.
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.