Court dismisses bed-tax suit

Court dismissesbed-tax suit
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Ohio Supreme Court has dismissed a suit filed by the Youngstown/Mahoning County Convention and Visitors Bureau against Mahoning County Auditor George Tablack over bed tax revenue.
The suit, filed in January, asked that Tablack be required to give the visitors bureau tax money collected during three months of the summer of 2003, before the visitors bureau was stripped of its funding source. County Prosecutor Paul Gains, who is legal counsel for elected officials, filed a motion asking that the visitors bureau suit be dismissed. Friday, the Supreme Court announced its dismissal of the case.
The county assesses a 3 percent tax on hotel and motel rooms rented in the county, called a bed tax. Previously, all of the tax revenue, about $450,000 a year, went to the visitors bureau to promote travel and tourism. However, on Oct. 9, 2003, Mahoning County commissioners voted to use 2 percent of the tax revenue to support operation of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport in Vienna, and 1 percent to fund a new visitors bureau formed by commissioners.
Woman found dead
YOUNGSTOWN -- A 51-year-old city woman was found dead in her Lakewood Avenue home Friday along with a dead cat and dog. A second dog was near death, suffering seizures and barely breathing.
A police report says Diane Fiorentino's death was deemed accidental by Ricky Jomorizick of the Mahoning County coroner's office.
She apparently died from asphyxiation after a generator in her basement malfunctioned, the report states.
Fiorentino's daughter found her mother lying face down in the living room about 6 p.m. and notified authorities. She told police the family bought the generator after her mother's gas was shut off in 2000. The electric was shut off three days ago.
Vehicular assault case
WARREN -- County prosecutors will decide whether to present the case of a city woman charged with aggravated vehicular assault to a grand jury.
Sarah O'Malley, 24, of Airport Road waived her right to a preliminary hearing on the charge Friday morning before Warren Municipal Court Judge Thomas P. Gysegem.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said O'Malley was driving west in the eastbound lanes of state Route 82 near state Route 46 shortly after 2 a.m. Jan. 10 before striking a vehicle driven by 21-year-old Jason Daskivich of Avalon Road, Warren.
Daskivich suffered severe injuries from the crash, the patrol said. O'Malley had a blood-alcohol content of .179, reports said. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.8.
Honoring Meshel
ROOTSTOWN -- The Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine is hosting a luncheon in honor of former state Sen. Harry Meshel's 80th birthday.
School officials said the invite-only event Tuesday will recognize Meshel's integral role in founding the college 31 years ago and his advocacy for medical education throughout his career.
Wanted on charge
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Parkwood Avenue man accused of sexually assaulting a 4-year-old girl in Omaha, Neb., is in Mahoning County jail pending extradition.
Gerald Guss, 21, is wanted on Omaha on a sexual assault charge. U.S. Marshals and members of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force arrested Guss about 2:45 p.m. Friday at his home without incident. Marshals said Guss is accused of assaulting the girl May 25 in Omaha and then taking a bus back to Youngstown.
Meeting rescheduled
LORDSTOWN -- The Board of Public Affairs will meet at 9 a.m. June 21 in the Lordstown Administration Building, Salt Springs Road. The meeting was rescheduled from Monday.
Refinancing OK'd
YOUNGSTOWN -- City council passed an ordinance during a special meeting late Friday afternoon authorizing the board of control to refinance a promissory note on a U.S. Housing and Urban Development loan. Refinancing the note at a lower rate will save the city $400,000 over 10 years, the lawmakers said.