Health partnership seeks public opinion

Health partnershipseeks public opinion
SHARON, Pa. -- The Community Health Partnership of Mercer County is looking for public opinion to help define important health issues in the county.
The partnership is working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health in the development of a Statewide Health Improvement Plan that will be a model for health planning with emphasis on prevention of disease and disability, coordination of resources, interagency cooperation and improved government responsiveness.
A series of meetings has been scheduled for people to make their opinions known. They are:
UMonday: 9:30 a.m., Room 105, Penn State Shenango's Sharon Hall.
UWednesday: 1 p.m., Assembly Rooms D and E, UPMC Horizon's Greenville campus.
UNext Thursday: 1:30 p.m., Fellowship Hall of East Main Presbyterian Church, Grove City.
Child endangering
SALEM -- A Lowellville woman is to appear next Thursday in Columbiana County Municipal Court on a child endangering charge filed by Salem police after her 3-year-old son was found wandering along city streets.
Police charged Krista Little, 23, Center Road, with the first-degree misdemeanor Wednesday.
They said her son was spotted about 9:50 a.m. by residents near Liberty Street and Granite Avenue nearly two blocks from the home on the 1000 block of New Garden where Little was visiting.
The toddler was wearing only a dirty diaper and a short-sleeved shirt.
Columbiana County Children Services, called by police, gathered information that will be conveyed to Mahoning County authorities.
The boy was released to his mother's custody.
Fire loss estimate
EAST LIVERPOOL -- Firefighters estimate loss between $500,000 and $700,000 in the May 3 fire that destroyed Six Recycling, 505 W. Maple St. The recycling business occupied a block on the city's east side. Fire investigators continue to seek the cause of the fire. The business is owned by Norman Six of nearby Chester, W.Va.
New Sharon cruisers
SHARON, Pa. -- The city police department will be getting a dozen new cruisers in mid-June. City council approved a lease package Wednesday to buy the Chevrolet Impalas under a state purchasing program with a four-year loan of $278,780 from Sky Bank at 3.88 percent interest.
The city will be able to buy the cars for $1 each at the end of the lease period. The plan is to put five of the new cars on backup status and to keep most of the current nine marked cars as backups as well. That will allow every new car to be off the road one shift per day, giving them an extended life, authorities said. The city normally replaces its cars every three years but expects to get four years out of the new vehicles.
CPR training offered
NEW SPRINGFIELD -- EMS Coordinator Karen Philibin announced that CPR training will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Springfield Township administration building. There will be a minimal cost. For questions, call the administration building at (330) 542-2377.
District restructuring
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle Area School Board members approved a restructuring of several schools that will save the district about $160,000 to $180,000 per year.
Superintendent George Gabriel said that the changes permitted him to eliminate two teaching positions and that the savings come from those salaries. Plans call for making the Croton Kindergarten Center into a pre-kindergarten center in the 2004-05 school year. A $639,000 federal grant will pay for that change, he said. H.W. Lockley Kindergarten and Primary Center will become the districtwide kindergarten center.
All pupils in grades one through three will attend John F. Kennedy, Thaddeus Stevens and West Side primary centers. The changes will allow the district to put nurses in every school. Currently, nurses move from school to school.
Gas leak at flea market
ROGERS -- Negley Fire Department responded Wednesday to a gas leak at the Rogers Community Auction and Open Air Market.
An auction spokeswoman said the leak was near the flea market buildings on Old Route 154. She said that the leak was repaired by American Gas workers and that, contrary to some press reports, no evacuations were necessary.