Trick-or-treat safety

Trick-or-treat safety
YOUNGSTOWN -- Extra city police -- four officers -- will be out from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday for a "Halloween blitz" to increase the safety of children who will be trick-or-treating. Halloween hours are 4 to 6 p.m. The officers will concentrate on speed, safety belt and child restraint enforcement. The officers' overtime will be paid by a traffic enforcement grant, said Lt. Robin Lees.
No new talks scheduledin nursing home strike
NORTH LIMA -- A spokeswoman for Humility of Mary Health Partners says no new contract talks have been scheduled with the Service Employees International Union, District 1199, which began picketing the Assumption Village nursing home Friday morning. The contract between HMHP and the 140 practical nurses, nursing assistants, housekeepers, dietary, laundry and maintenance workers in the union expired Sept. 30. HMHP Spokeswoman Tina Creighton said agency workers and employees from other HMHP facilities are filling in for the striking workers and that services at the nursing home have not been disrupted. A union spokesman has said HMHP has proposed pension changes, increases in workers' share of health-care costs and reimbursement changes for unused sick days and paid days off. The spokesman said HMHP has offered annual pay increases of 1 percent per year for three years, but the workers are accustomed to higher yearly rates.
Preliminary hearing set
CAMPBELL -- Demitrius Morris, 20, of 74 Jean St., will appear in municipal court Dec. 17 for a preliminary hearing on charges of receiving stolen property, falsification, driving under suspension and underage possession of alcohol. Morris was arrested Oct. 1 driving a vehicle reported stolen by a Boardman couple who told police they'd been carjacked. Morris is also charged with possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Official's hearing
CAMPBELL -- Robert T. Dolan, president of the Campbell Board of Education, will appear in municipal court Feb. 11 for a pretrial hearing on charges of driving under the influence and passing left of center. The charges had been dismissed during a suppression hearing in September after the arresting police officer failed to appear. Prosecutor Brian J. Macala refiled the charges last Friday after learning that the subpoena for the officer had never been issued. Dolan was arrested during a traffic stop May 2.
Drug charges
CAMPBELL -- Dewon R. Dawson, 21, of W. Myrtle Avenue, Youngstown, will appear in municipal court Feb. 11 for a preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated drug trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension and running stop signs. He was arrested Oct. 17 after a traffic stop.
Gold Seal of Approvalfor Trumbull Memorial
WARREN -- Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital has received the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' Gold Seal of Approval for meeting national standards for safety and quality of care. The Gold Seal of Approval gives the hospital accreditation from the Joint Commission through April 24, 2007. According to a written statement from the hospital, the commission "seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations."
Marriage license denied
ERIE, Pa. (AP) -- Violet DeFonsey and Nohealani Jones were the first same-sex couple to attempt to apply for a marriage license in Erie County, officials said. They were denied because Pennsylvania law defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman. "State law is very clear on this," said Erie County Clerk of Records Patrick Fetzner. "It would absolutely be an exercise in futility." The couple asked for a marriage license application partly in an attempt to get spousal benefits. DeFonsey, a 49-year-old disabled veteran, and Jones, 23, also petitioned the Erie County Office of Veterans Affairs for spousal benefits. John Williams, director of the office, said they're the first same-sex couple in the county to approach him for benefits.