Lawyer's clients repaid

Lawyer's clients repaid
YOUNGSTOWN -- Nine clients of former lawyer Mark S. Colucci have been reimbursed a total of $52,484 by the Ohio Supreme Court's Clients' Security Fund, according to a press release from the CSF's board of commissioners.
Colucci, 47, of Austintown, resigned from practicing law in December 2004, the release says. He is serving an 18-month federal prison sentence for tax evasion and has been ordered to participate in a 500-hour drug treatment program and also receive mental health treatment while incarcerated. Colucci could be released as early as April 2006.
The state's high court created the CSF in 1985 to reimburse victims of attorney theft, embezzlement or misappropriation. It is funded by registration fees paid by Ohio's more than 37,000 lawyers.
Search for suspect
WARREN -- Police are searching for a suspect who threatened a man and pulled a weapon on an officer during a foot chase early Sunday.
A 21-year-old man reported the suspect, who was driving a dark blue four-door sedan, pointed an AK-47 type assault rifle at him at the Pit Stop, 1708 Youngstown Road. The vehicle was seen in a private drive on Wick Street Southeast. The driver fled and police pursued him on foot. The officer discharged two rounds when the suspect waved a weapon in his direction.
A video recorder caught another man flattening the tires on the suspect's car and removing something from it.
School damage arrests
WARREN -- Police arrested two juveniles for breaking 25 windows and damaging some doors at Western Reserve High School on Sunday evening. The two are also suspected of breaking windows at the school Saturday night. A total of 67 windows were broken over the two nights.
Entertainment meeting
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Youngstown Arts and Entertainment District Association will hear from owners of six new downtown businesses at its next meeting, 6 p.m. July 13, at the Ohio One Building's second floor auditorium. The public is invited to attend.
Scheduled to speak are: Mike Fonda of the Old Precinct, Howard Lindsey of Howard's, Jeff Kurz of Imbibe, James Sutman of Touch the Moon Candy Salon, Glen Shelton of Skeeters Jazz Bar, and Charles Staples of Charlie Staples Bar-B-Que.
Grant bolsters program
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Neshannock Township Police Department has received a $36,000 grant to enhance DUI enforcement.
The grant paid for sobriety checkpoint signs, barricades, personal equipment, a trailer, lights and a generator. The grant also will pay for officers' wages while working with DUI programs.
Other programs supported by the grant are DUI checkpoints, DUI Roving Patrols and DUI Awareness. About 10 officers from the Neshannock, New Wilmington and Northwest Lawrence Regional police departments will start a roving patrol this weekend.
The grant is from the Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania DUI Association in conjunction with the Western Alliance Team DUI Task Force.
Salem year-end meeting
SALEM -- The Salem Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 5:30 p.m. today in the administration building to authorize year-end final estimated resources, appropriations, advance and transfers. An executive session will follow to discuss the assignment, appointment, compensation of personnel and pending litigation.
Contracts renewed
COLUMBIANA -- The Columbiana Board of Education renewed several contracts for special educational services at a special meeting this week.
Since part of the school district lies in Mahoning County, the district contracts with the Mahoning County ESC for some services, such as speech teachers and school psychologists. The board also approved several personnel contracts and accepted the resignation of an art teacher.