Bond, hearings set in two slayings

Bond, hearings set in two slayings
YOUNGSTOWN -- A man and a woman charged in separate homicides were arraigned Wednesday in municipal court. Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr. set bond at $500,000 and a preliminary hearing Tuesday for Charles E. Lynch, 27, of Chicago Avenue. Lynch is charged with murder in Saturday's drive-by shooting death of 32-year-old Martin Walker III of South Truesdale Avenue.
The judge set bond at $250,000 and a preliminary hearing Wednesday for Runako Stroud, 33, of Woodcrest Avenue. Stroud is charged with aggravated murder. The victim, Alvin Montgomery, 48, same address, was stabbed at home at 10:50 p.m. Tuesday and died later.
DiTomasso stays on health board
WARREN -- Dr. Pat DiTomasso, a retired osteopath from Liberty, has been elected to a full five-year term on the Trumbull County Board of Health.
A council composed of township trustees and mayors from the areas served by the county health department elected him member Tuesday night.
He is a current board member and the only one to apply for the new term.
In June 2003 Dr. DiTommaso was appointed to serve on the board, replacing Dr. Douglas Burchette, who resigned from the board for health reasons. Dr. Burchette's term would have expired this month.
Dr. DiTommaso was the only applicant for the seat at that time, too. It must be filled by a licensed physician.
Grant supports housing
HARRISBURG -- A $350,000 federal grant has been awarded to support housing rehabilitation in Wheatland.
State Sen. Bob Robbins of Greenville, R-50th, and Rep. Mike Gruitza of Hermitage, D-7th, announced that the HOME program funds would provide deferred loans to an estimated 21 families with very low incomes to bring their single-family homes up to standards.
The HOME program provides local governments with loan assistance and technical assistance to expand the supply of decent and affordable housing for low-income Pennsylvanians.
The program is administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.
Student art on display
ALLIANCE -- The works of more than 20 Mount Union College students will be on display during the Annual Student Art Show from Tuesday through March 31 in Crandall Art Gallery.
The students, representing a number of major fields of study, designed the pieces displayed in the exhibit, which include drawings, paintings, prints and sculptures.
The student artists include Cara McEldowney and Sarah Loudon, both sophomore art majors from Salem, and Dustin Lato, a junior psychology major from Lisbon.
Crandall Art Gallery is in Cope Music Hall, on the corner of Simpson Street and Union Avenue at Mount Union. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. All events are free and open to the public.
Demolition contracted
WARREN -- Board of education members voted to approve a contract with M & amp;M Demolition Inc., of Vienna, to tear down three buildings.
The board voted during Tuesday's regular meeting to pay the company $238,190 plus $15,400 to save artifacts from the buildings.
The company had the lowest of 15 bids.
The company will tear down the currently empty Dickey, McKinley and Roosevelt Elementary school buildings, said Linda Metzendorf, a school board member.
The buildings are vacant. Metzendorf said M & amp;M has 90 days to tear down the buildings.