Killed pedestrian ID'd

Killed pedestrian ID'd
YOUNGSTOWN -- The pedestrian killed as he walked on Interstate 680 was identified by police as Jason E. Singiser, 23, of North Richview Avenue. Singiser, who had been walking on the right shoulder, stepped onto the roadway and was struck by a tractor-trailer traveling eastbound near the Meridian Road exit just before 4 p.m. Monday, police said.
Teen reported missing
YOUNGSTOWN -- Anyone who has information about the whereabouts of 15-year-old Rayshanelle Johnson is asked to call Detective Sgt. Alice Tanner at (330) 743-9380 or her father, Raymond Johnson, at (330) 360-1275. Rayshanelle was reported missing Jan. 5 from her Sherwood Avenue home.
Allowed to burn down
YOUNGSTOWN -- For safety reasons, a vacant house at 1422 Bryson St. on the North Side that was intentionally set on fire was allowed to burn to the ground, the fire department said. The fire was reported at 2:44 a.m. Tuesday. The first crews on the scene found the two-story house fully engulfed in flames. Records show the house was built in 1916.
School finance forum
STRUTHERS -- The city and Struthers Board of Education will host a public school finance forum at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Struthers Middle School. Speakers are state Rep. John Boccieri of New Middletown, D-61st, who will talk about the school funding problem in Ohio, and Western Reserve School District Superintendent Charles Swindler, who will speak about how money that appears to be received by school districts is reduced because of state and federal mandates and regulations.
Disappearance trial
MERCER, Pa. -- Opening statements were to be this morning in Mercer County Common Pleas Court in the trial of a Beaver County man on charges connected to the disappearance of a Mercer County woman in May 2000. Clifford Aley Jr. is charged with four felony counts of hindering apprehension by giving false information to law enforcement authorities. Aley, 47, of Ambridge, is accused of lying to police about circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Sandra Kay Baker, then 46, and of being involved in disposing of her car. Baker was last seen at a gas station May 25, 2000. Her body has not been found. Baker's fianc & eacute;e, William Crea Jr., of Delaware Township, had hired Aley, a private investigator, to investigate Baker during their engagement.
Fighting illegal drugs
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett and White House drug policy specialist Mary Ann Solberg will be in New Castle on Thursday to talk about local efforts to rid the community of illegal drugs. Federal and local drug control organizations, faith-based agencies, members of the community, parent support groups and business leaders are also expected to participate. The program will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at New Castle High School Field House, 300 Lincoln Ave.
Marijuana at school
YOUNGSTOWN -- A counselor at Mollie Kessler School on Wood Street reported to police that suspected marijuana was found in a 14-year-old pupil's book bag. The girl said Monday that she was given the marijuana by a fellow pupil as a gift.
Schools budget OK'd
McDONALD -- The McDonald Board of Education approved a budget for the 18-month period from July 1 to Dec. 31, 2007, of $9.44 million, reflecting a 3.1 percent increase over the last 18-month budget.