Board certifies election

Board certifies election
YOUNGSTOWN -- The Mahoning County Board of Elections on Tuesday certified the final results of the Nov. 7 election. There were no changes to the results from the unofficial count on election night.
Santa is coming to town
YOUNGSTOWN -- Santa will arrive on the city's Central Square downtown Saturday. The event begins at 3 p.m. with a performance by the Plazateer Marching Band followed by a magic show with John Steven Bloom at 4 p.m. The city's Christmas tree will be lighted and Santa will arrive.
Money reported stolenfrom secretary's car
BOARDMAN -- The financial secretary of Ohltown United Methodist Church in Austintown told police that 548 in cash and 1,278 in checks for the church were stolen from his car while it was parked at R.L. Best, a Bev Road manufacturing company, on Monday. He said that he usually deposits the church funds at the bank after work. When he arrived at his car after work Monday afternoon, the money was gone, he said. The man told police that his car was locked and it's unknown how entry was made, a police report said.
Firetruck hit; car flees
NILES -- Police are looking for a hit-skip motorist who ran into a firetruck after it delivered Santa Claus. Police Chief Bruce Simeone said firefighter Jerry Kirkwood was putting the truck back into its bay at the East State Street fire station about 6:30 p.m. Monday when a car attempted to go around it but instead struck it, bending its bumper. The truck's emergency lights had been activated. Simeone said police are looking for a red Pontiac, parts of which were left at the scene. The truck had just delivered Santa to a holiday event. The truck remains operational.
New bridge to open
BROOKFIELD -- The new Stewart-Sharon Road bridge spanning Little Yankee Run will open to traffic at 2 p.m. Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Officials said the 63-foot-long, two-lane bridge replaces a single-lane bridge built in 1951. The new bridge cost about 420,000.
Tree case bound over
BOARDMAN -- A grand jury will hear the case of a Youngstown man charged with theft, accused of taking trees from a Beech Avenue lot. Ronald Eiselstein, 46, of Fifth Avenue, appeared Tuesday in Mahoning County Court here where the judge bound the case over to a Mahoning County grand jury. He was arrested last month after a Maple Avenue man reported Eiselstein cutting down trees and taking wood from property the man owns on Beech. Earlier this month, a misdemeanor theft charge from the township against Eiselstein was dismissed. Earlier this week, a Youngstown municipal court judge found Eiselstein guilty of a misdemeanor charge of cutting down trees in that city without permission. Eiselstein had pleaded no contest to a charge of harvesting timber without a permit. His sentencing is set for Jan. 3 in the city.
Festival of Treeskicks off today
The lobbies of St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, and St. Joseph Health Center, Warren, will become "winter wonderlands" when the annual Festival of Trees begins at 7:30 a.m. today and runs through noon Tuesday. The public is invited to the event, which has some 60 trees decorated with themes such as Support for Our Troops, Home for the Holidays, A Beary Merry Christmas, and Frosty and Friends. Patrons can buy raffle tickets for chances to win the trees. Tickets, which are 1 each or six for 5, will be on sale in the lobbies from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. today, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, and 7:30 a.m. to noon Tuesday, when the winning tickets will be drawn. Proceeds benefit hospital employees in need.