Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Candidates forum
CHAMPION -- The Trumbull County League of Women Voters will sponsor a candidates forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Kent State University Trumbulll Campus, Lecture Hall A, 4135 Mahoning Ave. The forum will feature candidates running in the races for Trumbull County commissioner and 64th and 65th District state representatives.
Smoke damages home
AUSTINTOWN -- No one was injured during a fire at a township home over the weekend. The fire happened at 8:30 a.m. Sunday at the home of Russ Bloom, 702 S. Meridian Road, the fire department reported. Youngstown Fire Department was mistakenly called out first, said assistant Chief Andy Frost, and had the fire under control by the time the Austintown department got there. The fire started on the third floor of the home on a bed, he said, but the department hasn't determined what started it. The home had extensive smoke damage, he said. The Red Cross is helping the family.
Leaf pickup restrictions
STRUTHERS -- The city will pick up leaves that are in paper disposable bags, which can be bought at most hardware and other stores, Mayor Daniel Mamula said. He said the city will no longer pick up leaves in plastic bags, but residents can still put leaves in plastic bags for pickup by their trash hauler.
Electric bills to rise 50%
MERCER, Pa. -- The Mercer County Jail's electric bills are expected to increase by 50 percent in 2007, an expected increase of 67,000 over this year's anticipated 135,000 cost, Mercer County Prison Board members learned when they met Monday. Warden Jeff Gill also reported that jail guard Josh Faler received a commendation for finding contraband prescription medications smuggled into the jail by an inmate. Board members also unanimously recommended that one of the jail's two part-time maintenance workers be promoted to full time because of the workload in the new jail. The post will pay 11.88 hourly. This recommendation now goes to the Mercer County Salary Board for final action.
Recycling fundraiser
NEWTON FALLS -- More than 1,000 pounds of aluminum cans were collected earlier this month to help defray medical expenses of Douglas Crawford, a 16-year-old who was badly burned in 2004 in the city. With cans worth 70 cents per pound, 742 was donated. Connie Hartman, a family friend, said that since January, 5,504 pounds, or about 2.75 tons, of cans have been collected. Another recycling fundraiser has been scheduled from 8 a.m. to noon April 14 at Sorrento's Restaurant, 2488 Parkman Road N.W. Can tabs will be collected then for the Kidney Foundation. Hartman said Douglas is scheduled to undergo surgery on a hand and foot in January in Erie, Pa.