Years Ago...

Today is Palm Sunday, April 1, the 91st day of 2007. There are 274 days left in the year. This is April Fool's Day. On this date in 1945, American forces invade Okinawa, Japan, during World War II.
In 1853, Cincinnati establishes a fire department made up of paid city employees. In 1933, Nazi Germany begins persecuting Jews with a boycott of Jewish-owned businesses. In 1946, tidal waves strike the Hawaiian islands, resulting in more than 170 deaths. In 1963, most of New York City's daily newspapers resume publishing after settlement is reached in a 114-day strike. In 1970, President Nixon signs a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television, to take effect after Jan. 1, 1971. In 1984, recording star Marvin Gaye is shot to death by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., in Los Angeles. (The elder Gay pleads guilty to voluntary manslaughter, and receives probation.) In 1987, in his first major speech on the AIDS epidemic, President Reagan tells doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy number one." In 2003, American troops enter a hospital in Nasiriyah, Iraq, and rescue Army Private 1st Class Jessica Lynch, who'd been held prisoner since her unit was ambushed.
April 1, 1982: Two Youngstown men, Robert P. Mossally and Louis G. Dianardo, purchase the Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips restaurant chain and announce plans to move the headquarters to Youngstown.
Mercer County Common Pleas Judge Francis J. Fornelli gives suspended sentences of six to 12 months to five people charged with drunken driving and orders all not to drink alcoholic beverages for the duration of their sentences. One Sharon man is given a two day dispensation to coincide with his wedding.
A 39-year-old Youngstown doctor is indicted by the Mahoning County grand jury on 33 counts of illegally processing prescriptions for drugs.
April 1, 1967: Youngstown police arrest three youths while breaking up a threatened gang fight outside East High School.
Topics aimed at improving teen-age driving are discussed at the 9th annual Mahoning County Youth Traffic Safety Conference attended by more than 450 youths at the South High Field House.
A 3-year-old dachshund named Candy perishes in a fire at a small Boardman kennel. Kennel owner Harry Norling carried all seven dogs to safety, but Candy jumped out of his arms and ran back in. Boardman firemen would not allow Norling to re-enter the burning building on Hitchcock Road.
April 1, 1957: Dale Purucker of Boardman escapes unaided from a 25 foot pile driver's hole he fell down while working on a construction job at the Campbell Works of the Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube Co. Purucker clawed his way up the hole in a matter of about 15 minutes, but says it seemed like an eternity.
Paul C. Stuckey, 19, of Poland is killed when his car goes out of control at high speed on Western Reserve Road and strikes a 30-foot tree near Poland-New Springfield Road.
Sharon High School's victorious Tigers are greeted at the Youngstown Municipal Airport by jubilant students and towns people after winning the state basketball championship in Philadelphia.
April 1, 1932: a combined force from the Republican majority and Democratic minority in the Ohio General Assembly, meeting in a special session, approves Gov. White's 32.5 million program for relief of the unemployed.
Chevrolet announces price reductions ranging from 10 to 55. The price of a standard sedan will be 590.
More than 100 Boardman taxpayers have signed protests against their tax appraisals, says C.T. Geiger of the Boardman committee organizing the tax protests.