Club patron being sued

Club patron being sued

AUSTINTOWN — A strip club patron accused of slashing a bouncer is being sued. Krandall Kirkland, 36, of Jacksonville, Fla., was charged with felonious assault after Jason W. Chappell, 33, of Youngstown was slashed around 11 p.m. March 29. Chappell filed the suit Friday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Kirkland posted bond May 30, according to information at the Mahoning County Jail. His criminal case is pending in the common pleas court. Chappell tried to escort Kirkland out of Club 76 on Seventy Six Drive after he became aggressive, the civil suit says. A witness reported seeing Kirkland reach into his belt then lunge at Chappell; police believe the weapon was a knife. Chappell was slashed from the top of his ear to the underside of his chin and needed stitches, according to the police report. The suit asks for compensatory damages in excess of $25,000, punitive damages of $100,000 and costs.

Suspect flees police in car

AUSTINTOWN —  A burglary suspect who fled police drove through a church lawn and yards on Lake Avenue before fleeing the area, police said. An officer looking Friday morning for a suspect in a burglary at shops on Canfield Road spotted the car around 5 a.m. on Raccoon Road south of Kirk Road. The suspect turned off the car lights and drove through the Big Lots Plaza at high speed, crossed Kirk Road and went into the driveway at St. Ann Church. He drove to the rear of the property, while the officer got out of his car and pursued on foot. The suspect drove through a steel fence onto a playground, then exited through the fence on the west side. He drove through a front yard and driveway on Raccoon Road, then into woods. He drove into a rear yard on Lake Road, then damaged property and fences in several yards there. He fled east on Lake. A short time later police found the car, which had been stolen, abandoned on Canfield Road.

Detour during bridge work

ELLSWORTH — Beginning Monday, U.S. Route 224 between state Route 45 and state Route 534 here will be closed through early August for the replacement of a bridge at Bailey Road, says the Ohio Department of Transportation. The detour will be Route 45 to Mahoning Avenue to Route 534 to Route 224. As a result of the bridge work, the current detour for the Route 45 closure in Green and Goshen townships will change. The detour route will now be Route 45 to Route 224 to state Route 446 to U.S. Route 62 to Route 45.

Motorcycle run downtown

YOUNGSTOWN — Sign-up for the fifth annual motorcycle run for fallen police officers is 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday at the Chevrolet Centre downtown with the run immediately following. Entertainment begins at 1 p.m. on Federal Street downtown. The event features food, beverages and drawings with prizes. The run honors the memory of Patrolman Michael T. Hartzell, killed in the line of duty April 29, 2003, and other officers.

Cause of fire is electrical

YOUNGSTOWN — Electrical arcing at a vacant house at 123 Falls Ave. caused a fire in the basement and spread to the first floor, the fire department said. The fire at 11:50 p.m. Thursday did about $5,000 damage. The property is owned by Youngstown Jubilee Homes.

More festival security

McDONALD — The police department has increased security at the Firemen’s Festival in the wake of the Fourth of July stabbing at the annual event. “We’ll be ready for them” if people want to cause trouble, Police Chief Lou Ronghi said Friday. The festival ends tonight. Zachary Travis, 18, of Dunstan Drive, Warren, was stabbed several times Wednesday evening when he argued with another man. Travis was released from St. Joseph Health Center after treatment. There have been no arrests as of Friday. Ronghi said his officers made five arrests Thursday night for underage drinking and domestic violence. More officers have been assigned to work the grounds at the festival that has seen only minor problems over the years, the chief said.

Task force checkpoint

The Trumbull Operating a Vehicle Impaired Task Force will operate an OVI checkpoint to deter and intercept impaired drivers from 9 p.m. to midnight today. The location of the checkpoint will be released before its start on Saturday. Funding for the OVI Task Force is provided by a grant through the Ohio Department of Public Safety, Governors Highway Safety Office.

New court administrator

YOUNGSTOWN — The three Youngstown Municipal Court judges hired the former Alliance clerk of courts as the city’s court administrator. Kevin B. Ward will be sworn in as the court administrator at 8:30 a.m. Monday. Ward replaces Laura McLaughlin, who left to work as a case management specialist for the Ohio Supreme Court. Ward served as Alliance clerk of courts since 2002, and was its chief deputy clerk from 1994 to 2001. Ward has experience in the design, development and implementation of court systems as well as budgetary and human resources experience, according to Judge Robert A. Douglas Jr., Youngstown’s presiding and administrative judge. Ward’s annual salary wasn’t available late Monday afternoon. McLaughlin earned close to $60,000 a year in the job.