Explaining MRSA infection

Explaining MRSA infection

BOARDMAN — Forum Health will have a free community program on methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), from 7 to 8:30 p.m. today and Thursday at Beeghly Medical Park’s community room in Building C, 6505 Market St. Dr. John Venglarcik, Forum infectious disease specialist and medical director for the Mahoning County District Board of Health, will conduct the sessions. He will talk about MRSA, where it originated, how to recognize it, how it is spread and treated, and steps to prevent it. Registration is required. Call (330) 884-1055.

Salem holiday events

SALEM — The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce has announced its holiday schedule, including the Christmas parade at 1 p.m. Dec. 1. There will be a Christmas open house in the downtown area starting at 10 a.m. Nov. 30, with no set closing time. The open house will also run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1. Participating stores will offer hot cocoa and cider. There will also be strolling carolers and musical programs. Activities on Dec. 1 include Quakertown Trolley runs in the city from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and horse-drawn carriage rides from 6 to 9 p.m. at a cost of $5 a person (children age 12 and under ride free). Parade participants will go south on North Lincoln Avenue from the high school and turn west on East State Street. The parade will turn north on North Ellsworth Avenue and disband at Broadway Plaza. Groups interested in taking part in the parade should contact the chamber at (330) 337-3473 by Monday.

Recycling drive

COLUMBIANA — Crestview High School Music Department students will have a recycling program from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday at the high school parking lot. Paper items that will be collected will include newspapers, magazines, phone books, catalogs, paperback books, hard-cover books, school and office paper, junk mail, and cardboard of all types. It would be helpful if all paper items were separated by type and packed in brown paper bags, smaller plastic bags or small cardboard boxes. Clean aluminum cans can be brought in larger plastic bags. Computer monitors, keyboards and printers can also be recycled. People can bring these items to the high school during the collection, or they can be taken to Go Computers in Salem. Recycling proceeds help the Crestview High School and Middle School music programs.

Recycling-program award

DAMASCUS — Damascus Elementary will receive a national award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for its recycling program, which reduced that school’s solid waste by 12 tons in 2006, compared with 2005. Sue Dattilio, third-grade teacher and recycling coordinator at the school, and Kim Lewis, education specialist with the Mahoning County Recycling Division (Green Team), will go to Washington, D.C., on Thursday to accept the agency’s Waste Wise award for outstanding waste reduction. This year’s 34 winners include businesses, government agencies and educational institutions. The school, in the West Branch School District, has many recycling activities, including composting its food waste, making two-sided photocopies to save paper and reusing scrap paper in scratch pads.

Civic association meeting

BOARDMAN — The Boardman Civic Association will have its “State of the State” meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Boardman Park Community Center. State Rep. Ron Gerberry of Austintown, D-59th, will speak. Guests and prospective members are welcome.

Salem Bicentennial DVD

SALEM — Events during the Salem Bicentennial have been photographed and recorded on a DVD that is available for purchase. It includes aerial views taken from a helicopter and balloon. The DVD contains more than 2,200 pictures and has a running time of more than three hours. It’s available at the Salem Historical Society Gift Shop for $10. The shop is open from 9 to noon Wednesday and Thursday mornings or by calling the society at (330) 337-8514.

Pupils to see ballet

YOUNGSTOWN — The Shops at Boardman Park will host 850 Youngstown city schoolchildren at Ballet Western Reserve’s production of Cinderella at 10 a.m. Thursday and Friday at Powers Auditorium. This will mark the second year of the partnership providing a cultural experience for area young people. Schools wishing to be considered for sponsorship for next year’s ballet should contact the Ballet Western Reserve office at (330) 744-1934.

Lisbon man dies in crash

LISBON — A 45-year-old Lisbon man died of injuries he suffered when the pickup truck he was driving struck two guardrails, went over an embankment and hit several trees on state Route 11 in Elkrun Township, Columbiana County.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Kenneth Wagner was the only occupant of the northbound pickup truck, from which he was ejected in the single-vehicle crash.

Wagner lost control while attempting to pass other northbound traffic using the northbound berm at about 1 p.m. Monday, OSHP said. The pickup truck crossed the northbound lanes, the median and the southbound lanes before hitting the trees, the patrol said.

Pizza delivery man robbed

AUSTINTOWN — A Pizza Hut delivery driver was robbed by two men, one carrying a knife.

The driver told police he was delivering pizzas at 11:40 p.m. Sunday to an address at on Woodhurst Drive, which turned out to be a vacant townhouse.

He said the two men came up behind him and demanded money. One of them pulled the knife.

The robbers got $130 in cash, which was his personal money, not Pizza Hut’s, the driver told police. They also stole the pizzas and the pizza bag, which he left on the porch at the townhouse while he ran to his car.