Student arrested

Student arrested

YOUNGSTOWN — A combative 15-year-old student in a time-out room spit in the face of an assistant principal at Odyssey School and threatened to kill a teacher, police said.

The boy was being restrained Tuesday morning by the principal, assistant principal and a teacher when Patrolman George Wallace entered the room and attempted to removed the boy’s belt and shoes for the teenager’s safety.

The West Florida Avenue boy was arrested on an assault charge and placed in handcuffs. According to reports, he then threatened to kill the teacher.

Elsewhere, at the P. Ross Berry Middle School, the teacher of a 14-year-old special education student discovered marijuana and a lighter inside a puzzle box the girl took out of a cabinet Monday. When brought to the principal’s office, the Holland Avenue girl admitted in front of her parents that she did have the drug. The girl was charged with drug-abuse marijuana and released to her parents.

Court legislation approved

The Ohio House approved legislation that increases the maximum penalty for assault and aggravated menacing in a courtroom. The amendment was sponsored by state Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th, and was attached to a bill creating a domestic relations/juvenile/probate division in Champaign County. The bill was approved Tuesday by the state House and the Senate.

The amendment was motivated by incidents of violence inside a courthouse in Trumbull County. Within the last year, two unprovoked attacks occurred there that left two shackled criminal defendants injured, Letson said. He said he hopes the change in charges spelled out in his amendment will speed up the process by which justice is carried out.

The amendment changes the charge from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony. A fifth-degree felony is punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine. A first-degree misdemeanor carries a maximum penalty of up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Flu shots at Bel-Park

YOUNGSTOWN — Bel-Park Pharmacy, 602 Parmalee Ave., will offer flu shots between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. beginning Thursday. Insurance will be billed; the cost for those without insurance is $30. Additional clinics will be held at the location Oct. 25, Nov. 1 and Nov. 8.

Fugitive arrested

YOUNGSTOWN — A 30-year-old man wanted by Summit County on charges of aggravated murder, kidnapping and parole violation was arrested by members of the Street Crimes Unit and U.S. Marshals Task Force at his home at 426 Division St., reports show. Arian S. O’Connor was taken to Mahoning County Jail on Monday afternoon to await transfer to Summit County. Details of the charges were not immediately available. Mahoning County court records show that O’Connor was sentenced to six years in prison in March 1999 on two counts of felonious assault, and firearms charges were dismissed in a plea agreement.

Instant game winner

CLEVELAND — Valirie A. Grimm of East Liverpool won $100,000 after scratching the Ohio State Lottery’s Bingo Times Ten instant game. She completed the claiming process Tuesday at Lottery Central.

“I had to check my ticket a few times, and then I called him and asked him if he was sitting down,” she said, referring to her husband, William.

They will pay off the mortgage on their house and buy Valirie a PT Cruiser with the $69,000 Grimm receives after mandatory federal and state taxes totaling 31 percent are withheld.

Grimm bought the winning ticket from Convenient Food Mart, 2051 Lisbon St., in East Liverpool. This agent receives a $1,000 bonus for selling a winning ticket.