Bike trail talks

Bike trail talks

MINERAL RIDGE — Weathersfield Township trustees have been sharing information with Lordstown officials to try to build a bike trail that will connect Weathersfield to Lordstown and give both access to the Lake-to-River Bike Trail.

Trustee James Stoddard said discussions are still in the preliminary stages, and the officials have to look further into possible funding sources and studies of a possible bike trail plan.

Possible carjacking try

YOUNGSTOWN — A 68-year-old South Side man almost had his car taken after he stopped to check on a teenage boy lying in the street whose friends said the boy had just been shot. The man said he was northbound on Zedaker Street when he saw a group of teenage boys walking down the street around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

One boy then lay on the street and, as the man approached, another boy asked for the driver’s cell phone to report the shooting. When the man said he could go across the street and ask to use a phone, the boys crowded his driver’s door and told him that wasn’t a good idea while they were trying to open the door. The man told police he hit the gas pedal and drove off.

Cash, purse taken in armed robbery

YOUNGSTOWN — A 24-year-old Parkview Avenue woman told police she was robbed at gunpoint by a man who approached her car in the parking lot of Ally’s Food Store on South Avenue on Tuesday afternoon.

The woman said she was just about to go into the store when the robber approached, pointed the gun and asked for her purse. She gave up the purse as well as cash she had in her hand. The suspect then fled east on Lucius Avenue.

The woman’s two children and cousin were in the car at the time of the robbery, reports show.

Crack cocaine in school

WARREN — Police have arrested a 16-year-old student at Washington School after the youth was found to be in possession of crack cocaine on school grounds Tuesday afternoon. According to police reports, the principal at the school called police about the white substance he suspected to be drugs. Police field-tested the substance and determined it to be cocaine. The juvenile was arrested and released to his parents pending an appearance in juvenile court.

2 replacements hired

MERCER, Pa. — Two people have been hired to replace former Mercer County Community Transit Director Bill Jones, who resigned Feb. 1 to take a job in Harrisburg.

Tom Tulip, executive director of the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments, said that Michael Nashtock will run day-to-day transit operations, and former Mercer County Recycling Coordinator Jill Boozer will handle administrative responsibilities of the transit program. Each will be paid about $40,000, he said.

Burning brush kills man

NEW WATERFORD — A man apparently died while burning brush on his property. Dan Henderson, 64, of 44564 Stater Route 558, was burning brush about 12:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Bryan Henderson, chief of New Waterford’s fire department, said Wednesday that Dan Henderson was in high grass while burning the brush that was in two piles.

“The fire just got out of control,” Henderson said. “There was too much wind.” The wind was blowing about 20 mph, he said.

“It’s a bad situation,” the chief added. “That’s why there’s no open burning in the state of Ohio.” The chief said there were no other factors leading to the death.

Compost site closed

BOARDMAN — The township’s Southern Boulevard compost site is closed because of staff reductions.

Branch pickup also is suspended until further notice. Dumping branches and leaves in front of the site is illegal and offenders may be fined if convicted.