Worker takes fatal fall

Worker takes fatal fall

NORTH LIMA — A 43-year-old man who was working on a water tower Monday afternoon fell to his death.

Richard Martin, of River Rouge, Mich., was believed to be an employee of the company hired to paint the tower off South Avenue Extension. The tower is owned by Aqua Ohio.

He fell about 83 feet, said Lt. Dan Lewis of Beaver Police. “He was wearing all of the required safety gear — helmet, harness, breathing apparatus,” the lieutenant said. The man fell about 2:15 p.m.

The Mahoning County Coroner’s office and the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating.

Flower pot grows ... pot

YOUNGSTOWN — The green flower pot on Patricia Daye’s porch wasn’t growing flowers, according to police.

Officers sent to check out why someone at her West Marion Avenue house kept calling 911 discovered two marijuana plants growing in the flower pot at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday.

The 55-year-old woman had no answer when asked by police why marijuana was growing on her front porch.

She did say that kids at the house were playing on the phone and calling 911.

Daye, charged with cultivation of marijuana, was arraigned today in municipal court. A Sept. 5 pretrial has been set.

2 firefighters injured

YOUNGSTOWN — Two firefighters were injured at the scene of a deliberately set vacant house fire at 139 W. Chalmers Ave. on the South Side, the fire department said.

One firefighter suffered a strained back and burned right hand and face; the other sustained burns on both shoulders.

Heavy fire was showing on the first floor when crews arrived at 3:15 a.m. Sunday. The structure was allowed to burn down.

Reports show that firefighters had been sent to the house at 2:45 a.m. Saturday for a fire intentionally set in the attic. That fire was extinguished.

On Sunday, firefighters took steps to protect the occupied house next door at 145 West Chalmers from exposure damage. Damage to the occupied house’s siding was set at $2,000.

Elsewhere Sunday, trash was set on fire in the basement of 1225 Kensington Ave., a vacant house on the North Side. Damage was set at $500.