Entertainment planned at city tree-lighting

Entertainment planned at city tree-lighting

YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony will be 4:30 p.m. Friday in Central Square.

The event is sponsored by the city of Youngstown and First Night Youngstown. It will include a sample of the entertainment for First Night Youngstown, the annual family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration of the arts, which takes place downtown. Also scheduled is the presentation of the Youngstown Community Recognition Award and Santa’s arrival. Hot chocolate will be provided by Touch of the Moon Candy Saloon, and representatives from Second Harvest Food Bank will accept donations of nonperishable food items.

First Night Youngstown will have sign-up forms for volunteers. Entrance buttons can also be purchased at the tree-lighting. For more information, go to FirstNightYoungstown.org.

Police apprehend man

WARREN — Police have arrested a Warren man for trying to flee from police and backing his car into a police vehicle during the chase late Saturday.

The 26-year-old Fairview Street Southeast man was eventually apprehended after a short foot chase near his home and was taken to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital because he had threatened suicide.

An officer attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle just before 9 p.m. on Youngstown Road for weaving in and out of traffic.

The man turned onto Ridge Road and then got boxed in by traffic. The vehicle backed into the front of the police cruiser and then moved forward, hitting a non-police vehicle

An officer fired his weapon at one of the vehicle’s rear tires, but the vehicle sped off and turned onto Fairview and pulled into a yard, where the man fled on foot.

An officer “drive-stunned” the suspect and he was taken under control. “Drive-stunning” a person involves placing the stun gun directly in contact with someone, instead of firing two dartlike electrodes into the person. No injuries were reported.

Y’s Off School Program

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown YMCA Central branch and the Davis Family YMCA in Boardman offer the Off School Program, which gives working parents a place to drop off their children, ages 6 through 13, during the days before and after the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

A full day of activities, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., includes field trips, crafts, sports, gym games and swimming — all supervised by the Y’s staff.

The Y’s Off School Program fee is $25 a day per child for Y members and $30 a day for nonmembers. Parents can extend the program hours to 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for an additional $5 per day per child.

The Off School Program is available Dec. 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30; and Jan. 2.

For more information, contact Jordan Shaver at the Davis Family YMCA (330) 480–5656.