Board members named

Board members named

COLUMBUS — Gov. Ted Strickland has made local appointments to two state boards and commissions.

Patricia Protopapa of Canfield was named to the Board of Nursing. It provides for the examination, regulation, licensing and registration of nurses, nursing school curriculum standards and inspection of the schools. Protopapa has served as an in-home caregiver for Valley Home Health Care since 2007. She had previously served in the psychiatric nursing department at Woodside Receiving Hospital. Protopapa received a practical nursing license from Choffin School of Practical Nursing in 1982.

Jay Mulligan of Cortland was named to the Board of Building Appeals. It provides for the adjudication hearings where any political subdivision issues an order attempting to enforce any provisions of the State Building Code or any rule or regulation. Mulligan has served as a fire instructor since 1997 and a fire safety inspector with the Howland Fire Department since 1999. He had previously served as the fire chief for the Warren Fire Department from 1999-2002 and as assistant fire chief from 1991-1997. Mulligan is a member of the board of directors of Howland Township Fire and EMS Training Center. He graduated from Warren Western Reserve High School in 1968.

Truck fire slows traffic

NORTH JACKSON — A Prime Inc. tractor-trailer carrying a load of pork caught fire around 11 p.m. Thursday in the eastbound lanes at the junction of Interstates 76 and 80 (the Ohio Turnpike).

The truck driver pulled to the side of the road due to a fire on one of the vehicle’s tires, said Jackson Township Fire Chief Wayne McDougal.

The driver could not extinguish the fire and it quickly spread to both the tractor and trailer, causing traffic to back up for about two hours while fire crews from Jackson Township, Craig Beach and Lordstown fought the blaze, McDougal said. Eastbound lanes on I-76 were closed, as well as the ramps to get onto the turnpike.

No one was injured, he said.

Burglar strikes church

YOUNGSTOWN — Christmas Eve is a time of celebration for churches, but St. Christine Church on Schenley Avenue was the scene of a burglary around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Someone broke into the church rectory through an unlocked screened-in patio, then broke an interior window with a brick to enter the rectory.

Several church envelopes with undetermined amounts of money were stolen.

Church security tapes will be reviewed, officials said.

Rape, assault reported

WARREN — Police are investigating separate reports of rape and assault, both occurring on Christmas Day.

A woman called police at 1:43 a.m. saying she had been pistol-whipped in the 1600 block of Fremont Street Northeast. The 20-year-old Brookfield woman told officers a man familiar to her beat her in the head with a pistol because her ex-boyfriend owes him money. Police reports say the woman had a bloody right ear, but refused medical attention.

Police also received a call at 12:25 a.m. about a rape in the 400 block of Oak Circle Southwest. The 48-year-old woman was taken to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

Car crashes into home

SHARON, Pa. — Timothy Harrison, 43, of Farrell was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown after his car ran into a house around 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

Officials believe Harrison was traveling west on Division Street, then attempted to make a left onto Baldwin Avenue, but struck a house in the 800 block of Baldwin, said Sharon Police Chief Mike Menster.

The vehicle crashed through the front porch, and the front of the car ended up in the basement of the home, he said.

No one in the home was injured, but Harrison had to be extracted from the vehicle by fire crews and appeared to have “significant injuries,” Menster said.

The cause of the accident is under investigation.

Poland police contracts

POLAND — Township trustees will meet at noon today in the township government center, 3339 Dobbins Road, to discuss police contracts.

The township and police have been negotiating a new contract, said Jim Scharville, township administrator.