Tasered woman hurt in fall at Howland home

Tasered woman hurt in fall at Howland home

WARREN (AP) — Heidi Gill, the Howland Township woman who gained notoriety when she was repeatedly stunned with a Taser by a police officer outside a bar last year, suffered injuries from a fall in her home Friday afternoon. Gill was taken to St. Joseph Health Center’s emergency room in Warren by a male friend. Police said she had a gash or a puncture wound to her forehead. Her home in Howland was initially treated as a crime scene because she was found unconscious. Gill’s 5-year-old called a family friend, who took her to the hospital about 5:30 p.m. She was taken to the trauma center at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown about 9 p.m. Friday. When she woke up, Gill told police she fell down the steps, Howland Police Chief Paul Monroe said. Gill remained at St. Elizabeth late Saturday and was listed in stable condition. Police said they were treating the incident as an accident. Gill gained notoriety last September after officer Richard Kovac repeatedly used a Taser on her. He was suspended for 60 days and later fired for dishonesty in another case.

Cable service lost

YOUNGSTOWN — Time Warner customers lost cable TV service around 5:15 p.m. Saturday. A spokesman said a “fiber issue” — damaged line — in the downtown area caused the outage but was unable to say how the line was damaged, adding it may have been cut. A technician was assigned to fix the line. Service was restored for many late Saturday.

Registration deadline looms for Pa. primary

March 24 is the last day for Pennsylvania residents to register to vote in the April 22 primary election. Lawrence and Mercer County residents can register either at their county courthouse or by picking up mail registration forms at any post office. In Mercer County, forms also may be available at municipal buildings and libraries. Mail-in forms must be postmarked by March 24. Mercer County Courthouse is open from 8:30 to 4:30 weekdays and Lawrence County Courthouse from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Pennsylvania differs from some other states in that only voters who are registered as Republicans or Democrats may vote in the primaries, elections board officials said.

Recorder wants board to pay for new server

LISBON — Columbiana County Recorder Craig Brown is challenging the way the county has spent money on computers to get more money for his office. The county Data Processing Board gets money from the commissioners for computers and programs for the auditor’s and treasurer’s offices. The two offices are in a linked and secure system to protect the county’s money. Brown, a Democrat, wants the data board to pay for a new $7,000 server for his office instead of paying for it out of his appropriations that are made by the commissioners. Other offices either get money in an appropriation from the commissioners or fees that help pay for various costs.