Thousands lose power

Thousands lose power

BOARDMAN — Ohio Edison customers in parts of Youngstown, Girard and Boardman lost power Friday afternoon in separate incidents.

About 6,365 people in Boardman and Youngstown lost power about 12:40 p.m. due to a transformer problem at the Boardman substation, said Paul Harkey, Mahoning County area manager for the company. It affected the business corridor of U.S. Route 224, causing some traffic snarls as signals went out. Residents in the north part of the township and South Side of Youngstown were also affected.

About 10 minutes later, 3,579 of the those customers had power restored. Power was restored to the remaining customers by 1:34 p.m., Harkey said. About 12:39 p.m., a car striking a pole at Belmont Avenue and Gypsy Lane caused about 1,820 customers on Youngstown’s West and East sides and parts of Girard to lose power. Power was restored to all of those customers by 1:31 p.m.

Boil-water alert

NORTH JACKSON — The Mahoning County sanitary engineer issued a boil alert for water customers in Jackson and Milton townships due to a recent repair on a main waterline. The boil alert will be in effect through 4 p.m. Saturday.

A boil alert means all water used for drinking and cooking is to be boiled for three minutes once boiling begins before use and consumption. For questions, contact the Sanitary Engineering Department at (330) 793-5514.

Sobriety checkpoint

A sobriety checkpoint will be conducted in Mahoning County overnight Saturday starting at 8 p.m. The Mahoning County Operating a Vehicle Impaired Task Force will have increased impaired driving enforcement, enforcing a zero tolerance for OVI offenders.

Salem theater history

SALEM — Timothy E. Smith of Boardman will discuss “The History of Salem Community Theatre” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Salem Historical Society.

Smith, formerly of Salem, was instrumental in the early years of the theater. He served as president of the theater’s board of trustees, but is probably best known for his on-stage performances. His most memorable role was of “Tevya” in a presentation of “Fiddler on the Roof.” That show was reprised later by popular demand in 1989, with Smith playing the lead role once again to sold-out audiences.

He has owned and operated Smith & Co. Jewelers in Boardman since 1990.

Aggravated menacing

YOUNGSTOWN — Two guns were confiscated and two teenage boys arrested after witnesses said the boys threatened adults at a house on East Auburndale Avenue on Thursday afternoon.

A 15-year-old Hilton Avenue boy was arrested on charges of carrying a concealed weapon and aggravated menacing and taken to the juvenile justice center. A 16-year-old West Boston Avenue boy was given a citation charging aggravated menacing and released to his mother.

Two handguns, a .25-caliber and a 9 mm, were found by witnesses and turned over to police.

Arsonist sent to prison

LISBON — A Salem man was sentenced Thursday to two years in prison for setting vehicles on fire last year.

Robert Kastanek, 23, of North Madison Avenue, had pleaded guilty in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to three counts of arson.

He had been indicted on five counts for setting fire to four vehicles and a camper that would fit on a pickup truck on Dec. 20.

The charges said each vehicle and the camper were each valued at $500 or more.

Man gets 5 years

LISBON — Judge C. Ashley Pike of Columbiana County Common Pleas Court sentenced a man Friday to a total of five years in prison for having sexual contact with two girls.

Gerald L. Heaton Sr., 67, of Reynolds, Pa., had been charged with rape involving one girl and gross sexual imposition involving the second.

Both of the victims were under age 13 when the crimes occurred at a home in New Waterford. The acts involving the first victim occurred from 1997 to 2001. The acts involving the second victim occurred from 1988 to 1992.