Assault suspect arrested

October 2, 2008 at 12:00a.m.

Rudy Matland

YOUNGSTOWN — After a reported assault on Tuesday, U.S. marshals in Charlottesville, Va., apprehended 27-year-old Rudolph Matland III later that day in Stuarts Draft, Va., on charges of attempted murder, felonious assault, kidnapping, aggravated burglary and domestic violence. He is at the Augusta County Jail in Virginia, awaiting extradition to Ohio.

Authorities charge that Matland, of North Lima, forced his way into his estranged wife’s West Side residence and assaulted her, said Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of Youngstown detectives. Centorame said Matland punched his mother-in-law and sprayed her with Mace, stabbed his estranged wife in the back of the neck and left leg and dragged her out the front door. Anne Matland, 25, broke free and was later taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center for treatment.

The marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force received the request for assistance and immediately began to hunt down Matland, said Peter J. Elliott, U.S. marshal for the northern district of Ohio. The investigation developed information that Matland immediately fled to Virginia, where he was ultimately located and apprehended, Elliott said.

Teachers OK strike notice

EAST PALESTINE — East Palestine teachers plan to issue a strike notice if there is no significant progress in contract talks later this month.

Greg Aker, a spokesman for the teachers union, the East Palestine Education Association, said in a statement issued late Thursday that the union voted unanimously to issue the notice.

A federal mediator, Mike Franczak, has tentatively suggested more talks Oct. 14.

Superintendent Tom Inchak said Wednesday that the Oct. 14 date is tentative. He said that the board of education is waiting for the mediator to confirm a specific date for more talks.

Teachers could strike 10 days after issuing the notice.

District to save $4 million

COLUMBIANA — A change in state rules is expected to save the Columbiana School District about $4 million in construction costs.

The board has a proposed 4.9-mill, 28-year levy on the ballot in November to help finance construction of a new elementary school. The levy would raise about $13 million, and the board of education would use about $5 million in other district funding left over from construction of its high school.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission had offered funding for the new elementary school if more work was done to the district’s high school. Superintendent Ron Iarussi said that the district didn’t want to do that since the high school is in good shape.

But the OSFC changed its rules and dropped the idea of improvements to the high school. Under the new financing rules, the district can bill the OSFC and will be able to recoup about 22 percent of the new-construction costs.

Microchips for pets

WARREN — Microchipping for pets will be available at the 13th annual Walk for the Animals starting at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at the Packard Park Shelter House on Mahoning Avenue.

The staff of the Animal Welfare League of Trumbull County will perform the microchipping for $20 each. The microchips, the size of a grain of rice, are placed under the skin of the animal and can be read with a scanner at a veterinarian’s office to retrieve the animal’s home address and other information.

Registration for the walk begins at 1:30 p.m., with the walk starting at 2:30 p.m. A dinner will follow. For more information, call (330) 394-3512.