Soap box qualifiers set

Soap box qualifiers set

MINERAL RIDGE — The Greater Youngstown Area Soap Box Derby will host Fall Rally in The Ridge for youngsters ages 8-17 to compete for a qualifying spot at the All-American Rally Championships in Akron.

The races will be at 8:30 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday on Seaborn Street next to Mineral Ridge High School.

Rally races are hosted throughout the country by All-American Soap Box Derby race cities such as Youngstown where youngsters can earn points in order to qualify for the All-American Rally Championships in Akron next July 25.

For more information, contact Mike Shook, rally race director, and Andy Bowell Jr., GYASBD president, at (330) 717-8661 or www.info @gyasbd.com

Woman robbed in home

YOUNGSTOWN — A 24-year-old woman was robbed in her home on the 600 block of Griffith Street.

She was bringing groceries into her home around 8 p.m. Wednesday and didn’t close her front door completely. She brought the groceries to the kitchen and then returned to the living area to get her purse.

The woman said that as she started to walk back to her kitchen, a man came from behind the door and put a gun to the back of her neck demanding her purse.

The woman handed the robber her purse and he told her not to turn around until he left her home. She was unable to see which way he fled and told officers he was wearing a mask so it was hard to see his face.

She lost cash and personal identification cards.

Naked man reported

BOARDMAN — A New Middletown couple in the drive-through lane of an East Western Reserve Road fast-food restaurant got a look at a lot more than the menu.

The couple told police they were in their car at McDonald’s around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when they saw a naked man emerge from a fenced area around a trash bin.

The man seemed to notice the woman’s startled reaction, a police report said, and ducked back into the fenced area. He emerged again a few moments later and then walked away.

The couple described the man as white, in his late 40s or early 50s, with brown, graying hair and wearing white tennis shoes.

2 gunmen rob Subway

YOUNGSTOWN — Police are looking for the two gunmen who robbed the Subway restaurant at 830 E. Midlothian Blvd. at 7:41 p.m. Wednesday.

Employees handed over $68.48 to the men, who wore T-shirts wrapped over their mouths, black sunglasses and hooded sweat shirts, according to police. One of the suspect’s hoods featured dark fur around its rim. They escaped on foot.

HobbyTown contest

BOARDMAN — HobbyTown USA in the Boardman Plaza will conduct its third annual plastic model contest from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.

Model enthusiasts of all ages may drop off their entries at HobbyTown, 105 Boardman-Canfield Road between noon and 2 p.m. Judging will begin promptly at 3 p.m. There is no entry fee; all makes and models are welcome.

Call (330) 729-9433 for more information.

Arson at vacant houses

YOUNGSTOWN — Two vacant houses on the North Side were subject to arson Wednesday night.

A house at 65 Halleck St. was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived around 10 p.m. The structure was permitted to burn down; loss was total, at $10,000.

Two streets down, a house at 70 New York Ave. had flames coming from the attic and smaller fires on the first floor, the fire department said. Reports showed that firefighters arrived around 10:30 p.m. and estimated the loss at $2,000.

Woman dies in car crash

BOARDMAN — A 69-year-old Struthers woman died after being injured in an accident at McClurg Road and South Avenue.

Nancy L. Pochiro, of Park Avenue, turned left onto South from McClurg around 3 p.m. Wednesday, failing to yield to southbound traffic, police said. Her car was struck by a vehicle heading south. She had to be freed from her car with the Jaws of Life.

She was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

The driver and passenger of the other car, whose names haven’t been released, were treated at St. E’s.