12-year-old drowns

12-year-old drowns

GIRARD — An investigation is under way into the death of a 12-year-old boy who apparently drowned while swimming under the Girard/McDonald viaduct about 5:27 p.m. Monday. Police said a friend of Jamel L. Smith of East Broadway said Smith went under the water and did not come up to the surface. They were notified by a friend of Smith who was swimming with him and called authorities.

The unidentified youth told police that other friends jumped from a wall about 20 feet high on the west bank into the river just short of an area called “the falls.” Rescue divers recovered Smith at about 6:48 p.m. and took him to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Youngstown.

Bulletproofing saves life

YOUNGSTOWN — Bulletproof glass that encloses the register at the Market Street Market and Deli, 2204 Market St., stopped a bullet fired at the owner during a robbery attempt Sunday night, police said. The owner said two masked gunmen entered the store around 8:15 p.m. while he was at the register and demanded money.

He said he didn’t have any. One of the suspects tried to get into the enclosed register area and fired a shot when the owner blocked the door and grabbed his own gun, reports show. The suspects fled. Police recovered a spent round inside the store. The owner told The Vindicator that he had the bulletproof glass installed two months ago when he opened the store. “The one who shot the glass could have killed me — he’s a killer,” the owner said.

2 killed in collision

HANOVERTON — A man and a woman were killed when their vehicles collided on state Route 9, according to the Lisbon Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Joe P. Corley, 18, of Hanoverton, was driving south on state Route 9 Monday morning, when his pickup truck went left of center and struck a small car driven by Jamie Frederick, 31, of Lisbon, the patrol said. There were no passengers in either vehicle. The patrol had no further information on the accident.

Peace to be topic

YOUNGSTOWN — George Paz Martin, national field organizer for Peace Action and national co-chairman of United for Peace & Justice, will speak Thursday at the Peace House, 204 Broadway, near Elm Street. The event, sponsored by Peace Action’s Youngstown affiliate, starts at 6:30 p.m. with a pot luck dinner followed at 7:30 p.m. by Martin’s address.

Facts about oil, gas leases

CANFIELD — The Northeastern Ohio Forestry Association meets at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mill Creek MetroParks Farm on state Route 46 across from the Canfield fairgrounds. Speaking will be Rick Simmers from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Mineral Resources Division, on the topic “Oil & Gas Leases: What You Need to Know.”

The talk is for landowners who want to know what is a good offer for leasing their property, how long the lease should last, and many other concerns the landowner should be aware of before signing a gas and oil lease. The meeting is open to the public.