Out-of-state man accused of assault

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Oscar Ponce

Out-of-state man accused of assault

BOARDMAN — A New Jersey man is charged with rape and domestic violence, accused of assaulting a woman he knows from out of state.

Oscar Ponce, 35, was lodged in the Mahoning County Jail.

Police were called shortly after midnight Tuesday by a woman from New York who had received a text message from the victim.

The victim told police that Ponce arrived at her Beech Avenue home and stayed there. She was communicating with a man on the Internet when Ponce became angry, hit and smothered her and then forced her to have sex against her will, the police report said.

Police arrested Ponce, who is scheduled to appear today in Mahoning County Court.

Education forum planned

YOUNGSTOWN — Tru-Mah-Col Association for the education of young children, in conjunction with an organization called groundWork, will host a candidate forum on the topic of early care and education.

The forum, which is free, will be at 6:30 p.m. today in the Chestnut Room of Kilcawley Center at Youngstown State University. Questions will be taken from the audience, and the event should last about two hours.

Several incumbent state representatives and senators and their challengers from Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties have agreed to participate.

groundWork is a statewide effort to increase Ohio’s commitment to early care and education for children from birth to 6 years of age. The organization believes voluntary, high-quality early care and education should be available to all young Ohioans.

Live hand grenade found

YOUNGSTOWN — A practice hand grenade with a live charge in it was discovered behind the passenger seat of a construction company’s 1993 pickup truck that was purchased two months ago, reports show.

The Youngstown Police Department Bomb Squad was called to the scene on East Wood Street around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday and removed the grenade and disposed it.

Annexation adds to city

LISBON — East Palestine City Manager Gary Clark has filed an annexation petition to add 36 acres to the city.

The Columbiana County commissioners on Wednesday formally accepted the petition.

The properties are in a wedge shape on the east side of Brookdale Avenue on the northwest side of the city.

The property owners include Herbert and Janice Foster, JDB Holdings, a cemetery belonging to the Catholic Diocese of Youngstown, a city-owned parcel, Nulfco Inc., and Robert Grim Welding Co.

The commissioners said it was an expedited petition. That means no hearings take place since all the owners agree.

Clark said that under state law, the type of annexation being used will not reduce the property taxes property owners are paying now to Unity Township.

Clark said the city had promised the township it would not make annexations that would reduce the township’s funding.

Man sentenced for indecent assault

MERCER, Pa. — A Mercer County Common Pleas Court has sentenced Reed Cameron Sr., 60, of Townsend Avenue, Youngstown, to nine to 23 months in jail for indecent assault, a misdemeanor.

Court records say in 2007 he had indecent contact with an 8-year-old girl in Hermitage. He is eligible for work release. For 10 years he also must register as a sex offender, with failure to register carrying a mandatory two-year prison term.

Mosquito spraying next week in Howland

HOWLAND — Mosquito spraying will be done from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Monday and Tuesday by Alexander Pest Control, the Howland Township trustees report.

Residents are advised to close their windows, keep pets indoors and not leave any food outdoors during the spraying. In case of rain, spraying will take place the next evening.