Firehouse closed Tuesday

Firehouse closed Tuesday

WARREN — Illness and the city’s overtime policy closed one of the city’s three fire- houses Tuesday evening.

Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle said the staffing dropped to 14 firefighters and one dispatcher Tuesday at 7 p.m. when one firefighter went home sick. The department has determined that 15 workers is insufficient to keep open all three fire stations, so the Atlantic Street Northeast station was closed until 7 a.m. Wednesday with the remaining firefighters moved to the stations on South Street downtown and Parkman Road Northwest.

It is the second time the department has had to close fire stations since the city eliminated most overtime on July 1 to reduce a projected $1.75 million 2008 deficit.

Chase ends with a crash

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Pennsylvania State Police said they arrested a city man wanted in a burglary and theft after a 10-mile chase that ended when the suspect rammed his vehicle into a state police car.

Paul M. Druschel, 36, is charged with aggravated assault, fleeing and eluding, recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief in the chase.

A trooper spotted the vehicle on Atlantic Avenue in Taylor Township just after 1 a.m. Tuesday and tried to stop it but Druschel fled into the city with state and city police in pursuit, police said.

Druschel hit one unoccupied car during the chase and police used “stop sticks” to flatten the front tires of his vehicle, but he kept going until he rammed a marked cruiser occupied by two troopers on Pa. Route 18 in the city, police said. He was arraigned before District Justice Jennifer Nicholson and was lodged in Lawrence County Jail on $100,000 bond. No one was injured.

Teacher strike planned

ROGERS — The Beaver Local Board of Education has received a notice that teachers plan to strike early Sept. 22.

Assistant Superintendent Elaine Humphrey said Wednesday that the board, teachers and members of Beaver Local Education Association are tentatively scheduled to negotiate with a mediator Sept. 17. They also are scheduled to meet in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court that day.

The three-year pact expired Aug. 31.

The teachers filed an action in common pleas court contending the board released too much information about the state of negotiations to the public despite an agreement not to.

The district hasn’t had a strike since 1990, Humphrey said. There are 146 members in the union.

Minority job fair planned

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County Juvenile Court, 300 E. Scott St., will have its first minority job fair from 9 a.m. to noon Friday. Court employees will give presentations and answer questions from students and job seekers. The program will cover functions such as intake, probation, magistrates, counseling, detention and day reporting.

Another I-680 crash

YOUNGSTOWN — For the second time this week, a crash happened on Interstate 680 southbound near the state Route 193 exit. On Wednesday, police responded to a three-car pileup at 7:51 a.m. No injuries were reported. One driver was cited for failure to maintain assured clear distance. On Tuesday, a crash in the same area was reported at 7:34 a.m.

Warren man shot in leg

WARREN — A city man went to the hospital after he was shot in the leg at around 6 p.m. Tuesday on Highland Avenue Southwest. He told police he was shot near Fourth Street.

When police arrived at the location just after learning of multiple gunshots being fired and people running, they saw people walking away from the scene, but found nothing criminal taking place, a police report said. The man was interviewed a couple hours later at Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital.