Mathews pact extension

Mathews pact extension

VIENNA — The Mathews Board of Education and Local 611 of the Ohio Association of Public School Employees have agreed to a third contract extension. The OAPSE union represents 43 cafeteria workers, bus drivers, secretaries, maintenance and custodial workers. The union’s original contract expired Aug. 31, and the second extension was to have expired today, but Superintendent Lee Seiple said it has been continued due to the resumption of bargaining talks scheduled for Friday. Earlier this month, the board and the teachers union agreed on a new one-year contract.

Fires in Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — A man who lives near 76 E. Philadelphia Ave. extinguished a small fire on that house’s back porch.

He told firefighters early Sunday that he found near the fire a can of charcoal lighter fluid that had been taken from his property.

Reports show the fire was intentionally set. No damage was recorded for the vacant South Side house.

Also on Sunday, firefighters were sent to two garage fires.

At 85 S. Hazelwood Ave., on the West Side, damage was set at $4,000 to the structure and contents, and the cause is under investigation.

At 802 Madison Ave., on the North Side, damage was set at $3,500 to the garage and contents, a vehicle. The cause is under investigation.

Innocent plea in assault

WARREN — Matthew J. Cavin, 18, of Cranwood Drive Southwest, pleaded innocent Monday in Warren Municipal Court to felonious assault, a first-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, on allegations he participated in the armed robbery of two men Saturday morning.

Men age 19 and 22 told police they were robbed about 5 a.m. Saturday on Fifth Street Southwest near Tod Avenue. Police said Cavin was identified as one of the people who took cell phones from the victims.

Warren Municipal Court Judge Terry Ivanchek ordered Cavin held in Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $200,000 bond and scheduled a preliminary hearing for 1:30 p.m. Thursday. Police found Cavin after one of the victims gave police a nearby location where he believed the suspects had gone. Police went there, found Cavin and a female juvenile with a gun in her hand, and arrested both.

Scrap-tire collection

HOWLAND — Howland Township residents are asked to participate in this year’s scrap-tire program. The Public Works Department, at 3600 North River Road, will take up to eight old passenger tires, without rims, for recycling and proper disposal.

Residents may drop off tires Monday through Oct. 10 between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. Call (330) 856-4037 with any questions.

Taking food orders

YOUNGSTOWN — Crossroads Church, 554 S. Meridian Road, will be taking orders for Angel Food Blessings in a Box.

Crossroads Church is a host site for the Angel Food Program for reduced-price groceries. The cost is $30 per unit, which includes $75 worth of meat, vegetables and fruit.

There are no income restrictions or guidelines. Orders for October will be taken on the following dates and times:

• Saturday, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Oct. 8, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Oct. 11, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

• Oct. 13, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Distribution of food will be Oct. 25, 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

For information, call (330) 544-1064, (330) 799-9988 or (330) 261-1497.

Ministry set to open doors

YOUNGSTOWN — Angels with Extra Blessings, a nonprofit ministry geared to providing care and assistance for the elderly, families and youth, will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. Thursday at 1555 Belmont Ave., Suite 2, with the Regional Chamber.

Evangelist Earlina Weaver is founder of the ministry, which will help the elderly with health care, feed the homeless and offer tutoring and mentoring services to youths. There also will be parenting and self-esteem classes and Christian counseling. Angels with Extra Blessings also is a work site for Job and Family Services.

Directors, along with Weaver, are Theresa Douglas, Elder Nothrice Pates, minister Darlene Brown and Ernestine Jackson.

Men report being robbed

YOUNGSTOWN — Two East Side men, ages 18 and 21, were robbed in the parking lot of a tavern on South Avenue, police said. The victims, who were interviewed early Monday at a house on East Lucius Avenue, told police that a gun was used in the crime and the suspect got into a vehicle occupied by two other men. The robbery took place around 10:45 p.m. Sunday, reports show.

Results of OVI checkpoint

The Mahoning County Operating a Vehicle Impaired Task Force arrested five drivers during a weekend sobriety roadblock and charged them with driving impaired. The checkpoint was held from 8 p.m. Saturday until noon Sunday at the intersection of state Routes 534 and 14 in Goshen Township. Task force members processed 370 vehicles through the checkpoint. Other violations included two driving under suspension; seven open-container citations; three underage consumption; four drug offenses; and one aggravated menacing (threatened to kill officers).

Forum, SEIU negotiate

YOUNGSTOWN — Talks were scheduled Monday and today between Forum Health and the Service Employees International Union District 1199, whose contract expires at midnight.

Walter Pishkur, Forum Health’s soon-to-be chief executive officer and president, said he is confident both parties are working toward a decision. Jennifer Farmer, SEIU spokeswoman, would not comment about the negotiations. SEIU District 1199 represents about 1,400 service and technical employees at Forum Health, including 400 at Trumbull Memorial Hospital in Warren and 1,000 at Northside Medical Center.

Members of Ohio Nurses Association Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association at Northside ratified a new three-year work agreement with Forum on Sept. 3. Details of that contract have not been released.

Council meeting canceled

YOUNGSTOWN — City council has canceled its Wednesday meeting because three of its seven members will be out of town that day. The next regularly scheduled council meeting is at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15.

Columbiana GOP event

LISBON — The Columbiana County Republican Party will have an open house at the county GOP headquarters at 4:30 p.m. today at 124 W. Lincoln Way.

All of the county’s candidates will be present. This event will formally kick off the party’s final-countdown grass-roots effort.

County GOP Chairman David Johnson is urging anyone who wants to be involved with the party’s grass-roots campaign — its phone bank, its door-to-door canvassing, its get-out-the-vote drive — to come to the open house and sign up for available time slots.

The headquarters will be staffed seven days a week from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. through Nov. 4.