Kinsman woman killed in single-car accident

Kinsman woman killed in single-car accident

MERCER, Pa. — A woman was killed in an accident on Kinsman Road in Greene Township, Pennsylvania State Police said.

Carrie L. Peska, 40, of Kinsman, was dead at the scene in the Tuesday accident, police said. It happened at 10:05 p.m.

Peska was traveling east near Sugar Run Road at a high speed on the wet road, police said. Her vehicle left the north side of the road, struck a sign and then hit a tree. She was trapped in the car as it caught fire, police said.

2 ejected in car accident

MERCER, Pa. — A woman and a 6-month-old boy were ejected from a car after she lost control on a curve on Bradley Road in Worth Township, state police said.

Sarah Hetrick, 27, no address given, and the baby, who was in a car seat, were taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, after the accident at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.

The hospital confirmed they were sent there but declined to release their conditions Wednesday night.

The car went across the center line and off the east side of the road, rolling over once and coming to rest in a field. Hetrick was not wearing a seat belt, police said.

Bird-banding session

ALLIANCE — The John T. Huston-Dr. John D. Brumbaugh Nature Center of Mount Union College will have a bird-banding session from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday.

Al Eibel will set up mist nets to capture songbirds. He will then band each bird and collect data such as the general health and wing length of the birds. The birds will then be released.

No registration is required.

The nature center is six miles south of the college on Daniel Street, just off state Route 183.

South Range board awards building pacts

NORTH LIMA — The South Range school board awarded contracts for construction of the district’s K-12 building complex.

Superintendent Dennis Dunham said Tuesday the “lowest and most responsible” bids were chosen.

Jack Gibson Construction Co. of Warren received the contract for construction after bidding $12.8 million. Joe Dickey Electric of North Lima will do electrical work for $2.2 million, and plumbing will be completed by Antenucci Inc. of Warren which bid $1.7 million.

The pacts include many additional building enhancements that will be funded due to unanticipated cost savings.

Geothermal well drilling on the site is complete, and Dunham said 90 percent of ground work is done.

The 200,000-square-foot project will sit on 60 acres along state Route 46 and Green Beaver Road in Beaver Township.

The complex will have three separate areas for the elementary, middle and high schools.

The local share of the Ohio School Facilities Commission project of $18.4 million comes from a bond approved by voters in 2007. The state’s share is nearly $20 million. The project is expected to be complete in August 2010.

Tax money at work

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Early collection of property tax money this year means that money can be put to work sooner in investments, says the Lawrence County treasurer.

Treasurer Richard Rapone said $1 million has been invested in the first quarter of 2009. No money was invested by that time last year.

Rapone said that as of the end of March, $3,673,332 was collected and deposited. He said 2009’s first quarter surpassed 2008’s by $795,484. Tax bills were mailed early this year, he added.

Rapone also said a tax outreach program, in which the treasurer’s office visited 25 municipalities, gathered $94,462.

Photos to stay in place

LISBON — The Columbiana County commissioners and the county bar association have agreed to let photographs of past county judges remain hanging in the courthouse.

The commissioners recently hung 20 old photos on the first floor of the courthouse.

The change was in part a response to a visit of the Ohio Supreme Court on April 22. The commissioners also approved a paint job, new lighting and a general cleaning. The photos on display had been stored in a vault.

Don Humphrey, the president of the county bar association, said that the agreement would last for 20 years.