Metro Digest

Raising of victim’s flag

WARREN — The Trumbull County Victim’s Flag will be raised at 10 a.m. Thursday in front of the Trumbull County jail on High Street downtown to remember 21-month-old Tiffany Banks, whose death was ruled a homicide recently by Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, coroner.

The girl died from asphyxia and also had multiple other blunt-traumatic injuries.

Emergency personnel were called to the duplex on Center Street West where she lived with foster parents and found her unresponsive. No charges have been filed.

Gunplay investigated

WARREN — Police are investigating a report that someone fired at least 11 shots with an AK-47 assault rifle from inside a vehicle heading south on Tod Avenue near the intersection with West Market Street on Monday night.

No one reported being injured. Officers recovered numerous AK-47 shell casings in the grass and in the curb lane on North Tod near Walgreens, a police report said.

Store robbery in Warren

WARREN — Advance Auto Parts, 2727 Parkman Road N.W., was robbed about 2 p.m. Sunday.

A man walked around the store shopping for about 30 minutes before approaching a cashier and demanding money. The clerk saw the butt of a gun in the waistline of the man’s pants, he told police.

Cops’ grievance hearings

WARREN — Grievance hearings will be at 10 a.m. Sept. 8 in city hall for four city police officers reprimanded in connection with one officer’s leaving work to watch and coach basketball games involving his children.

The hearings were scheduled after the officers appealed their punishment. Doug Franklin, safety-service director, will lead the hearings. The four officers are Sgt. Emanuel Nites, Sgt. Michael Albanese, Sgt. Dan Mason and Lt. Eric Merkel.

Nites was reduced in rank from sergeant to patrolman and suspended without pay for 10 days for attending basketball games 14 times in January, February and March while on the clock. The three other officers received suspensions of between five and 20 days for covering up for Nites’ absences by falsifying time sheets.

Nites is also under investigation by his department for calling off sick on the Friday night before a youth baseball game he coached in Chesapeake, Ohio, five hours away.

Camp chapel dedicated

NORTH SPRINGFIELD, Pa. — Trinity Chapel, the newest facility at the Youngstown YMCA’s Camp Fitch, was dedicated Sunday.

The name of the chapel was inspired by its building design. There are three diamonds over the entryway, three windows on the north and south sides and a roof design with peaks and valleys of triangles. In the Christian faith, Trinity refers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Young Men’s Christian Association from early in its history recognized the triangle as its symbol, officials said.

Trinity Chapel, inspired by the Berlin Family Foundation, sits at the entrance of Camp Fitch, which is a branch of the YMCA of Youngstown located on the shores of Lake Erie.

Ohio FOP backs casinos

COLUMBUS — A statewide law-enforcement group is backing a plan to place casinos in Ohio’s four largest cities.

The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio, the state’s largest police union group, announced its endorsement of the ballot issue during a press conference in Columbus on Tuesday.

Treasurer Mark Drum, a retired member of the Delaware Police Department north of Columbus, also announced the creation of a new coalition called Cops for Casinos that will actively campaign in support of the issue.