Metro digest

Beshara ruling affirmed

YOUNGSTOWN — A three-judge panel of the 7th District Court of Appeals has unanimously upheld the aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and kidnapping convictions of Benjamin Beshara in the July 10, 2005, death of his neighbor, Marilyn Guthrie, 61, of Niles.

After she was abducted from her residence and thrown into the trunk of her car, Guthrie died of injuries from being run over with her car on Youngstown’s South Side.

After the jury rendered its guilty verdicts in a January 2007 trial, Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Beshara, 35, to life in prison without parole.

The 27-page appeals court decision, released Wednesday, was written by Judge Mary DeGenaro, with Judges Joseph J. Vukovich and Gene Donofrio concurring.

Heating-assistance drive

YOUNGSTOWN — Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Youngstown is calling upon people willing to support a parish and community collection for winter utility assistance for families in need.

“Keep the Kids Warm” is a special second collection to take place between the Feast of the Holy Family (Dec. 26-27) and the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Jan. 9-10) in parishes and in the community. All funds collected through this effort are returned to the counties in which they were collected to provide direct assistance to families.

“Keep the Kids Warm” specifically aims to assist those “working poor” families who do not qualify for government assistance and families who have no resources after government- subsidized programs have lapsed.

Since 2005, Catholic Charities has experienced an increase in requests for utility assistance of more than 50 percent. Last year alone, Catholic Charities provided specific utility assistance to more than 8,000 people throughout the diocese.

Donations can be sent to: Catholic Charities, Keep the Kids Warm, P.O. Box 614, Youngstown, OH 44501. Donations also may be made on Catholic Charities’ Web site at www.ccdoy.org.

Crash into garage

BOARDMAN — Police cited a man for operating a vehicle while impaired and failure to control after the man crashed into a neighbor’s garage. Michael R. Hunchuck, 37, of Oakley Avenue, is to appear in Mahoning County Area Court on Dec. 8. Shortly after midnight Wednesday, police were called to Oakley on a report of a car crashing into a house. When officers arrived, they saw that a truck had crashed into a vehicle in the driveway and the garage. The driver, Hunchuck, was still in the driver’s seat, a police report said.

Police detected the odor of a alcohol coming from Hunchuck, who said he had been at the Blue Wolf Tavern, U.S. Route 224, and acknowledged that he had been drinking. Hunchuck failed three field sobriety tests and declined to take a breath test.

Free haircuts offered to military families

BOARDMAN — Families of active United States military personnel may receive a free haircut at Pecchia’s, 7807 Market St., Suite 7, Sunday.

The salon is participating in the National Day of Thanks. People who are in the military or immediate family members of servicemen or -women may call the salon at (330) 758-4991 to schedule an appointment. The event runs from 1 to 5 p.m. Johnny’s Restaurant, Great Harvest Bread Co. Chick-fil-a, Hollywood Video and Steamers Tavern also are participating to honor the military.

Automatic recounts leave results unchanged

WARREN — Automatic recounts conducted Wednesday in the Bazetta Township trustee race and the Southington Township fiscal officer race did not change the results, with Donald Urchek winning in Bazetta and Cynthia Speaker winning in Southington. Kelly Pallante, Trumbull County Board of Elections director, said Urchek remains 10 votes ahead of Theodore Webb in Bazetta, and Speaker remains seven votes ahead of L. Steinmetz-Mills in Southington.