Metro digest

Metro digest

Warren man dies in fire that injures woman, 59

WARREN — A 63-year-old Warren man died, and a 59-year-old woman suffered burns in a fire at their home.

Firefighters responded to a call made at 3:11 a.m. Saturday by Patricia Dematteo, 59, that her house at 1822 Hamilton St. was on fire.

She was able to get out of the home, but Robert Stevens, 63, who also lived there, couldn’t escape and died, a fire official said. Stevens had disabilities that made it difficult for him to get out, the official said.

Dematteo was taken to the Akron Children’s Hospital Burn Center. Her condition wasn’t available Saturday.

The cause is under investigation. The department needs to first talk to Dematteo before determining what caused the fire, the official said.

Seminar to discuss veterans’ benefits

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A Department of Veterans Affairs benefits seminar is from 10 a.m. to noon Monday at the Lawrence County Government Center, commissioners meeting room, at 430 Court St. Shirley Noga, director of VA Affairs, will discuss VA pensions and other benefits.

Search-rescue corps offers training academy

U.S. Search and Rescue Recovery Corps is now taking applications for enrollment for its 2010 training academy. The registration program begins in January.

The corps provides volunteer, professionally trained personnel to law enforcement for response for locating missing people throughout the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The unit is a participating organization for the Ohio Child Abduction Response Team, Mahoning County Sheriff’s Department Seniors Unit and the Columbiana County Coroner’s Office Response Team.

Members are certified through Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resource wilderness search-and-rescue response. The Corps has responded to more than 300 events throughout the tri-state area and other states as well as internationally for more than 38 years.

The academy provides a comprehensive two-year certification for the professional SARR (Search, Rescue, Recovery) Technician. Contact U.S. SARR Corps at (412) 303-5650 for more information.