Conservation easements

Conservation easements

CANFIELD — The Northeastern Ohio Forestry Association will meet at 7 p.m. today at Mill Creek MetroParks on state Route 46 across from Canfield Fairgrounds. Scott Hill from Western Reserve Land Conservancy will talk about conservation easements. Conservation easements are meant to protect land from certain forms of development or use and are binding on all future owners of the property. The landowner who enters into an easement continues to privately own and manage the land and may receive significant state and federal tax advantages for having sold and/or donated the land to the easement.

Grand jury to hear case

AUSTINTOWN — The Mahoning County grand jury will hear the case of a township man charged with multiple counts of possessing material that depicts minors in sexually oriented activity. Terrence Justice, 48, of North Roanoke Avenue appeared for a preliminary hearing Wednesday in front of Judge David A. D’Apolito at the Mahoning County Area Court here on 23 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and eight counts of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material.

Justice waived his right to a pretrial hearing and agreed to have his case presented to a grand jury. Police said the photos involve several juvenile females. None of the them are believed to live locally, and Justice isn’t suspected of engaging in sexual activity with minors. Police said he is accused of receiving e-mails containing photographs of minors involved in sexual activity. Justice is in Mahoning County jail in lieu of $100,000 bond.

Facing burglary charge

YOUNGSTOWN — A man found inside a house in the 300 block of Redondo Road after the resident came home around 2 a.m. Wednesday was charged with burglary.

David Hagens, 40, of Benita Avenue was arraigned today in municipal court and will be back Jan. 21 for a preliminary hearing. The homeowner said he heard footsteps coming from upstairs when he got home and stepped back outside to call police. Hagens, who came out soon after police arrived, told officers that he knows the Redondo Road home- owner’s brother so he entered when he found the door open because he needed a place to spend the night. The brother met Hagens once.

Police said entry to the North Side house was gained by prying a metal rod off a window next to a back door. A DVD and a DVR player that had been in a bedroom were found hidden under a couch in a shopping bag, police said.

Dog’s owner isn’t cited

YOUNGSTOWN — The owner of an Akita that got loose and bit a man on Falls Avenue was “given the benefit of the doubt” and not cited, said Sean Toohey, a deputy dog warden. The owner, who bought the dog a license Tuesday morning, was putting the tag on the dog’s collar when the animal slipped the collar and ran.

The 34-year-old man bitten on his right calf told police that he slipped in the snow in an effort to get away from the dog in his driveway. The man then held the dog’s collar to force the animal away from his body. The owner showed up, identified himself and took the dog away on a leash, police said. The victim told police he would seek treatment for the wound.

Donations of pet food

NILES — Pet food donations will be accepted at several veterinarian offices, as well as Pet Supplies Plus locations, in Trumbull County to help low-income families unable to feed their animals.

Mahoning Valley residents are encouraged to participate in the pet food drive, which will end Monday evening at Pet Supplies Plus in Niles’ Eastwood Mall. Between Saturday and Monday, a volunteer from the Animal Welfare League will be on hand to accept donations and provide information on adoptable pets. Bagged, canned and boxed pet food, as well as treats and monetary donations, will be accepted.

Volunteers may contact their local veterinarian’s office to see if they’re participating in the drive. For more information, contact organizer Bev Spicer at (330) 545-6296.

Multiple charges for man

YOUNGSTOWN — After checking out a report of gunfire, police arrested Charles A. Huff Jr. on East Florida Avenue on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest and obstructing official business.

Huff, 24, of East Avondale Avenue was arraigned Wednesday in municipal court. He posted a $17,500 bond. He will be back in court Jan. 29 for a preliminary hearing.

Police said Huff refused to take his hand out of his pockets when they approached around 11:40 p.m. Tuesday and then he started running, tossing a 9 mm handgun into a snowy driveway. He ran inside a house in the 200 block of East Florida and into a bedroom.

He resisted arrest by not putting his hands behind his back and then by rolling on the floor, reports show. Police used pepper spray and a baton until Huff complied with their orders. On the way to jail, Huff apologized to police, saying he was not the one doing the shooting, he was just walking home.