Police: Girl ate cocaine

Police: Girl ate cocaine

YOUNGSTOWN — A 3-year-old Idora Avenue girl taken to Akron Children’s Hospital Boardman facility on Market Street late Wednesday had ingested cocaine, police said.

The girl’s mother, interviewed around 10:30 p.m. at the hospital, said she had been asleep and when she woke she saw her daughter running around, more active than normal.

The child told police she didn’t remember eating anything. The girl had also ingested a penny, reports show.

The mother said she does not do drugs and suggested that maybe the girl’s father had come over and “dropped the cocaine,” reports show.

Police who checked court records discovered that the mother had been convicted of drug abuse (marijuana) last year.

The case has been assigned to the juvenile division and Mahoning County Children’s Services Bureau.

Man, 67, found dead

YOUNGSTOWN — The body of Thomas E. King, 67, was found on the living room floor of his home at 1330 Lansdowne Blvd. when police went to check on his welfare Wednesday night at the request of a neighbor. The death was of apparent natural causes, reports show.

The neighbor told police he hadn’t seen King since December. The mailbox was filled with mail, and all the windows were frozen, indicating no heat inside. Police heard a dog barking.

The fire department was called to make entry into the house. A small black dog found inside the house was taken by Animal Charity humane agents.

The neighbor told police that King has two children who live out of town.

Regional Chamber guest

YOUNGSTOWN — Ohio House Speaker Armond Budish of Beachwood, D-8th, will be the featured speaker at the Regional Chamber’s first legislative breakfast of the year Jan. 30.

Budish will detail his agenda for the new session and what he hopes to accomplish to enhance the economy of northeast Ohio.

Also on the program is Ohio Senate Minority Leader Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd.

The event starts at 7:30 a.m. at Youngstown State University’s DeBartolo Stadium Club.

Cost is $20 for members and $25 for prospective members. Reservations are required. Contact Jennifer Mascardine at (330) 744-2131, ext. 12, or register online at www.regionalchamber.com.

The program is being jointly hosted by the chamber’s government affairs council and YSU.

Pittsburgh club probed

PITTSBURGH — City police say they’ve opened a wide-ranging investigation of a private health club geared toward gay men where an Ohio man was found dead Jan. 3.

Autopsy results on 31-year-old Cleophus Pettway of Youngstown are still pending.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has reported that Club Pittsburgh stayed open after its politically connected owners talked with city officials, despite complaints about nude go-go dancers, pornographic movies and sexual activity.

An attorney for the club owners say they are cooperating with investigators. Police say the investigation is general in nature, meant to determine if there was any criminal activity at the club.

Police say Pettway was found dead in a private rented room at the club.

Inauguration Day event

YOUNGSTOWN — The “Valley Gold Show” is hosting an Inauguration Day event in the show’s studio from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tuesday in the National City Bank Building, 16 Wick Ave.

The event will feature live music, along with a live satellite feed of the swearing-in ceremony of President-elect Barack Obama. Cost of the event is $7, which includes a lunch buffet.

The “Valley Gold Show” is a local talk-variety show hosted by Debor’ah Benton.

Benton interviews well-known personalities and musicians and has had guests such as Cuba Gooding Sr. and Cornelius Grant. The show airs at 12:30 p.m. every Saturday on Fox 17/62 TV and Channel 15 on Time Warner Cable.

For more information visit www.ValleyGoldShow.com.