LOCAL

LOCAL

Youngstown man stabbed

YOUNGSTOWN — Abraham M. Welcher, 57, of Glenwood Avenue was stabbed once in the side at his home Saturday morning and was listed in stable condition in St. Elizabeth Health Center.

It occurred just after 10 a.m. and was reported around 11 a.m.

Police have a suspect in custody. Kealin M. Jenkins, 19, of Falls Avenue, was spotted by police running on Falls and arrested him shortly afterward at his residence.

He is being held in the Mahoning County jail on a charge of felonious assault pending his arraignment Monday.

Postal Service driver arrested and jailed

YOUNGSTOWN — A Postal Service driver, Helene Mantzoros-Caldwell, 52, of Youngstown, was charged with reckless operation, misconduct at an emergency and obstructing official business after she drove over the foot of a city firefighter in an area blocked off because of downed electrical wires Saturday afternoon, police said.

Injured was Lt. Benjamin Szmara, who was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center after the incident, which occurred at 3 p.m. at the intersection of Steward Avenue and Lansdowne Boulevard.

Mantzoros-Caldwell, of North Hazelwood Avenue, is accused of refusing Szmara’s order to not drive on Lansdowne because it was unsafe, and went around a firetruck and cones blocking the street and ran over Szmara’s right foot with the left rear wheel of her vehicle.

She was arrested and is being held in Mahoning County Jail pending a Monday court appearance, police said.

OHIO

Officials: Petitions valid for Akron mayoral recall

AKRON — Officials say critics of the mayor have collected enough valid signatures to force a recall election.

The Summit County Board of Elections says the group Change Akron Now collected 3,800 valid signatures, hundreds more than necessary to force a recall vote on Mayor Don Plusquellic.

The group fell short in its first petition drive but submitted nearly 2,000 more signatures this week. If the clerk of Akron City Council also verifies the petitions, the council would set an election within two months.

Plusquellic has been mayor for 23 years and has said he will fight the recall effort.

The Democrat’s opponents accuse him of running up the city’s debt.

Pastor’s parable project

CLEVELAND HEIGHTS — A suburban Cleveland pastor is challenging church members to create their own stimulus funding by putting a biblical parable into practice.

The Rev. John Lentz of Forest Hill Church in Cleveland Heights gave each member $50 and asked them to double or triple that money. Some members are making crafts to sell, while others pooled their money to hold an auction.

The project is based on a parable about two servants who double the money given to them by their master.

Lentz says he hopes the $15,000 in seed money will be returned May 31 with profits for the church’s programs.

PENNSYLVANIA

Man to stand trial in shooting outside bar

PITTSBURGH — A man has been ordered to stand trial in the shooting death of a teenager in front of a Pittsburgh bar last month.

A judge on Friday held 18-year-old Donald Jones for trial on charges of homicide, reckless endangerment and a firearms crime in the death of 16-year-old Walter “Little Ron” Boyd.

Police say Jones at first said someone else was responsible but later told investigators that he shot at Boyd several times outside Mac Can Do’s bar in the Homewood section of the city April 28. Boyd was hit at least four times and died four hours later at UPMC Presbyterian.

Casings from two weapons were found at the scene, and public defender Lisa Middleman says it is unclear who fired the fatal shot.

2 children killed in fire

LIMEKILN — Authorities in eastern Pennsylvania say two children have been found dead after a house fire.

Firefighters were called to the home in Limekiln, in Berks County’s Exeter Township, at about 9:45 a.m. Saturday. The building was gutted by the flames, and the bodies of the children were found on the second floor.

Staff and wire reports