Metro digest

H1N1 vaccine Tuesday

NILES — H1N1 vaccine will be administered from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Mayor Ralph Infante Wellness Center, 213 Sharkey Drive.

Shots will be given to: pregnant women; people who live with or provide care for infants under 6 months old, including parents, siblings and day-care providers; health-care and emergency medical services personnel; those age 6 months to 24 years; and those age 25 to 64 who have medical conditions that put them at higher risk for influenza-related complications.

Advance registration is encouraged. Go to https://h1n1vaccine.odh.ohio.gov or http://nilesh1n1.com for preregistration information. Pregnant women must have a note from their obstetrician.

Contact the Niles City Health Department at (330) 544-9000, ext. 163, or Tom Telego, Niles Emergency Management Agency director, at (330) 565-4481 for more information.

Koins for Kids

BOARDMAN — The deadline for students to register to participate in the Handel’s Koins for Kids Campaign has been extended to Friday.

To date, 11,500 local school students have registered to participate in the campaign, which benefit’s Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley.

For complete details and registration materials, visit www.akronchildrens.org/mv or call Handel’s Corporate Office at (330) 702-8270.

The Koins for Kids campaign will take place Dec. 1-11. Schools in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties are invited to participate.

Students will raise funds by personalizing paper snowman ornaments.

The schools raising the most funds in each county, based on an enrollment formula, will receive an ice cream social plus a DJ for a school dance.

For more information, call JoAnne Stock at (330) 746-9122.

Winter clothes drive

LIBERTY — A winter clothes drive is under way for community families.

Coats, hats, gloves, scarves, back packs and winter clothes are being accepted. Collection barrels are located in each Liberty school building, the bus garage, the Jewish Community Center and Temple El Emeth.

Items will be distributed from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays from the Liberty Township Administration Building.

Call (330) 759-1315 for more information.

103 bags of pot seized

YOUNGSTOWN— Police found more than 100 individual bags of marijuana, a digital scale and a loaded handgun in a drug raid Friday, according to a police report.

Paula “Storm” Parkman, 29, of Steel Street, is charged with drug trafficking, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of weapons under disability, according to the report. She is in the Mahoning County jail.

Police searched Parkman’s Steel Street apartment with its K-9 unit, Jocko. Inside the apartment, police found 14 bags of marijuana in Parkman’s purse, 29 in a Crown Royal bag and 60 in a black shopping bag, according to the report.

The handgun, .22-caliber pistol, was found with five live rounds under a love-seat cushion, the report states.

Ohio auditor to speak

BOARDMAN — Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor is the featured speaker at a Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber government-affairs council luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Monday at the Holiday Inn here.

Taylor, a Republican, was elected auditor in the November 2006 election and will seek a second term in next year’s election.

During her speech, Taylor will discuss her efforts as auditor to make state and local government entities accountable while searching for fraud and waste.

The event is open to the public. Advanced registration is required.

The cost is $20 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. Contact Jennifer Mascardine at (330) 744-2131, ext. 12, or at jennifer@regionalchamber.com to register.

Turkeys needed

YOUNGSTOWN — The Salvation Army is seeking donations of turkeys for its annual Thanksgiving Feast.

Thirty-five whole turkeys are needed to make the event a success. Donations are accepted from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. weekdays at 1501 Glenwood Ave.

Put the Play Back

LORDSTOWN — A fundraiser called Put the Play Back in Playground will begin at 4:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at Lordstown High School, 1824 Salt Springs Road.

The event will feature the police and fire department chili throw-down, basket raffle and concession food.

Money raised will help improve a playground for students in grades kindergarten through sixth grade at Lordstown Elementary School, including handicap accessibility, fencing, tables, gazebo, stadium-style benches, drinking fountain, storage unit, landscaping and ground cover.

Cost is $12 for an adult or $10 with two canned-good donations, $8 for students under 16 and seniors 60 and older with identification, or $5 with two canned-food donations.

Lawrence County closings will cut costs, save energy

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The Lawrence County Courthouse and all county offices will be closed Nov. 22-28, over the Thanksgiving holiday. County Commissioner Steve Craig said the closings are an attempt by commissioners to conserve money and try to end the year in the black.

For emergency court hearings, Central Court will open on an as-needed basis as determined by President Judge Dominick Motto.

Free yoga for food

CANFIELD — A local yoga studio is offering classes in exchange for nonperishable food items. Studio Oxygen, 584 E. Main St., is offering two special yoga sessions — 7 p.m. Nov. 25 and 9:30 a.m. Thanksgiving Day. Those who wish to attend the class are asked to bring a nonperishable food item or cash donation as payment for the hourlong session.

All proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Mahoning County. For more information, contact Marianne Hritz, studio owner and certified personal trainer, at (330) 702-9642, or visit http://studiooxyden.net.

Pet Expo at Eastwood to feature communicator

NILES — The Northeastern Ohio Pet Expo will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Eastwood Expo Center.

Doris Straka, an animal communicator, will attend the event to communicate with pets and help with a variety of issues such as sources of pain, changes in behavior and overcoming bad habits. Straka will provide seminars and one-on-one sessions.

A photographer will take holiday pictures of expo participants and their pets. Santa also will attend.

A pet fashion show will be at 1 p.m. Sunday. Pet apparel and goodies will be available.

Other activities include a petting zoo, pet vacation giveaway, raffles, door prizes and food.

Admission is $5. Children under 12 and pets are admitted free. Pets — including dogs, cats and birds — are welcome. For more information, call (330) 518-7794 or (330) 544-8951.

Couple escapes fire

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A North Beaver Township couple was able to escape their home unharmed after a fire broke out around 2:30 a.m. Saturday. Firefighters from five departmen

ts responded and extinguished the blaze in the modular home at 112 Vance Road.

The blaze was reported by the couple’s daughter. No other details were available.

Woman trapped in car

BROOKFIELD — A woman was being taken to the hospital Saturday after her car rolled over at U.S. Route 62 and Brookwood Drive at 9:30 p.m.

She was trapped in her car and had to be extricated by emergency workers, the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office said. Her name and further details were not immediately available.