METRO DIGEST

Cheerleader’s death

YOUNGSTOWN — The death of an East High School cheerleader who collapsed during a practice session at the school Wednesday appears to be due to natural causes.

Dr. David M. Kennedy, Mahoning County coroner, reported Friday his preliminary autopsy findings in the death of Jabraya Howell, 16. A final ruling is pending the results of laboratory tests, he said.

Plea entered in drug case

WARREN — Tiona L. Jones, 27, of 805 Third Street S.E. pleaded innocent Friday in Warren Municipal Court to charges of aggravated drug trafficking.

Jones was among two females, two males and a 3-year-old boy in the Third Street house when the Trumbull Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force conducted a raid Wednesday with help from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, Warren Police Department, U.S. Marshals and Mahoning Valley Crisis Response Team.

Investigators recovered heroin, crack cocaine and a small amount of marijuana. They also seized a loaded handgun, $2,300 in cash, prescription drugs, drug paraphernalia and packaging materials.

Jones is being held in Trumbull County jail in lieu of $200,000 bond.

Champion water shut off

CHAMPION — The water will be shut off to a portion of Champion Township near Champion High School today from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. so that the Trumbull County sanitary engineer’s office can repair a leak.

Streets without service will be: Mahoning Avenue north of Earl Drive; Warrenton Drive, Grassy Pointe, Louise Court, Ridge Run Drive, Abbington, Turnberry Lane, Heath Drive, Danbury Court, Catawba North and Catawba South, part of Airport Road, Oak Hollow Drive, Amanda Drive, Briana Way and Angel Court.

Bridge-damage case

WARREN — The man who drove his company’s box truck through the historic Newton Falls covered bridge July 10, causing $57,000 damage and closing the bridge for six months, has pleaded guilty to an amended charge of having an unsafe vehicle, a minor misdemeanor, and paid fines and court costs of $206.

Ryan M. Vallen, 22, of Canton, originally was charged with hit-skip/failure to stop after an accident and wreckless operation. The hit-skip charge, a first-degree misdemeanor, was dismissed.

The Trumbull County engineer’s office said the bridge is marked with a sign indicating that commercial trucks of any kind are prohibited. Vallen drove a doughnut delivery truck over the bridge at 2:30 a.m. on his way to a nearby store, but the truck was too high and damaged beams and trusses.

Extradited in rape case

YOUNGSTOWN — City police traveled to Greencastle, Ind., this week to pick up a man accused of a 2003 rape.

Sammie Smith Jr., 41, of Auburn, Ind., is charged with three counts of rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary. He is accused in the October 2003 rape of a woman on Hilton Avenue.

Smith, who was picked up at the Putnamville Correctional Facility, was extradited to the city on warrants charging him with the crimes.

Nature-preserve program

NORTH LIMA — Mill Creek MetroParks, in cooperation with the Beaver Township Park Board, will present a free program at 6 tonight at the Beaver Township Nature Preserve.

The program is the final one of the season and was added to allow area residents another opportunity to become more familiar with the preserve. The event will feature a nature hike and a presentation on butterflies.

The preserve is on state Route 165 in East Lewistown near New Buffalo Road.

Restaurant robbed

YOUNGSTOWN — A robber took about $400 from a Fifth Avenue fast-food restaurant, then fled.

An assistant manager at McDonald’s told police that about 7:45 p.m. Thursday, a man, about 20, came into the restaurant and told her, “I’ll lay everyone out unless you give me everything in the register right now,” a police report said.

The woman gave him about $400 from the cash register.