Metro digest || Boy puts car into gear

Boy puts car into gear

YOUNGSTOWN

A 5-year-old North Side boy was treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center for a severe injury to his hand after he accidentally put a car into gear.

According to police reports, a 40-year-old Catalina Avenue man parked on North Avenue to speak to a friend inside the Buckeye Elks Club, leaving his three sons, ages 5, 7 and 9, in the car’s backseat. The youngest boy, reports said, reached into the front console to get his juice, putting the car in gear.

Reports say the car began to roll backward. The older boys were able to jump from the vehicle as it rolled, but the youngest boy was unable to get out and injured his hand when the car hit a utility pole.

No charges have been filed.

Town hall meeting

NILES

The Warren Urban Minority Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Outreach Program will have a town hall meeting on from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday to discuss a wide range of issues relating to underage drinking in Trumbull and surrounding counties.

The meeting, which is open to the public, will take place in the Eastwood Mall Community Room.

Discussion will focus on issues such as hosting underage drinking parties, drinking and driving, alcohol abuse and positive party planning.

Buddy Walk

BOARDMAN

The 2010 Buddy Walk of the Valley is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at The Shops at Boardman Park.

The Buddy Walk, the primary awareness and fundraising campaign for the Down Syndrome Association of the Valley, will feature music by Right Hand, a local contemporary Christian band; the Youngstown Connection; and Star Wars Storm Troopers with DJ Richie D; and food, bouncers and the “I Have a Voice” traveling photo gallery.

Raffle items include a Kelly Pavlik boxing glove, bicycles and 40 theme baskets. Also, $10 tickets for an Orlando, Fla., getaway, valued at $2,300, will go on sale at the event and continue through Oct. 24 when the winner will be drawn in honor of national Down Syndrome Awareness Month.

For more information about Down Syndrome Association of the Valley and the Buddy Walk, visit its web site at www.dsav.org or call 330-726-3728.

New food mart

NEW SPRINGFIELD

A Pennsylvania man plans to break ground this fall for a $1.5 million Tic Toc Food Mart and Service Station at the southwest corner of the intersection of Calla Road and state Route 170. An opening is planned for April or May.

Edward Retort, who was representing developer Tim Pitzer, presented the plans when Springfield Township trustees met Wednesday. Retort said Pitzer owns seven Tic Toc Markets, and the one built here will be similar to the one in nearby Mount Jackson.

The 6,700-square-foot building will have diesel and gasoline on site, a convenience store, a lunch menu and ice cream. Retort said there is a possibility of packaged beer sales as well.

The store will employ six full- and eight part-time workers.

Motorcycle crash

warren

Police are investigating a motorcycle crash that sent a man to the hospital.

Donald R. Young, 29, of Warren wrecked at 5:13 p.m. Wednesday on Warren Boulevard, west of Laird Avenue and east of Logan Avenue SE, Warren police said.

Police did not give details of the accident.

Young was taken to Trumbull Memorial Hospital and transferred to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. MetroHealth said there was no condition report available Wednesday night.

Fair attendance dips

Ohio State Fair officials point to a concert cancellation and the weather as reasons for slightly lower attendance this year.

Spokeswoman Christina Leeds says 812,000 people went through the gates over the 12 days that ended Sunday, down from the 826,000 who attended in 2009.

Leeds says this year’s numbers likely would have run even with last year’s if Disney teen star Selena Gomez had not dropped off the fair’s concert calendar at the last minute because of strained vocal cords.

Vindicator staff/wire reports