STATE & REGION DIGEST || Child-enticement charge

February 9, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

LOCAL

Child-enticement charge

NEWTON FALLS — A 60-year-old man living in Newton Village Apartments, 607 Ridge Road, has been arrested and lodged in Trumbull County jail on a criminal child-enticement charge, police said.

Gerald W. Williams was charged Friday after police responded to a complaint that a man was trying to entice children waiting at a school-bus stop into his apartment Thursday morning.

Retirees’ meeting reset

YOUNGSTOWN — Due to a forecast calling for heavy snow, Thursday’s meeting of the Police and Fire Retirees of Ohio, District 2, Chapter 10, has been canceled.

The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. March 11 at Brandywine Apartments Clubhouse, 3390 Flo-Lor Drive.

OHIO

Funeral for Ohio trooper

CAREY — Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland and more than 500 officers have paid their respects to a state Highway Patrol trooper who was killed in a car crash while on duty last week.

The service for Trooper Andrew Baldridge was late Monday morning at the Basilica of Our Lady of Consolation in the northwest Ohio village of Carey.

Baldridge was behind the wheel of a patrol cruiser that went off a road and rolled several times Thursday evening as he and another trooper were responding to a call. The other officer was hospitalized.

Baldridge was 25 and graduated from the highway patrol academy in December. Strickland says he heard Baldridge speak at the graduation and was impressed by his sincerity and thoughtfulness.

The governor ordered flags flown at half-staff until sunset Monday.

School evacuated

NEW RICHMOND — A fire official in southwest Ohio says a high school was evacuated and five students were taken to hospitals after about 13 complained of feeling lightheaded.

The conditions of the New Richmond High School students taken to hospitals were not immediately available. New Richmond Fire Chief Mark Baird says eight additional students were treated at the scene.

Superintendent Tom Durbin of the New Richmond Exempted Village School District said about four students in a music classroom became lightheaded Monday afternoon and a few other students later complained of the same symptoms.

Staff and wire reports