Metro Digest

3 people arraigned on various drug charges

NILES — Three of the people charged by Weathersfield Township Police after a drug raid in the Forest Ridge Apartment Complex on Orchard Court appeared in Niles Municipal Court on Wednesday for an arraignment.

They were Cheryl A. Bott, 57, of Webb Road, Mineral Ridge, charged with two counts of drug trafficking; Dean Hites, 23, of Woodbine Avenue, Warren, charged with drug trafficking, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug-abuse instruments; and Randy L. Hites, 28, of Ridge Road, Newton Falls, charged with possession of drug-abuse paraphernalia.

All three return to court next week.

Those three and three others were arrested Tuesday afternoon in the apartments, which are off state Route 46 just north of the Mahoning County line. The arrests followed a six-month drug investigation conducted by Weathersfield and Niles police.

Weathersfield Township Police Chief Joseph Consiglio said the drug trade uncovered there mostly involved heroin but also pills.

Teacher pleads guilty to reduced charges

WARREN — Dominic Leone, who taught physical education at Jefferson Elementary last March when he was charged with improperly following an ex-girlfriend who also teaches at the school, has pleaded guilty to reduced charges.

Leone, 39, of Meadowbrook Avenue Southeast, pleaded guilty to unauthorized use of property and criminal trespass, both misdemeanors, Wednesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

He will be sentenced in four to six weeks, after the county adult-probation department conducts a pre-sentence investigation.

Leone, who also coached football at Mineral Ridge, Warren Harding, Brookfield and The Rayen School over the years, initially was charged with menacing, a felony, but a grand jury indicted him instead on charges of unauthorized use of property and burglary, both felonies.

Schiavoni to be speaker

YOUNGSTOWN — State Sen. Joe Schiavoni will be the guest speaker Friday at the regular noon meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Youngstown at the downtown YMCA building, 17 N. Champion St.

Schiavoni, of Canfield, represents the 33rd District, which encompasses Mahoning and Carroll counties and parts of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.

Board meeting canceled

CANFIELD —The special Mahoning County Career & Technical Center school board meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. today at 7300 N. Palmyra Road has been canceled.

Cemetery cleanups

YOUNGSTOWN — Because of recent weather conditions, all artificial flowers and other decorations must be removed from graves, monuments and mausoleum crypts by 7 a.m. March 22 from Diocese of Youngstown cemeteries including Calvary and Resurrection cemeteries in Youngstown and All Souls Cemetery in Cortland.

Honoring black teachers

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Area Alliance of Black School Educators, along with the Associated Neighborhood Center, will present its annual Salute to Black Educators luncheon at 11 a.m. Saturday at the McGuffey Centre, 1649 Jacobs Road.

This year’s honorees are Youngstown school teachers Lorene Bills and Darlene McKelley; Warren school teachers Janice Beachum and Lillie Johnson; and Warren schools administrator Verna Wylie.

For more information, call the center at (330) 744-4377.