Fires investigated

Fires investigated

YOUNGSTOWN

Fire investigators are probing the cause of a car and house fire on the city’s East Side early Monday. Firefighters responding at 2:08 a.m. to an occupied one-story house at 1621 Atkinson Ave. found a burning car in the driveway. The side of the house next to the burning 1995 Ford Taurus and the home’s front living room were also ablaze.

The home’s occupant, John Gaia, who was in his front yard, advised firefighters that he and his wife and dog had escaped from the residence through a rear bedroom door after smelling smoke and finding the living room in flames. The house was boarded up after the blaze; the car was towed for examination by fire investigators; and the occupants said they would be staying nearby with a relative. Damage was estimated at $5,500 to the house and $2,500 to its contents.

Dog shooting probed

YOUNGSTOWN

Police are investigating the shooting of a 3-year-old pit bull dog on the city’s South Side on Sunday afternoon.

Police went to the Ferndale Avenue address of the dog’s purported owner just before 6 p.m. and found a 53-year-old woman holding the wounded dog. Dog Warden Dave Nelson took possession of the animal.

According to witnesses, a Ferndale Avenue resident was in his front yard tending to his golden retriever when the pit bull, “Cash,” entered the yard and began attacking the golden retriever. The man told police he tried to beat the pit bull off with a pole, but the animal continued the attack. The man said an unidentified man walked into the yard and shot the pit bull several times before fleeing in a gray Dodge Intrepid.

Arraignment set

WARREN

A man will be arraigned today in municipal court on a felonious-assault charge in the shooting of a man he felt had injured his daughter.

Charles E. Poole, 47, of Idylwild Street Northeast, was released on bond Monday afternoon from the Trumbull County Jail. Police arrested him early Saturday.

Poole’s 26-year-old daughter, who lives on Francis Avenue Southeast, told police that her boyfriend, Anthony Blackwell, 26, had assaulted her about 1 a.m. Saturday.

About 2:20 a.m., Blackwell was shot in the leg at his girlfriend’s house, police said. A short while later, Poole surrendered at the police station and said he was the person who had shot Blackwell, police said.

Fifth-best in world

Akron

Six racers from the Youngstown area competed Saturday at the All-American Soap Box Derby, with one being named the fifth-best in the world.

Zach Krohn, 12, of Austintown, came in fifth in the super stock division. Krohn was the 2010 Youngstown super stock champion and the 2009 Youngstown stock champion.

Also competing in Akron were Zach’s brother, Brandon Krohn, 10, of Austintown, in the stock division; Haleigh Kuebler, 16, of Berlin Center, in the masters division; Melody Castner, 9, from Hubbard, in the rally stock; Julia Castner, 14, from Hubbard, in the rally masters; and Jamie Berndt, 20, of Canfield, in the ultimate speed division. Berndt took second place and was last year’s world champion.

Smoke in courthouse

MERCER, PA.

Firefighters from four area departments responded to a call at the Mercer County Courthouse Monday afternoon after smoke was discovered in a utility room on the building’s lower level.

County officials said a motor burned up on a combination washer-dryer unit, causing a light haze of smoke to permeate the room. A county employee from a nearby office first smelled the smoke, which led to the call about 12:45 p.m. to Mercer East End, Grove City, Jefferson Township and Springfield Township volunteer fire departments.