Predatory lending

Predatory lending

BOARDMAN

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray will join officials with the Mahoning County sheriff’s office and the Better Business Bureau of Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties Monday to discuss predatory lending.

The event begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Boardman branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County at 7680 Glenwood Ave.

More than 30,000 complaints of being victimized by financial predators were filed with the attorney general’s consumer-protection section last year. That’s a 20 percent increase from the previous year, Cordray said.

Monday’s event will promote ways consumers can protect themselves against scam artists as part of National Consumer Protection Week.

Pizza shop robbed

BOARDMAN

A Market Street pizza shop reported being robbed by two masked men Wednesday night.

An employee of Cocca’s Pizza told police that about 10:40 p.m., two masked men walked into the business. One man walked around the counter and told the employee to open the cash drawer.

The other man pointed a gun at the employee.

The first man took money out of the cash drawer before both left the store.

Write-in candidate

WARREN

Elaine R. Mastromatteo of 6077 state Route 45 in Bristolville has filed with the Trumbull County Board of Elections to run as a write-in candidate for the Green Party nomination in the May primary for U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan’s seat in Congress.

Jodi Fiorenzo Dibble, deputy director of the elections board, said Mastromatteo needs 25 votes to move on to the November election for the seat representing the 17th Congressional District.

Ryan, of Niles, has two opponents in the Democratic primary. Three people also are running in the Republican primary.

Center to reopen

YOUNGsTOWN

The Pincham Initiative Resource Center, 496 Glenwood Ave., will reopen Saturday, almost nine months after the death of its director, Edna D. Pincham.

Initially, the center will provide only tutoring services Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon for high school seniors who have not passed the Ohio Graduation Test as of this month. Beverly C. Lee, a retired educator from Youngstown city schools, will coordinate the volunteer tutoring services.

For information, call (330) 501-6014 or (330) 744-4888.

Recycling event

EAST PALESTINE

There will be a Crime Watch recycling event from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Jasar Recycling, 278 W. Taggart St. All separated recyclables will be accepted (glass, aluminum cans, tin cans, plastic, paper and cardboard) as well as large appliances and used computer hard drives. No small appliances, electronics, televisions or computer monitors will be accepted.

All proceeds benefit Crime Watch projects.

South Side meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

The town-hall meeting for the new South Side Neighborhood Coalition will be at 6:30 p.m. Monday at the Covelli Centre, 229 E. Front St.

The objective of the coalition is to form an organization for the betterment of the South Side communities and children.

Cemetery cleanup

BOARDMAN

Staff at Lake Park Cemetery, 1459 E. Midlothian Blvd., will begin removing all Christmas and artificial decorations March 15, as part of the cemetery’s cleanup.

Anyone who wants to keep the decorations must remove them before that date.