METRO DIGEST || Cousin charged in child beatings

Children beaten

YOUNGSTOWN

Jamal Hopkins, 23, of 622 Almyra Avenue, is charged with two counts of felonious assault and two counts of child endangering after police discovered injuries to the twin daughters of his cousin early Friday.

Police began their investigation after being called to Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley at 1 a.m. Friday for a 16-month-old girl with lacerations and welts on her back, arms and legs.

The injuries were discovered by the child’s grandparents.

Officers then went to the girl’s mother’s home on Almyra to check on the condition of the other twin and found her bruised and cut in a similar way. She was then transported to Akron Children’s Hospital.

Hopkins told police he had hit the girls and an older sister with a plastic coat hanger while he was watching them for their mother.

Hopkins said he was punishing them for playing with Lysol and Crisco.

Suspect arraigned

YOUNGSTOWN

The man involved in two standoffs with Youngstown police in two days is now in the Mahoning County jail on a $110,000 bond. Dennis Ray, 50, of Browning Avenue, appeared Friday for arraignments before Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court on a felony charge of carrying a dangerous weapon and misdemeanor charges of discharging a firearm and inducing panic.

Judge Kobly set bond at $100,000 on the felony charge and $5,000 on each of the misdemeanors.

Ray was involved in a standoff with police Wednesday after he began firing shots in his home, forcing his live-in girlfriend to run from the house. Ray then went on a daylong run from authorities, which ended in another standoff Thursday on the South Side when he was arrested.

Child care available

warren

YWCA Warren is offering “Polar Express, a winter break childcare from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Monday through Friday for children in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Children will participate in activities relating to the movie “The Polar Express” including crafts and games. Breakfast and a snack are included; children must bring a packed lunch.

Registration and payment is due Monday. The cost is $85 a week per child. Daily rates are $20 and $15 for a half-day (less than four hours). A $15 registration fee may apply. For registration and more information, call the YWCA Warren at 330-373-1010.

United We Dine

CANFIELD

The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley will have a “United We Dine” event on Monday at Inner Circle Pizza, 6579 Ironwood Blvd., from 5 to 8 p.m.

The event will include an auction with a variety of holiday gift items, including gift baskets, a cookie tray, two children’s bikes with helmets, a 50/50 drawing and a visit from Santa Claus. All proceeds benefit the United Way.

Recycle wrappings

canfield

Residents are urged to save their wrapping paper and greeting cards in brown paper bags and deliver them through Jan. 31 to the recycling bin located behind the fire station at 5007 Messerly Road. Cut Christmas trees also can be disposed of at the location from Dec. 26 through Jan. 31.

Ribbons and foil wrap should be removed from gifts and cards. Decorations should be removed from trees.

For a list of locations, call the Green Team at 330-740-2060 or visit its website at www.greenteam.cc.