METRO DIGEST || Fire guts Frankie’s kitchen

Frankie’s burns

HUBBARD

A grease fire destroyed the kitchen of a local eatery Tuesday afternoon.

Firefighters from Hubbard and Farrell, West Middlesex and Shenango Township, Pa., responded to Frankie’s Main Street Cafe, 368 N. Main St., about 3 p.m. Tuesday.

“The fire started with the grease from the fryers, and the kitchen is gutted completely,” said Fire Chief John Clemente.

Patrons in the restaurant were evacuated safely, but a cook had to be taken to Sharon Regional Hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation, the chief said.

Crews extinguished the blaze in about 10 minutes, Clemente said.

Firefighters said the majority of damage outside the kitchen is from smoke, but they did not have a damage estimate available Tuesday night.

Trash-bin fire

BOARDMAN

Township police officers and firefighters are investigating a trash-receptacle fire that they say appears to be arson. Safety forces responded to a container engulfed in flames on the south side of 4040 Market Street, a vacant building, about midnight Monday. Firefighters told officers that finding the trash containers intentionally set ablaze in this area is a regular, almost monthly occurrence, according to reports. Anyone with information is asked to call Boardman police at 330-726-4144.

Foot slipped

girard

A large window and brick wall at Highland Dairy, 744 N. Highland, were damaged by the slip of a foot from the brake to the gas pedal in a car driven by Kayla M. Dickason, 18, of East Kline Street, in an incident about 11 a.m. Tuesday. She told police her foot slipped off the brake, causing the car to jump a barrier and crash into the store.

A 19-year-old male passenger and the driver were not injured in the accident. No estimate of damage was given.

Teen robbed

YOUNGSTOWN

Police are investigating the armed robbery of a teenage boy on the South Side late Monday night.

According to police reports, a 17-year-old West Ravenwood Avenue boy was walking in the 3400 block of Hillman Street just after 11 p.m. when he was approached by two men. One of the men pulled a handgun and demanded the teen’s possessions while the other man went through the victim’s pockets searching for valuables.

Reports say the two men took jewelry, a bookbag containing music CDs and a cellphone before running off.

The boy walked to his home and called police.

Reports say police obtained possible identifications for the two thieves, but no arrests have been made.

Drug charges

liberty

Jimmy Roldan Torres, 25, of the 300 block of Ferndale Avenue in Youngstown appeared Tuesday in Girard Municipal Court after being charged by police with possession of drugs, marijuana and cocaine, after a traffic stop. He was a passenger. He pleaded not guilty and was released on a $10,000 personal recognizance bond. Another court date has not been set yet.

The routine traffic stop was about 6:45 p.m. Saturday on Colonial Drive for an expired tag. The driver received traffic citations for expired plates and seat-belt violations.

Dump the pump

Youngstown

The Western Reserve Transit Authority is participating in this year’s Dump the Pump event.

The event, which is sponsored nationally by the American Public Transportation Association, is June 16 and encourages motorists to leave their cars at home for the day and use public transportation.

With gas prices just below $4 per gallon, public busing offers a fast way to avoid the high price of fuel, according to a WRTA news release.

The event began in 2006 when gas was $3 per gallon.