Officer recognized

Officer recognized

POLAND

Capt. James J. Holt, district commander of the Warren District of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, presented Officer Gerald Velasquez of Poland Township police with the patrol’s Certificate of Recognition on Monday.

While off-duty, Velasquez assisted Trooper Eric Brown of the highway patrol Canfield post in the apprehension of a fleeing suspect. The presentation took place at the Poland Township government center.

Judge lowers bond

WARREN

A judge has reduced the bond for Ryan Wrightsman from $1 million to $250,000 in the shooting death of his friend.

Wrightsman, 21, of Farmdale, entered an innocent plea Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, using weapons while intoxicated and reckless homicide.

Police say Wrightsman and Joshua Soles, 20, were inside Soles’ house on state Route 7 in Vernon Township on Nov. 1 when Soles held a shotgun to his own head and told Wrightsman to pull the trigger. Wrightsman, who along with Soles had been drinking throughout the day, pulled the trigger, and Soles died at the scene, police said.

Enters innocent plea

WARREN

Starsha S. Henderson, 20, of Lexington Avenue Northwest, pleaded innocent to carrying a concealed weapon after a witness said Henderson fired four gunshots inside Lou’s Bar, 1954 W. Market St., at 2:20 a.m. Saturday.

Henderson entered the plea Monday in Warren Municipal Court and was released after posting $5,000 bond.

As officers responded to a 911 call about gunshots, they spotted a vehicle headed away from the tavern and made a traffic stop on Oriole Place Southwest.

Henderson, who was in the vehicle, said a gun in her vehicle had been thrown into the car by her cousin, but a witness told police Henderson had fired the gun four times at her.

CityScape awards

youngstown

Youngstown CityScape will announce the winners of the fifth annual “Youngstown CityScape Beautification Awards” at a reception after the final board meeting of the year at 5 p.m. today at D.D. and Velma Davis Education & Visitor Center, Fellows Riverside Gardens, Mill Creek MetroParks.

CityScape is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to revitalize downtown Youngstown and gateways through beautification, education and preservation.

Awards are presented to those who have taken the time to clean, green and care for an area in the city of Youngstown.

The commitment of individuals, institutions, businesses and neighborhood groups will lead the organization into its 2020 plan. The 2011 Youngstown CityScape beautification awards intends to nurture a grass-roots communitywide partnership and recognize those committed to make a difference in Youngstown.

2 charged in theft

NILES

Two Warren women were charged with misdemeanor theft involving merchandise taken from the Sears department store in Eastwood Mall.

Ashley J. Frank, 28, of Ohio Avenue Northwest, and Rachel A. Walker, 25, of Clearwater Street Northwest, were charged with the first-degree misdemeanor crimes last week.

Niles police alerted Warren police at 12:38 p.m. Thursday that suspects had stolen a large amount of clothing before getting into a white Pontiac and heading west on Youngstown Road.

Warren police spotted the vehicle on Colonial Street Southeast near the Willard K-8 school and detained the women. They also found two large purses containing Sears merchandise, Niles police said.

Cut with a machete

NILES

A man who received treatment at ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital for a cut thumb told police the injury occurred at a Youngstown Road tavern early Thursday, but police believe otherwise.

The man was at the hospital for treatment at 2:27 a.m., but a resident of Morris Place reported that he had confronted the man at 1:50 a.m. outside of his home and cut the man with a machete.

The Morris Place man said the victim suffered the cut while trying to grab the machete. The Morris place resident called police to his house initially regarding noise coming from a neighbor’s house.

Guilty plea in porn case

pittsburgh

A New Castle, Pa., man has pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.

Carl George, 49, of 2886 Harlansburg Road, New Castle, Pa., pleaded guilty Monday before United States District Judge Terrence F. McVerry.

U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton said George was caught in December 2009 with videos and pictures of children engaged in sex acts.

Judge McVerry scheduled sentencing for 9:30 a.m. March 23.

The law provides for a total sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both.

Man wields ax in house

WARREN

An ax-wielding man entered a house on Brier Street Southeast at 1:13 a.m. Friday, damaging the stove, television, coffee table, walls, front window and two doors, police said.

A 24-year-old woman inside the house said the suspect was her boyfriend until a couple of hours earlier, but she broke off the relationship because she caught him cheating.

The woman and a 24-year-old man also inside the home said they were awakened by the man entering the home with the ax. He got in by breaking down the side door, they said.

When the male victim saw the suspect with the ax, he ran back into the bedroom and called 911. The man with the ax was gone when police arrived.

3 trustees elected

WARREN

Three new trustees were elected during the Trumbull County Tourism Bureau’s annual membership meeting last week at the National McKinley Memorial in Niles.

Elected to a two-year term was Kimmer Wolfinger, owner of Farm Girl’s Artful Clutter, who will fill the unexpired seat of Gary Hyde, who died in September.

Zachary Svette from the Trumbull County Metro Parks will replace outgoing at-large trustee Chris Stephenson, manager of W.D. Packard Music Hall. Jerry Usselman, representing Angler’s Anonymous, assumes the at-large seat vacated by Kathy Telego from the Trumbull Soil & Water Conservation District.

The new trustees will be installed at the Jan. 12 reorganization meeting.

Safety officials speak

LORDSTOWN

Three public-safety officials spoke Monday at Lordstown High School as part of a new monthly speaker series aimed at helping students make career choices.

Speakers were Brent Milhoan, Lordstown police chief; John Hickey, Champion Township fire chief; and Tom Andriko, Capitol Hill police officer.

The Lordstown High School Alumni and More Speaker Series showcases the school district’s alumni and individuals with ties to Lordstown and the Mahoning Valley.

The speakers discussed the impact their education has had on their career path, the post-secondary education that was necessary for their success and the day-to-day duties of their jobs.

Garden group to meet

youngstown

An organizational meeting for South Side Community Garden will be from 5 to 6 p.m. today at Williamson Elementary School, 58 Williamson Ave.

A tentative workday and meeting will be Saturday. Call Lois Martin-Uscianowski, 330-727-8340, for information.

In October, the group planted 16 fruit trees.

Support is provided by Grow Youngstown, Raymond J. Wean Foundation and Kridler Gardens.

Ex-officer convicted

WARREN

A former Warren Township police officer remained behind bars in the Trumbull County jail Monday after his conviction Thursday on two felony charges related to offenses he committed against a former girlfriend.

Anthony Tvaroch, 37, of Carson Salt Springs Road, Newton Township, was found guilty of burglary and abduction Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court after a jury trial.

Judge Andrew Logan ordered Tvaroch to be taken to the jail without eligibility to make bond. The judge will sentence Tvaroch to up to 15 years in prison in about five weeks.

Police said Tvaroch forced his way into a former girlfriend’s Anderson Drive home in Howland Township on July 25, 2010, then grabbed her by the neck, kicked her and beat her.

Open house at TCTC

CHAMPION

The Trumbull Career & Technical Center will have an open house from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday regarding oil- and gas-drilling training programs that will be offered starting in January.

The classes will be offered in cooperation with the Institute for High Priority Occupations. IHPO has trained hundreds of people in Pennsylvania for employment in the Marcellus Shale industry.

The first program to be offered is certified oil and gas technician. It is four weeks long and will prepare the student for entry-level work in the oil- and gas-drilling industry.

Additional programs will be offered in subsequent months. Call 330-847-0503, ext. 1600, for more information from TCTC’s adult training center. Price for the class has not been determined.

Arson determined

Liberty

The State Fire Marshal on Monday deemed Friday’s Liberty Square apartment fire an act of arson. It was the second fire in the vacant five-unit apartment complex, at the 17000 block of Naylor Lloyd Road, in eight days.

In a press release, the fire marshal’s office said it had evidence indicating the fire was intentionally set but did not elaborate.

The state is offering up to $5,000 as reward for those providing information leading to the identification of the arsonist.

Anyone with information can call the Division of State Fire Marshal, 800-589-2728.