METRO DIGEST || Brownlee Woods association meeting

Association meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

Brownlee Woods Neighborhood Association has its monthly meeting at 6 p.m. today at Faith Community Covenant Church, 1919 E. Midlothian Blvd.

This month will be the Fall Harvest Celebration potluck dinner. All attendees are asked to bring a covered dish to share. There will be a short business meeting to discuss the upcoming election of officers.

The organization also is participating in a collection of gloves, hats and scarves for needy students in the Youngstown schools to be distributed in December.

Flag retirement

POLAND

Shepherd of the Valley in Poland, 301 W. Western Reserve Road, will conduct a retirement ceremony for about 200 old, torn and faded U.S. flags at 2 p.m. Sunday.

The flags, collected during September, will be burned in the Braidich Burner, a portable propane gas-fueled flag-disposal unit designed by Shepherd of the Valley-Poland resident Ray Braidich. The Braidich Burner was unveiled in February by CMI Industry Americas in Salem, which manufactured the prototype.

“The U.S. flag should be treated with respect when it’s flying and should be treated with respect when it is retired,” said Elida Cowles SOV-Poland admission representative.

Medicare event

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio Department of Insurance’s Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program offers a free Medicare checkup event at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Youngstown Senior Center, 1110 Fifth Ave.

The event, intended to help people review changes to Medicare and determine their best coverage option for 2012, coincides with Medicare’s annual election period, which runs through Dec. 7.

In addition to the checkup events, people can call OSHIIP at 800-686-1578 with questions and for enrollment assistance, and visit www.insurance.ohio.gov for a list of plans, answers to frequently asked questions as well as financial-assistance information.

Beneficiaries can select one of several health- coverage options. They are: original Medicare paired with a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan and/or a Medicare supplement plan; a Medicare Advantage Plan, which provides comprehensive health benefits including drug coverage; or determine if their current coverage will meet their health-insurance needs for the coming year.

Fire in Boardman is ruled suspicious

BOARDMAN

Township fire investigators have ruled a Monday fire suspicious.

A passer-by reported a fire in the two-story home at 4525 Southern Boulevard about 1:15 a.m. Monday. Fire Chief George Brown said the damage estimates were $50,000 for the structure and $5,000 for the contents.

“The occupant had just moved out recently,” Brown said. “The passer-by caught it, and it could have been a lot worse. Cars were in the driveway, and we had to assume it was occupied. Crews did an excellent job of knocking the fire down.”

The fire remains under investigation.

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