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Hearings planned on court consolidation; Polivka lobbies for ‘Cash Explosion’
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
The Trumbull County commissioners will have two hearings this month on possible consolidation of Trumbull County’s Eastern District and Central District courts.
The first will be at 11 a.m. April 17 at the Central District Court, 180 N. Mecca Street, Cortland.
The other will be at 7 p.m. April 24 at the Brookfield Township Fire Department Banquet Hall, 774 state Route 7 in Brookfield.
Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor gave her support to consolidating the two courts at one location in a letter with the results of a feasibility study last month.
Judge Ronald Rice, the part-time judge of Eastern District Court in Brookfield, is expected to replace retiring Judge John M. Stuard of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court next year.
Judge Thomas Campbell of Central District Court has championed the consolidation idea and has expressed a desire to become the full-time judge of the consolidated eastern and central courts. Judge Campbell is currently part-time.
Judge Campbell is advocating that the consolidated court be at the current Cortland location.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Dan Polivka missed Tuesday’s commissioner’s workshop meeting to travel to Columbus to attend the taping of the Ohio Lottery Commission’s Cash Explosion Game Show.
Polivka is urging the Ohio Lottery Commission to bring the “Cash Explosion” show to Trumbull County.
The show travels outside of Columbus one or two times per year, Polivka said in a press release.
Ohio Lottery officials have already traveled to Trumbull County and are considering three locations — the Eastwood Mall and Ralph Infante Wellness Center, both in Niles; and Packard Music Hall in Warren, Polivka said.