METRO DIGEST || Prized deer shot, stolen

Prized deer shot, stolen

NEW CASTLE

A 22-year-old Ellwood City man is facing felony charges of criminal mischief, attempted theft and agricultural vandalism.

Thomas E. Braunbeck was charged Friday and also is facing charges of possessing an instrument of crime and criminal trespass.

He is accused of going to Broken H Deer Farm in Wayne Township in November, cutting the fence and shooting two bucks, killing one. Braunbeck is accused of then taking the dead deer and fleeing the area, allowing a third buck to escape, according to reports.

The stolen dead buck was valued at $14,000, and the wounded buck was valued at $25,000, police said.

Braunbeck, Jeremy M. McChesney, 24, of Ellwood City, and Joshua G. McChesney, 26, of Pittsburgh, are accused of confronting, intimidating and attempting to assault a witness to the crime and are facing several charges related to that.

Autism month Funfest

BOARDMAN

Beyond Expectations SouthBridge Therapy & Learning Center will have a Free Family Funfest that is open to the public from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. The Funfest is in honor of Autism Awareness Month and Occupational Therapy Month, both in April, and to kick off Better Hearing and Speech Month in May.

The center is at 725 Boardman-Canfield Road, E-1, in the South Bridge Executive Park. The Funfest will include face-painting, art, games, refreshments, free screenings, a visit from “Bunnies in Baskets” and a book signing by local author Michele Gianetti.

Veterans’ graves

YOUNGSTOWN

Volunteers are needed for the George Wydell Jones Memorial team to place flags on veterans’ graves in Oak Hill Cemetery for Memorial Day.

If you are interested, contact Steffon Wydell Jones at 330-774-8214.

Jones, a Civil War historian and re-enactor, also will host a tour of Tod Cemetery, 2200 Belmont Ave., at 2 p.m. Saturday and talk about veterans buried there.

Boardman Park board

BOARDMAN

The commissioners board of Boardman Township Park will have its monthly meeting at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the Georgeanna Parker Activity Center in the park.

Division St. robbery

YOUNGSTOWN

Police are investigating an armed robbery at Metalico Inc., 100 Division St., on the city’s West Side.

Police said a man walked to the window of Metalico about 8:30 a.m. Saturday and asked about metal prices. Then the man wrote on a piece of paper, showed the clerk a handgun and demanded cash, according to reports.

The clerk gave the man cash, and the man fled on foot in the direction of U.S. Route 422, officers said. Youngstown and Girard police searched the area and recovered a red hat and brown plaid jacket that matched the description of the suspect.

The suspect is described as a white male with a mustache in his late 20s, standing about 5 foot 7 inches and weighing about 140 pounds.

Metalico processes recycled metals, and the Youngstown location was formerly known as Youngstown Iron and Metal, and Atlas Recycling.

Unexplained objects

BOARDMAN

A Boardman man reported seeing a two red lights on the tip of acorn-shaped structures in the sky above South Avenue, near Mathews Road, about 10 p.m. Friday. After the lights disappeared, the man called police, and an officer responded to the area, but did not see anything, a police dispatcher said Saturday.

The dispatcher said that area has been the site of floating Chinese paper lanterns before, but the man said Friday’s objects appeared to be larger than a plane and made no noise.

Summer day camps

YOUNGSTOWN

The city’s park and recreation department will sponsor summer day camps at six parks from June 13 to Aug. 8.

The parks are Wick, Crandall, John White, MVSD, Homestead and Lynn.

Camp will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, and will include free field trips and activities with guests from Heart Reach Ministries and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to all registered children.

Also, the North Side Pool will operate from June 13 to Aug. 8. The pool is open every day from 1 to 8 p.m. The cost of admission is $1.50 for adults and $1 for children.

Contact the park office at 330-742-8711 for information.

Drug disposal day

COLUMBIANA

The Columbiana Police Department will accept unwanted or expired prescription and over-the-counter drugs to be properly disposed of from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Rite Aid on the corner of state Routes 14 and 164.

OCCHA health fair

YOUNGSTOWN

The annual health fair for OCCHA, 3660 Shirley Road, will be from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Those participating must fast eight to 10 hours to be screened for some of the free tests, including blood sugar and cholesterol. Other tests will be blood pressure and bone density. A light lunch will be served.

The fair is funded by the Ohio Commission on Minority Health. For information, call the Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana at 330-781-1808.