METRO DIGEST || $8K, .357 magnum stolen in Girard

$8K, Magnum stolen

GIRARD

Police are searching for two men who escaped with about $8,000 in cash after a home-invasion robbery at a house trailer on Hillcrest Avenue.

The two entered through an unlocked screen door shortly after midnight Thursday. One man held the homeowner and four friends at gunpoint, while the other went into another room and grabbed a small safe. “They were owed money, and they were there to get it,” one of the robbers said, according to police. “We have the safe, we don’t need a key, let’s get out of here,” one robber said to the other.

Police said the witnesses didn’t know the robbers, only one of whom was masked, and they didn’t see a getaway vehicle. The 79-year-old resident said the safe contained about $8,000 in cash, along with a .357 Magnum.

Asst. chief honored

BOARDMAN

Trustees honored Assistant Fire Chief Joseph Rosky this week for his 25 years of service to the township.

Rosky retired July 14 and was a member of the Boardman Fire Investigation Unit and the Mahoning County Metro Arson Strike Force. He served as an assistant chief and shift commander from 2003 until his retirement.

Trustees said they plan to hire a firefighter to fill the vacancy. They are bound under a federal grant to keep staffing levels the same as when they accepted the grant to bring back laid-off firefighters.

Twp. memory book

NORTH LIMA

The Beaver Township Bicentennial Memory Book will go on sale Wednesday.

The memory book, which covers the township’s history from the 2011 anniversary events back through several decades, includes 72 pages of photographs and information on the township and its schools, churches and organizations.

The book may be purchased from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays at the township administration office, 11999 South Ave., beginning Wednesday through September. The cost is $10.

Scott Conway, township park administrator, describes the book as a “walk back into history.”

For more information, contact the township park board at 330-549-9552.

Rabid bat found

LISBON

Confirmation was received from the Ohio Department of Health of a bat that tested positive for rabies Aug. 22, the Columbiana County General Health District announced Thursday. The bat was found on Brookview Drive in Perry Township. No direct human exposure or contact with the bat occurred. Residents are advised to use caution when outdoors and avoid contact with wildlife, including raccoons, skunks, foxes and bats.

Consulting services

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Board of Control approved entering into an agreement with German Marshall Fund of the U.S. on Thursday to obtain temporary consulting services as part of the Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative.

An amount of $20,000 is required now, and another $20,000 will be required in the 2013 budget for the agreement.

The federal Strong Cities, Strong Communities initiative is designed to give struggling cities the needed resources to spur economic development and operational efficiency.

Block party set

Youngstown

East Lucius Avenue between Market Street and Southern Boulevard will be closed Saturday between noon and 9 p.m. for a community block party.

Outlook block party

YOUNGSTOWN

Outlook Avenue between Fifth and Ohio avenues on the North Side will be closed between noon and 9 p.m. Sept. 1 for a community block party.

Drug charges

NILES

A Niles man was charged with several drug-related offenses as the result of a search of a Wood Street home after a long investigation of marijuana trafficking at the residence by Niles police, with the assistance of Weathersfield police and the Trumbull- Ashtabula-Geauga Drug Task Force.

Law enforcement personnel searched 140 Wood at 9:15 p.m. Wednesday where they arrested Roger D. Boggs, 24, of that address. Boggs was charged with trafficking in marijuana, falsification and possession of drug paraphernalia. Additional charges against Boggs are pending, police said.

Niles Police Chief Rob Hinton thanked city residents who provided information of suspected drug activity at the Wood Street residence and encouraged all residents to alert police of any suspected drug activities in their neighborhoods.