METRO DIGEST || Route 7 closing

Road closing

Hubbard

State Route 7 just north of Chestnut Ridge Road will be closed beginning Monday. According to the Ohio Department of Transportation website, the road closure will last for three weeks, and the detour is U.S. Route 62 to state Route 82. The area is undergoing a $300,000 project to replace two culverts along state Route 7.

West Nile virus

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s first human case of West Nile virus in 2012 was confirmed Friday by the Ohio Department of Health, which also reported a sharp increase in the number of WNV-positive mosquitoes. A case of WNV encephalitis was confirmed in an 85-year-old man who is hospitalized in Clermont County.

“It’s important that residents take note and are diligent in protecting themselves against mosquito bites,” said ODH director Dr. Ted Wymyslo.

So far in 2012, 374 mosquito pools (samples) have tested positive for the virus. At this time last year, the ODH lab had recorded only 59 WNV-positive mosquito pools. This year’s early increase in West Nile activity is similar to 2002, during which there were 299 positive pools by the end of July. By the end of the 2002 season, there were 441 human West Nile cases and 31 fatalities in Ohio.

Cause of fire probed

YOUNGSTOWN

Firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out about 5:30 a.m. Friday at 91 E. Evergreen Ave.

Crews arrived to find the two-story vacant home with flames shooting out of the sides and back. A neighbor was using a garden hose to keep his own house safe, and paramedics were called to treat him for exhaustion, according to reports.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze and left the scene at about 6:40 a.m. No injuries were reported, officials said.

Damage is estimated at $2,000, reports state.

Obama campaign

YOUNGSTOWN

Supporters of Barack Obama will campaign today in Youngstown as part of a nationwide initiative to support the re-election of the Democratic president. Volunteers will meet at 10 a.m. at Obama’s downtown office at 25 W. Federal St. and then campaign door to door in the city’s neighborhoods.

Telephone system

NORTH LIMA

Beaver Township police say a new telephone system appears to be functioning properly now for calls to the Beaver police and fire departments.

The 10-digit line, 330-549-5338, was having trouble receiving calls from local resident land-lines, but the 911 service was never affected, police said.

Man pleads guilty

pittsburgh

A Mercer, Pa., man pleaded guilty in federal court to two charges of producing child pornography, U.S. Attorney David J. Hickton said Friday.

Armando Cruz, 44, of North Pitt Street, pleaded guilty Thursday before U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on March 6, 2011, and June 12, 2011, in Mercer, Cruz used children to engage in sexually explicit conduct.

Cruz had sexual contact with four children, three under 12, for the purpose of producing videos and photographs that he distributed to other men, one in Denver and one in San Diego.

Cruz could serve a 35-year prison term. Judge Schwab scheduled sentencing for 9:30 a.m. Dec. 5.