METRO DIGEST || No foul play suspected in death in Austintown

No foul play suspected in death in Austintown

AUSTINTOWN

A man found dead in the woods Tuesday behind houses at Evans Avenue and Norquest Boulevard has been identified.

Michael Gordon Royal, 35, of Youngstown, was identified by the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office. No foul play, including homicide, is suspected in the death, officials said.

Austintown police are not releasing any other information about the case as it is an ongoing investigation, said Chief Bob Gavalier.

Royal was reported missing by his wife Tuesday morning, police at the scene said, and neighbors on Evans Avenue said a blue car identified as Royal’s had been on the street since Sunday.

Frost III considered

Austintown

Trustees in Austintown met in executive session Monday and discussed offering the job of Austintown Fire Department chief to interim Chief Andy Frost III.

Trustee Jim Davis said the decision would be made at the Dec. 10 trustees meeting and that Frost still was considering the position.

Frost said he had not accepted the position and was still discussing it with his family as of Thursday afternoon.

Transportation grants

Youngstown

The Eastgate Regional Council of Governments has announced that its 2013 Specialized Transportation Grant Program will provide grant approval to local agencies in Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

The program provides funds to help groups providing transportation for the disabled or elderly. The capital-grant funds can be used to purchase vehicles, mobility management services and other transportation-related equipment.

To apply for this program, submit a letter of intent to the Eastgate office, 100 E. Federal St., on or before Dec. 14 to determine eligibility. If you have any questions about this process, contact Kathy Zook at kzook@eastgatecog.org, or call 330-779-3800.

OVI force nabs three

canfield

The Mahoning County OVI Task Force made three arrests along with multiple citations and summonses during a sobriety checkpoint Nov. 23 in Boardman.

Thirteen police officers from participating agencies conducted the checkpoint from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. on South Avenue near U.S. Route 224. A total of 555 vehicles passed through the checkpoint, of which 17 were directed into a diversion area for further investigation.

Police made two arrests for operating a vehicle under the influence (age 21 and over) and one arrest for OVI (under 21). Nine summonses were given for driving under suspension, two for drug abuse, two for drug- paraphernalia possession, one for underage possession of alcohol and one for having no operator’s license. Four citations were given for marked-lanes violations, one citation was given for a seat- belt violation, one for window- tint violations and one for a traffic control device violation.

More digest, A5