METRO DIGEST || Man in white van tries to abduct girl, 10

Man in white van attempts abduction in Weathersfield

MINERAL RIDGE

Police are warning the community to be on the watch for a man in a white cargo van who attempted to lure a 10-year-old girl into his vehicle at 2:45 p.m. Thursday in the 1300 block of Depot Street.

Police Chief Joe Consiglio said the girl was walking home from school when a white male in his 30s or 40s in a van with rust on the driver’s side door asked her several times if she wanted a ride home.

The girl didn’t respond to the questions and ran away, Consiglio said.

The man was bald, unshaven, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt with the sleeves cut off, and he had tattoos all over his arms depicting wings of a dragon or the Harley Davidson logo.

Such tattoos are sometimes called sleeve tattoos because they cover the entire arm.

Anyone with information is asked to call Weathersfield Township Police Department at 330-652-9944.

Canned food sought for One Step to Life

YOUNGSTOWN

One Step to Life Inc. will collect canned foods and nonperishable items through Dec. 17 at its location, 3610 Southern Blvd. Collection times are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays.

All donations will help support needy families in the community. Upcoming events include a life insurance day, health fair and free income tax filing. For information, call 330-781-7150.

Flu shots on 5th Ave. available Thursdays

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning-Youngstown Community Action Partnership and Walgreens at Gypsy Lane and Belmont Avenue offer flu shots from 2 to 4 p.m. every Thursday in October at MYCAP, 1325 Fifth Ave.

Mahoning County residents 14 and older are eligible. Each person should bring the following: Proof of identification, such as a driver’s license; private insurance card and, if applicable, the correct co-payment; public insurance card, such as the Ohio Medicaid or Medicare card. Vouchers to offset the cost of the flu shot are available to the first 100 people who do not have medical health insurance, said Renee Walton, MYCAP chief executive officer.

SCOPE won’t appeal license revocation

WARREN

SCOPE Inc. of Trumbull County will not appeal the revocation of its license to serve as a long-term care provider, the organization announced in a press release Friday.

SCOPE, which operates six senior-citizen centers and formerly provided in-home and other services to senior citizens, was cited by the Ohio Department of Health in April for failing to conduct background checks on many of its employees.

The ODH followed that up late last month with permanent revocation of the long-term-care license, which is needed for funding for services through Medicaid. SCOPE still receives funding from the Trumbull County senior-citizens levy.

At a meeting this week, SCOPE’s board of directors decided that the expense of appealing the decision to common pleas court would be prohibitive, SCOPE said.

“Reduction of the penalty to a less damaging level is still important, and other options will be explored,” said Genevieve Bauman, SCOPE board president.