Police probe shooting

Police probe shooting

YOUNGSTOWN

City police are investigating a shooting in which multiple suspects exchanged gunfire outside of a South Side business late Monday afternoon.

The incident took place just after 4 p.m. on Market Street at Midlothian Boulevard, police said.

A victim identified as Roderick Weaver was injured. Vindicator broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV reported that, according to police, Weaver’s injuries were not life-threatening.

There were no fatalities.

Police are looking for a dark green Chevy Tahoe with 24-inch chrome rims and chrome door handles.

Police did not have any suspects as of Monday night.

Shooting in Warren

WARREN

City police are investigating a shooting that sent two men to the hospital Monday. The shooting took place on Oak Knoll Avenue.

Vindicator broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV reported that, according to police, the incident might have been a drive-by shooting.

The condition of the two injured was unknown as of Monday night. No suspects have been arrested.

Donating to food bank

LIBERTY

The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council will donate $5 to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley for every resident that signs up for MyNOPEC through Dec. 31. For information, visit www.mynopec.org or email ddean@nopecinfo.org.

Deck the Stalls event

SALEM

Forever Safe Farms Animal Educational Center Inc., 3155 McCracken Road, will host a Deck the Stalls and Christmas Light Celebration from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

Volunteers have the barn decked out with Christmas cheer and visitors will have the chance to vote on a favorite stall. Light refreshments will be provided and the gift shop will be open throughout the event.

For information, visit the Face-book page at www.facebook.com/foreversafefarm.

Light Up Damascus

DAMASCUS

The village will host a special, free holiday event, Light Up Damascus, beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday and lasting throughout the day.

Local businesses will participate with special sales and refreshments for visitors. There also will be a meet-and-greet session with a local author, sessions about the village’s history, and a visit with Santa Claus.

The West Branch High School marching band will perform at the lighting ceremony at 5:30 p.m. at Damascus Friends Church, 28857 Walnut St. At 6:30 p.m., the high school’s Young and Alive group will give a free concert at the church.

Damascus and Knox Elementary Schools also are hosting a nonperishable food collection that ends Friday for those in need. The elementary students contributed to Saturday’s event by providing handmade decorations.

On trial in murders

YOUNGSTOWN

Jury selection began Monday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for a man accused of two separate murders.

Frankie Hudson, 22, is on trial on charges of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the Dec. 14, 2010, killing of 44-year-old Christopher Weston of Lordstown at an Overland Avenue market; and the Sept. 16, 2011, death of Josh Davis, 17, of Willis Avenue.

Judge Maureen Sweeney is hearing the case.

Hudson already is serving a prison sentence after pleading guilty to belonging to the H Block street gang on the South Side.

A co-defendant in the Davis case already has been tried and convicted.

2 dogs die in house fire

YOUNGSTOWN

Fire reports say two dogs died in a fire late Saturday at a 256 North Heights Ave. home.

Crews arrived about 11:50 p.m. and found a heavy fire coming from the first floor and sun porch. Reports said the occupants of the home were found in the back of the home. They told firefighters they had been using a kerosene heater on the sun porch but had turned it out about 10:30 p.m., then called firefighters later after they smelled something burning from that part of the house.

Damage is listed at $10,000. No one was injured.

Arson destroys house

YOUNGSTOWN

Fire reports say arson is the cause of a fire that destroyed a vacant 715 Early Road house early Sunday.

Crews were called to the house about 5:15 a.m., and about 15 minutes after they got there the house collapsed, reports said.

Damage is listed at $10,000. No one was injured.

Shop With A Cop

HOWLAND

The Trumbull County deputy sheriffs, FOP Lodge 137, will have its Shop With A Cop program Wednesday evening at the Super Kmart on Niles-Cortland Road.

The kids will receive a pizza party and a visit from Santa. Afterward, they will get to spend $100 each.

Firefighters investigate

WARREN

The Warren Fire Department is investigating two potential crime scenes that resulted in fires at two homes over the weekend.

Firefighters investigated a report of a gasoline odor at 954 George Place SW at 1:18 p.m. Sunday.

Officials found nothing and returned to the fire station but were called back at 4:55 a.m. Monday to the same location for a fire that destroyed a 1998 Pontiac Grand Am in the driveway. The fire was intentionally set, said Ken Nussle, Warren fire chief.

Meanwhile, a garage at 248 Iddings Ave. SE caught fire at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and at 1:01 a.m. Sunday.

The first fire did minimal damage, but the second one burned the rafters and roof and caused $7,500 in damage, Nussle said.

There is no information at this time linking the George Place and Iddings incidents, Nussle said.

Monday denied parole

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Parole board has continued the prison sentence of Mitchell Monday, 40, for five more years for shooting a man to death in his Pearl Street Southwest home 20 years ago and setting a mattress on fire in the Trumbull County jail.

Monday will be eligible for parole again in September 2019.

Monday was 20 and Mark Dixon was 29 when Monday shot Dixon. Monday said he loaded Dixon into Dixon’s van after shooting him, and 18-year-old TaKarla Bennett drove it to a location in Weathersfield Township where Dixon was shot several more times.

An autopsy revealed that Dixon would not have survived the initial shooting. Bennett was released from prison in 2011 after being sentenced to 13 to 25 years.

Monday was awaiting trial in Dixon’s murder when he set a mattress and other items from his cell on fire.