Case dropped

Case dropped

youngstown

Attorneys for two city police officers, who were asking a Mahoning County Common Pleas Court magistrate to issue an injunction against the city to keep a civil-service promotional exam list from expiring, dropped their case Thursday.

No reason was given for the motion to dismiss filed for officers Chad Zubal and Edward Kenney. Magistrate Timothy Walsh had issued a temporary restraining order to keep the list from expiring earlier this month and was to have a hearing Thursday.

In their lawsuit, the two officers said they are first and second, respectively, on the civil-service list derived from a 2011 promotional exam and that they are entitled to be promoted to vacancies in the detective sergeant rank.

The city argued that no vacancies exist because all 30 detective-sergeant positions authorized by city ordinance are filled.

Trimming postponed

CALCUTTA

Due to the frigid forecast for next week, tree trimming work on state Route 170 north of here is being postponed again. Weather permitting, officials with the Ohio Department of Transportation are hopeful to begin the job Feb. 3.

When the work begins, Route 170 will be closed between 8:15 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. ODOT officials said the job will take about three weeks to complete. No official detour will be posted. Motorists should plan ahead to avoid delays.

Man reports stabbing

WARREN

A 19-year-old Buena Vista Avenue man reported being stabbed in the thigh Wednesday night along Atlantic Street Northeast.

The man said he was in the 700 block of Atlantic when two unknown males walked toward him, and one of them bumped him, causing words to be exchanged and a fight to begin.

During the fight, one of the males stabbed him. They both ran off, and the victim walked back to his home to call 911. He was taken by ambulance to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital for treatment.

Police found no sign of a fight or stabbing in the 700 block of Atlantic Street, they reported.

Open-house events

SALEM

Salem Regional Medical Center, 1995 E. State St., is having two community open house events that include self-guided tours of the hospital’s new private-patient room tower.

The events are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, billed as a family day with children’s activities, and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday with a tower dedication and time-capsule burial at 2 p.m.

The events are free and include self-guided tours, informational displays and refreshments. Guests will be invited to have their photos taken for a special mosaic to commemorate the dedication of the new tower. Parking is available in the hospital’s north lot.

Police seize items

YOUNGSTOWN

Police seized $550, ammunition and suspected drugs while serving a search warrant investigating drug activity at a home in the 1000 block of Berkley Avenue on the East Side just after 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Also found was a surveillance camera, a bulletproof vest, a bag each of suspected crack cocaine and marijuana and a digital scale. Police found two 9mm handgun magazines and a box of 10mm rounds as well, reports said.

Arrested on charges of drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs/cocaine and possession of drugs/marijuana was 27-year-old Michael Triplett of Youngstown. He is in the Mahoning County jail and is expected to be arraigned in municipal court today.

Fire at mill property

WARREN

Firefighters from Howland and Warren townships extinguished an oil and grease fire at the former RG Steel property at 11:45 a.m. Thursday.

The fire was in the Howland section of the mill at the south end of the property.

Ambulances were sent to the scene, but none transported anyone for treatment, according to Trumbull 911.

No one at the Howland Fire Department could be reached Thursday afternoon to provide additional details.

Man re-sentenced

WARREN

Taylor Ervin Williams, 20, was re-sentenced Thursday to 39 years in prison, a two-year reduction from the sentence Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court gave him last week.

The reason for the re-sentencing was that one of the crimes he committed had a maximum prison sentence of three years instead of the five years called for in the sentencing memorandum Judge Rice filed last week.

Chris Becker, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, sought a 65-year sentence for Ervin Williams, who was convicted at trial on two counts of kidnapping and single counts of aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery, failing to comply with the orders of a police officer, being a felon in possession of a firearm and tampering with evidence.

He kidnapped a Charles Street woman and her son from their home and ordered the woman to drive to an ATM machine and withdraw cash.

O’Brien files petitions

WARREN

Michael O’Brien, former Warren mayor, former Trumbull County commissioner and former Warren city councilman, has filed nominating petitions to run for the Ohio Legislature.

A Democrat, he is running for the 64th District Ohio House seat occupied by Thomas Letson of Warren, who cannot run again for re-election because of term limits.

O’Brien said his 30 years of government experience and familiarity with the residents of the district and the school superintendents will enable him to address “tough issues” such as loss of state funding for local governments and the debate regarding public schools vs. charter schools.

Eugene Mach II, also a Democrat, of Aris Street Northwest, also submitted petitions for the seat. The deadline to file is Feb. 5.

Fire destroys garage

VIENNA

A garage fire Thursday on Warren-Sharon Road destroyed the structure, which is owned by a business called KDA Inc. People inside the garage were evacuated, police at the scene said. There were no injuries. The fire started about 10:50 a.m. Its cause isn’t known.