Green Youngstown gets top state honors

Green Youngstown gets top state honors

YOUNGSTOWN

Keep Ohio Beautiful honored Green Youngstown, the city’s litter prevention and recycling department, as the best overall environmental program among communities in the state with populations between 25,001 and 150,000.

The Community Award was given to Green Youngstown for its cleanup, recycling, beautification and education efforts.

“While Green Youngstown has developed and implemented numerous new litter prevention and recycling programs, we never would have achieved such success without the cooperation and involvement of community partners and volunteers,” said Jennifer Jones, Green Youngstown program coordinator.

Cigarette cited as cause of fatal fire

WARREN

Investigators now believe the fire that killed Loan T. Vang, 75, at her home on Columbia Place Southeast on July 16 was caused by a misplaced cigarette.

Initially, they suspected a clothes dryer in the basement may have started the 11:53 a.m. fire, but the dryer was burned only on the outside, said Ken Nussle, Warren fire chief.

Investigators suspect that a cigarette from Vang may have gotten into some clothing on the floor near the dryer, and Vang’s vision problems may have made it difficult for her to see the fire or escape.

A neighbor said Vang, who lived alone, was 96 percent blind. Vang was rescued from the basement, and CPR was administered, but she died at the hospital.

According to her obituary, she was born in Vietnam and came to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon in 1975 and worked as a teacher with Warren City Schools.

Family night at park

BOARDMAN

Boardman Township Park and Meridian Community Care have joined for the first “Families Who Know Night,” a free event at 6 p.m. Saturday at Maag Outdoor Arts Theatre in Boardman Park, 375 Boardman-Poland Road.

The first 500 children and teens attending will get a free T-shirt. There will be games for all ages, a climbing wall, bounce-a-rounds, and appearances by Youngstown State University athletes.

A musical performance by the band Colorblind will be from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The movie “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” will be shown at 9 p.m. There also will be food concessions, and patrons are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets.

Drive Out Hunger

COLUMBIANA

Starting at 9 p.m. Saturday, Kooltime Kruisers will host the third annual Midnight Car Cruise to drive out hunger at Pizza Hut in the Oakmont Plaza in Columbiana.

The entry fee for cars is $5 or five nonperishable food items for Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley. Admission is free, but spectators are urged to bring nonperishable food items for the food bank. For information, contact Steve Zimmerman at 330-424-9503.

More Digest, A5