METRO DIGEST || 1,200 laid off at background check company

1,200 laid off

GROVE city, pa.

About 1,200 people at a Mercer County company were laid off Tuesday after the federal government declined to renew its contract with United States Investigative Services, according to Vindicator broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV.

WFMJ reported that the government lost confidence in USIS, which conducts background checks on government employees.

More than 2,500 workers across the country, including 1,200 workers at U.S. Investigative Services in Grove City and Boyers in Butler County, were off the job as of Tuesday, the station reported.

While it didn’t do the initial investigation, USIS did do the recheck into Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency employee who has admitted leaking classified information. USIS also conducted the background check of the man accused of a shooting in a U.S. Navy yard in September 2013, killing 12 people.

No replacement yet

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Probate Judge Robert Rusu Jr., the appointing authority for Mill Creek MetroParks Board of Commissioners, has not yet talked to board members about finding a replacement for Dennis Miller, executive director of the MetroParks, Rusu said Tuesday.

Miller submitted his resignation to the board at a special meeting Monday.

Rusu said he is withholding comment on the issue for the time being, and will talk to board members by the end of the week about the process of finding a replacement. Miller will stay on as executive director until year’s end.

He announced he will be moving to the position of golf director at The Lake Club in Poland.

Facing felony counts

BOARDMAN

Carlos Valentin, 23, of Youngstown appeared in court Tuesday to be arraigned on felony counts of aggravated burglary, felonious assault and having weapons under disability.

According to a police report, Valentin was arrested Friday at a residence on Argyle Avenue after neighbors reported a fight between two men. Township police discovered a semi-automatic handgun, which they determined to be Valentin’s, under a mattress in the residence.

Valentin reportedly entered the residence under false pretenses, and after an argument started, he hit the other male with the handgun. The weapons-under-disability charge stems from the fact that Valentin was just released from prison after a 2010 felony conviction for aggravated robbery and is not allowed to own a handgun.

The judge set his bond at $50,000, cash or surety, at the hearing Tuesday. Valentin is in the Mahoning County jail. He is set to appear in court again Thursday.

Boardman drug tests

BOARDMAN

Board of education members, district supervisors and administrators will take drug tests at 1:30 p.m. today at Boardman High School.

The goal is to set an example about living a drug-free lifestyle. Starting this year, student athletes and those who drive to school are required to be drug-tested.

The district also will drug-test all new employees before hiring.

“We believe that our student drug-testing policy is helping students say no to drugs and yes to making positive lifestyle decisions. The administrator and supervisor drug-testing is just one more step the Boardman Local Schools are taking to be proactive in this area,” said Superintendent Frank Lazzeri in a press release.

Harding assault

WARREN

The juvenile prosecutor will review a Tuesday-morning assault at Warren G. Harding High School to determine whether to file charges.

A 16-year-old female reported that a 15-year-old male she knows approached her in the hallway and asked to see her cellphone.

She refused, and the suspect tried to take the phone from her with force, but she struck the suspect to break free.

The suspect grabbed the girl’s shirt, pulling her to a desk in the hallway and pushed her neck and face down onto the desk.

The male has had numerous earlier incidents in the school, police said.

Charges expected

YOUNGSTOWN

Charges are expected to be filed against the driver of a car who collided with a motorcyclist Friday on the South Side, killing him. Officer Brian Booksing of the police department’s accident investigation unit said Michael Dowdy, 49, of Youngstown was traveling south on Market Street at 6:35 p.m. Friday when a car traveling northbound got into the turning lane to make a left turn on Florida Avenue and that is when the collision occurred.

Dowdy died from his injuries. Booksing said the driver of the car did not see the motorcycle.

Durkin is chairman

YOUNGSTOWN

Judge John Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court is chairman of the Ohio Judicial Conference. Judge Durkin was sworn into the position last month by Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

The OJC consists of all judges and representatives of the six judicial associations in the state; its role is to study how the court system in Ohio works and to find ways to encourage uniformity in how the law is applied.

The conference was created by the state Legislature in 1963.

Judge Durkin also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Ohio Judicial College and was also appointed by Chief Justice O’Connor as a member of the Task Force on Court Funding.

Probing cause of fire

YOUNGSTOWN

Firefighters say the cause of a fire that broke out at a vacant 3928 Howard St. house early Tuesday is under investigation. Crews were called to the house about 5:10 a.m. and found flames in the back of the house on the first floor. Reports said neighbors told firefighters someone was working at the house two days before the fire. Damage is listed at $6,000. No one was injured.

Pick up paper lawn bags

GIRARD

The city will again require the use of paper lawn bags for the annual leaf collection. Leaves raked to the street will not be picked up by the city.

The city has purchased a bulk quantity of bags that will be available to city residents while supplies last. Bags can be picked up Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon from Oct. 14 through Nov. 14 at the Girard Street Department Garage, 943 S. State St.

The first five bags are provided at no cost upon proof of residency (a photo I.D. and a utility bill). If additional bags are needed, they can be purchased at a cost of five bags for $1.

The collection of bags will be with the garbage collection. The city will not pick them up.

For additional information, call 330-545-1322.

Roads closed for event

YOUNGSTOWN

The Non-Violence Parade and Rally will cause rolling closures, or a momentary closure as the parade proceeds through its route, from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday: East and West Wood Street with a rolling closure at the Board of Education building to Wick Avenue; Wick Avenue to Central Square/Market Street; Market to Front Street; and Front to the Covelli Centre.