Deputy on leave in wake of suicide

Deputy on leave in wake of suicide

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene has placed the deputy in charge of the pod where Kevin Burkey, 50, of Center Road, Lowellville, died in an apparent suicide Tuesday afternoon, on administrative leave.

“A preliminary look at the circumstances indicates that he [the deputy] possibly did not follow proper policy when making his rounds,” Greene said Friday.

The deputy, who was not identified, is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal-affairs investigation that is expected to be completed within the next couple of weeks, Greene said.

Burkey had been jailed on a theft charge, accused of taking dangerous drugs from St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital on Sunday. The county coroner’s office found Burkey unbound, hanging from a bed sheet fashioned into a noose, with no suicide note found at the scene.

Last defendant in brawl pleads guilty

YOUNGSTOWN

The last of 15 people charged in connection with the death of 17-year-old Shawn Cortez on Aug. 17, 2014, during a brawl on Winona Drive on the city’s South Side pleaded guilty Thursday afternoon in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Dejon Jenkins, 19, of Manchester Avenue, entered guilty pleas before Judge Lou A. D’Apolito to charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated riot. Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of more than eight years.

Sentencing will take place at a later date. Two other people pleaded guilty Wednesday.

Panerathon expects more than 10,000

YOUNGSTOWN

The Panerathon 10K/2 mile fun run/walk, the Mahoning Valley’s largest community fundraising event, anticipates hosting more than 10,000 people at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Covelli Centre downtown.

The event, which takes participants on a scenic tour of downtown and Mill Creek Park, has raised more than $1 million for the Joanie Abdu Comprehensive Breast Care Center, the first and only comprehensive breast-care center in Youngstown.

There will be no parking at Covelli, but there are free downtown parking lots located near the venue. Each child who participates will receive a T-shirt, medal and goodie bag.

Boil alert in Vienna

VIENNA

Due to a water-main break Friday, township water customers on Ridge Road between Warren-Sharon Road and International Boulevard are advised to boil any water used for consumption until further notice.

For information, call the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer’s Office at 330-675-2775.

New trustee at YSU

YOUNGSTOWN

Gov. John R. Kasich on Friday appointed Dr. Charles R. Bush of Powell in Delaware County to the Youngstown State University trustee board for a term from Aug. 28, 2015, to April 30, 2024.

More Digest on A8