METRO DIGEST || Child in car at drug arrest

Child in car at drug arrest

CAMPBELL

Police arrested Charles George Jr. of Youngstown on drug-possession charges.

Store management of the Campbell Party Shop on 12th Street contacted police Wednesday night to investigate a Chevrolet Malibu parked in the employee parking area with multiple occupants.

Police found a woman in the driver’s seat with George on the passenger side. A small child was in the rear of the vehicle in an infant seat. Police smelled an odor of marijuana, which led to a search of George.

Police found two small plastic bags, one containing 2.2 grams of suspected marijuana, and the other containing 1.3 grams of suspected heroin. Nine hypodermic needles were discovered in the vehicle’s console. According to the police report, George took ownership of the narcotics and needles.

The driver and the child were released from the scene. George was transported to Mahoning County jail pending a court appearance at 9 a.m. today.

Increased patrols on Super Bowl Sunday

BOARDMAN

Township police will supplement regular patrols with high-visibility enforcement the day of the Super Bowl, Sunday.

Officers will target violators for aggressive-driving offenses, distracted driving, operating a vehicle while impaired and seat-belt usage.

Police encourage those who plan to drink Sunday to designate a sober driver and take other precautions to avoid getting behind the wheel after drinking.

Facing felony charges in police assault

BOARDMAN

A Youngstown man faces felony charges of robbery and assault on a police officer and misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and theft.

Police say that Michael Herman, 35, took items from Dollar General, 859 E. Midlothian Blvd., earlier this month, and then in an incident a few days later assaulted a police officer while he was trying to flee the same store.

A Boardman detective reported that while he was in the store Jan. 7 investigating two theft cases, he observed Herman trying to take items from the store. When the detective confronted Herman, Herman reportedly pushed the detective as he fled.

Boardman police found Herman in Niles on Wednesday and arrested him on four warrants. He was taken to the Mahoning County jail, pending an appearance in Mahoning County Area Court here.

Assault, intimidation

BOARDMAN

Township police are investigating a case of felonious assault, criminal damaging and intimidation of a victim/witness after two men reported an incident with an angry customer at a Southern Boulevard business Wednesday.

The victims, who are father and son, told police they went outside the business to speak with an angry customer who said he was upset about the victims owing him money. The suspect then reportedly got into his vehicle and drove into one of the victims, striking the victim’s knee.

He then got out of his vehicle, grabbed a plastic crate and threw it at one of the victim’s cars, which smashed the front windshield. The suspect reportedly told the victims if they called the police he would burn their house down and then fled.

Make A Wish trip for Connor Metinger

VIENNA

A 4-year-old Youngstown-area boy and his family departed the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport Thursday morning on a flight to Orlando, courtesy of Allegiant Airlines and Make A Wish.

Connor Metinger, his mother, Melissa Barrett, his father, Thomas Kraschoff, and his sister, Juliana Kraschoff, will be spending seven days in Florida, visiting Disney World and seeing family.

Connor has the rare FOXG1 disorder, which is characterized by impaired development and structural brain abnormalities, according to the Genetics Home Reference website.

The airport provided Connor with a gift bag.

The airline and Make A Wish are providing free air travel and accommodations, including a rental car. Make A Wish grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Struthers parking ban

STRUTHERS

The city’s safety-service director issued a parking ban on all city streets until further notice. The ban began at 6 p.m. Thursday.

Bullet holes in car left at Hertz rentals

BOARDMAN

Township police are investigating after a car with several bullet holes in it was found early Thursday at a rental business.

Police responded to Hertz, 7735 Market St., after a call came in about the car being dropped off or returned with bullet holes in it. Police then discovered that it was listed as stolen.

The case is under investigation.

House, garage break-ins reported

YOUNGSTOWN

Police reported several break-ins on the East Side on Wednesday.

At 11:45 a.m., officers were called to a home on Byron Street, where the homeowner said she is getting ready to move in. Reports said when she arrived to check on the home, the back door swung open, and all the pipes were gone.

At about 12:30 p.m., police were called to a home on Hillcrest Avenue, where a back door was pried open, a snowblower was taken from the basement and a bedroom was ransacked.

At about 12:50 p.m., a McHenry Street man told police he discovered his weed wacker, metal detector and chain saw were missing from his garage. Reports said someone may have gotten into the garage through a broken door.

At about 3:35 p.m. on Frost Street, police responded to an alarm, and when they arrived, they found a back window broken at a home but no one inside. The homeowner was called and was to check if anything was missing.

Youngstown Christian School changes name

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown Christian School is changing its name to Valley Christian Schools. The private Christian school on the city’s South Side serves families from 15 school districts across three counties. “With that in mind, and realizing that Youngstown is the hub of the Mahoning Valley, we felt that by changing our name we would in turn be inclusive of all families that we serve,” a news release from the school said.

State leaders opposed to legal pot

COLUMBUS

Four statewide officeholders aren’t backing a proposal to legalize marijuana production and use in the state.

Attorney General Mike DeWine, Secretary of State Jon Husted, Auditor of State Dave Yost and Treasurer Josh Mandel, all Republications, said they strongly oppose the issue.

The four discussed the matter at a panel discussion at a legislative preview session Thursday organized by The Associated Press in Columbus.

The comments related to a coming ballot issue to amend the constitution to legalize marijuana in Ohio, providing a regulatory and tax structure and specifying where the drug could be produced or sold.

ResponsibleOhio, the group behind the effort, plans to submit its initial paperwork on the issue to DeWine’s office early next month. Once approved, the group can begin collecting the 300,000-plus signatures required to put the amendment before voters.

“It is offensive to think that we would be asked to give a constitutional monopoly without the proper oversight and regulation to protect the people of Ohio,” Husted said, adding, “If it makes it to the ballot, I will vigorously ask the voters to defeat it because it would be awful for Ohio.”

DeWine added, “I don’t see how any Ohioans could be in favor of creating a monopoly for a handful of people to make a bunch of money.”

Mandel said he has heard repeatedly from employers that they are having a difficult time finding trained workers who can pass drug tests.