Public forum today

Public forum today

MINERAL RIDGE

A public forum to discuss demolition of the old Mineral Ridge Middle School on state Route 46 has been changed from Monday to today at 6 p.m. in the high- school media room. The regular school board meeting will follow.

Man pleads guilty

WARREN

Norman Mullet, 35, of state Route 87 in Mesopotamia, pleaded guilty Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to three counts of gross sexual imposition.

Mullet had sexual contact with a 10-year-old girl and could get up to five years in prison on each charge when he is sentenced in about four weeks, prosecutors said.

Contact with minor

WARREN

David E. White, 58, of Park Avenue in Garrettsville pleaded guilty Tuesday morning in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

His plea eliminated the need for his trial to resume Tuesday after one day of testimony Monday before Judge Ronald Rice. Prosecutors said White committed the offenses against a girl age 13 or 14 from May 2014 to August 2014 at Valley Lake Campground in Southington. The girl was a runaway.

White will be sentenced in about four weeks and could get up to five years in prison on each count.

Two dead in fire

MADISON

Two people are dead after a fire at a home in Columbiana County.

The bodies of a man said to be in his mid-30s and his 5-year-old son were found inside their burning home near Bibbees Lake on Old Lincoln Highway early Tuesday, reports 21 WFMJ- TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

The West Point Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to the house just after 1:45 a.m., where it found the single-story wood-frame home in flames, with live ammunition stored inside the home exploding. The Columbiana County coroner is investigating.

An investigator from the Ohio State Fire Marshal was called to determine the cause. Fire crews from Glenmoor, Calcutta and Liverpool Township also responded.

Felonious assault

WARREN

Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court found Kevin Gaines, 23, of Union Street Southwest guilty Tuesday of two counts of felonious assault with a firearm. Gaines will remain in the Trumbull County jail and will be sentenced in about four weeks. He could get about 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors said Gaines shot a 23-year-old city man in the back with a shotgun, sending the victim to the hospital for six days.

The second count of felonious assault was for a woman who was with the male victim. The shots did not hit her, but she was at risk of being hit by the gunfire. The shooting occurred just before midnight Dec. 13, 2014, on Arnold Drive Southwest in the Highland Homes apartments.

Arrested in arson

WARREN

Eric D. Harsch, 33, of Nevada Avenue Northwest and Northwest Boulevard is in the Trumbull County jail without eligibility to make bond after being arrested Monday on a felony arson charge.

The charge was filed in Warren Municipal Court in January, charging him with setting a fire Sept. 20 to the house on Northwest Boulevard where he lived with his wife.

The fire caused $30,000 in damage to the building and $18,000 to the contents, according to the Warren Fire Department. The fire was intentially set on the exterior, said Warren Fire Chief Ken Nussle.

The fire was reported at 4:58 a.m., about 90 minutes after Harsch’s wife reported to police that Harsch had assaulted her. No one was injured in the fire. A not-guilty plea was entered for Harsch on Tuesday in Warren Municipal Court. If convicted, he could get up to 18 months in prison.

Facing drug charges

GIRARD

Timothy P. Craik, 34, of Oak Forest Drive in Niles was arraigned Tuesday in Girard Muncipal Court on a felony drug-possession charge and three misdemeanor drug-related charges after being arrested Sunday at the Super 8 Motel, 4250 Belmont Avenue in Liberty.

Liberty police were called to the motel at 5:23 p.m. Sunday by a woman who said her cellphone had been taken from her by someone in the hotel room. The woman told police she was a heroin addict and there were narcotics in the room.

An officer went to the room, which was rented in Craik’s name, and found several males and females inside and the woman’s phone on the table.

They also found a crack pipe, syringes, a heroin “cooking tin,” spoons, a loaded syringe with a brown liquid inside and empty pill bottles.

Craik pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges. No plea was required on the felony. He was released on a personal-recognizance bond.

Boil-water notice

HOWLAND

Due to a water-valve break, water customers who live on Hunt Club Trail and Fox Hound Run between Spring Creek Hollow, Hunt Club and Hawks Landing are advised to boil their water until further notice. For information, contact the Trumbull County Sanitary Engineer’s office at 330-675-2775.

Warehouse thefts

AUSTINTOWN

Copper drains and seven car radiators were stolen from a township warehouse.

A police report detailed that between 2 p.m. March 1 and 4:38 p.m. Tuesday, someone stole the items from a private warehouse on Shutrump Court. It was believed the person or people climbed a tree and got on the roof from there and then broke off a part of the roof to gain entry.

Five diesel radiators and two gasoline radiators were taken from seven 1980s-era Chevrolet Chevettes. Several roof drains also were taken.

Pot found in locker

AUSTINTOWN

A case involving two students was turned over to the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center after suspected marijuana was found at Austintown Fitch High School.

The incident was reported at 1:46 p.m. Friday at the school, 4560 Falcon Drive. A person overheard a conversation about marijuana being in a locker, and authorities found the drug in that locker. Two 15-year-old males were turned over to the JJC in the case, and it was unknown how much marijuana was located.