METRO DIGEST || 6th-graders cited for pot

6th-graders cited

YOUNGSTOWN

Two Williamson Elementary School sixth-grade boys were issued misdemeanor citations for marijuana possession, accused of bringing the suspected drug to school.

The city school district will determine what discipline the boys, whose ages weren’t listed on a police report, will face.

On Nov. 13, the school’s assistant principal noticed a marijuana odor when the boys left a school restroom. She found a small plastic bag of suspected marijuana in one boy’s pants pocket.

No charges for post

CAMPBELL

The city will not file charges against the creator of a “Youngstown Angels” website after a post published last Thursday. The post titled “Campbell Elementary Student Brings Gun to School?” claimed that a “concerned parent” said a girl brought a gun to the elementary school last Wednesday. The post also suggests that police and the district tried to cover up the incident.

The superintendent and police stated the post’s allegations were false.

Police initially said they planned to pursue inducing panic charges against the page’s creator, but Campbell Law Director Brian Macala said he believed the post’s author was merely misinformed.

“I do not believe there was criminal intent,” Macala said. “I think he was just confused. ... In the future, I would suggest that he gather more information before posting something on the Internet.”

According to the site, the post’s author confused the alleged Campbell incident with an incident in Youngstown when police took four students into custody after someone brought a BB gun to Volney Rogers Middle School.

Prison hunger strike

YOUNGSTOWN

A prisons department spokeswoman in Columbus says four inmates are on a hunger strike at Ohio’s highest-security prison.

JoEllen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, declined to comment specifically Tuesday on the issues surrounding the hunger strike at the Ohio State Penitentiary, located on state Route 616 on the city’s East Side. But through a spokesman, two of the inmates claim a new warden wants to arbitrarily take away most of their property, including books and music. They say they are demanding improved conditions. The inmates’ spokesman said the hunger strike started last week.

Thanksgiving dinner at downtown deli

YOUNGSTOWN

To celebrate Thanksgiving, the Downtown Circle deli, 116 W. Federal St., will serve free turkey dinners Sunday starting at 2 p.m. and lasting until the food runs out. The deli also served the turkey dinner last year as a way of celebrating the holiday and giving back to the community.

Meds, cash taken from unlocked car

AUSTINTOWN

Medication and money were taken from a vehicle parked on Laurie Drive Tuesday night. The victim said she had her purse sitting on the passenger side floorboard of her unlocked car containing two prescription medications and $800 in cash. Officer John Richard said he spoke with neighbors who neither saw nor heard anything.

Increased enforcement

BUTLER, PA.

Pennsylvania State Police in Troop D, with stations in Butler, Beaver, Pa., Kittanning, Pa., Mercer, Pa., and New Castle, Pa., are conducting additional enforcement activities during the upcoming holiday season.

They include increased enforcement of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, speeding and aggressive driving, and driver and passenger restraint usage, which will be a focus. There are scheduled DUI checkpoints and DUI roving details; and increased radar usage and traffic monitoring.

State police will also be providing child seat safety check events. Residents are advised to call their local barracks for times and locations.

Lowry arraigned on domestic violence

MCDONALD

William E. Lowry, 24, of Shannon Road, Girard, was released from Trumbull County Jail on Monday after his arraignment in Niles Municipal Court on felonious assault, resisting arrest, domestic violence and disorderly conduct.

Police said Lowry assaulted his girlfriend Sunday morning. A resident of Pennsylvania Avenue in McDonald called police at 2:52 a.m., saying he carried a woman from the street into his house. The woman, 24, who was swollen and bleeding around one eye, told police Lowry threw her out of the car, causing her to hit her face on the road. She was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

Police then went to Lowry’s parents’ house and found him sitting on the garage floor. He repeatedly verbally abused officers, a report states. A not-guilty plea was entered for Lowry on the felonious-assault charge, and Lowry pleaded not guilty on the three other charges, which are misdemeanors. He posted $7,500 bond and was released.

Kids, apps, social media topics Thur.

BOARDMAN

Meridian Healthcare and the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County will continue their “Now You Know” series at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Boardman library branch, 7680 Glenwood Ave.

Inspired by the popular TED Talk series, the Now You Know series focuses on family, health and lifestyle topics during 45-minute talks featuring experts.

The program, led by Angie Cameron of Meridian’s youth and young adult programs, will focus on the topic of children and phone apps/social media. A question-and-answer period will follow.

McGee OVI charge

GIRARD

A man was arraigned today in Girard Municipal Court on a fourth-degree felony charge of operating a vehicle under the influence. Police stopped Shane McGee, 26, of Girard Monday afternoon at North Market Street and West Liberty Street for not using a turn signal, according to a police report. The report says McGee smelled of alcohol and registered a blood-alcohol content of 0.163. The legal intoxication limit in Ohio is 0.08. McGee is in the Trumbull County Jail, with a bond set at $10,000.

Domestic violence charge for McDonald

GIRARD

A man will face a pretrial hearing in Girard Municipal Court today for a misdemeanor domestic-violence charge. A 38-year-old woman flagged down an Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser on State Street on Saturday, stating she had been the victim of domestic violence.

The woman said Anthony McDonald, 46, of Girard had refused to let her leave a car and dragged her by the hair for a few feet while she was still hanging out of the vehicle. She also said McDonald had punched her in the face and pushed her around an East Broadway Avenue home, according to a police report. The patrol contacted Girard police, who arrested McDonald. A Girard police report notes some of the woman’s hair had been pulled out and that she had a small cut on her face, as well as friction-burns on her elbows. McDonald entered a plea of not guilty during his arraignment Monday.

Thanksgiving dinner at church Thursday

YOUNGSTOWN

First Presbyterian Church of Youngstown, 201 Wick Ave., will host a its 35th annual free community Thanksgiving dinner from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday and serve turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, vegetable, cranberry sauce, rolls, dessert and beverage. Entertainment will be provided in the church sanctuary while guests wait to be served. For information, call the church at 330-744-4307.

Vets office closed

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County Veterans Service Commission, Oakhill Renaissance Center, 345 Oak Hill Ave., is closed Friday for training purposes.