Teacher charged

Teacher charged

SALINEVILLE

A Southern Local Schools teacher has been placed on paid administrative leave after being charged in Kansas with a sex offense involving a student at the school where she formerly taught.

The Garden City Telegram in Kansas reported that Katie Rufener, 26, who formerly taught at a high school in Garden City, was charged with two counts of having unlawful sexual relations with a student older than 16. The alleged conduct occurred last spring. “The matter has been referred to the school attorney,” Southern Local Superintendent John Wilson said: “The teacher is on administrative leave pending the investigation. The administration and the board of education consider this a serious matter and will give it top priority until it’s resolved.” Rufener has worked in Southern schools since the start of this school year, Aug. 18.

Accused in stabbing

WARREN

Jacob J. Asbury, 33, of Adelaide Avenue Southeast and Berkshire Drive Northeast, is in the Trumbull County jail without eligibility to make bond, accused of stabbing and choking his girlfriend early Monday in Warren Township.

A not-guilty plea was entered Monday for Asbury in Warren Municipal Court.

The woman, 44, of the 3400 block of Tod Avenue Southwest, was taken to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital and then transferred to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment of a serious knife wound to her neck and cuts to her hands after the 2:50 a.m. incident at her home.

Weapons charges

YOUNGSTOWN

Police arrested a man on weapons charges after finding a .40-caliber handgun in his car Monday evening.

Brandon Ravnell, 28, of Cornell Avenue, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle after he was arrested about 11:50 p.m. at a 3200 Market St. gas station.

Reports said police were called to the area for a report of several men inside a car carrying guns. They pulled over a car driven by Ravnell that had two other men inside. When Ravnell was taken out of the car, there was a loaded .40-caliber handgun on the seat where he was sitting, reports said. The other two men were released.

Block watch meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

The Powerstown Neighbors Block Watch will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Faith Community Church, 1919 Midlothian Blvd. Councilman John R. Sweirz, D-7th, will attend to discuss neighborhood issues.

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