METRO DIGEST || Fatal head-on crash on Raccoon

Fatal head-on crash

CANFIELD

One person died in a crash in the township Tuesday afternoon on Raccoon Road.

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the driver of a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt died after the head-on crash, but the driver’s identity was withheld, pending notification of family.

The Cobalt was going southwest on Raccoon, went left of center and struck a 2013 Honda Accord driven by Frank J. Costa, 75, of Canfield about 1:25 p.m. just south of Burgett Road. It was “engulfed in flames directly after the collision,” an OSHP statement said.

Costa suffered minor injuries.

The roadway was completely shut down after the crash. Officials of Austintown and the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office assisted with traffic control. Austintown Fire Department and the Cardinal Joint Fire District extinguished the fire.

Senior centers to close until further notice

HERMITAGE, PA.

Effective Monday, all Mercer County Area Agency on Aging Inc. Senior Centers and the Older Adult Day Service program, 220 N. Buhl Farm Drive, will be closed until further notice.

All agency-related activities, which are hosted by those sites, will be canceled. This action is necessary due to the absence of funding from the state because of the commonwealth budget impasse since July 1.

The agency administrative office in Mercer, Pa., will remain open to in-home service customers. The closing of the Hermitage Senior Center will not affect the polling place for Tuesday’s general election.

Contact the Mercer County Area Agency on Aging Inc. administrative office at 724-662-6222 or 800-570-6222 for information.

Park board to meet

BOARDMAN

Boardman Township Park Commissioners will meet at 8:30 a.m. today at the park office in the Georgeanna Parker Activity Center in the park, 375 Boardman-Poland Road.

Battle of 224 bonfire

CANFIELD

Canfield School District is hosting the Battle of 224 annual community bonfire at 6 p.m. Thursday, as the Canfield football team takes on the Poland football team at the high school, 100 Cardinal Drive. The event will include a band performance, games and skits, cheers and introductions of the Canfield cheerleaders and football players. The evening will culminate with the lighting of the bonfire at about 6:30 p.m.

City students honored

YOUNGSTOWN

The city school board recognized nine students at its Tuesday night meeting for their work in an Operation Keepsake video production. The students, Daynah Eager, Mya Hale, Kaitlyn Koster, Aleah Lampley, Joe McGraw, Hailey Nearhoof and Freedom Reed, all eighth-graders; and Anthony Harper and Jaylin Huntley, both ninth-graders; created the production with an anti-bullying theme. The video received the Best Extras Award. All of the students attended Discovery at Volney last school year.

School officer lauded

YOUNGSTOWN

The city school board Tuesday honored Mohammed Awad as the district’s Outstanding School Officer for 2014-15. Awad works at the Chaney Campus and was nominated by Deborah DiFrancesco, principal of Rayen Early College Middle School. She said he relates well to students and has a calming influence, and she especially appreciated when he informed her one day that he had been at the home of one of her students the previous night and that student would have a tough day. That allowed school officials to prepare and to provide that student with the appropriate assistance, DiFrancesco said.

Brownlee Woods association to meet

YOUNGSTOWN

Brownlee Woods Neighborhood Association will meet Thursday at Faith Community Church, 1919 E. Midlothian Blvd. Refreshment and social time will take place at 6 p.m., and a business meeting is at 6:30. The group will discuss the success of recent events and projects. Marsha Harris, chief inspector for the Youngstown Fire Department, will discuss winter fire safety and proper fire-extinguisher use. Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, and the ward’s community police officer will attend. The meetings are open to the public.

Beaver flu-shot clinic

NORTH LIMA

Beaver Township will host a flu-shot clinic from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday at the township administration building, 11999 South Ave. All ages are welcome, and most insurances are accepted. Call 330-549-3993 with questions.

Gun, drug charges

BOARDMAN

Two men face felony charges after a gun and cocaine reportedly were found in a rental car they returned. Township police responded Monday to Enterprise Rent-A-Car, 7880 Market St., where an employee reported that a customer returned a car, leaving a loaded handgun. Police, who determined that the weapon was stolen, reportedly found 24 grams of cocaine.

Two men were arrested later that day when they reportedly returned to Enterprise to retrieve property they left in a vehicle. Edwin Rodriguez, 48, of Youngstown, is charged with felony counts of drug possession and receiving stolen property. Norman Rodriguez, 24, of Campbell, is charged with the same, plus with having weapons while under disability. Police seized $860 in cash from the two.

Purse theft reported

WARREN

A Youngstown Road Southeast woman reported being robbed of her purse while walking on Woodbine Avenue Southeast at Clarence Street at 4 p.m. Monday. A man pushed her down and fled on a bicycle, she said. She described him as 40 to 50 years old wearing an Eastern Gateway sweatshirt and blue jeans. The woman was not injured.

Assault, robbery

WARREN

A woman, 19, of Warren, was assaulted and robbed by two females as she was walking on Hamilton Street Southwest near Union Street at 10:30 p.m. Monday. She said the two females initially walked up and asked for a cigarette, then one punched her in the face, causing her to fall to the ground. The females, about 18 to 21 years old, took cigarettes, a cellphone and keys and fled toward West Market Street, she said. They were wearing black hooded sweatshirts and sweatpants. The victim refused medical attention.

Truck theft reported

HUBBARD

Township police are investigating the theft of a truck from a lot of Flynn’s Tire on Truck World Boulevard reported early Monday.

An employee told police he arrived at work at about 5 a.m. to find that locks of a gate had been cut and a truck had been stolen. The estimated value of the truck is $5,000, according to a police report.

Fatal pickup crash

WARREN

William E. Rice, 74, of Reeves Road Northeast, died in a single-vehicle crash on East Market Street at Perkinswood Boulevard Northeast early Saturday. Rice’s 2001 GMC 1500 pickup truck was eastbound when it crossed the center line and passed through the westbound lanes before hitting a traffic-light post in the northeast corner of the intersection. He was not wearing a seat belt and was dead at the scene of the 5 a.m. crash, Warren police said.

Disc-golf fundraiser

CHAMPION

A fundraising disc-golf event will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday at Young’s Run Disc Golf Course in Clarence Darrow MetroPark on Educational Highway. Boy Scout Dillon Green is organizing the event to raise money to purchase disc-golf discs that can be loaned at no cost to groups wanting to use them to play disc golf, said Zachary Svette, operations director for the Trumbull County MetroParks. The event will help Green achieve his Eagle Scout badge, Svette said.