METRO DIGEST || Fire at McGuffey school playground

Fire at playground

YOUNGSTOWN

A Wednesday evening fire damaged the slides at the William Holmes McGuffey Elementary School playground.

Harry Evans, director of operations for the city school district, said an accelerant was used. A school custodian saw the flames between 7 and 8 p.m. and called the fire department. Firefighters extinguished the fire, but it rekindled and they had to return to put it out again.

Evans said the damage was confined to the sliding boards. He plans to use plywood to block off the damaged areas so children can use the remainder of the equipment until replacement sliding boards are installed.

Evans estimated the cost at between $2,000 and $3,000.

Fatal pool accident

MERCER, PA.

A 1-year-old girl has died after falling into a swimming pool Wednesday afternoon in Mercer County.

The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, 21 WFMJ-TV, reports Pheylin Cline was rushed to the hospital where she later died from her injuries just before 2 a.m. Thursday, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office.

The toddler was found face down in the pool after wandering into a neighbor’s yard in the 100 block of Andrusky Road.

A neighbor told the television reporter he heard people at the home across the street calling the girl’s name so he went to help, and that’s when his wife saw the child’s lifeless body in the pool about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Seeking donations

YOUNGSTOWN

Mercy Community Church is seeking donations of gently used clothing for an upcoming clothing distribution from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Stambaugh Charter Academy building, 2420 Donald Ave., on the city’s West Side. The clothing distribution will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. May 22 at Stambaugh.