METRO DIGEST || Piggyback aids kids dealing with family illness

Aiding families dealing with illness

AUSTINTOWN

The nonprofit Piggyback Foundation is set to begin benefiting Youngstown-area families.

The foundation’s mission is to provide a sense of normalcy for children in families experiencing serious illness, according to its news release.

The foundation operates on the premise that when serious illness strikes a family, children can suffer unintended consequences, including declining grades, a decrease in extracurricular activities and diminishing family outings.

Adopted Piggyback families receive support for tutoring, enrollment in or continuation of extracurricular activities, special-occasion celebrations and family gatherings.

A public informational meeting will take place at 6 p.m. Thursday at YOLO Grille and Tap Room, 5529 Mahoning Ave.

Discussion topics include Piggyback’s first fundraiser, a chocolate fest. For information, visit www.piggybackyoungstown.com.

CDC’s Zika guidelines

The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne pathogen that has been linked to a rise of birth defects in Brazil, has been found in at least five people this month in the United States, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to advise pregnant woman to consider postponing travel to any country where the virus is being transmitted or to take extra precautions against mosquito bites if they are in that area.

The guidelines also advised doctors to ask all pregnant women if they recently have traveled to a country where the Zika virus outbreak is ongoing, including Colombia and Venezuela; and urges pregnant women to get tested if they have two or more symptoms of the virus, which include fever, joint pain and rash. There is no vaccine or treatment for the illness.

Drops out of race

WARREN

Gwen Logan of Farmdale, Trumbull County executive dog warden, has dropped out of the race to be county recorder.

“I believe that my involvement in public service throughout my life and professional experience as a manager my entire career uniquely qualified me to take on this responsibility. However, for the good of our local Democratic Party, and to show party unity and solidarity, I feel it best now to withdraw my candidacy,” she said in a statement.

Logan, a Democrat and wife of Judge Andrew Logan of common pleas court, received the second-highest number of votes last week at a Democatic Party Central Committee endorsement meeting.

The highest total was for Todd Latell of Girard with 67, followed by Logan with 52, and Warren Councilwoman Helen Rucker with 29.

Church discontinues clothing distribution

YOUNGSTOWN

The free clothing-distribution ministry at Rising Star Baptist Church, 2943 Wardle Ave., has been discontinued until further notice. The distribution had been from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the fourth Saturday of each month.

I-680 repairs

YOUNGSTOWN

Interstate 680 northbound between Western Reserve Road and Midlothian Boulevard will have various lane restrictions between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. today for pavement repairs.

Bridge to be repaired

GIRARD

Repairs to the Glendale Avenue bridge over Squaw Creek are set to begin in 2017.

The bridge, which is closed to traffic, sits near State Street. The city plans to replace the bridge’s culvert and install a new guardrail. State funding will cover the estimated $396,000 construction cost, with 95 percent paid by the Ohio Municipal Bridge Fund and 5 percent paid by the Ohio Public Works Commission.

Jeans reported stolen

YOUNGSTOWN

Reports said a group of male teens stole 15 pairs of jeans from a 713 N. Garland Ave. store, after one of them who was carrying a fire extinguisher sprayed it on the front of the store.

Police were called to K&P Family Sportswear about 3:05 p.m. Wednesday, where employees said the teens ran inside, grabbed the jeans and ran away.

Anti-fracking group criticizes proposed bill

YOUNGSTOWN

Members of Frackfree Mahoning Valley, which opposes fracking, say a proposed bill to regulate injection wells won’t protect public health and safety.

A problem, they say, is that the prohibition of placing the wells on fault lines isn’t useful because those lines aren’t known until earthquakes happen.

The bill is co-sponsored by state Reps. Sean O’Brien of Bazetta, D-63rd, and Michael O’Brien of Warren, D-64th.