METRO DIGEST || Jailed in 1996 rape case

Jailed in 1996 rape case

WARREN

Jack L. Sheetz, 48, of Utica, N.Y., is in Trumbull County jail after pleading not guilty in common pleas court Wednesday to charges connected to a Howland rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary case from December 1996. Judge W. Wyatt McKay set his bond at $500,000. Sheetz is accused of breaking into the home of a 75-year-old woman on Orchard Avenue Southeast at night and raping her. Howland police detectives submitted additional physical evidence from the case to the state’s crime lab last year, and DNA on an item matched DNA on file for Sheetz, Howland Police Chief Paul Monroe said.

Dem picnic today

NILES

Tickets to the Trumbull County Democratic Party’s 29th annual picnic at 5 p.m. today are still available and cost $20 at the door. The picnic will take place at McMenamy’s Banquet Center, 325 Youngstown Road.

Motorcycle crash

GIRARD

The driver and passenger riding a motorcycle were injured when hit by a vehicle at 4:55 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of North State (U.S. Route 422) and Smithsonian streets. Girard police said the motorcycle was traveling north on North State when the vehicle, stopped westbound on Smithsonian to yield to traffic, pulled out and turned south onto North State, striking the motorcycle.

The motorcycle driver and passenger were transported to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment. The driver of the vehicle was not injured. The crash is under investigation; no charges have been filed.

Niles man indicted

NILES

A Trumbull County grand jury Wednesday indicted Clair D. Enlow, 54, of Battles Avenue, Niles, on two counts of felonious assault and single counts of attempted murder, felony domestic violence and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He has been in the North-Central Regional Jail in Greenwood, W.Va., since his arrest Aug. 28 on Interstate 79 on a warrant from Niles charging him with shooting his female companion earlier that day. The woman was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, where she underwent surgery for her injuries.

Candidate withdraws

WARREN

Michael P. Walton, the Republican candidate for Trumbull County prosecutor, has withdrawn from the race. That leaves eight-term incumbent Dennis Watkins, a Democrat, unopposed in the general election. Walton moved from Trumbull County to the Columbus area for work-related reasons, said county Republican Chairman Randy Law.

Two men arrested

AUSTINTOWN

Officers arrested two township men for using drugs after one overdosed in a hotel bathroom. According to the police report, Anthony Elgabri, 32, of Innwood Drive, told officers that Edward Ehrhart, 49, of Penny Lane, overdosed on unidentified drugs at Westgate Motel, 4593 Mahoning Ave., Saturday evening. Officers found a burnt pop can containing heroin residue, a broken crack pipe with burn marks, a pen with burn marks and an unidentified white residue. Elgabri also told police he threw away three hypodermic syringes he and Erhart used. Both men face charges of possessing drug-abuse instruments and having drug paraphernalia.

Equipment stolen

BOARDMAN

Township police are investigating a breaking and entering incident in which $22,270 worth of equipment was stolen Tuesday from Shaffer Concrete on Southern Boulevard. The owner of the business told police the suspect broke into their garage between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. and stole equipment, including saws, pressure washers and concrete stamps.

Autism society event

YOUNGSTOWN

Autism Society of Mahoning Valley is offering a caring, patient family-portrait session for families with disabilities from 9 a.m. until noon Oct. 1 at Stambaugh Auditorium, 1000 Fifth Ave.

Participating families will receive a free sitting, a best-choice 5x7 photograph and three edited professional-level images taken during their session for unrestricted personal use and reproduction. The event is supported by Jada Landgraver Photography, Arista Marie Photography, J&M Photography and Stambaugh Auditorium. Pre-registration is required and is available online at www.autismmv.org. For information, call 330-333-9609.

Disaster preparedness

The Eagle Joint Fire District in Hubbard and the emergency and police departments of Mercy Health-Youngstown are participating in a disaster preparedness drill from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Harding Park, 249 Roosevelt Drive, Hubbard, and at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, 1044 Belmont Ave., Youngstown.

At Harding Park near Pavilion 3, the grandstand and nearby open areas, emergency vehicles from surrounding communities will participate, and a helicopter will land. Students from Youngstown State University and Kent State Trumbull Campus will participate as coordinators and disaster victims.

As part of the exercise, Mercy Health-Youngstown will test the surge capacity of its local hospitals – St. Elizabeth Youngstown, St. Joseph Warren Hospital and St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, with the Level I Trauma unit receiving the bulk of mock patients.

Planetarium’s 50th

YOUNGSTOWN

Ward Beecher Planetarium at Youngstown State University celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with a variety of shows and activities. The 2016-17 season starts this weekend, with shows at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday. The opening weekend features a “Visitor’s Choice” vote. Voting ends at 3 p.m. today. The planetarium opened in March 1967, so many of the celebration events will take place during March 2017.

Poll workers needed

COLUMBUS

Wanted: 35,000-plus registered Ohio voters willing to work more than 12 hours in one day, for about $100, to help bolster our democracy. If you fit that bill, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted and local elections officials want to talk to you – soon – as they gear up for the coming November presidential election and polling places across the state that need to be staffed. Husted, Democratic Congresswoman Joyce Beatty and other officials launched a new website – www.DayForDemocracy.com – Monday with hopes of recruiting thousands of Ohioans. They’re also urging companies and nonprofits to consider promotional efforts to allow their employees to spend Nov. 8 working at the polls from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. There are nearly 9,000 precinct polling places in Ohio.