Ohio gas prices rise

Ohio gas prices rise

YOUNGSTOWN

Gas prices at the pump in Northeast Ohio rose about a penny this to $2.33 a gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report.

In Youngstown, the average is $2.289.

For the first time in more than 19 months, the national average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has reached $2.39. This price is 6 cents more expensive than one week ago, 9 cents higher than one month ago, and 35 cents higher than one year ago. The national average is at its highest price this year and has increased for 13 of the last 14 days.

Auto sales increase

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning Valley new and used auto sales increased 3.6 percent in March 2017 to 5,522 sales from 5,330 reported in March 2016.

To date, sales in the Valley are up 9.3 percent to 14,738 in March 2017 from 13,476 reported in March 2016.

Man taken off plane; video sparks uproar

CHICAGO

Video of police officers dragging a passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight sparked an uproar Monday on social media, and a spokesman for the airline insisted that employees had no choice but to contact authorities to remove the man.

As the flight waited to depart from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, officers could be seen grabbing the screaming man from a window seat, pulling him across the armrest and dragging him down the aisle by his arms. The airline was trying to make room for four of its employees on the Sunday evening flight to Louisville, Ky.

Passenger Audra D. Bridges posted the video on Facebook. Her husband, Tyler Bridges, said United offered $400 and then $800 vouchers and a hotel stay for volunteers to give up their seats. When no one volunteered, a United manager came on the plane and announced that passengers would be chosen at random.

Convicted church shooter is sentenced

CHARLESTON, S.C.

Convicted Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof was given nine consecutive life sentences in prison after he pleaded guilty to state murder charges Monday, sparing his victims and their families the burden of a second trial.

The self-avowed white supremacist entered his guilty pleas while standing at the defense table with his attorneys. Roof’s plea deal with state prosecutors, who had been pursuing the death penalty, came in exchange for a life prison sentence on the state charges.

Ala. governor resigns

MONTGOMERY, ALA.

Gov. Robert Bentley resigned Monday rather than face impeachment and pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor campaign violations that arose during an investigation of his purported affair with a top aide.

The 74-year-old Republican and one-time Baptist deacon stepped down as the sex-tinged scandal gathered force over the past few days. Legislators turned up the pressure by opening impeachment hearings Monday. Last week, the Alabama Ethics Commission cited evidence that Bentley broke state ethics and campaign laws and referred the matter to prosecutors.

Staff/wire reports