METRO DIGEST || JFK students helping neighbors

Neighborhood cleanups

WARREN

Trumbull Neighborhood Partnership is partnering with John F. Kennedy High School’s 2017 Service Retreat Day on Friday.

JFK freshmen, sophomores and juniors will be working on the southeast side of the city, at TNP-planned work sites, and will tackle neighborhood cleanup, painting and gardening at residential properties. Students will also be at St. Vincent de Paul, painting and organizing goods at the thrift store.

TNP encourages other community organizations or companies looking for service days or volunteer opportunities to contact Denise Rising, community outreach coordinator, at 330-469-6827.

Arraigned in robbery

WARREN

Daniel L. Blevins Jr., 31, of Raymond Street Northwest and North River Road, was arraigned Wednesday in Warren Municipal Court on an aggravated-robbery charge in the robbery of the Best Western hotel on North Park Avenue downtown early Friday.

Blevins is in Trumbull County Jail without eligibility to make bond.

Police said two men rushed into the hotel at a few minutes after midnight with one pointing a gun at two hotel employees.

The one holding the gun had a tattoo on his neck, police said.

The two grabbed money and fled. Police located Blevins a short time later and arrested him on an unrelated warrant related to a Niles drug charge.

Police filed the aggravated-robbery charge Monday.

Facing firearm charge

YOUNGSTOWN

Police on Wednesday arrested a man for improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and discharging a firearm in city limits after answering a gunshot sensor call on the South Side.

Reports said officers responded at about 1:40 a.m. to 2725 Gibson St. where they found two people in a car and ordered them both to show their hands. Both people inside the car were then taken out one at a time, reports said.

Reports said when the driver, Korey McMillan, 30, no address listed, was taken out of the car, officers could see a gun case underneath his seat. Police retrieved the case and found a loaded handgun and a 13-round magazine. A spent shell casing was on the ground next to the car, reports said.

The other passenger, a woman, told police she had something in her pockets and she gave officers 13 rounds of 9mm ammunition, reports said.

McMillan was taken to the Mahoning County jail. The woman was released with no charges filed against her.

Man claims $30K stolen

AUSTINTOWN

A township man claims nearly $30,000 was stolen from his bank account, according to a report.

The man told police his bookkeeper received an email from his account requesting the transfer of $29,850.

The email, which the man said he did not send, said the money was for professional services and directed the transfer to a Nevada bank. The report was forwarded to detectives for further investigation.

2 robberies in Warren

WARREN

Police believe the same man may be responsible for two similar robberies late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

A man robbed Sheetz gas station, 3379 Elm Road, of an undetermined amount of money, at 5:55 p.m. Tuesday by saying he had a gun, but he did not show one.

A man with a similar appearance also robbed a cashier of $92 at McDonald’s restaurant, 595 South St., at 6:05 a.m. Wednesday. This suspect also said he had a gun but he did not show one.

The McDonald’s employee said the suspect walked up asking for napkins, then said, “Give me all your money.” The man was thin and short and had a tattoo on his neck. The suspect walked down Chestnut Street and got into a silver car. Police said the man’s build and appearance were similar, as was the vehicle he used.

Possible OD at jail

WARREN

Timothy Kirkland, 19, of Surrey Road, was taken from the Trumbull County Jail to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital on Tuesday morning, unresponsive, possibly the victim of a drug overdose. He has since been transferred to the intensive-care unit at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, Maj. Jeff Palmer of the county sheriff’s office said Wednesday.

Palmer said situations such as this are one reason Sheriff Paul Monroe decided soon after becoming sheriff in January to purchase a full-body scanner to better screen inmates when they enter the jail. The devices are able to detect hidden objects inside a person’s body. The county is in the bidding process for one.

Kirkland is set for sentencing next month after pleading guilty in March to two counts of burglary and receiving stolen property and single counts of tampering with evidence, safecracking and carrying a concealed weapon.

Boy threatened with gun

YOUNGSTOWN

Reports said a 14-year-old boy was threatened with a gun Tuesday at the Glenwood Playground park after he let a friend borrow his iPhone.

Police were called to the boy’s South Side home at about 7:45 p.m., where his father told police his son allowed someone to borrow his phone, and when the person was done, he pulled out a revolver and told the victim if he did not reveal his password, he would be shot.

The victim told the suspect his password and then ran home, reports said.

Young women’s event

WARREN

Kent State University-Trumbull, the Trumbull Career and Technical Center and the KSU-Trumbull Diversity in Action Council will host its annual “The Road Not Taken: High Math, High Tech, High Wage, High Impact Career Conference for Trumbull County Young Women” in the Classroom Building on the campus of KSU-Trumbull from 8:15 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. Friday.

About 154 sophomore girls from 16 participating Trumbull County school districts are scheduled to attend. Participants are ranked in the top 15 percent of their graduating class and take accelerated math and science courses.

Relay for Life event

NILES

An American Cancer Society fundraising Relay for Life event begins at 6 p.m. Friday at the Wellness Center in Waddell Park.