YEARS AGO

Today is Saturday, Feb. 18, the 49th day of 2017. There are 316 days left in the year.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

On this date in:

1861: Jefferson Davis is sworn in as provisional president of the Confederate States of America in Montgomery, Ala.

1930: Photographic evidence of Pluto (now designated a “dwarf planet”) is discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

1970: The “Chicago Seven” defendants are found not guilty of conspiring to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic national convention.

1977: The space shuttle prototype Enterprise, sitting atop a Boeing 747, goes on its debut “flight” above Edwards Air Force Base in California.

2001: Auto racing star Dale Earnhardt Sr. dies in a crash at the Daytona 500; he was 49.

2012: A star-studded funeral is held for pop singer Whitney Houston at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., a week after her death at age 48.

2016: Pope Francis says that a person who advocates building walls is “not Christian”; Donald Trump quickly retorts it is “disgraceful” to question a person’s faith.

VINDICATOR FILES

1992: About 20 fire and police dispatchers attend a meeting at the Niles Police Department to air concerns that a centralized 911 emergency telephone answering system will result in job losses.

“Leading Your Company Through Tough Times” will be the topic of a seminar sponsored by the Warren Chamber of Commerce.

Vindicator Columnist Jane Tims writes about an essay radio commentator Paul Harvey wrote about the unappreciated charms of Youngstown. Harvey was in the city as a speaker for the Junior League of Youngstown’s Town Hall Lecture Series.

1977: Ohio Attorney General William J. Brown asks the Ohio Public Utilities Commission to order Canton-based Ohio Power Co. to refund $45 million to its customers for overcharges.

Four Youngstown firemen are treated at South Side Hospital for injuries suffered when caught in a backdraft while fighting a $13,000 fire at 3018 Hudson Ave.

On the strength of its 17-5 record, Youngstown State University is named host for the NCAA Division II Great Lakes basketball tournament. YSU has played in the tournament before, but this is its first invitation to host.

1967: Sheriff Ray Davis looks for another prisoner-escape precaution as steel chains and padlocks cannot be used due to fire safety rules. Such locks would be nearly impossible to open in case of a flash fire.

Daniel McGuire, 48, is asphyxiated by an unvented gas heater at his home at 2413 Frost Ave. in Youngstown.

Two boys who stole and wrecked city detective Cyril Smolko’s car from his driveway must pay for damage to the car. The older boy’s driver’s license was suspended indefinitely.

The Packard Electric Division of General Motors in Warren will lay off 650 workers reflecting a lag in car sales nationally. Twice as many of the affected employees are women than men.

1942: Ohio Highway Director Hal Sours agrees with Chamber of Commerce and county officials on the feasibility of building a long span bridge over the Mahoning River at Spring Common.

The Vindicator decides to check effectiveness of a guard at Lake Milton. Vindicator photographer Lloyd S. Jones is sent to photograph the spillway and dam. As soon as Jones set up, guard John Stevens arrested him.

Youngstown council’s finance committee will survey the possibility of remodeling the municipal hospital to make part of it a psychiatric ward.