Teenager found

Teenager found

NILES

A 15-year-old girl missing from a Youngstown group home since Feb. 28 was found Wednesday afternoon at a Niles home, but a wider investigation has resulted in criminal charges against a Warren man.

Derwin R. Norman Jr., 21, of Autumn Drive Northwest, was arraigned Thursday in Niles Municipal Court on charges of compelling prostitution and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance. He is in the Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bond.

Niles police were initially called to a home on Wade Street for a burglary in progress, but they found the girl and Norman there and investigated further.

The girl was later taken to a juvenile facility in Ashtabula County. The Youngstown Police Department issued a notice Wednesday morning about the girl being a missing and endangered teen.

Endorsements

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Warren Black Caucus announced its endorsements for the Democratic primary in Youngstown.

The caucus endorsed Jamael Tito Brown for mayor, DeMaine Kitchen for city council president and Carla Baldwin for municipal court judge.

SB 10 passes Senate

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Senate has again moved legislation eliminating primary elections if races are not contested.

SB 10 passed on a vote of 32-0 and heads to the Ohio House for further consideration.

The bill would require that uncontested primary races not appear on ballots; candidates who filed for such races would automatically receive their party’s nomination.

Likewise, special primaries for open congressional seats would not take place if only one candidate qualifies to run. The bill includes additional language for handling races in which candidates die, withdraw or are disqualified.

Free workshops

Community Legal Aid is offering free workshops to anyone who may need legal assistance or those who are interested in legal topics. All programs are taught by attorneys and are free and open to the public.

There will be two veterans clinics at 9 a.m. Wednesday and March 29 at the Youngstown VA outpatient clinic, 2031 Belmont Ave., and there will be five family law workshops, all at 9 a.m., at Trumbull County Family Court, 220 S. Main Ave., Warren. On Tuesday, April 4 and April 11, the divorce or dissolution with/without children workshops will take place, and on March 21 and April 18, the custody and visitation matters workshop will be offered.

Drug items in bra

AUSTINTOWN

Police arrested a woman who they said had seven used syringes and a broken crack pipe in her bra.

Police received a call that a man and woman were snorting something in the parking lot of the Walmart at 6001 Mahoning Ave. They stopped the vehicle for swerving across the center yellow line on Mahoning Avenue.

Officers did not find any drugs in the car, but they said Trisha Lambert, 32, of Warren, had the syringes and crack pipe concealed in a makeup bag in her bra.

She is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and drug-abuse instruments. She will appear Monday in Mahoning County Area Court.

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