Speedy trial waived

Speedy trial waived

WARREN

A sizable number of people attended Thursday’s pretrial hearing in the Nasser Hamad aggravated murder case, but it lasted only a few minutes and resulted in just one thing: Hamad waiving speedy trial time for an additional 180 days.

Many of those in attendance wore shirts supporting Hamad, who is charged with two counts of aggravated murder and several counts of attempted aggravated murder in the death of two people and wounding of three others Feb. 25 at his home on state Route 46 in Howland.

A waiver of speedy trial time grants the prosecution additional time to bring the case to trial. It gives the parties additional time to prepare. The case is set for trial Sept. 18 with a final pretrial hearing May 18.

Amphitheater land

YOUNGSTOWN

The board of control Thursday agreed to pay $32,500 to Norfolk Southern Railway for a half-acre on Hamilton Street that is needed to build a proposed 3,250-seat amphitheater at the former Wean United Building site on South Phelps Street.

Loaded .357 in truck

YOUNGSTOWN

Police found a loaded .357 Magnum revolver early Thursday during a traffic stop on the South Side.

Reports said officers pulled over a pickup truck at 2:20 a.m. at Zedaker and Dewey avenues driven by Allen Crockett Jr., 21, of Glenwood Avenue, for a broken taillight. Reports said Crockett was asked to step out of the truck because he has a suspended driver’s license. Reports said he hesitated, but was eventually coaxed out. The gun was found under the seat, reports said. Crockett was booked into the Mahoning County jail on a charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.

Budget approved

AUSTINTOWN

Township trustees approved permanent appropriations for 2017 at a special meeting Thursday. The township plans to spend $20.3 million in 2017. The general fund was appropriated $3.5 million. Police and fire are the departments receiving the most funding, with $5.8 million and $3.4 million, respectively. The road and bridge fund was appropriated $1.75 million.

Literacy night

YOUNGSTOWN

Martin Luther King Elementary School, 2724 Mariner Ave., will host Coloring Our World with Literature for Literacy Night from 5 to 7 p.m. today. Maurice Clarett, a city native who formerly played football at Ohio State University, will read aloud to students, while Youngstown State University’s Pete the Penguin entertains and a representative from the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County talks about programs and features at the library.

Students also will perform, and free books and bookbags will be distributed.

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