METRO DIGEST || YSU park dedicated

YSU park dedicated

YOUNGSTOWN

A park honoring some of the most distinguished former faculty and staff in Youngstown State University’s 100-year plus history was dedicated Wednesday on campus.

Located on Elm Street just north of Kilcawley Center, the YSU Foundation Heritage Park features a basketball court, sand volleyball court and a stone wall with the engraved names of the 73 former faculty and staff who have received the YSU Heritage Award, considered to be the highest award given to former university employees.

“The list of recipients of the Heritage Award is a literal ‘who’s who’ of YSU over the past 35 years,” said Paul McFadden, YSU Foundation president.

Dozens of former and current faculty and staff, including many recipients of the Heritage Award, attended the dedication.

The park also recognizes the 50th anniversary of the YSU Foundation, which funded the $100,000 project.

Bill targets livestock

COLUMBUS

Local zoning rules could not prohibit residents from raising chickens, rabbits and other small livestock, as long as the animals are not creating a nuisance, under legislation being considered in the Ohio House.

Rep. Tom Brinkman, R-Mount Lookout, offered House Bill 175 after hearing from a resident who was fined and threatened with jail time for having a half-dozen backyard chickens.

The measure would allow property owners “to keep, harbor, breed or maintain” goats, chickens and similar fowl, rabbits and similar small livestock, according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Service Commission. Roosters would not be allowed. The bill does set limits on the number of animals allowed, based on property sizes.

KSU commencement

KENT

Kent State University will have its spring commencement from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Dix Stadium. Keynote speaker is Octavia Spencer, Academy Award-winning actress and an author. This will be the first time all graduates from KSU and its eight-campus system, which includes Kent State-Trumbull, will convene and be honored in one ceremony. KSU will confer 5,636 degrees.

Local townships join OhioCheckbook.com

POLAND

Poland, Canfield and Austintown townships became the latest townships in Mahoning County to post their spending on OhioCheckbook.com, making their financial records more transparent and available to residents via the internet.

In December 2014, Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel launched the website, which recently earned Ohio the top government transparency ranking in the country for the second year in a row.

The Ohio Treasurer’s office was joined in Wednesday’s announcement by Poland Township Fiscal Officer Paul Canter and Poland Township Trustees Joanne Wollet, Robert Lidle and Eric Ungaro; Canfield Township Fiscal Officer Carmen Heasley, and Austintown Township Trustee Rick Stauffer.

Unable to find gun

YOUNGSTOWN

Police were unable to find a gun supposedly thrown from a vehicle during a chase Wednesday afternoon that began on Hillman Street and ended on Griselda Avenue on the South Side. A police dog searched the area after officers said the driver of the car stopped and ran away, dropping a gun as he ran. One person was arrested.