Police probe death of baby found under home

November 28, 2017 at 12:00a.m.

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

Pennsylvania State Police have charged a 23-year-old woman after the body of her newborn son was found hidden under a home.

Brittany Robinson was arrested after police were called Sunday afternoon by the owner of a home at 3202 Ellwood Road, Shenango Township, who had found the body in a crawlspace.

21-WFMJ TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, reports investigators believe the baby, which was hidden under the porch, was born alive.

Police charged Robinson with homicide, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and concealing the death of a child. The Lawrence County Coroner is investigating.

Austintown board backs Senate bill

AUSTINTOWN

The Austintown Board of Education on Monday approved district support for officials who are backing Ohio Senate Bill 216.

“This bill really will help individual students; it’ll help teachers; it’ll help the board have more control,” Superintendent Vince Colaluca said.

Colaluca serves on the Buckeye Association of School Administrators, which is involved with backing the bill. The Ohio Public School Deregulation Act would make a variety of changes to state mandated school regulations regarding continuing contracts for nonteaching employees, teacher licensure and evaluation, aide permits, student testing, and the College Credit Plus program.

Boardman OKs firefighter contract

BOARDMAN

Township trustees voted unanimously Monday to approve a tentative contract agreement with the International Association of Firefighters Local 1176.

The firefighters union previously approved the agreement, which follows a fact finder’s report that the township had rejected.

Details of the tentative agreement were not immediately available Monday, but township officials said it gives firefighters approximately 2 percent salary increases each of the three contract years. The previous contract’s term was March 1, 2014 to Feb. 28, 2017.

Judge orders Hamad’s son released from jail

WARREN

Eimad Hamad, 23, was ordered released from the Trumbull County jail Monday but will have a drug and alcohol evaluation and mental-health evaluation in the Cleveland area.

Hamad was in court on a probation violation resulting from a May 23 drug overdose at the state Route 46 home in Howland of his father, Nasser Hamad, and other issues.

Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court asked a probation officer one week ago to provide additional information on the follow-up Eimad Hamad will get in Cuyahoga County before the judge would release him. The officer provided it Monday. The judge also agreed Monday to allow Eimad Hamad’s probation supervision to be transferred to Cuyahoga County.

California Palms hearing rescheduled

YOUNGSTOWN

A summary judgment hearing for California Palms Addiction Recovery Campus on Monday afternoon in Mahoning County Court was rescheduled for 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

Cedar Hill, a Connecticut-based financial firm, filed a lawsuit seeking foreclosure on the California Palms property. The court filing states California Palms has not made monthly interest payments. The recovery center owes nearly $2.3 million, according to the filing.

California Palms owner Sebastian Rucci has said he is planning to refinance the loan, and the addiction recovery campus is not in jeopardy.