Pleads guilty to robberies

Pleads guilty to robberies

YOUNGSTOWN

Attorneys are recommending a 10-year sentence for a man who pleaded guilty Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to robbing two Austintown gas stations within hours of each other.

Judge Anthony D’Apolito will sentence Shawn Villers, 32, after a presentence investigation is completed. He pleaded guilty to two felony counts of aggravated robbery.

Villers was accused of pulling a knife June 13 and robbing a BP station at Mahoning Avenue and Niles-Canfield Road and a Get Go station on Mahoning Avenue, both of them hours apart.

In exchange for his plea, prosecutors dropped a repeat violent-offender specification on both charges.

Nurses group donates $300K for scholarship

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown General Duty Nurses Association, representing nurses at Northside Regional Medical Center in Youngstown for more than 50 years, has donated $300,000 to establish a scholarship endowment for nursing students at Youngstown State University.

Northside Regional Medical Center, which opened on Gypsy Lane in 1929, closed Sept. 20. Nearly 190 nurses lost their jobs.

The scholarship will be presented annually to YSU nursing majors with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. The award is renewable for up to three years. Recipients will be selected by a committee of the nursing program, in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships and the YSU Foundation.

Domestic-violence arrest

BOARDMAN

A Youngstown man convicted twice of domestic violence was arrested after reportedly choking his wife Sunday night, according to police reports.

During an argument, the victim asked Adam Maloney, 25, to leave her Hillman Way apartment. Maloney became irate and choked the victim, police reports say.

The victim told police she called Maloney’s uncle to pick him up. After Maloney’s uncle dragged him out of the apartment, Maloney broke loose and kicked off the apartment door.

He also pulled a closet door off its hinges, punched a hole in the wall and choked the victim.

Police noted red marks on the victim’s cheek, chin and neck.

Maloney appeared Tuesday in Mahoning County Area Court on the domestic-violence charge. He has a preliminary hearing Dec. 11.

Man commits suicide

GIRARD

Police determined the body of an 80-year-old man found underneath the Justin Leo Memorial Bridge was the result of a suicide.

A witness called police at 10:20 a.m. Tuesday to report he saw a man park his van at an angle on the side of the bridge. The man then got out of the van and jumped over the side of the bridge, the witness said.

Police and paramedics arrived within minutes, but the man had no vital signs. His body was found near the CSX railroad tracks.

There was no suicide note left at the scene. Police said they are unsure why the man jumped.

The next-of-kin was notified of the death. The body was taken to the Trumbull County coroner. It is The Vindicator’s policy to not report the names of suicide victims.

Not-guilty plea in crash

YOUNGSTOWN

The man accused of causing the traffic collision that killed a 79-year-old woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Michael Romigh, 46, of Willow Drive, Boardman, faces a felony count of vehicular homicide and a misdemeanor count of vehicular manslaughter, according to court records.

He’s accused of running a stop sign at the intersection of Blott and Rosemont roads in North Jackson on the evening of June 22 and striking the vehicle driven by Rachel Wood, 79, of North Jackson. Wood’s vehicle flipped upside-down and landed in a ditch. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Romigh missed his Nov. 27 arraignment and was brought in on a warrant, court records show. He is in the Mahoning County jail on a $25,000 bond. He’s due back in court for another hearing in January.

School bus, car crash

HUBBARD

Police responded to a minor accident Tuesday morning involving a Hubbard school bus and a car on McDowell Street and Masury Road. There were seven children on the bus, but no reported injuries. Parents were notified of the crash.

Grant to fund 2 boccie courts and pavilion

CAMPBELL

State. Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan of Youngstown, D-58th, said the state would release $80,149 for the city to use for the construction of two boccie courts and a new pavilion in Roosevelt Park. The money will come from a NatureWorks Grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Mayor Nick Phillips said he hopes to see the additions at the park completed by summer 2019, but noted there currently isn’t an official construction time line.

Son calls cops over assault

BOARDMAN

A 14-year-old boy called police after hearing his father assault his mother at their Lost Tree Drive apartment Sunday evening, according to police reports.

The victim told police during an argument with her husband, James C. Fleet, 49, he slapped and choked her.

Their son said he heard Fleet slap his mother and what sounded like her falling to the ground.

Fleet told police he had been drinking, the report said. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of domestic violence. He was arraigned Tuesday in Mahoning County Area Court, and he has a pretrial hearing set for Jan. 8, according to court records.

Bomb threats at hospitals

WARREN

A not-guilty plea was entered Tuesday in Warren Municipal Court for a woman who is alleged to have called a bomb threat to the Trumbull Regional Medical Center and St. Joseph Warren Hospital late Monday and early Tuesday.

Linda L. Huey, 62, of High Street Northeast, appeared before Judge Thomas Gysegem on one felony count of inducing panic.

Judge Gysegem ordered her to have no contact with either hospital, ordered her held in the Trumbull County jail in lieu of bond and ordered her to undergo mental health counseling.

Both hospitals went into lockdown after the phone calls but reopened by early Tuesday.

Warren police went to her apartment soon after the calls were made and took her into custody.

Facing drug charges

WARREN

Carl Foster, 63, of Wick Street Southeast was arraigned Tuesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on four drug charges and being a felon in possession of a firearm, pleading not guilty after being secretly indicted Tuesday.

Bond was set at $50,000.

His indictment alleges he trafficked in heroin and fentanyl and possessed heroin and fentanyl on March 7 in the vicinity of a school zone.

He is also alleged to have had a weapon despite his being convicted of heroin trafficking and possession in a 2010 Trumbull County case.

White-elephant benefit

BOARDMAN

Northeast Ohio Cafeteria Workers are hosting a white elephant sale to benefit those affected by the wildfires in Paradise, Calif., at 6 p.m. Thursday at Glenwood Junior High School, 7635 Glenwood Ave.

At the event, wrapped gifts will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Profits will go to the families in Paradise who work in the school nutrition program.

Blue Christmas service

POLAND

Harbor Light Hospice, Lane Funeral Home and Shepherd of the Valley are hosting a Blue Christmas service to offer support, healing and encouragement during the holidays for those who are dealing with loss of some kind.

There will be a service at the 301 Western Reserve Road facility in Poland on Thursday and another at the North River Road facility in Howland on Dec. 13.

To reserve a spot for the Poland service, call 330-726-7110, ext. 0. For Howland, contact 330-856-9232, ext. 0. For information, call Harbor Light at 330-750-5270.

Senior citizens dinner

LIBERTY

The Liberty school board will host its annual Senior Citizens Turkey Dinner from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Liberty High School cafeteria, 1 Leopard Way. The event is open to any Liberty resident age 55 and older. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The cost is $2 per person. Guests must RSVP by calling 330-759-2301, ext. 1101, no later than Friday.

Recipients of the Officer Justin Leo Pride in Law Enforcement Scholarship and the Raymond Jean Jaminet Sr. Tribute scholarships will be presented their awards at the dinner. There will also be live entertainment and door prizes.

If there is inclement weather, the dinner will be rescheduled to Dec. 13, same time and location.

VPA winter performances

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown City Schools’ winter visual and performing arts performances celebrate cultures across the globe.

The Chaney VPA Winter Performance begins at 6 p.m. Thursday, in the Chaney High School Auditorium, 731 S. Hazelwood Ave., and doors open at 5:30 p.m.

East’s VPA winter performance begins at 6 p.m. Dec. 19, in that school’s auditorium, 474 Bennington Ave., and doors open at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free for both performances.

The winter performance theme for the 2018-19 school year is “A Holiday Passport to the World.”

Community night

CAMPBELL

Campbell K-7 school will host its quarterly community night from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday in the school’s cafeteria.

The event’s theme is “Winter Festival” and will feature a photo booth, face painting, cookie decorating, games and a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus.

The Mahoning Valley Concert Band will provide musical entertainment and the middle and high school choirs will be caroling throughout the evening.

The Nutrition Group will provide a free dinner, and will feature, among other items, a soup bar, sandwiches, funnel fries and a hot cocoa bar.