Visiting judge to reschedule Sebring water-quality trial

SEBRING — The trial that had been scheduled for Monday in the case of James Bates of Salem, charged with violating laws regarding notification of Sebring water customers of high lead levels in the drinking water, will be rescheduled.

Bates, 61, of Carey Road, is Sebring’s former water-system operator. He is accused of failing to timely notify Sebring water customers in late 2015 and early 2016 of excessive lead levels in Sebring’s drinking water.

Judge Patricia Cosgrove, who was assigned to hear the case last week by the Ohio Supreme Court after Judge Diane Vettori of Mahoning County Area Court here recused herself from the case, will instead have a pretrial hearing at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday.