METRO DIGEST || Women’s event at YBI

WE Launch Graduation

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Business Incubator’s Women in Entrepreneurship Program will host its WE Launch Graduation at 5:30 p.m. today at YBI headquarters downtown.

WE Launch is the second phase of WE’s three-part business accelerator. The graduates will pitch their business to a three-judge panel, which will award two grants – a $1,000 Community Impact Grant and a $5,000 WE Launch grant.

Dem reappointed

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Democratic Party reappointed Christopher Anderson of Boardman political director and selected Patrick Manning of Poland as its executive director.

Anderson, the 2017 Ohio Democratic Party Young Democrat of the Year, has served as political director since February 2017. He is responsible for ensuring that candidates win in Mahoning County, along with other duties all centered on one goal: delivering Democratic victories this fall, said party Chairman David Betras.

Manning will be responsible for balancing all aspects of a coordinated campaign and other tasks to ensure Democratic candidates have the support they need to be successful, Betras said.

Firefighter sworn in

BOARDMAN

Township officials this week swore in a new firefighter, Brian Hallquist. Firefighters currently earn an annual starting salary of $30,800. Township officials also said a recycling facility located at Shields Road and Lockwood Boulevard will shut down after July 1.

Woman charged in theft

BOARDMAN

Officers arrested a Youngs-town woman accused of taking nearly $200 worth of merchandise from a Boardman business.

Store security observed Jessica Morales of Birch Hill Drive entering a fitting room of a Boardman-Canfield Road business and leaving with $188 worth of merchandise in her bag Monday afternoon, according to police reports.

Officers discovered suspected marijuana on Morales when they confronted her about the merchandise.

She is charged with theft and possession of marijuana. Police also cited her for a seat-belt violation and having expired license plates.

Deputy director retires

WARREN

Trumbull County Board of Elections accepted the retirement of Deputy Director Alan Shaker at a meeting Tuesday. Shaker said he plans to retire in September after serving in the position for about three years.

The board also approved a motion to advertise for his replacement.

Fire destroys home

YOUNGSTOWN

Firefighters were called twice Tuesday to 147 E. Marion Ave. where a home was destroyed by fire.

Crews were first called about 1:15 a.m. to the South Side home and were called back about 5:15 a.m. There were no injuries.

The cause is under investigation.

Grand jury indicts 2

WARREN

A Trumbull County grand jury indicted two men, one on rape charges.

Michael D. Riley Jr., 41, who listed addresses in Youngstown and Warren, was indicted on nine rape counts, including one that could carry a life prison sentence.

He is accused of engaging in sexual conduct with two young girls starting in May 2014 and continuing through this spring when an investigation began. He’s been in the county jail since May 10.

Shawn X. Cook, 32, of Lewis-Seifert Road, Hubbard, was indicted on four counts of burglary, four counts of receiving stolen property and a charge of possessing criminal tools after his arrest in April.

Hubbard police said Cook admitted in April to four burglaries, three in Hubbard Township. Jewelry and a firearm were stolen in the township robberies and were later sold, police said.

Brownlee Woods event

YOUNGSTOWN

Brownlee Woods Neighborhood Association will host its monthly meeting Thursday at Faith Community Church, 1919 E. Midlothian Blvd. The evening begins with refreshments/social time at 6 p.m.; the general meeting starts at 6:30. Councilwoman Basia Adamczak, D-7th, and police officer Phil Skowron will be in attendance. The speaker will be Michael Durkin, city blight remediation and code-enforcement superintendent.

The BWNA action team will meet at 5:30 p.m. with Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. to review the progress report for the past four months.

Sentenced in robbery

WARREN

A Youngstown man charged in multiple robberies in Youngstown in December pleaded guilty to an aggravated robbery in Trumbull County also near December and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Robert A. Sellars, 34, entered his plea before Judge Andrew Logan of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

Information on the location of the robbery was not available Tuesday.

Warren council to meet

WARREN

Warren City Council will meet today at 6 p.m. after a caucus at 5:15 p.m. Both meetings will take place in the Municipal Justice Building, 141 South St. SE.

Meeting is canceled

LOWELLVILLE

Lowellville Board of Education's Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting scheduled for 5 p.m. today has been canceled.

Parade is postponed

MCDONALD

The parade for the McDonald Firefighters' festival that was scheduled for today has been postponed until 6 p.m. Friday due to pending inclement weather.

Newspaper gives $5K of Pulitzer money to benefit orphaned child

CINCINNATI (AP)

The Cincinnati Enquirer is donating $5,000 of its 2018 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting to benefit a little girl featured in the newspaper’s winning report on heroin.

The Enquirer reports the money will be the first deposit in a fund to assist Elliana Russ. The then-8-month-old child and her mother, Stephanie Gaffney, were featured in the newspaper’s “Seven Days of Heroin” report last September.

Twenty-eight-year-old Gaffney died of an overdose of a fentanyl combination 10 days after speaking with the newspaper in July for the story. Enquirer Editor Beryl Love said the news organization thought it “only right” to use a portion of its $15,000 prize money to help her daughter.

A Hamilton County judge later granted custody of Elliana to Gaffney’s mother and her husband.

US appeals court upholds Ohio's rules for judge campaigns

CINCINNATI (AP)

A federal appeals court has upheld Ohio's rules for judicial campaigns.

The Cincinnati-based three-judge 6th U.S. Court of Appeals panel issued its ruling Monday. It said restrictions on political advocacy and limits on fundraising activities are within the state’s need to insulate the judiciary from the “most corrosive” elements of partisan politics to protect public trust in judges’ independence.

A candidate for judge had sued, contending that the restrictions violate his free speech and other constitutional rights.

The panel was unanimous in affirming a lower court’s decision for Ohio’s rules.

Ex-police chief who mocked criminals retains criminal record

COLUMBUS (AP)

An Ohio judge will not expunge the criminal record of a former police chief who drew a large following on his department's Facebook page for his humorous comments about criminals.

The request comes about a year after former Brimfield Police Chief David Oliver was convicted on four misdemeanor counts, including assault of a female police officer who accused him of sexual harassment.

WKYC-TV reports Oliver addressed the court in Columbus before Judge Laurie Pittman announced her decision, with Oliver saying he's changed as a person and has been "humbled."

Pittman denied Oliver's request to expunge his criminal record, citing a "lack of ownership of what he's done."

Oliver resigned as police chief in 2015 before he was sentenced to two years' probation and surrendered his certificate to be an officer.