Teen sentenced

Teen sentenced

YOUNGSTOWN

A 16-year-old convicted in Mahoning County Juvenile Court of rape must register as a Tier II sex offender for the next 20 years after he was sentenced Monday.

Ramir Bledsoe also was sentenced to the Department of Youth Services for three years, but that sentence was suspended and he was given credit for 140 days served in the juvenile justice center awaiting the completion of his case.

Bledsoe was charged in December 2018 with raping a then-15-year-old girl at the Canfield Fairgrounds.

Bledsoe was also placed on electronically monitored house arrest and must complete treatment and counseling programs as part of his sentence.

Bledsoe was free on EMHA earlier this year in the case but he was ordered detained after he was spotted playing basketball for his high-school basketball team without first informing the court. At the time, his attorney said Bledsoe thought he was allowed to play because Bledsoe thought his coaches had worked out the arrangements.

Man deemed competent

YOUNGSTOWN

A Hillsville, Pa., serial rapist sentenced to 30 years for two Portage County sexual assaults has been deemed competent to stand trial in Mahoning County for a Sept. 4 rape and robbery in Poland Township Park, according to a forensic examination.

Shawn Wendling, 38, in May pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to six felony counts including rape, kidnapping, assault and robbery. Attorneys in his case stipulated the results of the examination’s findings Monday afternoon in Common Pleas Judge Anthony D’Apolito’s courtroom.

Wendling’s attorney, Paul Conn of Boardman, has requested a second competency evaluation be conducted.

No further court dates have been set.

Authorities have said DNA testing linked Wendling to two similar attacks along the Berlin Lake Trail in Deerfield in Portage County, as well as two other attacks in Stark County, all reported last year.

Scholarship creation

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown State University Foundation announced the creation of the Thomas M. Humphries Scholarship for YSU students. The scholarship was established by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber Foundation to honor former President and CEO Thomas M. Humphries.

This scholarship is for students enrolled in the Williamson College of Business Administration or Economics majors within the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. Students must be undergraduates with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA and be a graduate of a high school in Mahoning or Trumbull county.

Humphries, who joined the chamber in 1997 and retired at the end of 2017, is a Youngstown native. When he began his tenure at the chamber, membership doubled from 1,400 to nearly 3,000. Additionally, he oversaw $5 billion of project investment and spearheaded infrastructure projects such as the 711 Connector coming to fruition.

Murder trial to begin

YOUNGSTOWN

Opening arguments are expected to begin today in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in the aggravated murder trial of Jesse Stewart, 52.

Stewart is accused of the June 2018 shooting death of Diane Dent, 62, after she answered a knock on the door at her Goleta Avenue home.

Police said Stewart was in a fight with Dent’s son the night before and was at the home looking for her son when he shot Dent.

A jury was selected Monday. Judge Maureen Sweeney is hearing the case.

Resignation accepted

NILES

Dan Polivka, chairman of the Trumbull County Democratic Party, has accepted the resignation of Barry Steffey from the position of president of Niles City Council.

Steffey ran unopposed in the Democratic primary in Niles for re-election to the position. No Republicans or independent candidates filed for the seat for the November ballot.

City residents who have an interest in replacing Steffey for not only his current term, which ends Dec. 31, but also to have their name on the November general election ballot as the Democratic nominee should submit letters of interest to the Trumbull County Democratic Party secretary, 7810 Castlerock Drive NE, Warren, OH 44484 by Friday.

DNA leads to arrest

NEWTON FALLS

DNA collected after a May 19 rape of a woman outside Faces Lounge has led to the arrest of Matthew Scott, 23.

Scott was arrested Friday after DNA sent to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation from the case was found to be a match with his.

Scott is in the Trumbull County Jail on $50,000 bond after his arraignment Monday in Newton Falls Municipal Court.

Report: Man run over

WARREN

Reports said a man was run over with a car, beaten with a baseball bat and almost stabbed about 11:30 p.m. Saturday after he got in a fight with his girlfriend at her home in the 2400 block of Jackson Street Southwest.

The man told police the woman tried to stab him and later ran him over and her son beat him with a bat.

The victim was covered in blood, reports said, and taken to a hospital. Police collected evidence but no charges have been filed.

Commissioners to meet

YOUNGSTOWN

Mahoning County commissioners meet at 10 a.m. today in their hearing room in the courthouse basement, 120 Market St. After that meeting, the commissioners will have a staff meeting at 10:30 a.m. on the second floor of the county administration building, 21 W. Boardman St.

Special meeting

POLAND

Village council will have a special meeting at 7 p.m. today at the town hall, 308 S. Main St.

Emergency alert test

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Communications Commission will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 2:20 p.m. Wednesday.

The message will be sent to radio and television stations during that time.

The test will not include Wireless Emergency Alert system messages, which are alerts sent to mobile phones.

The test is intended to test the emergency alert system’s capabilities in the event of disrupted internet connectivity.

The test will take about one minute.

Roundtable discussion

YOUNGSTOWN

Alta Behavioral Healthcare is teaming up with the Ohio Mental Health Network for School Success North East Region to host a roundtable discussion on suicide prevention for the community at 3 p.m. Wednesday at Alta’s offices, 711 Belmont Ave.

The roundtable will feature QPR training, which stands for question, persuade and refer, three simple steps anyone can learn to help save a life from suicide. In addition to saving lives, the mission of QPR is to reduce suicidal behaviors by providing this innovative, practical and proven suicide-prevention training, according to an Alta release.

Block Watch meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

Foursquare Neighborhood Block Watch will meet at 6 p.m. Thursday at Greater Friendship Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave.

New Chipotle location

YOUNGSTOWN

Chipotle is opening a new location Wednesday on Youngstown State University’s campus at 320 Wick Ave. The new location will open at 7 a.m. The first 50 customers will receive free swag bags. The YSU Chipotle will feature a drive-thru pickup lane.

Agenda Wednesday

Youngstown Board of Education, special session, 3:15 p.m. for a resolution to proceed regarding a renewal levy. The meeting will be in the community meeting room at Youngstown Rayen Early College High School, 20 West Wood St.

Vienna Township trustees, 7 p.m., 848 Youngstown Kingsville Road.

AGENDA runs daily. Items for the column should arrive at The Vindicator Regional Desk at least two days in advance.