METRO DIGEST || SR 46 restrictions

Route 46 restrictions

State Route 46 eastbound in Austintown Township is set to be reduced Monday to one lane daily for drainage repairs, according to the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The $700,000 road widening project is scheduled to finish in late October.

In Trumbull County, a portion of state Route 46 just south of state Route 305 also is set to close Aug. 19 through mid-September for a culvert replacement. Motorists can detour from Route 305 to state Route 11 to state Route 82.

Beginning Aug. 19, state Route 46, just south of state Route 305 will close. The $400,000 culvert replacement project is scheduled to finish in late September.

Additionally, state Route 7 in Hartford Township, north of state Route 609, reopened Friday.

Bus drivers needed

AUSTINTOWN

Austintown School District is hiring bus drivers for the 2019-20 school year. All certifications required to receive the commercial driver’s license are paid by district. No experience is necessary.

Apply online at www.austintownschools.org, or contact the transportation department at 330-797-3900, ext. 1084.

JCC Life Stories Project

YOUNGSTOWN

Jewish Family Services will host a reception from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Monday at the Jewish Community Center of Youngstown, 505 Gypsy Lane, to present Life Stories Project participants with a book that tells their story.

Jewish Family Services has been working on the Life Stories Project since June. The project is a creative way to improve health and quality of life for clients and to establish a sense of belonging to the Jewish community through storytelling. It has led to the creation of 11 unique books to help share the stories of some members of the community.

The clients, all older than 70, will receive the books as a personal memory to keep from the project.

JFS is an agency of the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation. For information, visit jewishyoungstown.org.

Census commission

COLUMBUS

Gov. Mike DeWine appointed Youngstown Mayor Jamael Tito Brown and Eddie J. Howard Jr. of Liberty to the Census 2020 Complete Count Commission. The terms started Friday and end at the “pleasure of the governor,” according to DeWine’s office.

The committee works to create awareness of the upcoming census.

Marino returns

NILES

Robert Marino, former Niles City Council president, is back in his old elected post. The Trumbull County Democratic Precinct Committee voted Friday evening to appoint Marino to fill the unexpired term of Barry Steffey Jr., who resigned earlier this month.

Marino’s name was the only one placed in nomination before the committee.

He previously served 20 years on council, including more than 10 years as president, but did not run for re-election when his term expired in 2017. Marino, 51, said his decision to return to council followed requests from committee members and others.

“I appreciate their faith and trust in me,” Marino told The Vindicator, adding that he plans to run for the two-year term in November.

Steffey, who succeeded Marino, attributed his decision to “opportunities” in the private sector in his resignation letter.

Judge tells restaurant iguana thrower: Don’t brag about it

PAINESVILLE, Ohio

An Ohio judge has told a man who threw an iguana at a restaurant manager that he’s not allowed to brag about the crime.

Arnold Teeter, 49, pleaded guilty Thursday to cruelty to animals and resisting arrest. Painesville Municipal Judge Michael Cicconetti sentenced Teeter to two years’ probation. The conditions also include that Teeter cannot live in a home with animals for five years.

In April, authorities said Teeter pulled the 2-foot-long iguana from under his sweatshirt, swung it around by its tail and threw it at a Perkins Restaurant manager but missed. The iguana suffered a fractured leg but recovered.

The lizard had ended up with Teeter after getting away from its rightful owners while they were moving. It has since been returned to them.

Doc charged with murder gets lawyer from high-profile cases

COLUMBUS

The Ohio doctor charged with 25 counts of murder has a new lawyer known for successfully defending high-profile clients such as Casey Anthony and Aaron Hernandez. Florida-based lawyer Jose Baez identified himself as William Husel’s attorney in a court filing seeking to be part of the defense despite not practicing law in Ohio.

The Columbus-area Mount Carmel Health System found Husel ordered excessive painkiller doses for dozens of hospital patients who died over several years. The now-fired doctor pleaded not guilty.