TODAY'S VINDICATOR HEADLINES | THURSDAY

A Boardman teen held on a federal complaint for threatening to shoot federal law-enforcement authorities was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury in the U.S. Northern District Court of Ohio. Justin Olsen, 18, is charged with making threats against federal law enforcement and making interstate threats. The charges could mean 15 years in prison. Since February, Olsen had “discussed supporting mass shootings and assault and/or targeting of Planned Parenthood” online under the username ArmyOfChrist on the popular internet meme site iFunny.com, where he had about 4,400 subscribers, according to an affidavit. Local police were first informed of the posts by the FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska.

Nearly a week late, the main appeal document explaining the errors Claudia Hoerig and her attorney believe were made in her murder case was filed Wednesday with the 11th District Court of Appeals in Warren. 54-year-old Hoerig received a 28 years-to-life sentence Feb. 8 after being convicted of shooting her husband, Karl, to death in their Newton Falls home in 2007 and fleeing to her native Brazil. The appeal says Hoerig should get a new trial because the jury’s guilty verdict on aggravated murder was not supported by sufficient evidence, the trial judge “repeatedly permitting [prosecutors] to make arguments during opening statements, and ruling against the defense on whether certain evidence should be admitted.” Judge Andrew Logan presided.

Former Youngstown Mayor Patrick “Pat” Ungaro was a role model to many - especially his family. He died Saturday after a long battle with cancer. He was famous in the Mahoning Valley as the Youngstown Democratic mayor who railed against organized crime and spurred economic development in the city from 1983 to 1997. Hundreds of friends, family and state and local officials paid their respects Wednesday during his calling hours in St. Edward Church on the North Side, where many laughed and smiled as they reminisced over family pictures, campaign material from his political days, letters from state senators and a plaque with a 1983 Vindicator article proclaiming “Ungaro Wins Mayor Race” were displayed. Calling hours continue from 10 a.m. to noon today in the church, followed by a noon Mass.

Youngstown is spending a considerable amount of money from its wastewater fund for federally mandated improvement projects, and the fund could be in trouble next year if nothing is done, financial consultant Michael Abouserhal said. City interim finance director Kyle Miasek said the fund started the year with $13.1 million, was down to about $9.9 million as of June 30 and he expects it to fall to about $6 or $7 million by year's end — not enough to fund the wastewater project. The city is using its own money for the projects after officials declined to raise the sewer rate, leading the state Environmental Protection Agency to stop loaning it money. Abouserhal said he’ll have recommendations by the end of September what the city should do about a possible rate increase. Mayor Jamael Tito Brown said the city is making sure any rate increase will be the minimum. Miasek said the water fund surplus also is a concern.

The Western Reserve Port Authority on Wednesday authorized its economic development director to negotiate with the owners of the former Kmart site on U.S. Route 224 in Boardman for a capital lease and financing for new commercial properties to be built there. The owner of the 10.5-acre site, LRC Realty of Akron, plans to develop it in phases but is not able to identify the possible tenants. It currently has a Starbucks coffee shop. LRC is also the developer of the Enclave student housing project in Youngstown.

Gary O’Nesti of LRC told the port authority Wednesday that his company is negotiating with three national tenants that will occupy 85,000 to 95,000 square feet of retail space there. The authority also approved the same type of negotiations with Hallmark Student Housing LLC so it can move forward with a third phase of University Edge student housing on the same piece of property in Youngstown as the first two phases.

The company operating the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel downtown is suing more than 50 film production workers for unpaid rooms reserved last year while that crew intended to film the movie “Roadkill McGillicutty.”Attorneys filed a civil complaint in Mahoning County courts against the production company, Dallas Pike LLC of Youngstown, its principals Cindy Castro DiRusso of Canfield and Patricia Moyer of Philadelphia, Pa. and up to 50 unidentified production workers. Youngstown Stambaugh claims it reserved 1,609 nights in DoubleTree guestrooms between Sept. 19 and Nov. 25 of last year, which some of the unidentified workers occupied, but the company didn’t receive the minimum $83,720 occupancy revenue set under an agreement.

The film was never made. Castro declined to comment Wednesday.

ONE Health Ohio conducted a symbolic ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for its two recently opened Rise Recovery facilities that provide behavioral health treatment for people 12 and older.

Rise Recovery, which offers a medication-assisted treatment program, is housed at 1032 E. Market St., Warren, which opened June 4; and at 3132 Belmont Ave., Liberty, which opened Jan. 9.

Dr. Maria Kowal, ONE Health Ohio medical director. said their mission is to reduce the impact of addiction in the Mahoning Valley by expanding prevention and treatment.

And the fifth annual JD’s Summer Songfest will take place Saturday on South Champion Street with a great lineup that includes JD Eicher and his band, Red Wanting Blue, Latin-tinged rockers the Labra Brothers, Akron country-western traditionalists The Shootouts and Nashville-based artist Paul Pfau, who had a successful stint on TV’s “The Voice” a few years ago. Each artist will play in a stripped down fashion, and also shed light on the meaning and inspiration for their songs. Eicher, who puts the festival together, said “With less sound, you hear more song..."