METRO DIGEST || Not-guilty plea in crash

Not-guilty plea in crash

CANFIELD

Cambria County Recorder Theresa A. Bosel pleaded not guilty to causing the car crash that killed a 69-year-old California man last week in the township.

An attorney for Bosel, 48, of Lisbon, entered the plea to Bosel’s misdemeanor count of aggravated vehicular manslaughter Monday in the county area court in Canfield.

On Aug. 19, Bosel was driving a Jeep Wrangler westbound along Western Reserve Road, when it collided with an SUV driven by a 70-year-old Salem resident, then a sedan driven by 69-year-old Cecil Chamberlain of Carlsbad, Calif., which was forced off the road, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Chamberlain was transported to St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office. Chamberlain’s 66-year-old female passenger also was taken to the hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. Neither of the other drivers were seriously injured.

Hoerig appeal

WARREN

Though an attorney filed the main appeal document in Claudia Hoerig’s appeals case with the 11th District Court of Appeals nearly a week late, that apparently has not derailed her efforts to try to overturn her convictions and sentence.

Hoerig, 54, was sentenced Feb. 8 to 28 years to life in prison for killing her husband, Karl, in their Newton Falls home in 2007 and fleeing to her native Brazil.

Magistrate Shibani Sheth-Massacci of the appeals court filed an entry Friday granting Atty. Michael Partlow’s Aug. 21 request to file Hoerig’s appeal brief that day – nearly a week after the deadline the court had set.

Partlow said the reason for missing the deadline was the brief took a great deal of time to write and he also had “numerous” other briefs to file. A jury in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court convicted Hoerig of aggravated murder with a gun.

BB gun case

WARREN

A Warren G. Harding High School student, 15, who brought a BB gun to school last week pleaded “true” Wednesday in Trumbull County Juvenile Court to illegal conveyance or possession of an object indistinguishable from a firearm in a school safety zone.

True is the juvenile equivalent of a guilty plea in adult court. He will come back later to receive his sentence on the misdemeanor offense.

Officials said one of the teen’s teachers noticed the student and other students looking in his book bag. The teacher took action that led to discovery of the BB gun, which looked like a handgun, being found and the boy being taken to the juvenile justice center.

Prosecutors said there was no evidence the boy threatened anyone with the BB gun.

Expungement hearing

WARREN

LaShawn Ziegler, 47, of Vernon Street, former owner of the 77 Soul nightclub on Youngstown Road, did not appear for a hearing Wednesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court regarding his request for expungement of nine convictions.

He also still owes $5,000 on a fine related to his 2010 convictions on receiving stolen property, insurance fraud, tampering with records, falsification, marijuana possession and marijuana trafficking.

Five of the nine charges stem from a BMW automobile Ziegler reported stolen in Youngstown on Feb. 8, 2008. Ziegler claimed to have paid $9,000 for the car but reported it worth $35,000 when he filed an insurance claim, prosecutors said. Ziegler also fraudulently obtained an Ohio title for the car, prosecutors said.

Ziegler owned the 77 Soul nightclub on Youngstown Road, which was closed for building violations, and later ran Benji Brown’s Bar and Grill on North Park Avenue.

‘Light Up the Night’

YOUNGSTOWN

Ohio Change Addiction Now is celebrating International Overdose Awareness Day with “Light Up the Night” from 6 to 9 p.m. today at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Youngstown, 1105 Elm St,

The event will feature naloxone training and distribution, speakers, music and lighting of luminarias in remembrance of Mahoning County residents who died of overdoses in the last year.

Open house event

YOUNGSTOWN

The Islamic Society of Greater Youngstown will host an open house from noon to 3 p.m. Oct. 13 at Masjid Al-Khair, 1670 Homewood Ave. The event will feature ethnic foods, henna, face painting, jewelry and a handicrafts sale. Members of the Muslim community will conduct tours and answer questions about Islam. Contact Randa Shabayek at 330-402-0549 or Azka Malik at 330-518-6847 for information.

Raising funds for vets

AUSTINTOWN

Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course will release a limited-time menu to raise money for veterans in need through the local organization Veterans’ Outreach.

The menu will be available during the month of September at Skybox Sports Bar. One dollar of every item ordered will be donated to Veterans’ Outreach. The menu will consist of two unique burgers, buffalo chicken dip and a shrimp quesadilla. Hollywood Gaming shows their support in different ways around the Racino. Veterans’ Outreach CDs are available for purchase at the gift shop featuring classic American tunes. All proceeds raised are donated to the organization.

Also, veterans who dine at Take 2 Grill are eligible for a 25 percent discount on any menu item. Veterans’ Outreach serves veterans to provide immediate relief. The nonprofit has helped veterans in need more than 100,000 times in the last 25 years. They have developed different programs to provide food, clothing and cash assistance as needed. Anyone in need of assistance or who would like to donate should contact Veterans’ Outreach at 888-2VETNET.