Tuesday, July 23, 2019
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown said the closure of The Vindicator on Aug. 31 will hurt the Mahoning Valley. Brown, a Cleveland Democrat, said he’s troubled by the newspaper’s impending closure not only because of the loss of jobs, but because its staff has a great understanding of the area. The Vindicator provides the correct perspective of the region, unlike the national media, he said.
All but one school district in the Mahoning Valley lost eligible students between 2014 and 2018, according to the Ohio Department of Education. County Auditor Ralph Meacham said these statistics suggest the public school landscape is financially unsustainable. Meacham’s office expects to distribute more than $150 million in 2018 property tax revenue to the county’s school districts. His office on Monday released a financial summary for all 14 county schools districts.
Youngstown council is expected Wednesday to approve a $1.8 million, 15-year deal with the Raymond John Wean Foundation to name the riverfront park attached to the city’s new amphitheater after the organization. The proposed deal calls for the foundation to get naming rights to the park – to be called the Raymond John Wean Foundation Park – for $125,000 a year for 15 years.
Trumbull County Engineer Randy Smith says he thinks debris that blocked the inlet at the Kinsman Lake dam led to Saturday’s rain-induced washout of part of the dam’s earthen embankment. The rushing mud and water took out the road — the only road access for about 50 people in about 30 homes who had to be rescued by another route through the woods. There were no injuries, but several homes may end up being a total loss.
Gov. Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in 63 counties – including Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties – where severe weather caused serious damage last month. The 63 counties covered by Monday’s emergency declaration had damage to roads and/or bridges from significant weather events in June that began with mild temperatures and significant rains which thoroughly saturated the ground causing dangerous roadway damage.
The Trumbull County coroner will autopsy 28-year-old Cory Davner of Canfield, who was found dead Sunday evening at the 1100 block of Mansell Drive in Liberty. Police are investigating after neighbors found Davner’s body in a garden area, laying under a picket fence. The mother of the victim told police she believed there had been a struggle in the driveway.
The American Red Cross is reporting it has a blood shortage and is calling for eligible donors of all blood types to donate to help prevent delays in medical care. A statement from the Red Cross on Monday attributed the shortage to a decline in the number of blood drives organized by community groups and businesses since the Fourth of July holiday week. The Red Cross has less than a two-day supply of type O blood.