TODAY'S VINDICATOR HEADLINES WEDNESDAY

U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan attracted attention during Tuesday night's Democratic debate in Detroit, verbally sparring a few times with frontrunner Bernie Sanders. During one exchange, Ryan criticized the Vermont senator's Medicare for All plan, saying union members gave away salary increases to keep good health-care benefits. When Sanders said a government-run plan would be more comprehensive, Ryan said, “You don’t know that, Bernie,” and Sanders responded: “I do know that. I wrote the damn bill!” Before the debate ended, Sanders' campaign had sent an email offering an “I wrote the damn bill” sticker for any contribution. In another exchange, Ryan drew laughs when he told Sanders, "Bernie, you don’t have to yell.”

Vice President Mike Pence said Workhorse Group Inc. and an affiliated entity trying to buy General Motors' Lordstown complex has secured the money needed to purchase the idled facility. His remarks came Tuesday in Lancaster after a groundbreaking of a Magna car seat plant. In response to a question about the Lordstown shutdown. Pence said he was "around" when President Donald Trump called CEO Mary Barra to let her know he wanted her to find a solution for Lordstown, and vowed the administration would "continue to stay directly engaged.” Dave Green, former president of United Autoworkers Local 1112 at Lordstown, declined to comment on Pence’s declaration that Workhorse has access to the capital necessary to purchase the empty plant.

A tattoo reading “Boy” across Eric J. Pendland’s hand should serve as a permanent reminder of the childhood his son won’t have, Mahoning County Judge Anthony Donofrio told Pendland as he handed him the maximum, 11-year prison sentence for violently shaking his infant son, leaving the boy severely disabled due to brain damage. The child, who was 3 months old at the time of the March 1, 2017, attack, is now partially blind and deaf and is expected to forever require a wheelchair and a feeding tube, said Jennifer McLaughlin, assistant county prosecutor. Pendland burst out with profanities, declaring “I never hurt my child!” as sheriff’s deputies dragged him from the courtroom.

Niles City School District's long practice of awarding the district’s property insurance contract without a competitive bidding process has come to an end. The Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, which oversees the schools’ recovery from state-declared fiscal emergency, ordered the district to advertise for bids with a submission deadline of Sept. 30 and coverage to begin Nov. 1. Fiscal Supervisor Nita Hendryx reported that school finances have improved since Lori Simione was appointed interim treasurer. The district is paying Trumbull County Educational Service Center $300 per day for her services.

Liberty Law Director Cherry Poteet met with Trumbull County commissioners and county sanitary engineers Tuesday to continue discussing the need to lower water prices for customers on the northern end of the township, who pay $17.35 per thousand gallons, the second-highest water rate in the state. The nearly 1,500 residents are supplied with water from Girard. But the township residents who are supplied water by the county pay $12.22 per thousand gallons, and those supplied by Youngstown pay $7.89 per thousand gallons. Girard’s water contract with Liberty expires in May 2020, but Girard Mayor James Melfi previously has said there will be no negotiation because the city invested in the infrastructure and improvements and would lose more than it collects by lowering water prices or selling a portion of its infrastructure to the county for Liberty customers.

Multiple classified employees of Boardman school district filed grievances in the spring after being transferred in connection with the closure of Market Street Elementary at the end of this school year. Two employees made their cases to the board of education during an executive session at Tuesday night’s meeting. The board has seven business days to make decisions regarding the cases heard Tuesday. If the board rejects the employees’ grievances, they can direct them to OAPSE for potential arbitration.

For more details on these and other news and sports, subscribe to The Vindicator by calling 330-746-6561 or visit Vindy.com