Streets to be closed

Streets to be closed

YOUNGSTOWN

In preparation for the Simply Slavic Festival, which begins today and continues to midnight Saturday, these downtown streets are closed until noon Sunday: East Federal Street between Market and Walnut streets, North Champion Street from East Federal to the YMCA alley, and South Champion Street from East Federal between the Realty Tower parking lot and the Eastern Gateway parking deck.

The Wasko Family Funeral Group is sponsoring the festival.

Facilities locked down

BOARDMAN

Mercy Health facilities in Boardman and Youngstown were on lockdown from about 10:45 a.m. to about 1:20 p.m. Thursday.

The lockdown was a response to a threatening call made to the hospital system. The external lockdown prohibited people from entering the buildings, except for emergency services.

“We go through very routine regular training on this,” said hospital spokesman Jonathon Fauvie. “We are fortunate to see training in action working the way it’s supposed to work.”

Fauvie did not comment on whether action is being taken against the caller.

Drug sentencing

WARREN

A central figure in the 2016 murder of John P. Kellar, 41, at a home on Stephens Avenue Northwest, has been sentenced to eight months in prison after pleading guilty to cocaine possession.

Alicia Binion, 38, was sentenced in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for an Oct. 25 incident in which she was found unresponsive and revived with the opiate reversal drug naloxone. Police found cocaine on a table near her.

In late 2016, Keller was living at Binion’s home on Stephens Avenue Northwest when Shawn Hope, who sold Binion drugs, visited and argued with Kellar over advances Hope made toward Binion and to Kellar’s girlfriend.

The next day, Hope returned and fatally shot Kellar, then took the vehicle belonging to Kellar’s girlfriend and kidnapped Binion and the other woman, who escaped. Hope took Binion to Detroit, but she later escaped. Hope was sentenced to life in prison in the case.

Assault reported

WARREN

A 53-year-old Cortland man reported a male assaulted him about 1 a.m. Wednesday in the Buckeye Apartment building, 700 Buckeye Street NW, after complaining to a woman about his chain saws having been taken along with his truck.

The man said he went to an apartment in the Buckeye building, where he met a woman, had sex with her, then fell asleep. When he awoke, he discovered his keys and truck were gone.

He tried to call the woman but got no answer, then found his truck in a parking lot off Ford Street Northwest, but the chain saws were gone. The woman later brought him his keys, reports said.

When he asked her about the chain saws, a male punched him in the face, and another male yelled from a balcony that he was going to shoot the victim, reports said. Police said his chin was bleeding and he had scrapes on his hand that were bleeding.

2 arrested on warrants

WARREN

Police arrested Joseph J. Brooks, 28, of Edgewood Street Southeast, and Amanda S. Bonin, 38, of Mansfield on warrants Wednesday evening after Brooks called officers – trying to get Bonin to leave his home.

Brooks said he had let Bonin move in a week ago but wanted her to leave after discovering she was a sex offender.

Bonin told police she moved in with her sons, age 17 and 18, and gave Brooks rent money.

Police said they discovered a warrant had been issued for her arrest for failing to register her address as a sex offender.

Brooks had a warrant for failing to appear for court on a traffic citation. Both were taken to the Trumbull County jail.

Hacking investigation

BOARDMAN

Police are investigating the hacking of the computer system at N.E.O. Urology on Southern Boulevard, according to police reports.

The administrator of the practice told police Monday that the system was hacked and re-encrypted. Their IT firm was able to negotiate a fee of $75,000 to remove the malware, which was paid through bitcoin.

The administrator told police that “it will continue to take some time” before the practice can access its computer system.

The administrator estimated the practice’s revenue loss to be between $30,000 and $50,000 per day.

Mental-health bill

COLUMBUS

The Ohio House approved a bill, co-sponsored by state Rep. Don Manning, that creates the Ohio Children’s Behavioral Health Network, which would be a group tasked with developing evidence- and outcome-based solutions to improve the mental health of children and young adults.

“My experience in the youth mental- and behavioral-health space has shown me how desperately we need reform in these areas,” said Manning, of New Middletown, R-59th.

The House approved the bill 86-3, and it now heads to the state Senate for consideration.

First graduates

COLUMBIANA

The first class of residents in Mercy Health St. Elizabeth’s medical program graduated Thursday night.

Residents in emergency and family medicine were celebrated at the Vineyards at Pine Lakes.

The program started five years ago.

Volunteer training

YOUNGSTOWN

Hospice of the Valley is offering training for new volunteers to visit patients in its facilities in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Training sessions are from 5 to 8:30 p.m. at Hospice House, 9803 Sharrott Road, Poland, on June 25 and July 2, 9 and 16.

For an application, call the Volunteer Department at 330-549-5902.

Wish granted

YOUNGSTOWN

The Hope Foundation’s DreamCatchers for Kids program granted 4-year-old Nya Decker of Youngstown the chance of a lifetime to see her favorite show, “PAW Patrol Live!,” at the Covelli Centre.

Nya has childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and is confined to home on most days as she undergoes an aggressive form of chemotherapy.

It’s been her dream to see her favorite show, “PAW Patrol” in person.

The Hope Foundation, JAC Management Group LLC and local neighbors rallied together to grant this wish for Nya by giving her and her mom front-row tickets to see the show, as well as backstage passes to meet the “PAW Patrol” crew.

Career exploration

CANFIELD

The career counselors with the Mahoning County Educational Service Center and Mahoning Valley Regional Council of Governments are offering a career exploration bus tour for students in grades seven through nine Monday and Tuesday and grades 10 through 12 on Thursday and Friday.

More than 80 students from multiple districts in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Portage counties will attend.

Each student will be visiting different locations, including government buildings and a hospital to get insight on different careers.

Call Robert Eggleston at 330-261-1600 if you have questions.