Saturday, June 15, 2019
Flash-flood watch
YOUNGSTOWN
The National Weather Service has issued a flash-flood watch from 4 p.m. today to 4 a.m. Tuesday for Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
The risk for flash flooding exists as a series of showers and thunderstorms develop over the region, the weather service said.
Threats to Walmart
LIBERTY
Walmart store officials reported to police this week threats that had been left on the store’s voicemail May 31.
A man stated he was going “to blow the store up” because he was dissatisfied with the store’s customer service, according to a police report.
The phone number of the suspect was traced to a landline telephone on Hilton Avenue in Youngstown.
An officer called the number and left a voicemail requesting a call back to the police.
2 face theft charges
BOARDMAN
Police arrested two Pennsylvania men Thursday morning after thefts were reported at Kohl’s and Buckle.
According to police reports, Joseph Holliday, 26, of Beaver Falls, and Richard Boggs, 32, of New Castle, both gave false identities when police approached them.
Searching their car, police found fentanyl and needles.
Holliday has a warrant through Lawrence County for a misdemeanor theft charge. Boggs has a warrant out of Hermitage for failure to appear regarding a theft charge.
Holliday was arrested on charges of theft, obstructing official business, receiving stolen property, possessing drug-abuse instruments and drug abuse.
Boggs was arrested on charges of theft, obstructing official business and possessing drug-abuse instruments.
Both are scheduled for hearings Tuesday in Mahoning County Area Court.
Paranormal investigation
CAMPBELL
Ohio Researchers of Banded Spirits will visit the Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. homes in the city at 8:30 p.m. today to conduct a paranormal investigation of the site.
ORBS has been featured on The Travel Channel’s “Haunted Case Files” and Animal Planet’s “The Haunted.” It has worked on more than 400 cases and uses its investigative journeys to raise money for historic sites.
For information, contact Tim Sokoloff, site manager, at 330-942-8215 or ORBS at 440-554-2205.
Poker run planned
NILES
A poker run will be July 30 at the Niles Bike Trail to raise funds for the purchase of recycled plastic park benches to be placed along the trail.
A time for the event will be announced at a later date.
The event is family-friendly and will include a basket raffle, 50/50 drawing and other entertainment.
Volunteers willing to help with the event are encouraged to call Beth Nolen at 234-830-1876 or Becky DePanicis at 330-652-4448. There is an organizational meeting set for 6 p.m. Monday. Call DePanicis for the location.
Road closure
WEATHERSFIELD
The Trumbull County Engineer’s office said Salt Springs Road between Ohltown McDonald Road and Carver Niles Road will be closed for a culvert replacement from Tuesday through next Saturday. The recommended detour is east on Ohltown McDonald then south on Carver Niles.
Man gets 15 years for trying to join IS
CINCINNATI (AP)
Jordanian citizen who was living in Ohio has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for attempting to join the Islamic State group.
U.S. District Judge Walter Rice also sentenced Laith Waleed Alebbini to 25 years of probation Thursday, but the 28-year-old Alebbini likely will be deported after his prison term.
Alebbini was arrested at the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2017. Prosecutors say he was trying to fly to Turkey or Jordan before joining with Islamic State group fighters in Syria.
He was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Federal authorities said Alebbini wanted to become a suicide bomber.
Quicken Loans to pay $32.5M to settle lawsuit
dETROIT (AP)
Quicken Loans has agreed to pay $32.5 million to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of fraudulently sticking the government with bad mortgages.
The deal was disclosed Friday, and the case was dismissed by a Detroit federal judge.
The government had accused Quicken of cutting corners when verifying the income of certain borrowers. Quicken also was accused of seeking improper appraisals so it could make a larger mortgage. The loans were insured by the Federal Housing Administration, which paid Quicken if a borrower defaulted.
Quicken denied the allegations. Vice chairman Bill Emerson tells the Detroit Free Press that the company did “nothing wrong” but paid for losses involving “human error.” Quicken will remain in the FHA program.
Quicken’s founder is Detroit businessman Dan Gilbert, who owns the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. He is recovering from a stroke.