Indian man pleads guilty in $5M scam

May 12, 2026

Shreyas Baldevbhai Chaudhary, 25, of Gandhinagar, India, pleaded guilty last week in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to one count of money laundering conspiracy for a financial scam involving older adults across the United States, including a 77-year-old Salem man. Chaudhary is one of three people convicted in the scheme, which resulted in six victims losing almost $5 million. The scheme involved multiple scams, convincing victims to turn over large amounts of money to the scammers, though the specifics of each scam were not provided. The Salem victim responded to a pop-up ad on his ...

Ricchiutis honored with Friends of the University Award

May 12, 2026

Staff report YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown State University honored Dr. Robert Ricchiuti and Phyllis Ricchiuti with the university’s Friends of the University Award, recognizing their extraordinary leadership, philanthropy and lasting impact on YSU and the Mahoning Valley. Presented Saturday ...

The Iran war is hitting home as gasoline prices fuel inflation surge of 3.8% in the US

May 12, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran delivered higher gasoline prices and more pain for Americans. The Labor Department's consumer price index rose 3.8% from April 2025, according to data released Tuesday, up from a 3.3% ...

The Latest: Hegseth defends $1.5 trillion budget request before Congress as cost of Iran war climbs

May 12, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told House lawmakers Tuesday that the ceasefire with Iran remains in effect despite recent exchanges of fire as he faces another round of bipartisan questioning over the costs and endgame of the war. He's now testifying before the Senate. Hegseth has so far ...

POLLINATOR PALOOZA: Birds, bees, butterflies are celebrated at Youngstown environmental festival

May 11, 2026

YOUNGSTOWN — Seeding the minds of area residents, the Mahoning County Soil and Water Conservation District hosted its second annual Pollinator Palooza on Saturday at the district’s office. The free, family-friendly event offered information to create and care for a healthier environment ...

US rejects Iran stand to end war

May 11, 2026

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran sent its response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the Iran war via Pakistani mediators Sunday, but U.S. President Donald Trump quickly rejected it in a social media post as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!” Iranian state television reported that Tehran rejected the U.S. proposal as amounting to surrender, insisting instead on “war reparations by the U.S., full Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, an end to sanctions, and the release of seized Iranian assets.” Washington’s latest proposal addressed a deal to end the war, reopen the ...