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Report: Boy kept in cage 6 hours daily

YOUNGSTOWN — A boy rescued from a locked dog cage during an Aug. 3 house fire told doctors and police he was routinely kept in a cage for several hours a day. A Youngstown police report states the 11-year-old told authorities his father routinely made his mother and sister confine him in the cage for six hours each day. The boy’s father, Franklin Heisler, 67, and mother, Chu Yue Zheng, 33, turned themselves in Tuesday at the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office on third-degree felony charges of child endangering stemming from the investigation. Both remained in the Mahoning County ...

Property tax bills go out, due Sept. 18

YOUNGSTOWN — Mahoning County property owners will have until Sept. 18 to pay their second-half real estate taxes after changes in state law delayed the mailing of tax bills. The adjusted bills are expected to begin going out within the next few days, Mahoning County Treasurer Daniel Yemma explained in a news release. The delay stems from House Bill 186, among several property tax reform measures approved by the Ohio Legislature last year. The bill created an Inflation Cap Credit for qualifying properties, intended to limit increases in certain unvoted school property taxes resulting ...

A scoop of nostalgia

SALEM — What began as an idea on a couch after the loss of a part-time job has grown into a thriving family business that is bringing smiles, memories and a taste of nostalgia to communities across the Mahoning Valley. Mike and Melissa Thorpe, owners of Totally 80s Ice Ice Cream Shop, ...

Western Reserve to close for railroad work

BOARDMAN — Part of Western Reserve Road will close again temporarily next month. Mahoning County Engineer Patrick Ginnetti told Mahoning County Commissioners on Thursday that the road will close for two weeks beginning Sept. 14 so Youngstown & Southeastern Railroad Co. can make safety adjustments to the crossing at Southern Boulevard. “They’re going to move the gate back,” Ginnetti told The Vindicator. “We added a third lane and then at Southern we put in a dedicated drop-right turning lane as well. They’ll add a much longer arm so when a train goes through, it’ll span ...

Salem man accused of breaking and entering

LIBERTY — A Salem man is facing charges after police were called to two houses throughout the week for suspicious activity. Steven Seabolt, 26, appeared in front of Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Adler on two felony charges of breaking and entering Thursday morning. According to a Monday police report, an officer was called to a Belmont Avenue residence and spoke with a maintenance worker, who said he was at the property to mow the lawn but believed someone was in the building. The worker noted an empty box of beer cans and believed he heard dogs inside, adding that he ...

Girard schools to watch spending and finances

GIRARD — School officials said they plan to watch their spending in upcoming years as less money from the state will leave the district in a deficit in five years. School Treasurer Maureen Lloyd presented the five-year forecast with the district. The general fund held $14 million at the end of the 2025-26 school year, but by the end of the 2030-31 school year, the district is projected to face a $3 million deficit. Board Vice President Joseph Castor said after hearing the projections, officials are concerned as the district is expected to be operating in deficit-spending mode ...