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Struthers man accused of break-in attempt in Liberty

LIBERTY — Officers are on the lookout for a man accused of attempting to kick down a woman’s apartment door Thursday evening. William Berch, 74, faces charges of attempted aggravated burglary and aggravated trespass in Girard Municipal Court. According to the police report, an officer responded to a Gypsy Lane residence for a reported man with a knife, with dispatchers saying he was trying to get into someone’s apartment, but he left as they gave other responding officers information. The officer spoke with the caller/witness, who said his son walked up to their apartment ...

YSU FOOTBALL SEASON KICKS OFF WITH JUBILATION

YOUNGSTOWN -- Youngstown State University opened its 2026 season on a high note Thursday night at Stambaugh Stadium, defeating Mercyhurst 43-10. YSU fifth-year quarterback Beau Brungard scored five touchdowns in that win. About 8,300 fans cheered the team on at the home opener for the 2026 ...

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 ...