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Girard targets speeding scooters

GIRARD — City officials plan to crack down on both youths and adults riding on electric bikes and scooters and not following the rules of the road. Police Chief John Freeman told city officials at the council meeting Monday of the many calls and complaints about people on electric bikes and scooters not following traffic rules. He said after calls are made, he has officers patrol areas where the riders have been seen. Freeman said anyone under 18 on such vehicles needs to be wearing a helmet and those under 16 need to be with an adult. “I am having officers saturate the ...

Valley yarn shop knits community together

BOARDMAN — There are 72 seats in theater 6 at Tinseltown in Boardman and every one of them was filled Tuesday afternoon for a special private showing of the animated movie “The Sheep Detectives.” The event was put together through the efforts of Linda Shevel, owner of Three Sheep ...

Planting a knowledge of STEM and sustainability

CANFIELD — Youngstown State University’s College of STEM partnered with South Side Academy during the 2025-26 academic year to provide students with a hands-on learning experience focused on environmental stewardship and community engagement through the creation of a pollinator garden at the Williamson Innovation Park. Students in grades K-8 participated in classroom STEM activities and educational field trips designed to introduce them to the importance of pollinators, native plants and basic gardening practices. “I enjoyed the trip and learning about the basics of starting ...

Boardman man found pantless at Sheetz store

BOARDMAN — A local man is charged with causing a scene at a local gas station over the weekend. Shane McClung, 44, of Boardman, faces a minor misdemeanor charge of public indecency after police found him inside the Sheetz near Southern Park Mall, allegedly without pants. The incident was reported just after 6 a.m. Saturday. Employees at the store said McClung was pantless, pacing back and forth, talking to himself, approaching customers and yelling at employees to get him a towel. The report states that when police arrived and confronted McClung, he told them the shower had ...

Alleged rape victim testifies in trial of New Middletown man

YOUNGSTOWN — Opening statements and first witnesses in the rape trial of Brian T. Swansiger, 29, of New Middletown, took place Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court with the alleged victim testifying that she knew Swansiger a little bit at Springfield Local Schools, but he was several years older than her. She said she and Swansiger made a connection on the dating app Tinder in September 2018, followed by some communications on another social media app, followed by an agreement that Swansiger would come to her home in Struthers to meet up in person Sept. 4, 2018. She said she ...

Color run raises $2K for charities

GIRARD — A recent color run fundraiser coordinated by 2026 Girard High School graduates Lacie Lamm and Brooke Zatvarnicky raised more than $2,000 for local nonprofits that help veterans and first responders, including those in memory of fallen safety officers. The Fallen Heroes Girard 5K Color Run and Walk was May 31 with about 100 people attending, including event volunteers. The two Girard students said they hosted the event as a way to give back to the community as they graduated from school. The event featured a 3-mile run from the high school and on neighboring streets, while ...