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Hotel theft suspect back in court

LIBERTY — A Youngstown man accused of stealing cash from a local hotel returned to court on Wednesday. Keyshawn Blalock, 27, made initial appearances on felony charges of burglary and receiving stolen property before Girard Municipal Court Judge Jeffery Adler Tuesday. The court website was not updated to show what happened at his preliminary hearing Wednesday. According to a police report, officers were called to the Days Inn on East Liberty Street Sept. 17 for reports of a man in a black hoodie, black pants, black mask and white shoes who jumped over the counter and stole cash ...

On the record Austintown

Austintown WHAT: Board of Education September meeting PRESENT: Kim Smrek, Don Sherwood, Katie Berdis, Fred Marcum and Harold Porter The board: •Heard from part-time bus driver and substitute teacher Stephanie Rimidio, who expressed concern about multiple instances of motorists failing to stop when the school bus red lights are flashing and the “stop” sign is extended. She said the bus is equipped with a camera that does capture the license plate number of motorists passing a stopped bus, but the process of being able to report the incident falls apart because the ...

Good Trouble Trumbull sets ‘froggy’ rally Saturday morning

Staff report WARREN — Good Trouble Trumbull will host a local Million Frog March: A Joyful Rally 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Courthouse Square in Warren. The rally joins a nationwide and international day of action in solidarity with the Million Frog March at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Organizers describe the rally as an “unfroggetable morning of serious activism with a joyful spirit,” bringing together community members to support democracy, the environment and civic engagement. Frogs have become powerful symbols of peaceful community action and environmental ...

State Legislature to consider 90-day pause on gas tax

At the behest of Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican gubernatorial candidate, the GOP-controlled state Legislature will have a special session next week to vote on a 90-day suspension of the Ohio gas tax. Ramaswamy unveiled his proposal about six-and-a-half hours after Amy Acton, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, called for an emergency gas tax holiday in Ohio with diesel fuel prices hitting record highs and the cost for unleaded gas continuing to increase. On Wednesday, Ramaswamy and Republican leaders in the General Assembly, including Senate President Rob McColley, who is ...

Improvements planned for Salt Springs Road in Lordstown

LORDSTOWN — Village council has approved proceeding with improvement work next year on Salt Springs Road. Council approved having the village cooperate with the Ohio Department of Transportation for the resurfacing of a section of Salt Springs Road that will include asphalt concrete resurfacing, pavement planing, partial depth pavement repair, curb ramps, sidewalks and pavement markings. Officials said Ohio Public Works Commission funds of $268,241 will be used to cover project costs, with the village contributing $38,862 of the $307,103 total. Also, Village Engineer Chris ...

More tech and hand-breaded chicken coming to McDonald’s as part of $8.5B modernization push

McDonald’s said Wednesday it will spend $8.5 billion over the next decade to modernize its restaurants globally. Fast-food traffic in many markets, including the U.S., is flat, so for McDonald’s to continue to grow it has to grab share from competitors and improve restaurant productivity, McDonald’s Chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said at a meeting with investors at the company’s Chicago headquarters. McDonald’s wants to automate more tasks, like inventory and scheduling, and improve kitchen operations. “The winners will be the companies that create more demand and ...