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Public media companies to merge

Public Broadcasting Systems Western Reserve and Ideastream Public Media have signed an agreement to merge to strengthen public media across northeast Ohio and western Pennsylvania, the companies announced this week. All staff from both organizations are being retained, with no layoffs planned. Once the transaction is complete, the combined organization will operate as Ideastream Public Media. Kevin Martin will continue as president and CEO, and Natalie Pillsbury, president and CEO of PBS Western Reserve, will become chief content officer. A combined board, drawn from both ...

McDonald passes 1-year moratorium on data centers

McDONALD — While recent meetings have lasted for two or more hours, village council at a special meeting Wednesday took less than five minutes to approve an emergency ordinance placing a one-year moratorium on data centers in the village. Council voted 5-0 on the moratorium. Councilman ...

MVSD discusses potential rate increase

NILES — City officials said a water rate increase would impact communities across the Mahoning Valley and a one-hour conversation wasn’t enough time to reach a conclusion. City council members ahead of Wednesday’s regular meeting heard from Mahoning Valley Sanitary District representatives, who are proposing a purchasing bulk rate of $0.37 per 1,000 gallons used. The rate would be the wholesale cost to the city, not the final rate directly billed on an individual resident’s utility bill. Brenda Duffett, MVSD’s finance manager and board secretary, said none of them want ...

Ohio AG wants to criminalize misuse of Flock cameras

While calling Flock Safety automatic license plate reader cameras effective when used properly, Attorney General Andy Wilson said the state Legislature should criminalize their misuse. In a Wednesday statement, Wilson, a Republican, said: “Misuse of Flock is rare and breaches should result in serious consequences. To that end, the Ohio General Assembly should criminalize the misuse of Flock just as it currently criminalizes the misuse of other law enforcement technology.” Wilson said: “Unauthorized use of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway, for example, is a fifth-degree felony ...

County leans toward moving 911 center to KSU Trumbull

WARREN — Trumbull County Commissioners on Wednesday said they are strongly leaning toward placing the new Trumbull County 911 Center at Kent State University at Trumbull campus instead of the second floor of the county’s Health Department building in Cortland. Commission President Tony Bernard made the announcement during a discussion about applying for a 2026 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant through the Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. “Our next phase is we are going to sit down with Kent State officials and see if we could come up with a tentative ...

Annexation sparks process to build 100 houses in Niles

WARREN — Trumbull County Commissioners on Wednesday approved an annexation that will place 61.65 acres of land in Niles, as well as Howland and Weathersfield townships, all into the city limits. JRD Holdings Inc., which owns the property at the intersection of Niles-Vienna and Stillwagon roads, is planning to build approximately 100 market-rate homes on the land. The three communities previously agreed to the annexation to move the proposed project forward, but need commissioners’ approval to make it official. Niles will be able to provide the development water, sewer and ...