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Parole denied for 1982 Niles police killer

NILES — A man serving a 30-years-to-life sentence for a 1982 shooting of a Niles police officer will have to wait another six years for a shot at parole. According to a news release from the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office, a coordinator of the county’s victim witness division learned from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction this week that Fred Joseph Jr., 60, has been denied parole after a late July hearing. Joseph, who is incarcerated at Toledo Correctional Institution, will have his next parole hearing in May 2032. Niles Police Officer John Utlak, ...

Youngstown man arrested at Harding football game

WARREN — A Youngstown man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to criminal trespass and disorderly conduct, both low-level misdemeanors, following a run-in with a Warren police officer who would not allow him to re-enter Mollenkopf Stadium on Friday night in the second half of the Harding-Youngstown football game. Ronald Davis, 61, returns for a second hearing in Warren Municipal Court at 10:15 a.m. Sept. 29. Judge Patricia Knepp set a personal recognizance bond for Davis. A Warren police report states that a Warren officer was working the football game about 9:30 p.m. Friday on the ...

Niles gets Zoom update following meeting mishap

NILES — An August regular city council meeting’s Zoom video faced some complications, but the city’s tech expert says the program is now secure. During a caucus ahead of Wednesday’s regular meeting, city officials heard from Christopher Hubinsky, city council’s IT specialist, who said he reviewed the platform’s settings after the video portion was forced to be cut short when its display showed what appeared to be a nude image of a man. Officials went to the meeting room’s back rooms to speak with Hubinsky, who was trying to prevent the imagery from popping up, but it ...

Metroparks seeks extension of water trail designation

HOWLAND — The Trumbull County MetroParks board wants to extend the Mahoning River water trail designation from Packard Park to the Ohio-Pennsylvania line in Poland Township in Mahoning County. The metroparks board at a recent meeting authorized Zachary Svette, executive director, to apply to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources for the extension. Svette said in 2012, the metroparks board obtained the Mahoning Water Trail designation for the section of the river from Foster Park to Packard Park where there are boat launches. He said since then, there has been a lot of work ...

Johnston farm receives $1,500 expansion grant

JOHNSTON — The Trumbull County Farm Bureau has named Firefly Ridge as the recipient of the 2026 New Farmer Expansion Grant. Mandy Orahood, organization director for the Trumbull County Farm Bureau, said the $1,500 grant is awarded annually to support the growth and development of beginning farmers who are committed to advancing Ohio agriculture. Designed to alleviate early operational hurdles, the grant covers essential expenses such as fuel, equipment and land rent to foster long-term agricultural sustainability. Firefly Ridge Farm in Johnston is owned and operated by Justin ...

Libraries ‘hit all the right notes’ with sign-up month program

The Warren-Trumbull County Public Library joins with the American Library Association and libraries nationwide in celebrating Library Card Sign-Up Month. The community is invited to discover the incredible resources and opportunities available at their local library by signing up for a library card. This year’s theme, “A Library Card Hits All the Right Notes,” is a reminder that libraries offer something for everyone — no matter their interests. “Today’s libraries are vibrant community centers offering much more than books. At the Warren-Trumbull County Library, patrons ...