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Council nixes fire union report from fact finder

WARREN — City council on Wednesday rejected a fact-finder’s report aimed at resolving a contract with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 204. Council members went into an executive section and took no immediate action following the rejection of the 28-page report and declined to comment afterward because of the pending negotiations. The fact-finder’s recommendation states the union sought a 5.59% equity adjustment effective Jan. 1 2026, followed by a 5% general wage increase over the term of the contract. In its arguments, the union discussed lagging ...

DeWine signs Santucci bill for defense, space commission

Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law a bill, sponsored by state Rep. Nick Santucci, to create the Ohio Defense and Space Commission that the legislator says is “especially significant” for the Mahoning Valley. Santucci, R-Niles, said the law “positions Ohio to compete for more federal defense and aerospace investment, strengthens our advanced manufacturing base and creates opportunities for the high-paying jobs of the future. By bringing together state government, industry, our military installations, higher education and private-sector partners, Ohio is doubling down on innovation, ...

Warren man pleads in Youngstown teen’s slaying

WARREN — A Warren man accused in the Feb. 11 shooting death of a Youngstown teen refused a plea offer Tuesday in the courtroom of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court Judge Cynthia Westcott, but changed his mind and entered a plea on Wednesday. Willis L. Smith IV, 18, originally refused an offer from the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office to plead guilty to an amended indictment of involuntary manslaughter with a three-year firearm specification and tampering with evidence. His jury trial that was set for July 27 was canceled after he pleaded guilty to those charges Wednesday. ...

Former Vienna fiscal officer’s appeal denied

VIENNA — The township’s former fiscal officer can continue to count off the days until her prison stay concludes. That’s because Linda McCullough, who served as the township’s fiscal officer from 2019 to early 2024, has exhausted all of her appeals after the Ohio Supreme Court denied jurisdiction of her case Tuesday, according to a news release from the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office. McCullough is serving eight years in prison at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville following Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott’s verdict on convictions of ...

Students sample careers at camp

CHAMPION — This summer, area youth can explore different careers as the Trumbull Career & Technical Center offers both a career camp and a manufacturing camp. Rachel Gensburg, career tech program supervisor, said the goal of the camps is to offer a variety of topics for students to ...

Howland offers fiber optics updates

HOWLAND — Conversations with a fiber optics company proved to be fruitful following a late June incident, and Howland Township officials are pushing for broader change across the state by encouraging legislators to consider safety changes. Trustees at Wednesday’s meeting authorized Administrator James Pantalone to prepare and send a letter to State Rep. Nick Santucci, R-Niles, State Sen. Sandra O’Brien, R-Lenox, Congressman Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge, and the Trumbull County Commissioners outlining immediate concerns and safety issues regarding fiber-optic infrastructure ...