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Niles Times

On the record

Niles WHAT: City Council meeting Feb. 15 PRESENT: Michael Lastic, Stephen Papalas, Ryan McNaughton, Barry Steffey Jr., Linda Marchese, Steven Mientkiewicz, Frank Pezzano and Mayor Thomas Scarnecchia ABSENT: Robert Marino Council: l Gave first reading to a resolution authorizing the administration to enter into a contract with a company that will be reliable for the repair, maintenance and management of the city’s water storage tanks; l Approved a resolution authorizing required police training for which the city will be reimbursed; l Authorized the city to participate ...

New children’s librarian starts

NILES — The McKinley Memorial Library recently named Marietta native Olivia Jones its new children’s librarian. Jones, who officially started in January, will oversee both youth and children’s services and programs at the library. She said she decided to become a children’s librarian because she loves both reading and spending time with children. “I remember when I was about 6 or 7 and reading books to my younger sister. Since then, I have been reading books to children, so when it came time to pick a career a librarian seemed like a pretty good choice for me,” Jones ...

Lessening OT should be the top ‘priority’

NILES — Lessening overtime, which cost the city nearly $200,000 more last year than in 2015, should be the “number one priority” of department heads, said Councilman Barry Steffey, D-4th Ward, at the Feb. 6 finance committee meeting. The city paid its employees $746,000 in overtime in 2016, according to data from city’s state appointed fiscal supervisors. The biggest culprit is the water department, which had overtime costs rise 76 percent in 2016 from $97,976 the year prior, largely due to the record number of water line breaks — 120, said Safety Service Director Jim ...

Briefs

New traffic lights on way in Niles NILES — Traffic lights and street lamps in Niles all will be replaced as a part of the light department’s capital improvements budget over the next few years. Replacing the incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs in traffic lights and in street lamps will save the city half the electricity it provides for the fixtures, light Superintendent Jim Newbrough said. About 300 traffic lights and several pedestrian signs at a cost of $49,000 will be installed on Main Street between Third Street and North Road by an outside company this summer, Newbrough ...

Agenda

• GIRARD BOARD OF EDUCATION meets 4 p.m. Feb. 22 in high school media center. • GIRARD CITY COUNCIL meets 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the municipal building. • McDONALD BOARD OF EDUCATION meets 7 p.m. Feb. 22 in the high school media center. • McDONALD VILLAGE COUNCIL meets 6:30 .m. today at the village municipal building. • NILES BOARD OF EDUCATION meets 6 p.m. Thursday at the high school. • NILES CITY COUNCIL meets 6 p.m. today at the safety service complex. • WEATHERSFIELD BOARD OF EDUCATION meets 7 p.m. today at the high school media ...

TAG announces PSA contest

Students at schools in Trumbull and Ashtabula counties can win $1,000 and use their creativity to help prevent drug addiction in their communities. Applications for the fourth annual Trumbull-Ashtabula Group Law Enforcement Task Force public service announcement contest are available now. The 90-second video submissions will be accepted until May 8. One of the goals of the project is to reduce the deadly toll of opioid overdose through awareness, TAG commander and Trumbull County Sheriff’s Capt. Jeff Orr said. “These messages might be more powerful for other youth when ...