School bus, truck collide on state Route 305
BAZETTA - The State Highway Patrol is investigating a collision between a Maplewood school bus and a tree service truck that happened shortly before 2 p.m. Friday at state Route 305 and Bazetta Road.
Bazetta fire officials said the road was closed for a short time as both vehicles suffered heavy damage and had to be towed. The vehicles were blocking the roadway, and traffic was backed up in both directions.
There were no injuries to either driver, officials said.
There were no students on the Maplewood bus as it was heading from Mecca to the Trumbull Career and Technical Center in Champion to pick them up.
Maplewood Superintendent Perry Nicholas, who went to the scene, said the bus driver was fine. He said the district shuffled some bus routes and sent a substitute driver to TCTC to pick up the students.
Further details were not available late Friday.
Weathersfield proceeds with new fire levy
WEATHERSFIELD - Township trustees at a special meeting on Thursday approved placing a 2.5-mill continuous fire levy on the May 7 primary ballot.
Fire Chief Randy Pugh said the money generated from the levy will be used to maintain current services and day-to-day operations at the township's three fire stations.
Officials said the levy will generate $346,811 a year.
If approved, three current fire levies totaling 2.7 mills that generate an estimated $170,937 annually will be eliminated and replaced by the new levy.
If the new levy does not pass, the current levies will remain in place.
Masked and armed men burst into home
YOUNGSTOWN - People at a 233 Lora Ave. home on the North Side told police that four armed and masked men entered the home about 10:35 p.m. Thursday.
The men burst through a front door and herded several people under a table, reports state, then took several video games, a video game system and a bottle of pills.
No one was injured.
Cops find coke, heroin on man
YOUNGSTOWN - A man who led police on a chase through Mill Creek Park and a foot chase on the South Side had six bags of heroin on him when he was caught, reports state.
Michael A. Rivers, 29, 537 Miller St., was arraigned in Municipal Court on Friday on a felony charge of possession of drugs and fleeing and eluding, a misdemeanor.
A K9 unit working in a special anti-violence detail clocked Rivers speeding and tried to pull him over on Old Furnace Road on the West Side, reports state. He slowed, then accelerated through Mill Creek Park and exited the park near Volney Road, where the officer's cruiser ran up on the sidewalk and the officer chased the car on foot.
Rivers got out of the car, ran and was caught behind a garage at 641 Cohasset Ave. When he was searched, besides the heroin, a rock of cocaine was also found. Reports also state he has 12 open suspensions on his driver's license.
He is due back in court Thursday for a preliminary hearing.
Man falls in hole running from cops
YOUNGSTOWN - Reports state a man who was to be cited for walking in the roadway instead ran from police and spent the night in the Mahoning County Jail.
Vice Squad officers on routine patrol about 7 p.m. Thursday spotted Martin Stewart, 43, 737 Lake Drive, walking in the middle of a South Side street, and when they went to write him up, he dropped a bag of crack cocaine and ran away, reports state.
Officers chased him on foot and caught him after he tripped over a wire and fell in a hole on East Delason Avenue, reports state.
He was arraigned in Municipal Court on a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest and a felony possession of drugs. He comes back to court Wednesday.