The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

December 19, 2007

News briefs Dec. 20, 2007

Hermitage budget keeps taxes at status quo



HERMITAGE — Hermitage commissioners approved a 2008 budget Wednesday that keeps taxes at the same rate they have been for 17 years.

The $10,526,791 general fund spending plan is up from $10,100,529 this year. It keeps the property tax levy at 5 mills, the earned income tax at 1.75 percent, and the emergency services tax at $5 for each person who works in the city. Sewer fees also will not change.

The budget is heavy in capital improvement projects to upgrade roads, alleviate storm water problems and build recreation opportunities.

No additional staff positions are planned.

A major new incentive is the Neighborhood Investment Program, which looks at ways to keep neighborhoods strong through road and storm water projects, code enforcement initiatives and other improvements. In the first year, officials will look at the area south of Highland Road, east of Boyd Drive, north of East State Street and west of North Buhl Farm Drive. A meeting with residents will be held in January.

Taco tantrum lands man in lockup for a night



HERMITAGE — You’ve heard of road rage, but have you heard of a taco tantrum?

Hermitage police allege Shiraz Sidi, 53, of 12 Golfwood Dr. Hermitage, had a Mexican food meltdown while waiting in line at the drive-through of Taco Bell, 1990 E. State St.

Sidi apparently had become upset at the waiting time when he rammed the car ahead of him twice, and yelled and flailed his arms at the driver of the other car at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday, police said.

Asked by police why he rammed the car, Sidi said he “wanted his tacos,” police said.

Sidi was arrested on charges of drunken driving, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief. He spent the night in jail and was released on his own recognizance following his arraignment Wednesday morning before District Judge Ronald E. Antos, Farrell.

Sidi’s preliminary hearing is set 1 p.m. Wednesday.

Woman hurt in I-80 crash still in critical condition



SHENANGO TOWNSHIP — A Sharpsville woman remains hospitalized in critical condition after an early Monday morning crash on Interstate 80 in Shenango Township, police said.

Maureen J. Maykowski, 45, of 272 S. Thirteenth St., was heading east in the westbound lanes when she hit a tractor-trailer driven by William D. Jenkins, 42, of Youngsville, Pa., head on, police said.

Ms. Maykowski was trapped inside her car and was taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, police said.

Man who flashed Amish women gets probation



WILMINGTON TOWNSHIP — A Volant man who exposed himself to two Amish women and two girls was ordered to pay fines and costs and got 3 years’ probation before District Judge Lorinda L. Hinch on Friday.

Donovan Barrett Ford, 34, of 475 Main St. pleaded guilty to three counts of open lewdness. Charges of indecent exposure, corruption of minors, harassment and disorderly conduct were withdrawn.

Police said Ford drove past an oncoming Amish buggy on Indian Run Road near Leesburg Station Road at about 5 p.m. on Nov. 29. The buggy carried the women and girls.

Ford turned around and passed the buggy a second time, then stopped in the middle of the road in front of them. He got out of his car naked and faced the victims, police said.

The women and children drove around him and went to a nearby house, where the resident called police. All four victims were separately able to pick Ford out of a lineup, police said.

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Local News
  • Storm blows in fast, leaves damage

    A scattered storm that started in Michigan and pulled in moisture over Lake Erie organized itself into a locally-severe storm system Sunday over Mercer County.

    May 28, 2012

  • transit Transit is once-in-a-lifetime show

    A rare celestial wonder that won’t be seen again for more than a century is set to play out before our eyes and Farrell’s resident astronomer  is giving locals a chance to get a first-hand look at a “black dawn.”

    May 28, 2012 1 Photo

  • Ominous clouds Storms rumble through parts of Mercer County

    Temperatures dropped nearly 20 degrees Sunday as storms rumbled through parts of Mercer County in the afternoon and again in the evening. Some areas experienced high gusting winds during the early storms. The later storms were less windy, but dumped a lot of rain in a short span in the Shenango Valley as well as outlying areas. Temperatures are forecast for in the 90s on Memorial Day, with a chance of storms in the afternoon. Check out Sunday's Herald both in print and here for more details.

     

     

    May 27, 2012 1 Photo

  • Board wants pay freeze


    Sharon City School District officials are asking staff to take a wage freeze for the second year in a row to help cover a $1.9 million gap in the 2012-2013 budget in the face of further funding cuts by the state.

    May 27, 2012

  • City taps Pa. grant for downtown facelift


    The colorful flower baskets hanging in downtown Sharon are just one of the planted seeds officials hope will help the once-bustling area grow.

    May 27, 2012

  • pension graphic Pension bomb ticking for city

    The city of Sharon pays more people who don’t work there anymore than folks who still do.

    And the amount of money the city must pay to the retirees is going up about $250,000 next year, a hike that creates more problems for the cash-strapped town, City Manager Scott Andrejchak said.

    May 26, 2012 1 Photo

  • Church softball league to Mormons: You’re out!

    The Grove City Area Church Softball League’s decision to exclude a Mormon team from Slippery Rock has sparked a controversy far beyond the local sandlot.

    May 26, 2012

  • Fired bus driver files lawsuit

    A Mercer County woman fired from her job as a school bus driver over a 25-year-old drug conviction filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against a state education official and Jamestown Area School District.

    May 26, 2012

  • Recycling program a bit too popular

    The  county’s effort at going green by encouraging recycling in rural areas has been a tremendous success by most accounts, but isn’t without a few glitches. In Wilmington Township, residents often only have a window of a few minutes to get cardboard recyclables in before the bin is full, prompting a discussion among Mercer County Commissioners Wednesday morning.

    May 25, 2012

  • District will tap reserve fund

    Reynolds school directors plan to fill a $374,567 hole in the 2012-2013 budget with money from the district’s fund balance.

    May 25, 2012