Mother/daughter enslavement case enters third day
Witnesses taking the stand Thursday in the trial of a couple accused of holding a mentally handicapped woman and her daughter hostage for two years described squalid living conditions where the two...
View ArticleFormer co-defendant to continue testimony in mother/daughter enslavement case
While a mentally disabled woman lived with an Ashland couple, she went from weighing 143 pounds in August 2010 to weighing 110 pounds in May 2012, according to emergency room records at Samaritan...
View ArticleHunt’s defense says forced labor charge misused
Attorneys for Jessica L. Hunt, 31, of Ashland, in their trial brief say they plan to show the charges against their client were historically used in cases of imprisonment of undocumented immigrants and...
View ArticleCallahan’s lawyers say victim paid couple to live with them
Attorneys for Jordie L. Callahan, 26, of Ashland, plan to present evidence showing the alleged victim wanted to live with the couple and offered to pay for rent and food. The post Callahan’s lawyers...
View ArticleFederal prosecutors detail horrors in enslavement case
In the federal government’s trial brief, prosecutors say the defendants were initially kind to the alleged victim and eventually began treating her “as their possession,” going so far as to take her...
View ArticleProsecutors create model of enslavement house
The house at 509 W. Main St., Ashland, which has three apartments, is where defendants Jordie L. Callahan, 26, and Jessica L. Hunt, 31, lived with the 30-year-old alleged victim and her 5-year-old...
View ArticleWitness in enslavement case says she slammed woman’s hand with rock
Dezerah Silsby, a codefendant in a federal labor-trafficking conspiracy trial, testified Friday in Ohio’s Northern District Federal Court that she used a rock to injure a woman’s hand, to help two...
View ArticleAlleged victim in labor trafficking case testifies
The mentally challenged woman who is the alleged victim in a federal labor trafficking case took the stand Monday and described how she and her 5-year-old daughter were forced to live in a cold, dark...
View ArticleWoman allegedly held by an Ashland couple testifies
A woman who prosecutors say was imprisoned by an Ashland couple testified Tuesday in federal court that her captors held her against her will by using violence, rape and humiliation. The post Woman...
View ArticleDefense attorneys say revenge motivated alleged victim
An attorney representing a man accused of raping and torturing a cognitively impaired woman today tried to paint his client as a victim. The post Defense attorneys say revenge motivated alleged victim...
View ArticleOfficials fail to see alleged victims when they visit Ashland home
Social workers made several visits to an Ashland home during the time that federal prosecutors allege the tenants were imprisoning and abusing a cognitively-impaired woman and her 5 year-old daughter....
View ArticleCo-defendant says alleged victim routinely abused, denied food
A codefendant in the labor trafficking trial of Jessica L. Hunt, 31, and Jordie L. Callahan, 26, testified Friday that he used his previous romantic relationship with the cognitively impaired alleged...
View ArticlePolice officers testify about rape allegations
Ashland police officers testified Monday about their investigation into the alleged force labor and imprisonment of a cognitively-impaired woman and her five-year-old daughter by Jessica L. Hunt, 31,...
View ArticleProsecutors rest case; defense argues no one saw abuse
Minutes after prosecutors rested their case today, friends of the couple accused of imprisoning and abusing a cognitively-impaired woman testified that they never witnessed any mistreatment. The post...
View ArticleHunt said she tried to help alleged victim; defense rests case
Jessica L. Hunt, one of two people accused of imprisoning and abusing a mentally challenged woman, today testified that she was trying to help the 30 year old. The post Hunt said she tried to help...
View ArticleJurors Deciding Fate of Ashland Couple in Enforced Labor Case
Jurors began deliberating Thursday afternoon in the case of an Ashland couple accused of imprisoning and abusing a cognitively-impaired woman. The post Jurors Deciding Fate of Ashland Couple in...
View ArticleNERF wars bring church, community together
Curtis Schaffer, a member of First Christ church in Salem, has two passions: church and NERF guns. He combined both into a project called, “NERFing for Jesus.” Every month since December, about 30...
View ArticleNorth side residents feel safe, but worry about home sales
During the April 1 Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp., residents of the North side were happy with the work being down by the development group. While residents said they felt safe, they are...
View ArticleYNDC’s April 8 meeting to wrap up findings, offer some details
The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. has scheduled its final informational meeting at 6:30 p.m. April 8 at the Covelli Center. The group will recap findings from local neighborhood meetings...
View ArticleYNDC promises actions on development plans
Officials at the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. spoke to residents April 8 at the Covelli Centre about the assets and concerns of city residents. They also promised to develop a plan and a...
View ArticleGathering learns about past, present, future of Youngstown’s South side
Residents in South side of Youngstown say future lies in creating jobs. Roughly 40 people, who live in that area, attended a gathering April 19 at the Oak Hill Collaborative. Sean Posey, an historian...
View ArticleSOUP serves up fun, funds for community projects
The first Youngstown SOUP dinner event will be at 7 p.m. April 27 in the Calvin Center, 755 Mahoning Ave. Attendees will be served soup, salad and bread, and asked to vote on one of five community...
View ArticleCadets participate in controlled burn of vacant house
Firefighting cadets with the Youngstown Fired Department participated in a controlled burn of a house at the corner of Ford Avenue and Arlington Street, adjacent to the Youngstown State University...
View ArticleElections officials expect light voter turnout at Mahoning Valley polls
Election officials in the Mahoning Valley expect a light turnout of voters, in the 20-percent range, on Election Day, May 6. The exceptions may be in the West Branch School District and in Austintown,...
View ArticleShroder, Wasser speak to YSU grads at spring commencement May 17
Robert W. Shroder of Catholic Health Partners will be the commencement speaker for spring commencement May 17 at Youngstown State University. Melissa Wasser will address fellow graduates. The...
View ArticleYSU chooses Tressel as next president
Jim Tressel, executive vice president for student success at The University of Akron, has accepted an offer to be the next president of Youngstown State University, where he coached football from 1986...
View ArticleFirst Youngstown SOUP raises $700 for Circle of Friends
Youngstown SOUP, a dinner/micro-grant event, raised $1,000 at its first event to help one community project. The winning project was the Mahoning Valley Circle of Friends. The winner of best soup was...
View ArticleStrawberries reign as supreme sweet for Valentine’s Day
Valentine’s Day may be about love, but it’s also about candy – especially chocolate. While most Americans will nibble on chocolate-covered caramels and nuts, residents in the Mahoning Valley prefer...
View ArticleEastwood Mall official discuses local view of terrorist threats
Transcript of an interview Feb. 24 with Joe Bell, director of corporate communications for The Cafaro Co., the parent firm for Eastwood Mall. The post Eastwood Mall official discuses local view of...
View ArticleHistory of foster care has roots in Bible
Foster care, although new in terminology, is old in practice going back as far as Moses in The Bible. The post History of foster care has roots in Bible appeared first on The News Outlet.
View ArticleYoungstown mayor listens to constituents, five minutes at a time
Fulfilling a campaign promise, Youngstown mayor John McNally had his first Five Minutes With the Mayor session on Jan. 21. Residents brought concerns ranging from traffic lights to dog parks to the...
View ArticleRed Cross counteracts polar weather with warming center
In response to the predicted polar temperatures, The Red Cross of the Mahoning Valley will operate a warming center through Jan. 29 at Liberty Center, 3530 Belmont Ave., Suite 7. The post Red Cross...
View ArticleYoungstown library celebrates Year of Horse Jan. 31
The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County is planning a Chinese New Year celebration at 4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 31, at it’s Newport branch, Midlothian at Market streets, Youngstown. The post...
View ArticleDog owners get few more weeks to buy licenses
Mahoning County has extended the deadline for dog licenses to Feb. 28. After that, dog owners will pay not only the $20 license fee, but also a $20 penalty. The post Dog owners get few more weeks to...
View ArticleFebruary marks 50th anniversary of The Beatles invasion
If you like “Monty Python’s Flying Circus” or “Downton Abbey,” you can thank The Beatles. Before they came along, the biggest export from Great Britain was Jaguar. That all changed after the group’s...
View ArticleSound of music calms canines at pound
A new project has proven that music does soothe the savage beast – or at least a stray at the local pound. The Rescue Animal MP3 Project was started two-and-a-half years ago by Pamela Fisher, a...
View ArticleYoungstown Cash Mob marks second anniversary
The Youngstown Cash Mob plans to visit Re Arrangements, a used furniture business in Boardman, on Feb. 22. Members of the mob agree to make at least a $20 purchase at the business that day. The group,...
View ArticleWalk-ins welcome for wedding special on Feb. 14
For a second year, the Rev. Jerry Krueger will perform weddings for walk-in brides and grooms on Valentine’s Day at Trinity United Methodist Church in downtown Youngstown. The post Walk-ins welcome for...
View ArticleRock salt sales brisk this winter
The snowy, icy winter has lead to brisk sales of rock salt. While, some Mahoning Valley retailers have run out, others are on their fifth truckload delivery. The post Rock salt sales brisk this winter...
View ArticleOak Hill Collaborative hope to have up to 15 tenants in new facility
The Oak Hill Collaborative refurbished a one-story brick building at 507 Oak Hill to provide space for up to 15 tenants. The group hopes to nurture start-up businesses in the Uptown neighborhood of...
View ArticleThree Red Cross county chapters combine at new location
Three county chapters have combined to become the Red Cross of the Mahoning Valley and have moved to new offices on Belmont Avenue in Liberty. The new location is on a bus line, making it easier for...
View ArticleYNDC kicks off information sessions at Rocky Ridge Neighborhood
The Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. kicked off a series of meetings Feb. 26 at the Rocky Ridge Neighborhood. YNDC officials are asking residents about what concerns they have for their area....
View ArticleYSU students mirror concerns of Youngstown residents
Officials with the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp. attempted to get a youth perspective on the city’s problems by meeting with students at Youngstown State University. While most city...
View ArticleSome try to restore American dream in Oak Hill
Pure numbers don’t tell the whole story of the Oak Hill neighborhood in Youngstown. The numbers say the area is near death. The residents and officials at the Youngstown Neighborhood Development Corp....
View ArticleKeep your car running smoothly in cold weather
AAA, the nation’s largest travel organization, offers tips to keep you safe while driving this winter. The post Keep your car running smoothly in cold weather appeared first on The News Outlet.
View ArticleCafé offers new flavors at Fellows Riverside Gardens
Mitch Lynch and Patricia Tinkler have taken over the café at Fellows Riverside Gardens. For the next three years, Friends Specialty of the Garden Café will offer a menu reflecting plants at the...
View ArticleYSU students tutor second-graders in reading skills
The new Project PASS program, pairing Youngstown State students and second-graders in Youngstown city schools, consists of weekly tutoring session to help students with the upcoming third-grade state...
View ArticleNatural burials becoming popular option
Green or natural burials are becoming more popular among environmental- and cost-conscious consumers. The post Natural burials becoming popular option appeared first on The News Outlet.
View ArticleCats, butter, conversations lead to book by Campbell man
After Tony Vavlas’ funny Facebook postings got a following, the Campbell, OH, man collected them all for a book: “You Can’t Feed Butter to a Cat: And Other Conversations I’ve Had With My Dad.” The post...
View ArticleProject PASS gives second-graders help with reading
Youngstown State University students are tutoring city second-graders in reading as part of Project PASS. The weekly session are designed to help the youngsters pass the third-grade reading test that...
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