ORCHID: To a group of Howland residents who are planning events to mark the township's bicentennial in 2012. The township is marking its 200th year as a state-recognized township. The committee includes representatives from different township, school and community groups, and has been meeting to begin scheduling events. The main event is planned to take place during the July 4 celebration.
ORCHID: To the estimated 50 people who gathered this week in downtown Warren to honor the memory of 3-month-old Jacob Culp, who died in June following an incident at a Newton Falls daycare. The crowd gathered outside the Trumbull County Sheriff's Office to watch the raising of a flag dedicated to children who have died as a result of violence. At the close of the ceremony, Jacob's family blew bubbles that floated away on the chilly wind.
ORCHID: To the Youngstown Foundation as it has awarded the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley a gift of $100,000. The gift is the organization's largest gift from a foundation, and will go toward the 2011 Campaign as well as the United Way's Success By 6 initiative for 2012. The gift will go toward initiatives of education, income, health and community support services that provide support to those in need of food, clothing and shelter.
ORCHID: To a Champion High School alumnus who works as a medic technician in the U.S. Army and returned to his school recently to present an American flag that flew during combat in Iraq. The alumnus was Staff Sgt. Brian Patrick, a 1989 graduate and current resident of Texas. He and his family were together for the holidays when he attended a recent school basketball game. Patrick, who has served 19 years in the service, said the flag he presented to Champion was to honor all people in the community, especially the veterans and servicemen and women who protected the country. The flag was flown during combat mission in Mosul, Iraq, during Patrick's tour of duty.
ORCHID: To two Newton Falls police officers credited with saving a man's life last Saturday by using a defibrillator. Officer Tony Vella and Detective Andy Harvey were called to a 930 Warren Road home about 6:05 a.m. for a 59-year-old man who was not breathing. The officers used the defibrillator they had with them and performed CPR on the man, who was breathing and conscious when an ambulance arrived.
ORCHID: To the annual Project Feed Our Valley campaign that raised $71,599 and collected 74,000 pounds of food to feed hungry families in the tri-county area. During the past five years, Project Feed Our Valley has collected $289,090 and 329,943 pounds of food. More than 13,000 people each week in the Mahoning Valley rely on the foodbank for assistance. Second Harvest Food Bank distributes food to 153 hunger relief organizations, from church pantries to shelters to soup kitchens to after-school programs.