The Austintown Police Department is planning on retiring two K-9 officers.  the police department is planning on retiring its two K-9 officers This comes amid some financial struggles within the department but it's unclear if that is the reason for the K-9 officers retirement.  former Austintown Police Chief Bob Gavalier said that due to the November 2024 levy failing the department would have to make cuts.  The levy places on the November 2024 ballot would have generated over $2 million for the police department.  Austintown appointed its first-ever assistant fiscal officer to help deal with budget constraints in the township.  21 News reached out to current Austintown Police Chief Valorie Delmont for comment RELATED COVERAGE: WATCHDOG: Austintown twp. appoints first assistant fiscal officer amid ongoing budget constraints RELATED COVERAGE: Cuts expected for Austintown Police Department A new restaurant is set to begin operations in a location formerly occupied by Belleria in Austintown Frank's Cafe is gearing up to open its third location in the Mahoning Valley at 5625 Mahoning Avenue on Tuesday Frank's Cafes other two locations are in Boardman and another in Canfield The new location's hours will be 7 a.m Frank's Cafe is a locally-owned quick-service restaurant known for its fresh and healthy breakfast and lunch options including wraps sandwiches and soup with gluten-free options available The Austintown location will offer dine-in takeout and catering services with breakfast and lunch served all day The Youngstown Water Department has issued an alert to inform the public about the maintenance being performed on the blue water tank on Moherman Ave on Thursday Draining of the tank will begin on Tuesday The department notes that during this period of time residents of the east side of Austintown and the west side of Youngstown may experience lowered water pressures when using sinks or baths The boundaries of this water pressure warning are set within the boundary east of Raccoon Rd. Download the WFMJ app for your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet to get our push alerts as news happens EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this story mistakenly reported that Gregory had been indicted on a lesser charge of sexual imposition This was based on a misreading of the grand jury report which listed both the misdemeanor and felony counts separately Both misdemeanors were sent to the lower court and the felony charge was no-billed An Austintown man accused of sexual assault has been partially dismissed by a Trumbull county grand jury had been accused of gross sexual imposition and public indecency in Niles municipal court stemming from an incident in December.  the Trumbull county grand jury issued a no-bill for the sexual imposition charge meaning they declined to indict him on the matter A misdemeanor charge of public indecency was ordered back to Niles municipal court Gregory had been accused of attempting to bite a woman's ear which was the basis for the now-dismissed charge An additional misdemeanor charge of sexual imposition was also sent back to the lower court Police say the alleged victim pushed him away but he came back with his genitals exposed Thousands of dollars is heading to Austintown Township to combat illegal dumping in the township.  Lauren McNally and the Austintown Township Administration announced $4,875 from the Ohio Attorney General's Office "Shine a Light on Dumpers" program The funding will be used to stop after-hours dumping at Green Briar Township Park by installing a barrier gate at the park entrance to limit access during non-operational hours.  "Protecting Ohio's environment is something that is incredibly important for future generations of Ohioans," said Rep "I am happy to see Austintown getting the support it needs to address environmental issues afflicting our communities like illegal dumping." The "Shine a Light on Dumpers" program is a rollout of grant programs by Attorney General Dave Yost to celebrate Earth Day 2025.  The program awards over $1 million in funding for various local governments across Ohio These funds will support the cleanup of existing illegal dump sites and help prevent future environmental damage caused by the open dumping of solid waste and demolition debris.  An Austintown Township trustee is warning residents that their electric rates will soon increase by nearly double the current amount The current electrical rate in the township is .0499 cents per kilowatt hour Trustee Bruce Shepas tells 21 News these rates will soon go up to .0933 cents per kilowatt hour Consumers will begin seeing these rate increases on their electric bills for the month of June and will be effective for the next 12 months Shepas says this increase is not specific to Austintown Shepas said the primary reason for the increase is an energy shortage due to artificial intelligence (AI) "It is our job to get multiple quotes from different brokers and we found the best rate to be .0933 cents the day we signed," Shepas said Shepas encouraged residents who are unhappy with this increase to opting out of these rates and shopping around for a different company Residents can opt out at any time during the 12-month period Shepas stressed that Austintown's rate is fixed and is advising residents not to be fooled by "variable rates" or "limited time" rates "The prediction for the summer is that [rates] will go up to 12 to 13 [cents per kilowatt hour] so please be cautious of the variable rate or the low introductory rate and then the rate per kilowatt goes up in summer," Shepas said As for where electrical rates will be after the 12-month period Shepas says forecasters are predicting that rates will either remain steady or lessen A new Meijer superstore is scheduled to open in Austintown in May and the adjacent Express convenience store and gas station opened Thursday A billboard at the corner of Raccoon Road and Mahoning Avenues also announced the planned May opening of the main store. The main store will be opened May 8 occupy the site of the former Austintown Middle School which closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2017 The store will offer a variety of departments including fresh produce sourced from over 250 Midwest farms a pharmacy with services such as immunizations and prescription refills Valley native Patrick Hughes will serve as the store director Hughes has prior experience working at Meijer locations in Columbus and Cleveland “I’m very excited to be the Store Director at your new Austintown Meijer,” Hughes said in a statement and I are delighted to return to the community where we grew up and where our extended family resides.” Hughes emphasized the company’s focus on customer service and community partnerships the Express is a quick stop for fuel coffee Traffic patterns on Mahoning Avenue are expected to change with the store’s opening located between Chick-fil-A and the Meijer entrance Meijer operates more than 500 stores in six states including locations in Howland and Boardman An Ohio.gov website belongs to an official government organization in the State of Ohio A lock or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website Share sensitive information only on official and personal information are protected by federal and state digital security standards Ohio)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine visited Austintown Elementary School near Youngstown and Perry Elementary School in Zanesville today continuing their tour across Ohio to celebrate schools that have earned the Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award “Schools like the ones we’re celebrating today are seeing more engagement and better reading comprehension since they started using the Science of Reading,” said Governor DeWine and other subjects at the same time they’re learning to read These schools are setting their kids up for success throughout school and throughout life.” and Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) Director Stephen D and teachers for a roundtable discussion about how they use the Science of Reading to shape their literacy instruction Austintown’s prioritization of literacy achievement and intervention is making a difference for their students From the 2021-22 school year to the 2023-24 school year they more than doubled the number of kindergarten students who are on-track with reading their third grade reading proficiency rate is at nearly 84% – about 12% higher than pre-pandemic levels During his 2025 State of the State Address last month Governor DeWine highlighted Austintown Elementary as a premier example of a school that is experiencing success utilizing the Science of Reading the Governor and First Lady visited classes of kindergarten and first grade students to observe literacy instruction in action before presenting the school with a congratulatory Science of Reading Champions banner The Science of Reading Champions tour continued at Perry Elementary School in East Muskingum Local School District where the Governor and First Lady again met with school and district leaders to discuss their school’s work to improve literacy achievement Perry Elementary has been using curriculum aligned with the Science of Reading for several years 100% of their teachers and administrators have completed professional development training in the Science of Reading and all students’ parents and guardians review literacy progress data as part of their parent-teacher conference student literacy outcomes have improved at least one grade level between the 2022-23 school year and the 2023-24 school year.  the Governor and First Lady DeWine observed literacy instruction in a class of first grade students the Governor concluded his visit by presenting students and school leaders with a Science of Reading Champions banner The Governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award honors schools that are excelling with their implementation of the Science of Reading embracing professional development for teachers and raising literacy achievement among their students Austintown and Perry elementaries were among the inaugural group of schools to be honored though the program The Governor’s Science of Reading Champions program will honor a new group of schools each year Based on decades of brain research and literacy development the Science of Reading informs the most effective strategies for teaching students how to read Governor DeWine has long supported the implementation of Science of Reading practices in all Ohio educational settings more schools are becoming fully aligned with the Science of Reading and the results are noticeable This past year’s School Report Cards showed significant improvement in English Language Arts proficiency among elementary students climbing by 2.2 percentage points among Ohio third graders 5.2 percentage points among fourth graders and 3.1 percentage points among fifth graders Science of Reading FAQs – Ohio Department of Education and Workforce An Austintown Township man has been arrested on a secret indictment following a child pornography investigation The Mahoning County grand jury indicted 72-year-old Robert T Casey of Vollmer Drive on 15 counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor Major Jeff Allen of the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force says the charges stem from a search of Casey’s Vollmer Driver home Allen tells 21 News that videos and images found on the devices led to Casey’s indictment Casey was indicted on 15 counts of fourth-degree felony pandering or controlled material that shows a minor participating or engaging in sexual activity Marshals arrested Casey on Friday and booked him into the County Jail Casey is free on a $50,000 bond awaiting arraignment in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court A fourth-degree felony in Ohio carries a potential prison sentence of six to 18 months per count AUSTINTOWN — Austintown Local School District officials are often vocal about their pride in the district’s teachers and on Thursday they had another reason to crow Mike DeWine and first lady Fran DeWine were at Austintown Elementary School to present the governor’s Science of Reading Champions Award which he announced at last month’s State of the State address in Columbus The award acknowledges Austintown’s significant improvements in reading comprehension grades and test scores as a result of using the phonics-based Science of Reading curriculum “Fran and I wanted to come just to express our thanks and just hold Austintown up – the students the teachers and everybody – because they’ve done a great job They were ahead of the state in some respects so they’ve shown how it works.” DeWine said that the Science of Reading model was recommended to him not only through his own studies and his educational advisers in Columbus DeWine touted the program at a roundtable at Youngstown State University just about one year ago but Austintown has been following the model for six years “The data is really showing that all the efforts our wonderful teachers and administrators are making are paying off,” said Director of Curriculum Dr “Our reduction of students reading well below grade level is shrinking we monitor that [at least] three times a year… And we’re also seeing a trend of third-grade state test scores growing every year so it’s really the pre-k to second (grade) teachers that are achieving that assessment score.” Young said the district had meetings with principal Catherine Dorbish and its state support team and state literacy team and opted for a program called Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling “We spent four years and a lot of time studying what it was to learn how the brain learns how to read,” he said “We also recognized that one of the important pieces that was missing was a core curriculum.” Young said that in addition to working with its Region 5 State Support Team to develop a curriculum the district also applied for and received “Each Child Reads” grants through the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce “That helped us further our learning and it helped us explore interventions and fill the gap we were experiencing,” he said Dorbish and some teachers in the school’s library visiting students in kindergarten and first-grade classes during their spelling and reading lessons the science of reading model is “a convergence of evidence from multiple scientific fields — cognitive developmental and school psychology; neuroscience; education research; and linguistics — that describe reading The program teaches students fundamental rules for identifying patterns in words that help them understand why letters work to make the sounds they do Second-grade teacher Tami Franklin has been teaching for 29 years and has always been a proponent of this format so I’ve earned a reputation of trying to shove phonics down everyone’s throat,” she said because I was able to express what I was seeing in my own room and now everyone else was able to see that too.” Franklin said it takes the guesswork out of learning to read “English is a tough language to learn and there’s a ton of rules and if you don’t know those rules it’s not just not going to magically come along and you can only memorize so many words,” she said “It’s so exciting and the results are speaking for themselves.” Dorbish said the district worked with state support and the local educational service center to make sure teachers were fully trained before the curriculum was put in place formally First-grade teacher Megan Monaco said she is glad that college students majoring in education will be taught how to teach reading this way “I’m so glad the universities are incorporating it now with their preparation programs because that’s where we need to gain it,” she said “As soon as we walk in the door we should be this prepared I think everyone jumped on board because they felt the value right away.” Dorbish and Young said Austintown also got out ahead of another state initiative with regard to reading The state’s law requiring enhanced screening for dyslexia and reading disabilities went into effect with the 2023-34 school year “It’s still a big learning process for us Here we’re finding that a lot of our boys and girls that have the characteristics of dyslexia also have some learning disabilities too,” Dorbish said and they put the intervention in place faster Board of Education Vice President Kathy Mock said the district’s reading success goes well beyond its regular curriculum “It’s so important that we support our families and the community,” she said “We have great community partnerships with the United Way and we have our Success After Six program that supports literacy here for our students.” Mock said the district also hosts literacy nights in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (Dolly) and the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Their early literacy specialists come in and talk to the families about the best way to read to and with their children to set them up for success the children are read a story and do an activity related to that story we are all about the children and the families She said that next year the library’s “Story Trail” program will be set up again in the school That program lets families walk the children along a fun path lined with placards that each contain a part of a story DeWine’s visit comes even as Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives are on the verge of cutting about $100 million in library funding from the state budget The Ohio Statehouse News Bureau reports that DeWine’s proposal was to increase library funding from 1.7% to 1.75% “The House had a reduction in money for the libraries but now it goes to the Senate and ultimately we’ll figure this out I’m going to remain a strong advocate for our libraries,” DeWine said whether you live in the inner city or in the rural parts of Ohio It’s one of the great things we have in Ohio and we’ve always supported our libraries and we’re going to continue to do that.” Libraries also have taken a hit at the federal level; at the end of March following a meeting between the new leadership at the United States Institute of Museum and Library Services and Elon Musk’s DOGE all staff at the institute that funds the nation’s libraries and museums were placed on indefinite administrative leave Superintendent Tim Kelty said the risk of losing the partnership Austintown has with the local library is “very concerning.” “Any time something goes away like the arts it’s a big concern because there’s an educational value to that that helps us,” he said Kelty said the partnership the schools and community have with the library is vital to the district’s – and students’ – success He said the district’s recognition from the state is an opportunity to discuss important matters like funding for vital programs and resources “Now that we see them and they’re coming here we did briefly discuss that,” he said “I understand that in this age we have to make some sacrifices AUSTINTOWN — The drizzle and overcast skies over the Mahoning Valley set the mood as members of the Youngstown .. Copyright © 2025 Eastern Ohio Newspapers, Inc. | https://www.vindy.com | 240 Franklin Street SE, Warren, OH 44482 | 330-841-1600 | Terms of Service We're getting a clearer idea of when Uptown Pizza's newest location could open Uptown Pizza owner Sal Santisi tells 21 News no official opening date has been set yet but the goal is to have the location up and running by May of 2025 The new store is set to open on South Raccoon Road in Austintown where Gia's Pizzeria used to be across the street from Wedgewood Pizza Santisi says he is still going through the permitting process and is still looking to hire staff for the new location Uptown is currently accepting applications for all positions at the new store Those interested in applying can either do so at one of Uptown Pizza's two current locations in either Liberty Township or Boardman or on Uptown's website Families in Austintown could have a new place to get active and have fun in the near future According to documentation provided to 21 News by Austintown Zoning Inspector Darren Crivelli permission was granted to turn a portion of the property that houses Planet Fitness and Austintown Bounce into a Fun City Adventure Park In an email communication between Darren Crivelli and a representative from JZ Real Estate the facility is for families with a primary age demographic of children between the ages of three to 15 years old Fun City is a trampoline park chain that offers a variety of ways to play This would be the first Fun City location in the Mahoning Valley It is unknown when this facility will open at this time It has been a year since Meijer first broke ground on its latest location on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown it is time for the company to hire employees for the location.  The company is looking for full-time and part-time employees and the positions it is seeking include clerks receiving and meat cutters at its new 159,000-square-foot supercenter location in Austintown The company is also looking to hire employees at its new Medina and Richmond Heights locations as well.  According to the media release, starting pay is based on experience level and specific skills and paid parental leave as well as career advancement opportunities access to health insurance options and the option for 401k retirement planning Potential candidates can search for available positions by clicking "Search New Store Open Jobs." Candidates may apply online by clicking on the positions they are interested in. The New Austintown Mejer location is also hiring for a Meijer Express gas station Candidates that are notified will be invited to interview in March The new Meijer supercenter will open later this year Meijer is a Mich.-based retailer that operates more than 500 supercenters AUSTINTOWN — Officials are working to tighten the township’s belt and find additional revenue but the financial picture may be more bleak than what trustees and administrators can overcome Harder times and harder choices could be on the horizon was the message at a Tuesday afternoon press conference necessitated by concerns Austintown patrol officers voiced after an internal email about cost-cutting measures reached them unintentionally Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito opened his statements with an apology “I apologize that we’re having this conversation at a press conference I probably would have rather had it with the (police) union directly,” he said we were not afforded that opportunity because before we could sit down our information was shared publicly.” D’Apolito made it clear that the email in question was a public record but was not something the township was necessarily ready to share beyond the eyes of trustees and department heads Police Chief Robert Gavalier took the blame He said he shared an email — between D’Apolito and himself that discussed ideas about hard-line plans to minimize overtime and cut costs — department-wide because it also contained information about scheduling that he wanted to make available for emergency service dispatchers before the March schedule was made which also included Trustee Chairman Bruce Shepas and fire Chief David Schertzer said the release of the email led to a rapid-fire spread of conjecture on social media largely among the department’s Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association membership The primary concern voiced by patrolmen at the conference had to do with how shifts would be covered The “safe staffing” portion of the township’s collective bargaining agreement with the union mandates a minimum of five patrol officers on duty at all times “The contract has some provisions that allow the township to go below five but we’re going to uphold our side of the obligations until we can’t do that,” D’Apolito said the contract requires that officer to find someone to cover the shift or the lowest ranking officer still on duty from the preceding shift will have to be held over The contract also states that the holdover officer is not allowed to refuse the shift without discipline But officers said the email in question seemed to imply that the officer may not be disciplined going forward which may at times leave Austintown with fewer than five officers on duty in violation of the collective bargaining agreement D’Apolito said the township will review the contract and intends to abide by the safe staffing terms As long as officers abide by the CBA as well then no shifts should be lacking personnel The exchange grew tense and most of the patrol officers in attendance left the conference seemingly unsatisfied with the township’s position D’Apolito and Shepas said the township is still trying to reconcile the failure of a 2.4-mill police levy in November That levy would have generated another $2.26 million for the department They also said they may have to bring it back to the ballot “We took that levy as the voters directing us here at the township to more closely examine our costs and our expenditures,” D’Apolito said we may need to ask the voters to reconsider their position as the management team for Austintown Township must prove to the residents that we’ve been good stewards of their tax dollars.” Even before the levy was placed on the ballot trustees worked with Gavalier to cut $200,000 from the police budget by minimizing training programs changing the way the department staffs shifts and deferring some vehicle replacement costs The township did not buy any new police cruisers last year although that $150,000 cost may be unavoidable in 2025 given the high rate of wear and tear on police cruisers that run 24/7 D’Apolito and trustees announced that after a cost analysis of the dispatch center which handles emergency calls for Austintown and 23 other communities across Mahoning County they are reopening negotiations with those other communities to increase the rates they pay D’Apolito and Fiscal Officer Laurie Wolfe found that based on the dispatch center’s total 2024 operating cost of $2,544,826 to handle 86,703 calls Austintown Fire paid $40.28 per call for its 5,164 calls and Austintown Police paid $38.31 per call for its 21,714 calls Compared to other communities Austintown’s dispatch center serves like Springfield ($8.18 per call for 7,951 calls and even Beaver Township ($26.88 per call for 9,300 calls) the township is paying disproportionately more to serve Austintown residents “We are not going to waste Austintown tax-paying dollars for other communities that aren’t paying their fair share,” Shepas said Tuesday “But we are in talks with them.” Beaver and Springfield are the only two still under contract and their agreements will be reopened later this year the township is negotiating to bring all the others up to a rate more in line with last year’s average “We are optimistic that we will be able to increase those revenues in 2025 and further in 2026 and we are also optimistic that those revenues will help to offset the police department’s reliance on the general fund,” D’Apolito said The department in 2024 used money from the general fund — $670,000 — and he expects Austintown to transfer anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.4 million in 2025 from the general fund to the police budget “But that’s fluid,” he said “If we can increase receivables from dispatch then that will increase that draw on the general fund.” D’Apolito and Shepas noted that the road department also will be a bigger draw on the general fund this year because of the hard winter as salt and road repair costs are expected to increase The township’s zoning department also runs entirely on the general fund and is expected to draw $325,000 from it this year is operating at a $100,000 deficit and has not had the benefit of a levy since the mid-1980s D’Apolito said he expects the general fund to have about $875,000 left at the end of this year unless departments perform better than expected D’Apolito filed paperwork with the Mahoning County Board of Elections to certify a ballot measure for the renewal of the general fund levy which originated in 1976 and has been renewed every five years since He said the Mahoning County Auditor’s Office estimates the renewal will generate $166,000 in 2026 Without a substantial positive change in the overall financial picture “Without a doubt if revenues don’t increase there’s a very distinct possibility of staffing changes,” D’Apolito said Gavalier said other considerations could be made before layoffs Austintown is a member of the Mahoning County Drug Task Force and Mahoning County Human Trafficking Task Force and contributes officers’ time to participate in those operations “All we’re doing is trying to avoid layoffs,” he said “There’s going to come a time when we’re not able to provide the same level of service we have because of less resources we’ll look at bringing people back from the task forces to work the road or take detectives out of the detective division and put them on the road but right now we’re trying to do cost savings so we don’t have to go to that.” Gavalier said the township will do its best to maintain staffing levels to provide essential service it may take us a little bit longer to get there but we should still be able to provide the same quality of service,” he said A restaurant in Austintown will soon be operating on adjusted hours beginning at the end of April According to a post on the Facebook page of Rachel's Restaurant & Catering the restaurant will begin operating under adjusted hours effective April 30 The restaurant will be open for dining Wednesdays but will still be available for catering services seven days a week The statement did not give a reason for these adjusted hours but says the decision to implement these hours came after much consideration and input from customers and family "We'll ensure your events are just as memorable as your dining experience with us," the statement reads Rachel's has been serving customers in the Mahoning Valley for 35 years The Long John Silver's restaurant in Austintown is getting ready to be moved to a new location 21 News has obtained a copy of a letter sent to Austintown Zoning Inspector Darren Crivelli showing renderings of what the new building would look like as well as some requests for the proposed site the restaurant is located at 850 North Canfield-Niles Road and is combined with a Taco Bell The proposal called for the location to be moved to 871 North Canfield-Niles Road which is a vacant property just before the on ramp to I-80 East across the street from a Shell gas station is asking for the number of parking spaces on the vacant property to be cut in half from 44 to 22 Charter Foods says this is because they've noticed ever since the COVID-19 pandemic most customers are likely to use the drive-thru and dine-in customers only use between 12 to 18 spaces at any given time This request was heard at the Board of Appeals meeting on Thursday January 30 where the board voted unanimously to grant the request The next step is to secure zoning and building permits prior to the start of construction after submittal review and approval of the stormwater management drawings According to a Facebook post from the Austintown Community Baseball page a new baseball field has been announced at Champ Park in Austintown The field was named after long-time board member who has been volunteering her time to Austintown Community Baseball for 20 years The field will be known as "Murphy Field" in her honor When asked about the potential impact that the new field will have on the Austintown baseball community "We're able to accommodate for more games We have 36 teams this year," said Murphy the field will be used by the two youngest divisions of Austintown Community Baseball This includes T-ball and coach pitch for both boys and girls The Austintown Local School District will be discontinuing its Falcon Care program at the end of the current school year Parents of students in the district were notified via text that the service would be discontinued following the conclusion of the 2024-25 school year Superintendent Tim Kelty told 21 News the reason for the discontinuation is uncertainty and concerns regarding proposed budget cuts from the State of Ohio Kelty added that the district had four different pre-school before and after care supervisors in the last five years With the resignation of the fourth in November the district felt it best to utilize its resources into its Falcon Fives Preschool Kelty's budget cut concerns stem from a recent budget cut proposal from Ohio Governor Mike DeWine that would affect public schools across the Mahoning Valley and beyond 21 News spoke with several other Valley schools about these concerns You can find out much more in our related coverage below Mahoning Valley school leaders raise concerns over proposed budget cuts AUSTINTOWN — The township has its new police chief trustees made the official announcement Monday that Lt Valorie Delmont will succeed Chief Robert Gavalier as the department’s next executive officer Gavalier retires at the end of the month after a 44-year career Delmont will be sworn in at the March 3 trustees meeting Trustee Bruce Shepas said Delmont is not only the first woman to serve as police chief in Austintown “I’d like to … thank outgoing Chief Robert Gavalier for his many We are so thankful and I know for Chief Delmont these will be some huge shoes to fill and we can only hope you’ll do as good a job as he did,” Shepas said “This board of trustees is very confident that we made the right decision in hiring within the department and we congratulate (Chief Delmont) and look forward to spending many years with you.” Gavalier announced his retirement in December The search for his successor saw nine applicants and five made it to interviews with the trustees Two were screened out by Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito and Gavalier Tom Collins removed himself from the pool and announced his plans to retire at the end of March instead WIlliam Hoelzel were the other two internal candidates the director of security for Austintown Local School District and a former detective sergeant with the police department most recently employed with the Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office and formerly the police chief in Girard a sergeant with the Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office in charge of the Mahoning County Drug Task Force a resume was submitted on behalf of Robert Clark an Austintown native who has since served in the FBI and in several international police consulting positions Shepas said the department did discuss Clark’s resume but their minds were fairly well made up between two finalists and trustees did not see anything that made them doubt their decision to hire Delmont Delmont said she is looking forward to taking the reins “I’m excited to serve my community and the police department in a larger way than I have in the past,” she said “To have influence not only on the things that go on inside the department Shepas said Delmont’s contract is still being reviewed by the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office which provides all legal services for the township As soon as it is approved — likely sometime later this week — Delmont will sign it and the promotion will be official Delmont graduated from Wilmington Area High School in 1995 She graduated from Westminster College in 1999 earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology with a concentration in criminal justice and a minor in political science She also earned her policing certificate from the University of Akron that year and has spent her entire career in Mahoning County Delmont was a patrol officer in Canfield from 1999 until 2007 when she joined Austintown police She has been promoted up the ranks since then earning her lieutenant’s stripes in June 2023 Delmont has been in charge of officer recruiting and hiring reserve officer and field training supervision and has served as a department representative on Mahoning County’s OVI and Domestic Violence task forces She has completed nearly 230 hours of education and training in human resources Trustees Monica Deavers and Shepas said they were impressed with Delmont’s resume experience and reputation within the department “She definitely has the respect of the department,” Deavers said “And she’s engaged with the community to ensure that we found the right candidate to be the next police chief,” Shepas said “Her interviewing skills were fantastic she’s going to have very little difficulty in transitioning she’s familiar with the inner workings of the department and she’s already been well established in a leadership role in the department.” Gavalier also gave his endorsement and said he has nothing but confidence in Delmont’s qualifications for the job “I thought it was an excellent hire,” he said “I was there when we hired Valorie and she worked her way up through the ranks She’s the kind of person I know I can call who can dot the I’s and cross the T’s it’s usually completed before I finish asking her researches it and completes it before the deadline.” Despite Gavalier’s best efforts in recent years Delmont ascends to the leadership of a department in turmoil though he said Delmont is the right person to guide them through it D’Apolito said the department in 2024 used $670,000 from the general and he expects Austintown to transfer anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.4 million for police functions from the general fund this year A failed 2.4-mill police levy in November would have generated another $2.26 million for the department Trustees have said that they may return the measure to the ballot in 2026 Gavalier worked with trustees to cut $200,000 from the department’s budget The township also has begun renegotiating contracts with the other Mahoning County fire and police departments for which it provides dispatch services citing a disparity in what the Austintown police and fire departments pay and what others pay for the same services Delmont said she intends to continue working with trustees to reach financial stability “Our priority will be to cut wherever we can to trim the budget to increase revenue and reduce spending,” she said “It’s definitely an issue that will be my first priority and it will probably put some other things that I want to do on the back burner for at least a couple months until we get a handle on that.” Delmont said she is optimistic that her rapport with her fellow officers will make it easier for her and everyone to navigate the difficult times “I think that already being on the department and becoming the chief number one — that’s good for morale for the department and it’s good for motivation,” she said “It will mean some advancements coming up for some other young officers and we also won’t have any delay in moving forward I’ll be able to immediately hit the ground running in making changes that need to be made.” Gavalier said Delmont’s greatest challenge to begin with will be staffing “I’d say probably trying to keep staffing levels maintained so we’re providing the same high level of service and she’ll have to do that with the limited resources she has,” he said Delmont said she feels confident she and the department will be able to weather the storm “I think we’re already doing a good job,” she said “I’ve been doing the schedule for the last year and a half since I became a lieutenant and we’re refining a couple things that might help us out as far as the budget But we’re also maintaining minimum staffing so we can appropriately and adequately serve the community I don’t plan on there being any gaps in service Gavalier said he will be there for the next three weeks to shadow Delmont and ease her transition He said he hopes to be able to leave her with at least a few pearls of wisdom to guide her “There are several pieces of advice I hope to give her things that I’ve learned throughout my career,” he said “I’ve made mistakes along the way and hopefully I can help her avoid the same mistakes.” While the union contract requires that a sergeant be promoted to lieutenant and a patrolman rise to sergeant one position that will be left unfilled is the captain’s spot When Gavalier was promoted to police chief from patrol division lieutenant in 2005 Bryan Kloss served as interim police chief until Gavalier was appointed and stayed on with the department afterward He stayed in that position until his retirement about five years ago Gavalier tapped Collins as the department’s new captain after he had effectively been serving in the role since Kloss’s retirement “Given the budget and concerns about staffing levels we’ll keep everyone on the road that we can,” Demont said Investigators are looking for the cause of a house fire on Alderwood Drive in Austintown on Monday night that caused significant damage and resulted in the deaths of several animals Austintown and Canfield fire departments responded to the blaze at approximately 11:30 p.m and found flames had spread throughout the home Flames were visible on the sides and rear of the house and heavy smoke billowed from the structure One woman was inside the home when the fire started The woman was evaluated at the scene and was uninjured Investigators say that the house's large accumulation of personal belongings hindered firefighting efforts Several animals died in the fire; the precise number has not been released The Red Cross has been contacted to provide shelter and other necessities for the resident whose home sustained extensive smoke and fire damage The Mahoning County OVI Task Force is setting up a checkpoint in Austintown Friday night the checkpoint is at 483 N Canfield Niles Road The OVI Task Force will also have saturation patrols throughout Mahoning County this weekend OVI checkpoints are funded by federal grants illuminated letters that will display the name of what will become Austintown’s newest grocery store are being installed Crews are putting up the sign on the front of the supercenter being built along Mahoning Avenue just east of Fitch Boulevard where Austintown Middle School once stood Signs are already installed on the Meijer gas station and convenience store at the location Meijer has yet to share an official opening day for the store but it’s expected to be 12 to 18 months after construction that began in April Plans call for a traffic light to be installed at the Mahoning Avenue entrance to the store Meijer purchased the property across from Chick-fil-A back in 2016 The old middle school was closed in 2007 and then demolished in 2017 Meijer has local stores in Howland and Boardman Police are investigating reports that shots were fired along Idaho Road in Austintown Friday morning Callers who heard the gunfire just after 9 a.m told dispatchers they saw a dark SUV being followed by another vehicle in the area of Idaho and Woodhurst Drive Police are reviewing surveillance videos and looking for shell casings the shots were fired south of the Austintown School complex and there has not been a lockdown on campus Stay connected with 21 News and the 21 News App for the latest on this developing story Ohio Representative Lauren McNally announced that the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce has designated Austintown Fitch High School as 2025 Purple Star Class Purple Star schools are academic institutes that show significant commitment to serving those related to or connected with members of the United States armed forces "I am so proud of Austintown's dedication to their military families," said Rep "So many people choose to join the military out of dedication to our country Their families are also serving our country by supporting their loved ones and wrestling with the anxiety of the unknown." The qualifications a school must meet to be considered a Purple Star school include a dedicated staff member who is the primary liaison between the school and military families a dedicated resource page for these families on the website and other optional criteria "These support systems and shared resources are so important and I am sure they are helping our military families thrive," said McNally This is the first time that Austintown Fitch High School has received this Award in the school's history at Cleveland Clinic surrounded by his loving family the son of the late Kennith and Gail Pierce Richardson He spent the majority of his life in the Youngstown area A proud graduate of Austintown Fitch High School Andy found joy in life’s simple pleasures His adventurous spirit led him to memorable trips to Hawaii and his curious nature kept him busy tinkering around the house Known for his unique and extensive hat collection Andy’s style was as memorable as his personality Robert Jackson (Niki) of Youngstown and Jonathan Jackson of Niles; two granddaughters Pamela (Gary) Markulin of Austintown and Delores (Stephen) Jenkins of Lagrange Rusty Blank of Austintown; his mother-in-law Nonie Culbreth of Farrell; his sister-in-law Jennifer (George) Footman of Farrell; and his beloved dog Andy was preceded in death by his parents; his sister Family and friends are invited to pay their respects from 4 to 6 p.m where a celebration of life service will take place at 6 p.m Andy’s family suggests memorial contributions be made to the funeral home to help with final expenses.  and loving spirit will be deeply missed by all who knew him His memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved him A man won the top prize of $1 million from a scratch-off ticket purchased at Sheetz on North Canfield-Niles Road on Friday The ticket the man bought was a $50 VIP Millions scratch-off which as of now has 42 top prizes remaining in Ohio The winner of the top prize chose the annuity option having a total of $28,000 after federal and state tax withholdings paid to him every year for 25 years  Download the WFMJ app for your Apple or Android smartphone or tablet to get our push alerts as news happens AUSTINTOWN — An elderly man is in jail after being accused of robbing a township bank this week walked into the PNC Bank on Mahoning Avenue on Wednesday waited in line and then handed a teller a note effectively saying “give me all the money or else.” the bank’s alarm still was going off and the bank was in lockdown Police were able to enter through a window and spoke to the teller She told police she filled a bag with $319 in cash from her drawer $250 in bait currency — a set of bills with specific serial numbers The tracked currency gave police a GPS signal that they followed to 72 Anderson Ave. a road just north of Salvatore’s Italian restaurant Police swarmed the area and located Lytell almost immediately The report states that when police arrived the arresting officer saw Lytell trying to flee into the nearby woods told Lytell to “stick em up” and Lytell complied John’s report states that Lytell understood all his rights and when asked if he had anything to say Lytell — unaware of the tracking device in his stolen money — asked “how did you guys find me so fast?” The report states that Lytell directed police to the money which he had attempted to hide beneath the back corner of a shed on the Anderson Avenue property The report states that Lytell called in a false robbery complaint at that same bank an hour earlier A separate report states that after determining there was no active robbery going on police went to his home and asked him about the call The report states he was elusive at first but did eventually admit to making the call because he said he saw a suspicious person at the bank and told police he did not expect there would be such a large response to his call Lytell is charged with one count of robbery Court records do not show that he has yet made an appearance in Mahoning County Austintown Court The Austintown Local School District is inching closer to completing a state-of-the-art recreation center being built on the north side of Austintown Fitch High School.  The more than 4,000 students who attend Austintown Local Schools are awaiting the opening of a 42,000 square-foot complex set to open in fall of 2025.  Plans for the complex were announced in March of 2022 The vision for the facility is being compared to YSU's WATTS Center "We're very progressive in Austintown," said Superintendent Timothy Kelty to 21 News on Thursday. "We want to move forward Not only with our sports but with our academics too This fits into anything that we can do for our students and our community to strengthen that bond for our kids and our faculty." The Austintown Board of Education gave the final green light on the project Thursday by approving a resolution to "authorize a guaranteed maximum price amendment with Hively Construction Company in connection with the construction of a new recreation center." "This is the final piece of it," Superintendent Kelty said "Where we're talking about the roof and the inside dealings of the sports complex itself." District Treasurer Blaise Karlovic told 21 News capital improvement dollars are helping expense the $14 million price tag Superintendent Kelty said cameras will soon be installed for the community to get a glimpse of construction progress "We're very happy to the extent of where we're at right now," Kelty said "It's moving quite rapidly right now and it's going very well." The Warren City School District opened its recreation and wellness center this past fall A highly-used WRTA bus stop in Austintown will soon be no more the bus stop located in front of the Dollar Tree in Austintown near Walmart is being removed at the request of the property owner The 9-Austintown Route and the 27-Austintown Loop bus will no longer go into the Walmart plaza effective March 18 passengers will be picked up and dropped off on Mahoning Avenue at the traffic light at the Walmart entrance WRTA Executive Director Dean Harris told 21 News the owner of the plaza requested the removal of the bus shelter and stop because too many shopping carts were being left behind near them "This is a well-used stop and we hate to inconvenience our passengers We must comply with the owner's demands to remove the bus shelter and the stop," Harris said Passengers will soon see the new maps for the 9-Austintown and 27-Austintown Loop under "rider info" on WRTA's website.  Business Journal Daily | The Youngstown Publishing Company Ohio – Frank’s Café will open a third location in early April at 5625 Mahoning Ave The site is currently being renovated and restructured The popular eatery’s original location is in a small plaza at 8414 Market St. Its second location is at 1315 Boardman-Canfield Road The newest location will be just east of Chick-fil-A in a duplex commercial building where a Belleria Pizza was formerly located A traffic signal is being installed near its entrance to coincide with the March opening of the nearby Meijer store The Austintown café will have the same menu and hours as the other two locations Frank’s Café specializes in breakfast items and lunch items such as bowls Each location offers fast service and a small dining area that can seat about 25 About 80% of each location’s business is takeout or delivery A mural will be painted on the west side of the building by Youngstown based mural painter Pat McGlone The Frank’s Café ownership team also owns the Landmark Restaurant and Bakery Pictured at top: Frank’s Café will open a location in the former Belleria Pizza storefront in this building on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown Just $99/year or $10/month will get you full access to all of our articles every month Stay up to date with all of our latest news Ohio – Meijer announced Tuesday that its new 159,000-square-foot supercenter in the township will open May 8 Meijer will open supercenters in Medina and Richmond Heights increasing the retailer’s store count to 58 in the state.  The stores will feature a wide assortment of fresh produce and grocery staples The supercenters will also include a full-service pharmacy “We’re investing heavily to serve the Northeast Ohio community and consistently receiving positive feedback about our value and convenience,” said Todd Anderson vice president of the Ohio region for Meijer “Ohio was the first state we expanded to outside of Michigan and we look forward to continuing that growth this year and into the future.” The retailer also announced that a Meijer Express gas station will open April 10 adjacent to the Austintown supercenter There are still part- and full-time job openings for the new Meijer supercenters. For more information and to apply, click HERE Editor's Note: The details in the story were corrected to March 15 under the advisement from Austintown Township Trustee Drivers on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown can expect increased stop-and-go traffic located between the Chick-fil-A and the Meijer Supercenter Austintown Trustee Bruce Shepas told 21 News the traffic light inspection was performed on February 13 "This marked the start of the mandatory 30-day burn period that will run through March 15," Shepas said The signals had been flashing yellow on Mahoning Avenue and flashing red at the Chick-fil-A entrance warning drivers to stop before entering Mahoning Avenue Mahoning County Engineer Pat Ginnetti told 21 News that the lights were set to flash to test the equipment and prepare drivers for the eventual full activation Construction is still underway at the Meijer store located just east of Fitch Boulevard on the site of the former Austintown Middle School An official opening date for the store has not yet been announced The former Austintown Middle School closed in 2007 and was demolished in 2017 Meijer already has locations in Howland and Boardman teachers at Austintown Elementary School have been practicing a new way to help their students learn "We had teachers learn all about it in something called letter's training," Dr Director of Curriculum for the Science of Reading program said This training equipped them to understand the science behind how a child learns to read "There's a lot of focus on phonemic awareness," Young said it's that idea of language comprehension is really important," he said Young said several times a year the teachers monitor their students progress and that the proof is in the pudding there's been an increase in state test scores 50 percent of students were proficient or higher in reading In 2023 it was 79 percent and just last year A significant jump like that was enough to grab the attention of Governor Mike DeWine "Their focus on literacy achievement is making a real difference for their kids they more than doubled the number of kindergarten students who are on track with reading," DeWine said To say the teachers are proud would be an understatement "It means so much for the effort they put in and to take all that learning from all those years and to see it paying off means so much," Young said Ausrintown Township's new Chief of Police will be sworn in Monday evening Township Trustee Bruce Shepas named Valorie Delmont as the township's new police chief Delmont will be filling the shoes of outgoing Austintown Police Chief Bob Gavalier who has served on the police department for 38 years as well as five years as a reserve officer Gavalier will be leaving his position at the department on Friday Delmont has almost 20 years at the department under her belt, she said she is ready to step into her new role I have some ideas," Delmont said.  She told 21 News that she is focused on budgeting and building relationships with the community With the police levy failing in November along with the townships struggling finances Delmont has some ideas to help get them back on track.  "Obviously we're going to need to cut spending and increase revenue and [...] that will probably be one of the first things on my agenda," Delmont said.  Specific ways to cut spending are still being organized Delmont was one of five candidates who interviewed for the position and was one of two candidates who already worked for the Austintown Police Department she was serving as a Lieutenant for the department's Patrol Division Other candidates for the job included Austintown Police Lieutenant William Hoelzel Mahoning County Drug Task Force Director Larry McLaughlin Trumbull County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Jeff Palmer and retired FBI Assisted Special Agent in Charge Robert Clark Retired FBI agent being considered for police chief by Austintown trustees Austintown Police Chief to retire at the end of February An Austintown man is expected to enter a plea in connection with a hit skip crash that killed a woman back in March of 2024 50-year-old James Stehura was scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing Tuesday morning A plea hearing has since been scheduled for Monday Stehura is facing charges of aggravated vehicular homicide failure to stop after an accident and tampering with evidence It is unknown if any of these charges will be amended or dropped following the potential plea The charges stem from a hit skip crash that claimed the life of 66-year-old Linda Adams who was walking her dog with her wife on Lancaster Drive when a pickup truck hit her and drove away without stopping. Adams died of her injuries soon after the crash Police believe Stehura to be the driver of that truck noting that his truck is the only one in the area that matched the description of a truck in a video captured on a Ring doorbell camera 21 News will update this story following the February 24 plea hearing you can read much more about the hit skip and Stehura's alleged involvement in our related coverage below Bond set for Austintown man charged in connection with hit skip that killed Austintown woman Austintown Police: Could be a month before suspect is charged in fatal hit-and-run One person is in the hospital after an SUV veered across Route 11 Wednesday when the southbound SUV traveled across the Route 11 median and crashed through a chain link fence before coming to rest in a field The vehicle traveled so far off the highway a rescue squad and tow truck had to reach it from private property along Kirk Road Northbound traffic was backed up on Route 11 while State Troopers investigated 21 News is working to find out what caused the crash and the condition of the victim Ohio – Real estate holding company KJ3 Ohio LLC will receive $238,900 in state assistance to help finance the purchase and renovation of the building at 5211 Mahoning Ave The funds were released through the Regional 166 Direct Loan Program which promotes economic development and job creation and retention by providing low-interest loans to businesses with limited access to adequate capital from private funding sources.  KJ3 purchased the property from Falcon Centre LTD for $695,000 on March 10 according to data filed with the Mahoning County Auditor’s office.  which has an approximate total cost of $796,538 is expected to create 43 new full-time-equivalent jobs and retain 181 existing jobs.  KJ3 is leasing the 16,540-square-foot property to Advanced Technology Partners LLC and Mirkin & Associates Inc. Advanced Technology Partners is an IT managed service provider that provides computer data and IT solutions for small to midsize companies Comfort Keepers assists seniors in living safely and independently at home by providing personal care assistance with daily activities and transportation.  eligible projects include those related to industry commerce and distribution or research activities Priority may be given to eligible projects with higher wages and job creation commitments in a distressed area of the state A special loan dollar-to-job ratio is not required.   The program uses seven economic development agencies to underwrite and help administer the program across the state with locations in Akron (Cascade Capital Corporation) Cambridge (Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association) Columbus (Ohio Statewide Development Corporation) Toledo (Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority) and Youngstown (Valley Economic Development Partners) For more information about how to apply and to find out if a project is eligible, click HERE Meijer will open its new Austintown supercenter and two other Northeast Ohio locations on May 8 The 159,000-square-foot store in Austintown will offer groceries located on Mahoning Avenue, occupies the site of the former Austintown Middle School Meijer plans to open additional supercenters on May 8 in Medina and Richmond Heights These openings will increase the company's store count in Ohio to 58 "We are investing to serve the Northeast Ohio community and have received positive feedback regarding our value and convenience," said Todd Anderson vice president of the Ohio Region for Meijer "Ohio was the first state we expanded to outside of Michigan and we plan to continue growth in the future." The company is currently hiring for part-time and full-time positions at the new stores Meijer employs over 13,000 people in Ohio at its stores and distribution and manufacturing facilities The company states it will continue to invest in Ohio through new store openings and support of local nonprofit organizations Meijer operates more than 500 supercenters A man involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash in Austintown back in March of 2024 has learned his fate just three days after the anniversary of that crash A court employee tells 21 News 50-year-old James Stehura was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide and failure to stop after an accident This prison sentence is consistent with the prosecution's recommendation his driver's license will be suspended for another seven years According to a press release from the Mahoning County Prosecutor's Office Assistant Prosecutor Kyle Hilles and former assistant prosecutor Martin Hume negotiated the final resolution of this case Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro commended them along with the Austintown Police Departments for their efforts in this case Stehura was charged in connection with a hit-and-run crash that claimed the life of 66-year-old Linda Adams who was walking her dog on Lancaster Drive near Carlisle Avenue in Austintown on March 11 Video of the truck Stehura was driving was captured on a Ring doorbell camera The truck was located at an address less than half a mile away from the site of the crash You can read much more about that crash in our related coverage below Prosecutors recommend 6 years in prison for driver in fatal Austintown hit-and-run A 75-year-old Hubbard woman has been sentenced for cheating an Austintown hotel out of tens of thousands of dollars by letting relatives stay there rent-free Diane Coandle was found guilty of a felony theft charge late last week and sentenced to probation The alleged crimes took place between October 2022 and August 2024 when Coandle was an employee of the Fairfield Inn on North Canfield Niles Road A regional director for the hotel chain told police that while investigating a report of two rooms being rented out but not paid for who reported finding the rooms filled with clutter and a relative of Coandle staying in one of them told police that Coandle admitted making adjustments to rooms in her name and the names of others Hotel officials alleged that Coandle was able to do so because she had access to the business’s computers enabling her to make adjustments to billing and reservations the alleged crime cost the hotel between $50,000 and $70,000 in lost rent