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NOTEBOOK: 500 air purifiers to be donated to East Palestine residents in need

By Staff report Mahoning Matters

June 28, 2023 12:00 AM

Carrier Air Purifers in East Palestine Photo provided

Second Harvest Food Bank received a donation from Carrier Corporation to distribute 500 air purifiers, worth over $150,000, that are capable of removing VOCs in the homes of residents in East Palestine after February’s train derailment.

W.W. Heating & Air Conditioning, Thompson Heating & Cooling Inc., Wm. Price Heating & Cooling and Refrigeration Sales Corporation helped to coordinate the donation from Carrier to Second Harvest Food Bank.

Second Harvest will be working with First Church of Christ in East Palestine to distribute the purifiers to low-income families in the area affected by the derailment.

#1 Cochran acquires Boardman Nissan

#1 Cochran recently announced it’s acquired Boardman Nissan in Mahoning County.

The store is the company’s first Nissan location in Ohio and its second acquisition in five months in the Youngstown market.

“We are excited to expand our presence on Market Street’s robust Auto Row in Boardman,” stated Rob Cochran, president and CEO of #1 Cochran. “The welcome we’ve received since entering the market in January has been tremendous, and we look forward to bringing our brand of transparent, simplified car buying to even more customers throughout the Mahoning Valley.”

The newly acquired store, located at 7809 Market Street, will operate as #1 Cochran Nissan Boardman.

Youngstown State junior honored with Ohio leadership award

Miah Pierce received the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) John Lewis Youth Leadership Award for Ohio.

She was nominated by Penny Wells, executive director of Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past.

Pierce is a junior at Youngstown State University majoring in social work and a member of Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past.

She participated in the Sojourn to the Past journey to Civil Rights sites in the South when she was a junior at Early College and has been actively involved in voter registration and Ohio Nonviolence Week activities.

She helped research and write MV Sojourn’s “Anti-racism Workshop: Be a Difference Maker” and presenting it numerous times. She read to middle school students via Zoom during COVID-19.

Pierce developed and presented several programs on self-esteem and anti-bullying to a girls’ mentoring group at Taft Elementary School. She has also spoken to students at MLK Elementary School. She was involved in the planning of the placing of a bench in Glenwood Community Park in memory of those whose lives were taken through violence.

Pierce also participated in a spoken word presentation about people in Youngstown who have been killed.

Boardman Park kicks off Music in the Park Series

The Music in the Park series has successfully kicked off the 2023 summertime events at Boardman Township Park.

Music in the Park continues this week with a very special group, the 122nd Ohio Army National Guard Band, coming to the Maag Theatre stage.

The 122nd Ohio Army Band will be performing 7 p.m. June 28 at Maag Theatre.

The Music in the Park series will continue to showcase great bands and musicians all summer long, free to the public.

Music in the Park Series Shows begin at 7 p.m. at the Maag Theatre unless stated otherwise:

June 28 — 122 Ohio Army Band

Thursday, July 6 — Decades

Saturday, July 8 — Independence Day Celebration featuring Salem Quaker City Band (8:15 p.m. start time)

July 13 — Del Sinchack

July 20 — Boardman High School Jazz Band

July 23 — Youngstown Area Community Concert Band (4 p.m. start time)

July 27 — The Wrangler Band

July 29 — Family Night in the Park featuring Rudy and The Professionals

August 3 — Girard Swing Time Band

August 10 — John Reese Trio

August 12 — Family Night in the Park featuring The Feral Cats

Mayor of Malarky honoree named for Mahoning Valley Irish Festival

The Mahoning Valley Irish Festival is proud to announce the recipient of its inaugural Mayor of Malarky honor.

This year’s honoree is Jim “Monko” Johnston, a gentleman who proudly shares his Irish heritage while helping those around him.

The Mahoning Valley Irish Festival will be held from 5-11 p.m. July 21 and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. July 22 at Penguin City Brewing in downtown Youngstown.

Ohio Dept. of Public Safety warns of sophisticated identity theft scheme

The Ohio Department of Public Safety recently issued a warning about a sophisticated identity theft scheme impacting individuals across the country, including in Ohio.

The scheme, which was first identified in Texas earlier this year, involves the use of stolen personal information to answer online Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) security questions and gain access to individual BMV accounts.

Once inside an individual’s account, identity thieves then request a driver’s license or identification card reprint be mailed to a new address.

“This scheme is incredibly concerning, not only because criminals are ordering up legitimate driver’s licenses but because they can use these cards and the stolen personal information to potentially access your bank account,” said Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson. “If you receive a postcard from the Ohio BMV telling you about an address change that you did not request, it’s important that you immediately take action.”

Thousands of replacement driver’s licenses were sent to unauthorized parties using stolen personal information in Texas.

In Ohio, the BMV has initiated contact with around 90 Ohioans whose stolen information was used to obtain or attempt to obtain a driver’s license reprint. It is unknown where the criminals obtained the stolen personal information. No State of Ohio systems were breached.

Volunteers needed for the Summer Festival of the Arts

The Summer Festival of the Arts is looking for volunteers for this year’s event. which will be held July 8-9 at Wean Park.

The festival showcases various artistic talents, including visual arts, music, dance, theater and more.

Volunteers have the unique opportunity to contribute skills, passion and enthusiasm toward creating a memorable experience for attendees.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are welcome. All interested individuals are asked to register by July 1.

Ohio ranks high for summer road trips

WalletHub recently ranked Ohio as the fourth best state for summer road trips.

The service compared the 50 U.S. states based on 32 key metrics. The data set ranges from the number of attractions to road conditions to costs.

Here’s how Ohio ranks:

19^th – Number of Attractions
21^st – Lowest Price of Three-Star Hotel Room
12^th – Nightlife Options per Capita
19^th – Vehicle Miles Traveled per Capita
16^th – Car Thefts per Capita
10^th – Access to Scenic Byways
29^th – Lowest Price of Camping
27^th – Driving Laws Rating
22^nd – Fatalities per 100 Million Vehicle Miles Traveled

The full report can be found on WalletHub’s website.

Diocese of Youngstown wins multiple awards from the Catholic Media Association, Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts

The Catholic Diocese of Youngstown is pleased to announce that it has been awarded three Catholic Media Awards from the Catholic Media Association for diocesan media products, as well as one award for Bishop David Bonnar for his column in The Priest magazine.

Separately, the Diocese of Youngstown received an award from the 2023 Communicator Awards, given by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

Leading the awards for the Diocese of Youngstown were Father James Korda, recognized with the 2023 Gabriel Award for Lifetime Achievement and Pete Sheehan, who received first place in the category of regular column for pro-life issues.

Sheehan, editor of the diocese’s former publication, The Catholic Exponent, and current writer for The Catholic Echo, was recognized for his column, “Considering past and future on the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade.”

The column originally appeared in January 2022 in The Catholic Exponent, and can be found on The Catholic Echo website.

Judges noted that the column offered a good presentation of a complex issue while underscoring that challenges remain.

This is the second straight first place award for Sheehan, who also won a 2022 Catholic Media Award for best column in the pandemic category, for his collection of columns on the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Diocese of Youngstown’s communications department also received an honorable mention from the Catholic Media Association in the press release category for Justin Huyck and Katie Wagner’s press release, “Diocese of Youngstown announces The Catholic Echo.”

For his collection of columns in The Priest magazine, which is published by Our Sunday Visitor, Bishop David Bonnar won a third place award in the magazine category for best regular column on religious life. Bishop Bonnar serves as editor of The Priest magazine.

This is the second year in a row that Bishop Bonnar’s column for The Priest has been recognized, having received a second place award in the same category in 2022.

Separately, the Diocese of Youngstown received an Award of Distinction from the 2023 Communicator Awards for its radio program Wineskins, hosted by Father James Korda and edited by multimedia specialist Robert Gavalier. Unlike the Catholic Media Awards, which are given by the Catholic Media Association, the Communicator Awards are given by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts.

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