BY JOHN A. DARNELL JR.
      associate editor
      The Seventh District Court of Appeals has affirmed a guilty verdict on 12 counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition leveled against a Cleveland man who had been charged and convicted of repeatedly raping a 10-year-old girl who lived in an apartment building at 4890 Brookwood Rd. during a one-year period, between 2015 and 2016.
      Jeffrey Palmer, 34, was found guilty on the charges on Oct. 3, 2019 in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court of Judge Maureen Sweeney.
      He was given a sentence of 40 years to life in jail on the charges.
      Judge Sweeney ruled the sentence was “necessary to protect the public from future crimes…and the danger Palmer poses to the public.”
      In Apr. 2018, the...Read More >>

     Boardman Local School’s Board of Education, by unanimous vote, hired Daniel J. Dota III, 50, of 124 Sugarcane Dr., as the system’s new head football coach, during a ‘meeting’ held in 17-degree temperatures on the 50 yard line at Spartan Stadium.
      Dota replaces Seth Anthram, who quit the job last month, to return to the Youngstown City Schools where he will be Chaney High School head football coach and also serve as dean of boys in the city school system.
      Antram served as Spartan head coach for just one season, as Boardman posted a 4-5 mark, and throughout the season was hit with costly unsportsmanlike penalties.
      “I’m really excited about being a head coach again,” said Dota, who had previous head coaching stops at West Branch for eight years and Warren G. Harding for four before serving in assistant roles the last few years. “Som...Read More >>

     BY GREG GULAS
      Boardman News Sports
      bnews@zoominternet.net
      The 53rd Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame Banquet is scheduled for Sunday, May 1 with 12 new members set for enshrinement during ceremonies at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center, 7440 South Avenue, Boardman.
      The class was originally to be installed on May 3, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of induction ceremonies in both 2020 and 2021.
      Former Ohio State University and NFL quarterback, and current YSU assistant football coach, Mike Tomczak will serve as guest speaker.
      This year’s class includes Phil Annarella (football, posthumous), Mike Banks (basketball), Andrew Bushey (baseball), Sandra DePizzo (bowling), Jim Evans (sports media), Tim Filipovich (basketb...Read More >>