Vindicator file photo/ Dec. 21, 1994 | Marsha Armstrong, 3, enjoys the 25th annual Christmas Party given by the Grocery Manufacturers of Youngstown in 1984 for children in the Head Start program at Leonard Kirtz School in Austintown.
 
December 23
 
1994: Newt Gingrich, Speaker-elect of the U.S. House of Representatives, tells students and visitors at Leetonia High School that he was a "shy-bookworm" during his teenage years. Gingrich was in Leetonia on a family visit. 

A Mahoning County jury deliberates 17 hours before finding David L. Dattilo, 18, of aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery in the beating death of Rose Bertolini, 72, of Austintown. 

Two members of the Youngstown Board of Education, Billy Tanner and Robert Bush, says the new superintendent was hired by the board without being interviewed, without an evaluation of his performance as assistant superintendent and without his hiring being on the meeting agenda.
 
1979: Robert Pegues Jr., former Youngstown schools superintendent who will take over leadership of the Warren school district in January, says it will be in the best interest of the Warren community to integrate its schools.

Youngstown Mayor J. Phillip Richley is retiring from public service after 30 years and will take a position as vice president for development for the Cafaro Co.

One of the Great Lakes' larger freighters, the 806-foot Charles M. Beeghly, will be converted into a self-unloader at the end of the 1980 sailing season, a $10 million project.
 
1969: Mary Lou Crum, 16, is injured when she jumps from a porch to escape a fire at 1130 Oklahoma Avenue. A father and nine other children escaped without injury. 

A former Youngstown State University honors student, Army Spec. 5 Daniel Evans Jr., 21, who received the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism in Vietnam, says he volunteered for the draft partly from irritation with draft dodgers. 

A blistering attack against the absent mayor and defeat of legislation designed to pay the wages of Campbell city employees by Christmas highlighted a special session of council.
 
1944: The father of a 16-year-old Campbell boy who struck and injured Nancy Skoufatas as she was crossing the street, is fined $100 and sentenced to 30 days in jail for allowing the boy to drive without a license. 

A fire of undetermined origin destroyed a two-story frame dwelling of Frank Rogers in Calla. Audley Kuhn, Green Township fire chief, estimated the damage at $11,000.

The civil service commission announces war service jobs for metallurgists, librarians and aircraft communicator trainees.