21 WFMJ archives / April 1, 1985 | Rayen Tigers gathered around Coach Frank Cegledy and the Ohio Class AA State Basketball Championship trophy when they returned to a greeting from 500 supporters after beating Columbus Linden McKinley, 50-46, to capture the state crown 40 years ago. From left: Tony Donaldson, Leon Ewing, Alan Reid, Kenny Donaldson, Kevin Madison, Cegledy, Bill Bowers, Wilson Humphrey, Assistant Coach Phil House, Shawn Byers, and Jerome Jenkins.

April 1

2000: Youngstown Mayor George McKelvey says the city might be able to build a new jail with money extracted from crooked government officials if County Prosecutor Paul Gains filed civil suits against them. 

The Ohio Schools Facilities Commission appears ready to approve a $134 million plan allowing the Youngstown City School District to close eight school buildings and build three new ones. 

A second annual Conference on Holocaust and Genocide will be held at Youngstown State University, focusing on the Holocaust and the tragedies of people in southwest Africa, Rwanda, Armenia, Serbia, Bosnia, and Kosovo. 

1985: Mark Real, director of the Children's Defense Fund of Ohio, says Ohio is the only state where for-profit daycare centers have to meet less stringent regulations than nonprofit sites. 

Talks are underway to merge the Boardman-based Eastern Ohio Heart Association with the Akron or Canton-based associations. 

Lawrence J. Korb, assistant secretary for manpower at the Defense Department, says Congress is responsible for at least $10 billion a year in waste because Congress approves billions of dollars in unneeded pork-barrel projects.  

1975: A Crawford County judge dismisses a murder indictment against James Wardrop of Youngstown, ruling he was granted immunity from prosecution in the gangland-style slaying of Philip Cowden in exchange for testimony before the Pennsylvania Crime Commission. 

According to FBI statistics, Youngstown's serious crime rate for 1974 increased by 9.6 percent, while the national average was up 17 percent. The city had 35 homicides in 1974, an increase of almost 50 percent over 1973.

UCLA Coach John Wooden coaches his last college basketball game, a 92-85 victory over Kentucky for the NCAA  National Championship. 

1950: An order to padlock the Green Village, a notorious gambling and "cheat spot" near Lake Milton, is issued by Judge Ford after he fines two men arrested in the joint. 

Tony Janiro of Youngstown and Rocky Graziano of New York battle to an official draw in Madison Square Garden.

Five adults linked to a gang of youths involved in the theft of auto accessories in Youngstown and Girard were fined, and three were given 30-day jail sentences.