21 WFMJ archives / October 1, 1954 | Crews were working feverishly 71 years ago to finish paving the 22-mile Eastgate section of the Ohio Turnpike so that it could open on schedule Dec. 1, 1954.

October 1

2000: For more than a decade, underground storage tanks have been found seeping toxins into the ground in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys, at sites ranging from hospitals to a potato chip distributor. Progress is being made in cleaning up some of the sites.

The city of Girard seeks control of the Ohio Leather Works to address the issue of potentially hazardous waste stored there, including rusting 55-gallon drums filled with hazardous materials. 

The Packard Museum in Warren is seeking an engine that the Packard Motor Co. manufactured to power the P-51 Mustang fighter plane during World War II.

 

1985: Strouss announces that it will close its Salem department store effective Nov. 2 because the May Department Store Co. says the store is "no longer cost-effective."

Gregory Mashank, the city manager of Farrell, orders Fire Chief Bran Vuich to work the midnight shift to address a manpower shortage and reduce overtime costs. 

Form-Rite Tube Co., a new steel tube processor, is set to open in January at the Niles Industrial Park, creating 20 new jobs for the city. 

 

1975: The 7th District Court of Appeals upholds a lower court ruling that allows the Youngstown Board of Education to initiate its voluntary school transfer program. 

The Mahoning County grand jury indicts five men on multiple charges in the Mahoning County Jail sex scandal. All are prisoners held on state charges. 

The Ohio Supreme Court refuses to consider the city of Youngstown's appeal of a lower court ruling on its residency requirement. City employees, except those hired by the police and fire departments after January 20, 1972, may now reside outside the city. 

 

1950: C. Findley Bowser of Warren has been climbing mountains for 30 years, including Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens. He says there is little real danger in climbing mountains if the climber follows the rules and uses the proper equipment. 

The Rev. James W. Malone, assistant pastor of St. Columba Parish, will leave for Washington to pursue a postgraduate course in education at Catholic University. 

Mrs. Roy Thompson is the women's golf champion at Tippecanoe Country Club for the sixth consecutive season. Mrs. Gay Hettler wins the President's Cup.