Testimony in the trial of a Youngstown man accused of killing his girlfriend centered on a text message purportedly sent to the 17-year-old victim moments before she was shot dead at a relative’s West Side home.

Melvin S. Shaw II, 20, of Idlewood Avenue, is charged with the aggravated murder of Tracee Banks, 17, and attempted murder of Jamel Turner, 18, of Youngstown in 2010. Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court is presiding over the trial.

Detective Sgt. John Patton spent much of the day on the witness stand Thursday detailing for jurors the time line immediately after the June 19, 2010, shooting and an interview with Shaw hours after the shooting. D

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A Warren County grand jury indicted Jason M. Scott, 33, of Mason on felony identity fraud, grand theft, unauthorized use of property and telecommunications fraud charges for allegedly stealing $11,896 from the Deerfield Twp. bank on Socialville-Foster Road.

Scott allegedly had a friend open three accounts — a line of credit, and checking and credit card accounts — to boost his sales record, according to Assistant Prosecutor Gary Loxley. He told the friend he had closed the accounts, and repaid a $5,000 line of credit loan the friend took out and gave to him. He

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“The President has long opposed divisive and discriminatory efforts to deny rights and benefits to same sex couples,” Cameron French North Carolina press secretary for Obama for America said, according to a report in the Washington Blade

“He believes the North Carolina measure singles out and discriminates against committed gay and lesbian couples, which is why he did not support it President Obama has long believed that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same rights and legal protections as straight couples and is disappointed in the passage of this amendment On a federal level, he has ended the legal defense of the Defense of Marriage Act and extended key benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees”

The Washington Blade17s Chris Johnson adds:

Pam Spaulding, a lesbian blogger for Pam’s House Blend, expressed disappointment with the president’s failure to speak out against Amendment One publicly in an email to the Washington Blade following the speech

“This president hasn’t exactly been known to be bold about weighing in on the Amendment after all, his statement against Amendment One came from a NC spokesperson, not from the man himself,” Spaulding said “It was no surprise, given the administration’s predilection for succumbing to political homophobia, or fear that being outspoken in speeches or on camera regarding LGBT issues — even on a subject he has a clear position on, such as opposing discriminatory ballot initiatives like this — usually rules the day”

A campaign mailing dated May 7 makes no mention of Amendment One — even though it came out the day before the measure came before voters — as it called on followers to show support for Obama

“The primary is a great opportunity to come out, meet other supporters in your area, and make your voice heard,” the mailing states “And even though we already know that President Obama will be our nominee, it’s important that we let him know we’re standing with him, now and in November”

A constitutional ballot initiative, Amendment One will now change North Carolina’s constitution by permanently banning same-sex marriage, removing orders of protection from domestic violence victims, and even remove children from their parents’ insurance policies

The 12th District panel heard arguments in the first appeal last month on the issue of an alleged improper seizure of the bathtub in which Widmer’s wife Sarah died. Judge Neal Bronson denied Widmer’s request for a fourth trial in January, after the original appeal was filed.

Widmer, 31, was convicted last year for drowning his wife their Hamilton Twp. home in 2008. It was the third murder trial for Widmer. The first conviction was overturned by juror misconduct. The second jury was hung. He is s

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Officers received a call at 11 p.m. about a robbery in the area, a police department news release said. Upon their arrival, police were met by a man who told them he was approached by three suspects who brandished a firearm at him and demanded his property. Police arrested two of the three suspects in the 1000 block of Von Shilling Drive, the news release said.

Police charged Hampton residents Marquan Tavelle Hoskins and James Kevin Williams.

Hoskins, 21, who resides in the 100 block of Michigan Drive, was charged with one count of robbery, one count of use of firearm in the commission of felony, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of stolen firearm, according to the release.

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Senior Metropolitan police officers have supported calls for changes to the law to allow the Independent Police Complaints Commission to reveal sensitive surveillance information unearthed during its investigation into Duggan’s death at a public inquest.

By law, the existence and content of intercept evidence cannot be disclosed to a coroner or heard in a public court and as a result the inquest into Duggan’s death last August has been delayed until next year and may never be held, leaving his family in the dark about what happened to him.

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Furthermore, 57-year-old Angela Corey has handled hundreds of homicide cases involving the justifiable use of deadly force — experience that could prove invaluable. It will be up to Corey whether to charge 28-year-old George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer, who says he was defending himself when he fatally shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a scuffle.

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The slaying of McDade, 19, a onetime standout football player at Azusa High School, has drawn comparisons to Trayvon Martin, who was fatally shot by a neighborhood watch captain Feb. 26 in Sanford, Fla., from the likes of Earl Ofari Hutchinson, radio host and political activist, who sees several obvious correlations between the two incidents.

“They are both young, they’re both black and they are both male. In the case of McDade, we have a bogus report that they were armed and we have a bogus report of an armed robbery,” Hutchinson said.

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She was released on bond pending her sentencing, scheduled for July 11 in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati. She faces a maximum prison sentence of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

According to court documents, between April 2006 and October 2008 Georgievsky was the sole owner of Standard Services Inc., a temporary labor agency in Mason that contracted with businesses to provide employees for housekeeping, laundry and other unskilled labor at area hotels and one high school.

Between April 2006 and October 2008, Georgievsky provided $1,287,453.77 in wages to her employees. However, she failed to file tax forms or pay federal employment taxes (Social Security and Medicare) on behalf of her employees for 2006 and 2007, and later filed false forms through 2008 by claiming herself as the only employee of Standard Services.

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A former FBI agent and Youngstown Municipal Court administrator will be in the Mahoning County jail on a $10,000 bond for reportedly beating her father.

Police arrested Sheila Lawson on Wednesday on Katherine Street on the city’s East Side. Officers were sent to the home when Lawson’s father called. He said his daughter was under stress about getting her job back, and she had yelled, screamed and hit him.

Lawson appeared before Judge Robert Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court on Friday morning for arraignment on the charges of domestic violence and intimidation of a witness. The

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 A woman was shot around 7:30 p.m. in the 200 block of East Virginia Beach Boulevard, and a man was shot about 10 minutes later near the 3100 block of East Princess Anne Road. Police spokesman Chris Amos said the two incidents are unrelated.

 Both gunshot victims were transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. There was no word on their conditions, and there was no immediate information on the circumstances of the shootings.

 Anyone with information can call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.

The suspect, a 22-year-old Hamilton man, is white.

The Hardin County Sheriff’s Office responded Saturday to a report that a KKK group was walking down a street in Mount Victory, about 50 miles northwest of Columbus. Some participants wore robes or jackets with KKK insignia.

Witnesses say the suspect pointed a pistol at the ground and told the black man “I will kill you.”

Sheriff Keith Everhart tells the Kenton Times the man was legally carrying the weapon. He was

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The front door to Murphy’s apartment was open, so her friend Tammy O’Reilly walked in and called out, “Hi, I’m here!” When nobody answered, O’Reilly went back to her car to get her suitcase. Then she glanced quickly into Murphy’s bedroom, where something caught her attention.

“I saw her leg and stopped,” O’Reilly testified Tuesday in Sacramento Superior Court.

O’Reilly touched her friend’s left arm and realized “something was terribly, terribly wrong.” She ran to a neighbor’s home and called 911.

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