Traders this morning saw fuel prices on a wholesale level to 96.31 at near record highs, the price of fule that was before Christmas priced at $2.99 locally has seen the price jump back to the $12 cent level locally. The mean cost pre gallon of unleded gas statewide is priced at $3.15. While supplies are unchanged, and inventory is good, the fear of tensions in the Middle East and other areas that effect shipments has caused concern for traders who say $100.00 a barrel is possibly by summer 2008.

YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO - The Youngstown SteelHounds in conjunction with the Central Hockey League announced today that forwards Chris Richards and Petr Pohl have been selected for the 2008 CHL All Star Game to take place on Wednesday, January 16th at the Broomfield Entertainment Center in Broomfield, Colorado.

It will be Richards fifth All Star appearance while Pohl will be making his first.

Chris Richards, 32, is in his third year as a SteelHound and is making his third consecutive CHL All Star appearance. The Austintown, Ohio resident has 11 goals and a team-leading 22 assists. The ninth year pro is ninth all time in the CHL for assists with 398. “What can I say about Richie? He is such a great leader for us,” said Head Coach Kevin Kaminski. “It just shows what kind of a pro he is getting named to his fifth All Star team.”

Petr Pohl, 21, is a second year pro from Prostejov, Czech Republic. He leads the team with 34 points coming on 13 goals and 21 assists. His efforts earned him a call up to the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch in November. “Well deserved,” said Kaminski. “It is great that a young guy like Petr has been recognized as an elite player in our league.”

Richards and Pohl join goaltender Andy Franck as Hounds to be named All Stars.

The Hounds are home for two games against the Tulsa Oilers on Friday, January 4th and Saturday the 5th. Tulsa is lead by former SteelHounds Captain Jeff Christian. This will be Christians’ first return to Youngstown since being traded in the off season.

The U.S. military, short on troops, low on new sign ups, and still in the midst of a Troop serge, is giving the Ohio National Guard its most massive call-up since World War II this week, sending about 1,600 troops to Kuwait, with some of them going on to Iraq, and Afganastan.
With new departures, the guard is doing more to help members’ families through support, special programs and with the aide of experienced veterans.
The 37th Infantry Brigade Combat Team is spread throughout Ohio and includes another 1,100 soldiers from Michigan. One of the Ohio units is from Austintown, others in clude, Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo, as well as Detroit, Flint and Pontiac Michigan according to officials.
Members of the unit have been deployed in individual companies or battalions since the terrorist attacks of 2001, But never so many at once have ben called up in more than 60 years, According to a Guard spokeswoman Maj. Nicole Gabriel orignally quoted in the Vindy.com News.
About 300 other Ohio Guard members currently are deployed, Gabriel said. The Ohio Guard, including the Army and Air branches, has a total strength of more than 15,000.
The unit will be based in Kuwait and will have some responsibility for security and convoy escorts in southern Iraq, said Col. Richard Curry, brigade commander. They are expected to replace departing british Troops who pulled out on the 1st of January.
The old 37th Division fought in the Pacific during World War II and had 9,800 Purple Heart and seven Medal of Honor recipients. The division was retired in 1968.

Information porovided by Press release and Related Articel in Vindy.com

A city-based group is taking its anti-violence message nationwide.
Stopping the Violence, a three-year-old non-profit organization, has established the Stopping the Violence Movement, an outreach ministry composed of singers, mimes, dancers and step teams, comedians and gospel, inspirational and positive musical poets.
Their first stop is Saturday in Columbus. They also plan trips to Atlanta in February and to Los Angeles in April. Additional appearances will be announced as the schedules are finalized, said Patricia Owens of Stopping the Violence.
Performances also will be shown on the group’s Website which is being developed.
Owens said that the group hopes to raise awareness of violence and encourage people to work together to develop a way to address it. The organization hosts a block party with an antiviolence theme each summer in the city.
In the past, they’ve also performed as part of the city’s Martin Luther King Jr. observance but decided to take the message on the road this year, Owens said.

COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) reminds Ohioans that their live-cut Christmas trees can be recycled for a variety of uses, including mulch, compost and wildlife habitat.
Individuals living in communities without recycling programs might consider chipping and composting their holiday trees. Adding compost to home gardens improves soil quality, stores moisture and reduces weeds. Using Christmas trees to create outdoor brush piles makes ideal homes for wildlife. Trees can also be weighted down and sunk in farm ponds to attract fish and increase habitat, said Derek Anderson, chief of the ODNR Division of Recycling & Litter Prevention.
Before disposing of a live-cut Christmas tree, individuals are reminded to remove all trimmings, including tinsel, garland, lights and ornaments; and to obtain permission before discarding trees on public or private land or in ponds. Discarding trees without permission could result in a litter violation.
From Press Release

The Butler County Housing Authority is holding a free homebuyer education class to be held next month at their office.The class will be held on Saturday, January 19th at the Butler County Housing Authority’s office at 114 Woody Drive, next to Pullman Commerce Center, just off Hansen Avenue in Butler. Pre-registration is required. You can do so by calling Jeannie or Martha at (724) 287-6797 or toll-free at 1-800-433-6327. The deadline is Wednesday, January 15th.

The bond insurer for the former general contractor on the Butler County Prison project will visit the construction site Monday.A.G. Cullen, who had been the general contractor up until Thursday, December 20th, terminated their contract with the county, citing nonpayment. The county has withheld money from A.G. Cullen on the grounds of workmanship concerns.Travelers Casualty and Surety, which holds A.G. Cullen’s performance bond, will visit the site tomorrow to determine the nature of the claim filed by the Butler County Board of Commissioners. In the meantime, some work has been continuing at the site until a new general contractor can be found. Travelers is also expected to find a new general contractor to help the project get finished.No word yet on how this will affect the timetable for the project, which is about 70 percent completed.

A Center Township man is a suspect in one crime and the victim of another.Police report that the 54-year-old made a series of phone calls to a 50-year-old woman who lives on the same road, after the victim and police warned him not to do so.Troopers cited the man for harassment.Last week, the same man reported a theft from his home, on Christmas eve. The crooks made off with a steak, a VCR and a porno tape, according to the police report. Were not sure exactly if the two are related, neither party will comment on the arrest or theft.