Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a pretrial was set Jan. 7 for Brandi J. Glover, 39, East Liverpool Road, Lisbon, charged with assault for allegedly punching another woman in the face in Salineville on Dec. 12.

A pretrial was set March 18 for Connor William Ramsey, 24, 17th Street, Wellsville, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set March 10 for Daniel Lee Marriotti, 29, Pancake Clarkson Road, Rogers, charged with OVI second offense and slow speed.

A pretrial was set March 18 for Richard Parks Putnam Jr., 52, Warren, charged with OVI second offense.

Grand Jury

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of firing a shot while a woman was running towards a home in June was served Saturday with a secret indictment for multiple charges, including felonious assault.

Gary F. McCabe, 52, Steubenville Pike Road, Lisbon, was secretly indicted by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for the felonious assault charge, a second-degree felony, with a firearm specification, and misdemeanors of assault, aggravated menacing and discharge of a firearm on or near a prohibited premises.

McCabe was accused of allegedly causing or attempting to cause physical harm to a woman on June 28 by means of a deadly weapon, a firearm, the indictment said. County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino said the charges all stem from the same incident on June 28 when there was an argument and McCabe allegedly directed threats at the woman and fired toward the house.

The case will be heard in county Common Pleas Court.

McCabe is also facing a misdemeanor charge in county Municipal Court of telecommunications harassment related to the same day for continuously calling and texting the woman when she asked him to stop contacting her. A pretrial is set for Jan. 7 in that case.

Also served with secret indictments were:

— Rachel Ashley Hendricks, 25, Jennings Avenue, Salem, illegal use of supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) benefits or WIC program benefits, a third-degree felony, and grand theft, a fourth-degree felony for allegedly using SNAP benefits in an unauthorized way from March 1, 2023 to June 30, 2025 in an amount ranging from $7,500 to $150,000 and for allegedly depriving the Department of Job and Family Services of $26,458 from Aug. 1, 2023 to Aug. 31, 2025.

— Spencer M. Weisand, 28, Massillon, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing bromazolam on April 29, 2023.

— Rachel E. Garnes, 47, Columbia Street, Salem, aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, for allegedly possessing methamphetamine on March 1, 2025.

— A New Waterford woman accused of threatening to cut another woman and then shooting at her residence two days later was found competent to stand trial.

Rebecca Lynn Simpson, 54, state Route 7, appeared recently in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for a competencyhearing. Judge Megan Bickerton’s finding of competency was based on an evaluation by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio.

Simpson was indicted earlier this year for second-degree felonies of felonious assault and improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or a school safety zone, both with firearm specifications, fifth-degree felony improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and misdemeanors of using weapons while intoxicated and aggravated menacing.

Bickerton gave Simpson’s defense attorney, Ron Yarwood, 30 days to inform the court the name of a doctor being retained to complete a second evaluation. She denied the defense attorney’s oral motion to reduce the bond. The bond remains $500,000 cash or surety.

According to a police affidavit filed in county Municipal Court, Simpson allegedly contacted the other woman’s daughter to say she was going to harm her mother with a box cutter style knife on June 12. On a video sent to the other woman from her daughter, a female called “Becky” could be heard saying she was going to the residence and telling the woman her grandchild was killed so she’ll open the door, then she said she will cut the woman’s forehead with the box cutter style knife, then cut her legs, mouth and cut her tongue out.

The police affidavit for the June 14 incident in Liverpool Township said that the victim looked out the side window near her front door and saw Simpson allegedly standing outside a grey car pointing a gun at the residence in the direction where the victim was standing and then the victim heard gun shots ring out. Officers found two spent shell casings and one live round in the driveway in the area where the grey car had been parked. They found the spent rounds, with one on the sideway area and one in the ashtray on the front porch. One round grazed the wood trim around the top of the porch and struck the brick above the front door where the victim had been standing. The other round went through a lawn chair and struck the brick.

Simpson allegedly fled the area, but crashed her vehicle on Sprucevale Road and was taken into custody by St. Clair Township police. An officer located a black 9 mm handgun underneath the driver seat of her vehicle with a live round in the chamber and additional rounds in the magazine.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Donna Aber, 32, Maine Boulevard, East Liverpool, was placed on a treatment plan for two years after pleading guilty to complicity in the commission of an offense, a fifth-degree felony, and misdemeanor possession of drugs. A charge of complicity in the commission of an offense, a third-degree felony, was dismissed. Aber was accused of participating in a scheme with two other defendants to obtain illegal narcotics and sneak them into the Columbiana County jail on Sept. 13, 2024. She also possessed buprenorphine.

Court News

— Melissa A. Tamalonis, 33, Hookstown, Pa., was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve a term at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center until the program is complete for attempted tampering with evidence, a fourth-degree felony lesser included offense, fifth-degree felonies of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of cocaine and possession of heroin and misdemeanors of driving under suspension, drug paraphernalia, obstructing official business and two counts possession of drugs. She received credit for 87 days served in jail. The charges all stemmed from an incident June 6, 2023 when she possessed fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, tramadol and alprazolam, tampered with evidence and obstructed official business.

— Landon G. Knight, 19, Commerce Street, Wellsville, was placed on an intervention plan for 18 months after pleading guilty to a lesser offense of theft, a fifth-degree felony, for stealing a firearm on May 1. He was originally charged with grand theft.

— Melissa M. Barnhart, 46, Main Street, Wellsville, was placed under community control for three years and ordered to serve up to six months at the Eastern Ohio Correction Center in Lisbon for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, for possessing cocaine on Nov. 26, 2024.

— John W. Kelly, 60, state Route 154, Lisbon, was granted limited driving privileges by Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam for two separate cases of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them, with the judge ruling he has been without driving privileges in excess of three years, completed the term of his incarceration and was gainfully employed. The judge wrote that granting limited driving privileges will help to continue the defendant’s employment and rehabilitation. In a 2007 case, his license was suspended for life for OVI and in a 2022 case his license was suspended for 10 years for OVI and driving under suspension.

Common Pleas

New Cases

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Mark W. Loy, Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Lacroft Avenue, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Nathaniel Freeman, Lorain; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Melissa Simballa, Lisbon Street, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Lisbon Street, East Liverpool property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. James R. Hill, Oakhill Avenue, Alliance, et al.; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for North Market Street, East Palestine property.

County Treasurer, Lisbon, vs. Timothy P. Williams; Gardendale Street, East Liverpool; delinquent property tax foreclosure sought for Gardendale Street, East Liverpool property.

Donald R. Lutz, Ellwood City, Pa., vs. Monro, Inc., Fairport, N.Y., and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial for additional injuries.

Walter L. Smith, Hammondsville, vs Ohio Valley Waste Service Inc., Grove City, Pa., and Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, Columbus; appeal of claim denial for additional injuries.