Municipal

LISBON — In Columbiana County Municipal Court, a preliminary/pretrial hearing was set April 15 for Jason N. Hartsough, 48, state Route 558, New Waterford, charged with second-degree felony kidnapping and misdemeanors of assault and aggravated menacing for allegedly kidnapping a woman from the parking lot of Small Wonders Daycare in Columbiana and causing her to believe he would cause her serious physical harm by forcing her to a secluded area against her will while armed with a pistol. The Columbiana police affidavit said the victim was allegedly forced into the back of Hartsough’s truck when she arrived for work at the daycare at 5 a.m. April 6. She allegedly texted coworkers at 6:30 a.m. “911,” “Jason,” and “Help.” Her car was found at the daycare with the keys nearby and flowers strewn about the ground. While police were coordinating with the county sheriff’s office for a suspected person who had an alleged turbulent history with the victim, identified as Hartsough, the sheriff’s office reported the victim called 911 from Lusk Lock Road, south of Middle Beaver Road. The victim gave a statement about being forced into the back of the truck and finding an axe in the back during the drive and unsuccessfully using it to fight off the defendant at the scene and trying to wrestle a pistol away from the defendant.

A preliminary hearing was set April 22 for James Merino, 68, Benton Road, Salem, charged with fourth-degree felony burglary for allegedly kicking the door in and entering a Lisa Lane, Lisbon property on April 8 and yelling at two people inside. An eviction notice was posted on the adjacent property, with his name on it as the owner of the property seeking the eviction of the residents.

A pretrial was set June 10 for Landon Lee Wilson, 18, Sprucevale Road, East Liverpool, charged with assault for allegedly assaulting a juvenile at Beaver Local schools on April 8, with video showing the assault while it was taking place in the school.

A pretrial was set June 15 for James L. Huckle Jr., 60, Grant Street, Salem, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly threatening to stab a man with a knife in Salem and then allegedly pulling a gun on the victim on April 9.

A pretrial was set April 22 for Brayden Michael Olson, 18, McCoy Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with aggravated menacing for allegedly sending threatening messages via social media on April 3 to a victim in East Liverpool saying he was going to beat the victim up.

A pretrial was set June 15 for Jessica M. Combs, 35, last known address, South Beaver Street, Lisbon, charged with six counts of endangering children after Lisbon police found no water or heat in her house and very little food for a family of seven, noting ice cubes being melted for drinking water on April 1, 2025 in Lisbon. Six children were removed from the home by child protective services, with piles of dirty clothes, trash and dirty dishes in the house. She was fined $250 for a recent driving under suspension charge.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Taira Nicole Higgins, 33, Martha Street, East Liverpool, charged with endangering children for allegedly failing to properly secure the house and knowing a child was an escape risk on April 9 when St. Clair Township police were called to Y & O Road for a young male child running in a diaper and almost being hit by cars. The police had dealt with the child previously and transported him to the Martha Street home where Higgins allegedly had no knowledge he was missing.

A pretrial was set June 15 for Charles Ira Shupp, 67, Eighth Avenue, East Liverpool, charged with obstructing official business for allegedly refusing to identify himself several times when asked during an incident in East Liverpool on April 9.

Mark Dysert Kireta, 57, Chester Avenue, Wellsville, was fined $300 and sentenced to 11 days in jail, with credit for 11 days served, for three counts of theft for stealing $45 worth of merchandise from the St. Clair Township Giant Eagle on Jan. 19, for stealing three steaks valued at $108 from the Calcutta Walmart on Dec. 9, 2025 and for stealing a two-pack of Raid cans and a pork butt from the Calcutta Walmart on Nov, 27, 2024. He was also sentenced to 60 days in jail, with credit for 11 days served, leaving a balance of 49 days still to serve in jail for violating the terms of his probation for a 2024 criminal damaging case, a 2024 aggravated menacing and assault case and a 2023 disorderly conduct case.

William G. Denoon, 65, Bergholz, was fined $480 and sentenced to 30 days in jail, with 27 days suspended and credit for three days served in a driver intervention program for reckless operation amended from operating a vehicle impaired, obstructing official business and marked lanes. His driver’s license was suspended for one year and he was ordered to complete 30 hours community service. On June 21, 2025 in Lisbon, he was pulling away from officers during his OVI arrest.

A pretrial was set June 3 for Sydney M. Grimm, 22, North Jefferson Street, Lisbon, charged with OVI first offense, OVI breath first offense and reasonable control.

A pretrial was set June 22 for Thomas James Cruz, 32, Lisbon Road, Lisbon, charged with operating a vehicle impaired first offense and left of center.

A pretrial was set April 20 for Frank W. Langham Jr., 58, Youngstown, charged with OVI second offense and OVI refusal with prior within 20 years.

A pretrial was set June 9 for Chad Hartley, 48, Starkey Lane, East Liverpool, charged with speeding, no valid license and driving under suspension.

A pretrial was set June 16 for Tyler L. Cox, 23, state Route 45, Lisbon, charged with speeding and driving under suspension.

Joshua Ryan Stewart, 53, Dairy Lane, East Liverpool, was fined $925 and given a suspended 180-day jail term for physical control amended from OVI and reasonable control. He was ordered to complete 40 hours community service.

James Thomas Jackson, 20, Newell, W.Va., was fined $100 for failure to display valid sticker and no license amended from driving under suspension.

Johnathon M. King, 28, Farmdale, was fined $25 for lighted lights amended from driving while texting.

Muhammad Mursal, 30, Jamaica, N.Y., was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

A charge of driving under suspension against Nichole Lynn Chestnut, 32, state Route 558, New Waterford, was dismissed.

Logan J. Winland, 24, Hickman Road, East Liverpool, was fined $75 for an equipment violation amended from speeding.

Karyn N. Bisutti, 37, Youngstown, was fined $50 for a temporary permit violation.

Phillip Ray Miller, 29, Somer Street, Leetonia, was fined $100 for driving under suspension.

Jordan Isaac Hebron, 24, Wayne Bridge Road, Lisbon, was fined $130 for driving under suspension and no seat belt.

Common Pleas

New Cases

Village of East Palestine, care of Regional Income Tax Agency, North Market Street, East Palestine, vs. Frank Yonker III, Alice Street, East Palestine; collection sought of alleged $20,920 debt for village income taxes owed from 2019-2023.

Docket Entries

Credit Acceptance Corporation vs. Kaitlyn R. Vandyke; judgment vacated.

Paul V. Brandon vs. estate of Wayne D. Seevers Sr.; case settled and dismissed.

Gonatas Real Estate, LLC vs. Dominic Frazzini, doing business as Deno’s Construction; $31,537 judgment granted to plaintiff.

Eric O. Watterson vs. Sara M. Watterson; divorce granted.

County Treasurer vs. Walnut Street Investments, LLC; payment plan entered, case stayed.

County Treasurer vs. The First Czecho Slovak Educational Club; delinquent property taxes paid, case dismissed.

Melinda K. Virden vs. Raymond K. Virden; divorce granted.

Grand Jury

LISBON — Robert K. Barrett, 41, West Ninth Street, East Liverpool, was served recently with a secret indictment issued by the Columbiana County Grand Jury for second-degree felony burglary, fourth-degree felony trespass in a habitation when a person is likely to be present, fifth-degree felony possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor attempted theft for an alleged incident March 20 in East Liverpool when he allegedly trespassed in an occupied structure when a person was present, had a screwdriver in his possession and attempted to take a woman’s purse and all the contents.

Court News

LISBON — A Lisbon man accused of choking a woman last year entered a guilty plea in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to an amended offense of aggravated assault, a fourth-degree felony.

Ronnie L. Jackson, 68, Steubenville Pike Road, was originally charged with third-degree felony strangulation. A misdemeanor domestic violence charge will be dismissed. Sentencing was set for June 11.

Jackson was accused of choking a woman and throwing her to the ground on Nov. 20, 2025 in Center Township. The affidavit said the victim, in fear for her life, kicked him and ran away to call 911.

Also in Common Pleas Court:

— Kevin M. Hupp, 30, Idaho Avenue, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence for grabbing a woman by the throat and choking her on Aug. 10, 2025 in East Liverpool. Sentencing was set for June 11.

— Adam Douglass, 40, Cain Street, East Liverpool, pleaded guilty to fourth-degree felony domestic violence for attempting to harm a woman on March 25, 2025. Sentencing was set for June 11.

— Jerry L. Malone II, 45, West Fifth Street, Salem, pleaded guilty to drug charges from two separate indictments, with sentencing set for June 11. The charges included third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs and three counts of fifth-degree felony possession of drugs for possessing methamphetamine in an amount equal or greater than bulk but less than five times bulk and possessing alprazolam and clonazepam on July 23, 2024 and possessing alprazolam on March 10, 2024.

— Audrea J. Farnsworth, 49, Ohio Avenue, East Liverpool, was ordered to serve 30 days in jail and her community control was extended to Oct. 14, 2027 for violating the terms of her probation for possession of cocaine, a fifth-degree felony, and misdemeanor drug paraphernalia for possessing cocaine and paraphernalia on April 30, 2024.