21 WFMJ archives  / November 15, 1980 | The Salvation Army kicked off its annual Christmas Kettle drive 44 years ago in downtown Youngstown. Taking part were, from left, Frank Stillwagon, the Rev. Charles Ferrell, Mayor George Vukovich, SA Sgt. Major Roella McEaneney, Lt. Ronald Liston, Mahoning County Commissioner George Bindas, and Capt. Robert A. Lugiano. 

November 20


1999: Warren Mayor Hank Angelo says he cannot ignore the opportunity to bring a private prison to the city, which could create thousands of jobs at a time when the city is in a financial crisis.

The Poland Bulldogs beat Steubenville Big Red 23-21 to advance to the state semifinals. Poland came back from an 11-point halftime deficit.

The Mahoning County Board of Elections certifies the results of the Nov. 2 election after the Ohio Supreme Court failed to rule on a request from Jack Durkin, a Youngstown Clerk of Courts candidate, to stop the ballot count. Sarah Brown Clark defeated Durkin.


1984: U.S. Rep. Lyle Williams says backers of the Ronneburg Brewery project in Youngstown Commerce Park have until Jan. 31 to finalize $18 million in private financing to access a $9 million federal grant.

Lordstown Village Council rezoned 18 acres of Lyntz Road residential property for industrial use, clearing the way for Anchor Motor Freight's proposed new terminal, which could create 200 jobs.

Liberty Police Detective Gerald Wardrop negotiates the return of a parrot stolen from Wonderland Pet Store in the Liberty Plaza. The day after the theft, the getaway car driver was stopped for a traffic violation, and Wardrop told him the car would not be released from the pound until the parrot was returned. 


1974: A beautiful 60-foot blue spruce that overlooked Mill Creek Park from Mrs. Frances Barnes's yard on Glacier View Drive for more than 50 years is erected on Federal Plaza West, where it will be lighted Dec. 7.

David E. Babcock, president of May Department Stores, told 500 people at the Youngstown Chamber of Commerce dinner that a return to central cities can be achieved through downtown residential housing, mass transportation, and cultural activities.


The first fatal crash of a Boeing 747 aircraft claims the lives of 61 of the 157 passengers and crew in Kenya. 


1949: Ohio State's Buckeyes are Rose Bowl-bound after a 7-7 tie with  Michigan, which put the two powerhouses in a tie for the Big Ten title.

Science students from Ohio State University and Ohio University will spend their Thanksgiving vacation digging in pre-Columbian mounds near Chillecothe,  looking for evidence that Vikings visited North America centuries before Columbus.

Playing at the Paramount, Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in "Adam's Rib."