Local

   » Members of United Steelworkers Local 1660 rejected Wheatland Tube Co.'s "final offer" by a vote of 230 to 184 Sunday. The local has been on strike since April 28.

   » A Delaware Township man, Eugene T. White, 22, of 90 Beil Hill Road, was killed in a two-car crash Sunday in Pymatuning Township.

   » Rumors ran rampant Monday night on the picket line at Wheatland Tube Co. that union members were considering crossing that line Tuesday morning. However, no Steelworker broke ranks with the union.

   » Hermitage Planning Commission Monday frowned on Eckerd Drug Store's plan to build at the busy intersection of North Hermitage and Lamor roads.

   » Consultant Phil Smalley told Hermitage school directors Monday that the Western Pennsylvania Schools Health Care Consortium is still the "best deal in town" for health insurance, even though it went $5 million over its budget last year, forcing its 12 member districts to ante up tens of thousands of dollars more than they had planned.

   » A divided Grove City council Monday gave the go-ahead for a consultant to begin hunting for funding for the proposed $6 million revitalization of the borough's downtown.

   » Five Mercer County school districts have succeeded in appealing or correcting information about them in a statewide report on school progress. According to a story Wednesday, Farrell, Hermitage, Sharon and Wilmington appealed successfully, while Mercer's information was corrected.

   » The newest inductees into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and Museum in Sharon were enshrined Tuesday.

   » Keystone Blind Association prepared Wednesday for possible flooding from Hurricane Isabel. Its building on Dayton Way in Sharon has already flooded five times this summer.

   » Mercer County Board of Elections this week officially certified the ballot for the November election, including the ballot positions for judicial candidates.

   » After having to borrow nearly $800,000 to pay an unexpected health care bill from the Western Pennsylvania Schools Health Care Consortium, Reynolds school directors Wednesday joined a new health care provider.

   » At least 1,300 people in Sharon are frustrated enough about the situation with the Oakland Avenue Viaduct to sign a petition demanding that the span be reopened. The petition was presented to city council on Thursday.

   » Fred Odem, 42, of Farrell was treated at a local hospital after he was shot Thursday while walking across the street. Alfred A. Griffin, 29, of Youngstown was arrested and charged with assault and other charges, police said Friday.

   » Sharon firefighters got permission from city council Thursday to study starting their own ambulance service.

   » A Reynolds High School student was expelled after he brought a loaded handgun to football practice, The Herald reported Saturday.

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Sports

   » Hickory girls and Mercer boys won team titles at the Blue-Grey Cross Country Invitational at Reynolds. The Raiders' Jake Habel and Hickory's Kara Morris notched individual crowns.

   » Sharpsville football team held off Bald Eagle Area for a thrilling 17-12 victory in a Saturday night game.

   » Former Sharon High star Mike Schneider is the starting quarterback at Duke University as a redshirt freshman, one of only five freshmen starting for Division I-A programs in the country.

   » Hickory's Brooke Pyle and Kellie Gustas as well as Kennedy Catholic's Ashley Laton and Kristen Joseph earned berths in the District 10 girls golf championships by shooting well in the D-10 qualifier at Hickory VFW Golf Course on Tuesday.

   » Slippery Rock defeated Hickory, 3-0, in a battle of volleyball unbeatens. The Lady Rockets moved to 6-0, led by Danielle Hogue, Ashlee Shearer, Danielle Morrow, Beth Mihalik and Hillary Pritts.

   » Farrell girls volleyball team upped its record to 5-0 with a 3-0 win over South Side Beaver. Sparking the Steelerettes were Kelly Davis, Alesha Blue, LaShawn Roberts, Dierica Blackwell and Davona Ford.

   » Sharpsville boys golf team raised its record to 15-0 this past week. Leading the Devils are Joel Pokorney, Ryan Homer, Joe Bonnani, Chris Mielecki and Steve Killa.

   » Farrell football team moved to 3-0 Friday night with a 28-0 romp over Cornell.

   » Hubbard football team notched an important 28-23 victory over TAC-8 rival Liberty, led by Shaun Lane's 222 yards rushing and three touchdowns.