A late-night prank that involved sneaking into the Cincinnati Zoo's camel pit to ride the animals cost five college students $150 each plus court costs after a court appearance Monday.
The suspects pleaded no contest to misdemeanor criminal-trespassing charges in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
The five University of Cincinnati students scaled a fence to get into the zoo about 3:30 a.m. Sunday and then climbed another fence to get into the camel pit before security officers caught them, zoo officials said.
In court Monday, one suspect read a statement apologizing to Municipal Court Judge John West.
Then the college students walked out, $150 poorer. They are Michael Wisniewski, 18, and his roommate, Kevin Smith, 19, of Clifton; Rueben Schatz, 18, of Solon, Ohio; Jerry Morris II, 22, of University Heights; and William Proto, 22, of Clifton Heights.
Zoo spokeswoman Donna Oehler said late-night trespassing presented significant risk to animals and trespassers. The intrusion ran the risk of frightening the camels into erratic behavior, she said.
Police investigate Colerain robbery
COLERAIN TOWNSHIP -- A man brandishing a crowbar took an undetermined amount of money Monday from Wet Willy's Drive Thru, 9316 Colerain Ave.
The Hamilton County Sheriff's Department said the man, who was wearing a multicolored jacket, ballcap and sunglasses, took the money from an attendant at 11:58 a.m. before fleeing the area in an unknown direction.
No one was injured and the robbery is under investigation.
Boy, 11, expelled after threat to blow up bus
LEBANON -- An 11-year-old Berry Middle School student accused of threatening to blow up a school bus Sept. 2 has been expelled and is under strict house arrest until further order of the court, a Warren County court official said.
The Lebanon City Schools student is accused of refusing to get on a school bus Sept. 2.
While in the principal's office, he allegedly threatened to blow up a bus and to jump from a second-story window.
On Monday, Juvenile Judge Mark Clark released the boy from the Warren County Juvenile Detention Center and placed him under house arrest, said Andrew Sievers, an assistant county prosecutor.
More in Ohio have no health insurance
While the ranks of uninsured Americans climbed nearly 4 percent in 1997 to 43.2 million people, the numbers went down in Kentucky and up in Ohio and Indiana, according to a recent national study. Nationally, about 16 percent of Americans have no health coverage, according to an annual study sponsored by Physicians for a National Health Program, a Chicago-based advocacy group. Despite various health reform proposals by Democrats and Republicans, the number of uninsured has gone up every year since 1987.
In Kentucky, the percentage of uninsured fell from 15.4 percent in 1996 to 15 percent in 1997. In Ohio, the rate increased from 11.5 percent to 11.6 percent. In Indiana, the rate went from 10.6 percent to 11.4 percent.
Texas and Arkansas had the highest uninsured rates, at 24.5 percent and 24.4 percent. The lowest rates were Hawaii and Wisconsin, at 7.5 percent and 7.9 percent.
Regular unleaded gas down to $1.04 a gallon
Tristate drivers haven't paid this little for gas since spring 1992.
A gallon of self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is going for an average $1.04 in Greater Cincinnati, according to the American Automobile Association (AAA) Cincinnati.
That's 1.7 cents lower than a month ago and 23.9 cents lower than a year ago, according to AAA Cincinnati.
Drivers across the country are enjoying a price break.
Self-serve regular unleaded gasoline is averaging $1.057 per gallon, according to AAA's monthly Fuel Gauge Report. That's the lowest price since March 1992 when prices averaged $1.049 per gallon, according to AAA.
Prices have stayed low because there is more crude oil and gasoline than demand right now. The low gas prices should stay until early 1999, when the supply and demand balance is expected to even out, according to the Energy Information Administration. When that happens, gas prices are expected to increase 4 cents to 5 cents a gallon during the year.
UC to pay tribute to body donors
The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine will pay tribute today to 150 people who donated their bodies to medical science. The donors died in 1995. Since then, their bodies have been studied in anatomy classes or used to test surgical techniques and equipment, said Dr. Richard Drake, director of UC's body donation program. Following a multifaith memorial service, the donors' cremated remains will be buried at Spring Grove Cemetery under a monument bearing the inscription "Through Their Thoughtfulness Knowledge Grows."
For more information about the body donation program, call 558-5612.
