A Hamilton County grand jury has indicted a 20-year-old Bridgetown man on a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, in connection with an Aug. 31 accident that killed a pedestrian.
Police say Chris Fitzwater was driving at a high rate of speed when he hit Charles Cobb, who was trying to cross Central Parkway in University Heights, in an area without crosswalks.
Mr. Cobb, 26, of Fay Apartments, died a short time later at University Hospital.
A hearing for Mr. Fitzwater is scheduled for Oct. 29 before Judge Patrick Dinkelacker of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
The charge of aggravated vehicular homicide alleges that Mr. Fitzwater "recklessly" caused Mr. Cobb's death. It is a third-degree felony, punishable by up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Plesant Ridge rape investigated
Cincinnati police are investigating the rape Monday of an 86-year-old Pleasant Ridge woman.
Police say a man forced his way into her apartment in the 5700 block of Montgomery Road about 9:45 a.m., raped her and took $100 and a .22-caliber handgun. Police had only a vague description of the suspect. No arrest has been made.
Woman faces second intimidation charge
Mionnia Pies already had a case involving ethnic intimidation pending against her, for allegedly harassing her Vietnamese neighbors with racial slurs.
Now police have charged the 62-year-old Pleasant Ridge woman again.
Ms. Pies, of the 6200 block of Cortelyou Avenue, surrendered to police Wednesday on another ethnic intimidation charge. It was the result of an argument Monday over trash cans. According to court documents, Ms. Pies spit in her 42-year-old neighbor's face, uttered racial slurs, then pulled out a kitchen knife and threatened to kill her.
She is being held at the Hamilton County Justice Center and is to be arraigned today. The other case is scheduled to go to trial Nov. 2.
Penalties in ethnic intimidation cases are one degree higher than for comparable crimes in which ethnicity was not a factor.
Regional drug unit nabs 35 pounds of marijuana
In the wake of Tuesday's announcement that Cincinnati-area police had seized more than $2 million worth of drugs in the past three weeks -- including nearly $500,000 of marijuana -- Hamilton County's Regional Narcotics Unit made another seizure Wednesday of 35 pounds of marijuana. By police estimates, that has a street value of $2,000 to $3,000 a pound.
Two arrests involved Cincinnati-area people -- Ruth Ready, 43, of Madisonville and Marvin Turner, 28, who listed no address. They are charged with drug possession. Mr. Turner also had outstanding warrants, including for probation violations and a drug indictment. Keith Sims, 28, and Tracy Sims, 35, both of Southern California, face charges of trafficking in marijuana. Another man has been arrested in connection with the case in California.
The four arrested locally are to be arraigned today in Hamilton County Municipal Court.
First lady cancels House campaign visit
First lady Hillary Rodham Clinton won't be stumping for U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland -- at least not this week.
A planned campaign stop for Friday in Athens County was scratched Wednesday because of scheduling problems. When White House planners proposed moving Friday's 5 p.m. rally an hour later, the Strickland camp decided to reschedule the event. The Lucasville Democrat is to debate challenger Lt. Gov. Nancy Hollister at 7 p.m. that day in Hocking County.
Mr. Strickland "has a debate and he wasn't going to cancel, even for the first lady," spokesman Jess Goode said Wednesday. Mrs. Clinton is expected to reschedule the event late next week.
Girl in shooting case going to adult court
XENIA, Ohio -- A 16-year-old girl told detectives she was inside
an apartment during a fatal drug-related shooting, drove the getaway car that carried a shooting victim who was bleeding to death, and threw out evidence, a police investigator said Wednesday.
Beavercreek Police Officer George Combs testified in Greene County Juvenile Court that Stephanie Harden of Moraine made the statements to him and another investigator after she was captured in Indiana.
Judge Robert Hutcheson ordered that Ms. Harden, charged with delinquency by reason of aiding and abetting aggravated murder, be prosecuted as an adult. Bond was set at $150,000. Ms. Harden broke down in tears and was comforted by her mother.
The charge against her results from an Oct. 4 shooting at an apartment in Beavercreek, a suburb of Dayton.
OSU dedicates first 2 of 6 business buildings
COLUMBUS -- Ohio State University on Wednesday dedicated the first two of six buildings planned for the $120 million Fisher College of Business.
The two buildings, which will house graduate programs, faculty and administration, were named for industrialist Max Fisher and the late John "Bernie" Gerlach, a former OSU Foundation Board chairman, the school said.
Wednesday's dedication, attended by Gov. George Voinovich, was part of two days of ceremonies. On Tuesday, the college held an opening symposium with keynote addresses by Carla Hills, former U.S. trade representative; Peter Ueberroth, former Major League Baseball commissioner and organizer of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics; and Leslie Wexner, founder of The Limited Inc.
The school announced a new program called The Fisher Council on Global Trade and Technology, sponsoring lectures and seminars.
