Saturday, September 18, 1999
TRISTATE DIGEST
School board turns to fixing high schools
Redesigning high schools is one of the Cincinnati Board of Education's biggest priorities as the 45,600-student district moves into the 1999-2000 school year, board members said Friday.
Board members met Friday to plot school reforms with Superintendent Steven Adamowski in a daylong retreat at the district's Corryville headquarters.
The board first said last fall that the district's neighborhood high schools were a failure and drastically needed overhaul.
Since then, other issues have sidetracked administrators from launching that overhaul, including cutting the budget, seeking a tax increase, fixing failing elementaries and starting a charter-school policy.
Friday, Mr. Adamowski and board members pledged to immediately start working toward a comprehensive overhaul of the district's nine high schools. Administrators hope to create a system of specialized schools, such as a military school or a college-preparatory school, that would create more choice for students.
300 at Siemens plant evacuate during fire
NORWOOD — About 300 employees were evacuated from the Siemens Energy and Automation Inc., plant on Forest Avenue Friday morning when fire broke out in ovens used to bake varnish on motors produced at the factory.
Lt. Robert Schliebaum said the fire extended into duct work and was starting to break through roof panels when the fire department arrived at 8:57 a.m.
Fire Chief Curt Goodman said the fire threatened large vats of highly flammable varnish near the incinerators but the plant's sprinkler system and firefighters kept flames in check.
Damage was estimated at more than $50,000. The blaze was doused by 10:09 a.m. and work resumed at the plant, officials said. There were no injuries.
Car knocked into bus, one driver injured
UNION TOWNSHIP — A Hamilton woman sustained minor injuries in a collision of two cars and a Lakota Local School bus Friday morning.
None of the three junior high school students on the bus or the bus driver was injured.
Jessica Byerly, 30, was treated at Mercy Hospital Fairfield and released after the accident at Cox and Hamilton-Mason roads.
Police say Ms. Byerly was driving east on Hamilton-Mason when a car pulled out from Cox Road, striking her. Her car was shoved into the bus, which was stopped in the westbound lane of Hamilton-Mason waiting to turn onto Cox.
The second driver, Michele Easter, 17, of West Chester, was uninjured and charged with failure to yield. The accident happened shortly before 8 a.m.
Man gets 10-year term in death of infant
LIMA, Ohio — A man who pleaded guilty in the death of an 8-month-old infant he was babysit ting was sentenced to a maximum 10 years in prison.
Police said Tory Alberty, 20, of Lima, dropped his girlfriend's baby onto the floor and held her head face-down in a pillow to stop her from crying. The baby's mother was at work.
Mr. Alberty, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, said he was tossing the baby in the air and accidentally dropped her.
Allen County Common Pleas Court Judge Jeffrey Reed called the crime “reckless and repulsive.” He also fined Mr. Alberty $10,000. Sentencing was Thursday.
Breanna Walder died from head injuries March 15. She also had bruises and scrapes on her body, an autopsy report said.
Former budget director named to OU board
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Greg Browning, who was state budget director under former-Gov. George Voinovich, has been appointed to the Ohio University Board of Trustees.
Mr. Browning, an Ohio University graduate, replaces Jacqui Romer-Sensky, who resigned earlier this year when she was appointed state human services director. Gov. Bob Taft announced the change Friday.
Mr. Browning, who will serve on the board through May 13, 2007, is president of Capital Partners in Columbus, a public policy and management consulting firm. He was state budget director from 1991 to 1998, and also served as Mr. Voinovich's senior policy adviser from 1993 to 1998.
Man guilty of murder of church volunteer, 15
AKRON, Ohio — A man was convicted Friday of murder for the stabbing death of a 15-year-old volunteer at a church restaurant.
Following the jury verdict, Summit County Common Pleas Judge Brenda Unruh sentenced Shane Partin, 28, to 15 years to life in prison.
Witnesses had testified that Mr. Partin had been angry at Cassandra Blondheim for rebuffing his romantic advances. Ms. Blondheim was a volunteer at the restaurant in suburban Cuyahoga Falls.
Witnesses testified that on Jan. 31 he approached her from behind as she was washing dishes at the restaurant and began stabbing her.
In questioning by his attorney, Mr. Partin said Wednesday that his thinking may have been blurred by alcohol and a prescription drug. He said he didn't mean to kill the girl.
Warden appointed for new Toledo prison
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The warden at the Trumbull Correctional Institution has been selected for the same position at the new Toledo Correctional Institution.
The Toledo prison will house 1,125 inmates when it opens next summer, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction said Friday. Its new warden, Khelleh Konteh, has worked in the state's prison system since 1984.
The department also appointed Harold Carter as warden at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility in Lucasville and Michael Leonard at the Lima Correctional Facility.
Jet makes emergency landing
Program built on value of teacher as neighbor
Our German soul: Rich heritage remains
Tracking Cincinnati's German heritage
How to get to Oktoberfest
Honduras' first lady, Cincinnati native, asks help
Major crimes reduced
Y2K worries prompt colleges to delay first class in January
Daughter follows grisly footsteps
Taft exhorts all Ohioans to save water
Tutu: U.S. has global obligation
Teen violinist, CSO give dazzling performances
Fall gardening focus of Autumn Celebration
GET TO IT
Birth father awarded custody of boy
Cathedral project welcomes opinion
Computers help inmates learn
Galbraith campaigns in N.Ky.
Man sentenced to 20 years for attack, burglary
Miami board backs plan to reroute trucks
Miami room, board to rise 4.5%
N.Ky. may get nearly $11M in appropriations
TRISTATE DIGEST
Two-year colleges gain leader
Viral outbreak traced to food worker
