Saturday, February 26, 2000
TRISTATE DIGEST
p8 Man gets 21 months in jail on pot charges
A federal judge has sentenced a Tristate man to 21 months in prison for his part in a Norwood drug ring that smuggled hundreds of pounds of marijuana from Mexico to Cincinnati.
William Roseberry, 26, was also given a $4,000 fine and ordered into three years of supervised release after his prison term, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in Cincinnati. He had pleaded guilty to drug charges for his part in the smuggling network. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mr. Roseberry was part of an group that between 1995 and 1998 used the Postal Service, Federal Express and commercial truck drivers to ship marijuana from the Mexican border to Cincinnati.
Nineteen people were indicted after the investigation, and 15 have been convicted. Three remain at large and are believed to have fled to Mexico.
Boy hit when he steps between parked cars
The Cincinnati traffic unit is investigating a traffic accident in Westwood Thursday night in which a 9-year-old boy was critically injured.
Police said Maria Payne, 31, of Westwood, was driving north on McHenry when she struck Vasean Graves, 9, who had stepped be tween two parked cars into the roadway. The boy was listed in critical condition at Children's Hospital Medical Center.
The 9-year-old was not standing in the crosswalk when the accident occurred, said Sgt. Mike Zwick of the police traffic unit, which is investigating the accident.
The accident occurred at 7:05 p.m. at 3252 McHenry Ave.
OEPA inspectors to get blood tests
TOLEDO — The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will offer blood tests to its inspectors who may have been exposed to toxic beryllium dust.
“It's a relatively small expense for us to incur, and it's the appropriate thing to do,” Ohio EPA Director Christopher Jones said.
OEPA will pay for blood tests for about 60 current or former employees who have visited Brush Wellman Inc.'s plant near Elmore or several other sites with beryllium.
Beryllium is a lightweight metal used in the defense, automotive and electronics industries. Its dust can cause a fatal lung disease.
In a series of stories last March, the Toledo Blade reported that government and industry officials knew for years about the dangers of beryllium disease but allowed workers to be exposed to it.
Researchers estimate there have been 1,200 documented cases of the disease nationwide since the 1940s, the newspaper reported.
John Vlasko, OEPA's health and safety coordinator, said the blood-testing will cost $12,000.
Man released from Algeria back in Ohio
TROY, Ohio — A man who was kept from leaving Algeria for several days after visiting his father there is back home in Ohio.
Josh Bouchair, 20, of Troy, arrived at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport on Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Bouchair left Ohio on Feb. 3 to visit his father, who had returned to his native Algeria after he and Mr. Bouchair's mother were divorced when Mr. Bouchair was 6 months old.
When Mr. Bouchair tried to cross the Algerian border into Tunisia on Sunday to catch a plane home, Algerian authorities stopped him. They said because of his father's nationality he, too, was an Algerian citizen and was obliged to perform military service.
Under Algerian law, all men under 25 are required to serve 18 months in the military.
Mr. Bouchair's family asked the U.S. Embassy to intervene, and Wednesday he was told he could leave.
Zoo chief stepping down after 38 years
Here's what we love/hate about teachers
McCain caravan coming down I-71
FWW builders planned better for surprises
Stadium manager: Deadline can be met
Folks bask in record warmth
Prosecutor looks into agency purchases
11 child sex cases dismissed
Aquarium: No penguin progeny yet
Boone may block hotel tax
Mardi Gras in Covington next weekend
Bedinghaus leads in cash
Bunning endorses Bush
GOP official: Ky. to vote Republican
Librarian sues for Sundays off
Man dies in wrong-way crash on I-75
Mom sentenced for allowing sex
Oak Ridge Boys play at Princeton High
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
GET TO IT
Orchestra blooms under Carlos Kalmar's baton
Bowman to head parks
Boy, 2, drowns in pool
City golf courses find competition tough
County courses ready to tee off
Delay may vex school district
Eye tests ensure pupils master A-B-SEEs
Fire levy would allow new hiring
Meeting broke sunshine law
Taft OKs flood help for Adams County
TRISTATE DIGEST
