Friday, March 10, 2000
TRISTATE DIGEST
Life sentence possible for beating death
Kevin Rogers faces a possible life sentence after a jury convicted him Thursday of beating to death a Maineville man.
Mr. Rogers, 19, of Over-the-Rhine, was convicted of murder, felonious assault and aggravated robbery. Prosecutors say he and two other men pulled Anthony Issacs, 30, from a parked car and then punched and kicked him to death.
Another man, Glenn Brayton, also was pulled from the car but survived the attack.
Mr. Rogers told police he took part in the Aug. 29 assault and allowed them to record his confession. He told police he and his friends later laughed about the crime.
But at his trial this week, Mr. Rogers told jurors police coerced him into making the statement. His conviction means he will face 43 years to life when he returns to court April 13 for sentencing before Common Pleas Judge Norbert Nadel.
One of the other men, 19-year-old Martez Dixon, pleaded guilty last month to involuntary manslaughter. The other defendant, 14-year-old Anthony Pugh, is awaiting trial.
Superintendent gets death threat
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The city's school superintendent remained under 24-hour protection because of a death threat apparently linked to the disciplining of two administrators.
Police Thursday were investigating the threat against Rosa Smith.
A threatening phone call was made at 11:45 a.m. March 1 to the computer business of David Dobos, president of the Columbus school board, police said.
“If those two women don't go back to work real soon, Rosa Smith is dead,” police quoted the caller as saying.
Police spokeswoman Sherry Jones said the names of the two women referred to by the speaker were not stated.
Mercury levels in children deemed low
SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Low levels of mercury were found in two children who came into contact with the toxic metal after they found it inside a steel drum behind a vacant house, a health official said Wednesday.
Clark County Health Commissioner Steve Wermuth said the levels were so low that no treatment will be required.
He said the two children were among seven whose test results came back. The other five had no detectable levels of mercury.
He said he was awaiting test results on eight or nine other children.
Woman on trial over photos of daughter
OBERLIN, Ohio — What began as an ambitious attempt to chronicle her daughter's everyday life has landed Cynthia Stewart in court facing a charge of taking lewd photos of the 8-year-old in a bathtub.
Ms. Stewart has taken more than 40,000 photos of her daughter over the years. But when she sent 10 rolls of film off to be processed last summer, just nine came back. Police showed up at her door with the 10th roll and later arrested her.
Police had been alerted by a Mansfield photo lab over snapshots showing the girl in a bathtub.
Ms. Stewart, on the advice of her attorneys, turned down an interview request from the Associated Press.
Ms. Stewart, 48, could get 16 years in prison if convicted at a trial scheduled to begin in May. She is a school bus driver, but was suspended from her job after her arrest.
Attempted-murder charge filed in gasoline attack
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Bond was set at $750,000 Thursday for a woman accused of dousing another woman with gasoline and setting her on fire in front of about 20 supermarket shoppers.
Police charged Lana D. Wil liams, 28, with attempted murder. She was in the Franklin County jail.
Trishella McDaniel, 32, suffered second- and third-degree burns to her upper body and was listed in critical condition at Ohio State University Medical Center.
Witnesses told police that Ms. McDaniel and Ms. Williams appeared to be arguing Wednesday evening when Ms. Williams poured gasoline from a can on Ms. McDaniel and lit it.
Radio ad knocking Toledo won't be aired
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The state won't use a radio commercial that uses a comparison between Toledo and tropical isles in an effort to sell Ohioans on electricity deregulation.
“We are highly sensitive to any ad that is going to poke fun and possibly alienate a piece of the state,” said Lee Ruh, education programs administrator for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
The commercial includes the Beach Boys singing “Kokomo,” a song that mentions several tropical resort areas by name. An announcer intermittently interrupts with one alternative destination — Toledo.
“Life without choices can be pretty limiting. That's why you should look forward to January 1, when you can choose your own electric supplier,” the announcer states.
Program to honor tissue-donor support
LifeCenter, the Tristate organ recovery agency, will kick off Tissue Donor Awareness Month with a program honoring some of its volunteers and supporters.
April 2000: Campaign Kick-off and Volunteer Recognition Ceremony will be from 2:30 to 4 p.m. March 31 in the Oak Ballroom of the Vernon Manor Hotel, 400 Oak St., Avondale.
In addition to highlighting activities planned for April to help increase organ and tissue donations in the Tristate, LifeCenter officials will honor the following people and institutions:
• Jim Clingman, president of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky African-American Chamber of Commerce.
• Bill Fee, general manager of WCPO-TV, Channel 9.
• Tom and Anne Starr, who will receive the Paul Hackman Award, named for longtime LifeCenter volunteer Paul Hackman.
• Walt Maher and Dr. Thomas G. Saul of the Mayfield Group.
• LaRosa's.
Ex-astronaut to speak at Wright-Patterson
As one of the pioneers of the early space program, retired Lt. Gen. Thomas P. Stafford has seen firsthand the remarkable progress mankind has made in space.
He will speak about the space program from his perspective, as a former astronaut in a management position, during a lecture titled “Traveling to Space — Then and Now” March 23 at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton.
The speech will be at 7:30 p.m. in the Carney Auditorium at the U.S. Air Force Museum. Museum doors will open an hour early.
The museum is at Gate 28B off Springfield Pike, six miles northeast of downtown Dayton. For information, call the museum's special events office at (937) 255-8046, Ext. 312.
Estate-planning classes offered
HAMILTON — The Ohio State University Extension office in Butler County is offering a series of classes in estate planning. The dates are March 14, 21, 28 and April 4, and will begin at 7 p.m. at the Blue Building at the Butler County Fairgrounds.
The classes — participants may attend as many as they want — will cover such topics as estate taxes, limited partnerships, wills, probate vs. nonprobate assets, estate planning and ways of owning property.
Call 887-3722 for information.
Closed-door meetings used to discuss stadium problems
Stadium parking scares Luken
Police panels provide boost to democracy
3-year-old unharmed after carjacking
Ohio is at 'heart' of presidential contest
Olympic vet likes Tristate's chances for 2012
Holcomb ads show killers he sent away
Legion post's gambles bring losses
OSU president calls for research emphasis
Prom-goers get taste of etiquette
Union says working women struggle
Urgency grows for tank registry
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Readers remember Junior when
Family's driving ambition: The limo life
GET TO IT
8,000 books collected at Cardinal Pacelli
Accuser faces own charges
Airport noise assurances offered
Coach wants new trial
Colerain looks for reason why road levy failed again
Foes get time to fight medical waste facility
Four convicted on drug charges
High school 80% done
Irelan charged with assault
Lebanon telecom costs up sharply
Mardi Gras damaged home, lawsuit says
Middletown makes plans for schools post-Monroe
Multistate lottery, lower profits urged
Police targeting problem youths
Suspect in nine crimes caught
Tight rescues taught
TRISTATE DIGEST
Woman pleads not guilty in robberies
