Wednesday, September 27, 2000

Tristate A.M. Report

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Driver hits child in crosswalk

        NORTH COLLEGE HILL — A 12-year-old North College Hill girl was in fair condition Tuesday at Children's Hospital Medical Center after being struck by a car as she walked in a crosswalk on her way to school.

North College Hill police charged Francine Swain (at left) with failure to yield after her car struck a 12-year-old girl Tuesday on West Galbraith Road. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        North College Hill Police Sgt. Paul Toth said Flora Hernandez was crossing with others in the 1600 block of West Galbraith Road when she was struck by a car driven by Francine Swain, 29, of College Hill.

        There was a guard with his stop sign raised when the accident occurred, said Sgt. Toth. Ms. Swain was heading east on West Galbraith. She has been charged with failure to yield.

        The accident is still under investigation.
       

Allen: Raise bonds for fight with officer

        Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen will argue this morning that two men accused of fighting with a Cincinnati police officer got out of jail too easily.

        Eric Jones, 22, of Georgetown and Aaron Caudill, 22, of Fort Thomas got out of the Hamilton County Justice Center after the fight Sept. 15 by paying $500 each.

        Keith Fangman, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called the bond amount ridiculously low, considering the cut that Officer Scott Owen got on his head. Breaking up the fight, on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine, eventually involved 60 officers, Mr. Allen said.

        A grand jury has since indicted the men on more serious charges of felonious assault, inciting violence and aggravated rioting. Mr. Allen wants their bonds to be higher.

        Mr. Jones allegedly boasted that he would return to Main Street to beat up more officers, Mr. Allen said. He has vowed to make an example of the cases to show that assaults on police officers will not be tolerated.

        The prosecutor will appear before Judge Norbert Nadel of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court.
       

Drug ring's leader gets 24 years

        An Evendale man was sentenced to 24 years in prison Tuesday for leading a suburban drug ring that sold as much as a ton of marijuana in Greater Cincinnati.

        Thomas McIntosh, 52, was sentenced in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on charges of drug trafficking and conspiracy. Judge Thomas Nurre imposed the sentence.

        Prosecutors have said Mr. McIntosh was one of eight gang members who sold the drugs during the past two years. The others all have pleaded guilty to lesser drug charges and face sentences of up to five years.
       

AIDS run/walk sees collections drop again

        A rainy weekend and reduced public concern about AIDS combined to result in another year of declining revenue for a key fund-raising event for AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati.

        AVOC, the Tristate's biggest AIDS advocacy and support group, had hoped to collect about $150,000 in gross proceeds from a 10K walk, a 5K run and a benefit concert held Saturday and Sunday.

        Instead, it expects to collect $110,000 in gross proceeds, and about $70,000 in net proceeds. That's about $35,000 less than AVOC collected the year before, said Kathy Nardiello, event chairwoman.

        The shortfall could lead to service or staff cuts next year, she said. AVOC hopes to make up for the losses with its “Cirque du Bizarre” dinner and party Oct. 7 at the Cincinnati Museum Center.
       

Parents sue district, say son was harassed

        The parents of a former Princeton Middle School student have filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, accusing teachers and administrators of failing to stop repeated sexual harassment of their son.

        Robert and Ann Morgenthal, now of Augusta, Ga., say the trauma their son, now 16, suffered when he was 13 has remained.

        According to their lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati, the Morgenthals are asking for at least $5,000 to cover medical and psychological treatment, as well as unspecified damages.

        The suit says harassment took place during the 1997-98 academic year.

        According to the suit, other students accused the boy of being gay.

        A male student later physically attacked the boy, the suit contends.

        Because of teasing, the suit says, the boy began to have problems with his vision and was diagnosed with Conversion Disorder, or “hysterical blindness.”

        School officials could not be reached for comment.
       

Kids can design River Sweep poster

        Students in kindergarten through grade 12 are invited to design a poster for River Sweep 2001, which will be held June 16.

        The contest is open to students living in or attending schools in counties bordering the Ohio River, or counties participating in River Sweep, from Pittsburgh to Cairo, Ill.

        The event is intended to create awareness of water problems caused by litter and illegal dumping.

        Posters submitted for the contest should help spread the word about litter prevention and focus on encouraging volunteer participation.

        Deadline to submit a poster is Dec. 4. For contest rules, call Jeanne J. Ison at (800) 359 3977.

        River Sweep is sponsored by the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission.
       

Ex-bank official
admits embezzlement

        A former Fifth Third Bank official who stole $117,000 from customers to pay his personal bills pleaded guilty to a federal charge of embezzlement, authorities said.

        Kevin W. Gregor, 31, of Maineville pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court. He was an affiliate controller of Fifth Third Bank's Hillsboro office when he stole the money between January 1996 and February 1999, federal investigators said.

        He could be sentenced to as much as 30 years in prison, fined up to $1 million and ordered to pay restitution. U.S. District Judge Sandra Beckwith is to sentence him within three months.

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Get to it
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Tristate A.M. Report