A 5-year-old girl was killed Saturday night in a crash that shut down southbound Interstate 75 near Galbraith Road for several hours.

        Mona Rushing, 50, of Fernside Place in Evanston, was driving with her granddaughter, Kiara Lattimore, when Ms. Rushing struck a disabled vehicle in the safety zone of the entrance ramp, according to police.

        Ms. Rushing was not injured.

        Kiara was taken by helicopter to Children's Hospital Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, police said.
       

Police hunt for
Hartwell rapist

               HARTWELL — Police are looking for a man who broke into an apartment in the 9000 block of Constitution Drive and raped its occupant just after midnight Sunday.

        The victim said the man who raped her was Caucasian, about 6 feet tall, had brown hair and weighed 200 pounds. He was armed with a pocketknife, and was wearing a brown shirt with a circular reflector and blue jeans, police said.

        Anyone with information is asked to call Crimestoppers at (513) 352-3040. Callers may remain anonymous.
       

Price Hill holds
Thanksgiving parade

               The 10th annual Price Hill Thanksgiving Parade begins at 10 a.m. Thursday at Western Hills High School and proceeds on Warsaw Avenue.

        Jack Kahny, owner of Kahny Printing, and Darlene Mullens, manager of Skyline Chili on Glenway at Warsaw, have been named king and queen of the parade. Tom Otten, Elder High School principal, is grand marshal.

        A reception — featuring pictures with Santa, a petting zoo, clowns and refreshments — will be held from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at St. Lawrence Parish Center, 3680 Warsaw Ave.

        This year, the parade will be televised on Cincinnati cable channel 4 at 8 p.m. Thursday, 10 a.m. Friday, 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
       

Domestic dispute
leads to charges

               HARRISON TOWNSHIP — A man was charged Sunday morning with two counts each of assault on a police officer and vandalism, the Hamilton County sheriff's department said.

        Brian Knierim, 25, of the 400 block of Tomy Lee Lane, is accused of kicking out a window in a police car and resisting arrest, resulting in minor injuries to sheriff's deputies Jay Schmitt and Paul Reinert.

        The deputies had responded to a 4 a.m. call of a domestic dispute.

        Mr. Knierim also is charged with one count of domestic violence.
       

Second fire razes
haunted house

               DEERFIELD TOWNSHIP — A second suspicious fire in three days has destroyed the “Night of Fright” commercial haunted house.

        Township firefighters were called about 5 a.m. Sunday to the 50-year-old house, which was damaged by fire early Friday morning.

        Firefighters remained on the scene late Sunday.

        On Friday, firefighters noticed heavy gasoline vapors when they entered the building.

        This latest fire caused $60,000 in damage, said Dennis Waldbillig, battalion chief with the Deerfield Township Fire Department. Coupled with the $30,000 in damage Friday, the building — owned by Brian Martin — is a total loss, Chief Waldbillig said. Mr. Martin could not be reached for comment Sunday.

        The fires remain under investigation by the Deerfield fire chief and state fire marshal's office.

Drop Inn Center
seeks clothing, food

               The Drop Inn Center, the largest shelter for homeless people in the Tristate, needs men's clothing and food for holiday meals.

        The Over-the-Rhine center seeks donations of men's coats in large sizes, warm socks and underwear. Other needs include towels, canned vegetables, turkeys and hams.

        For information, call (513) 721-0643 or bring donations to 217 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine.
       

Recycling sites
closing temporarily

               The yard waste recycling drop-off sites provided by the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services will be closed for the holiday season.

        The three drop-off sites will be closed from Dec. 4 through Dec. 29.

        The sites will resume operations Dec. 30 through Jan 13. on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. In addition, the East location — Evans Landscaping — will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday during the same period.

        The drop-off sites will accept the following items only: leaves, grass clippings, brush, garden waste, tree trunks, Christmas trees and prunings from trees or shrubs. Brush and tree branches must be bundles not exceeding 75 pounds each.

        The three drop-off sites are:

        • Evans Landscaping, 3700 Round Bottom Road, Newtown.

        • Kuliga Park, 6717 Bridgetown Road, Green Township.

        • Rumpke Sanitary Landfill, Struble Road and Colerain Avenue, Colerain Township.

        For more information: Holly Christmann at 946-7705 or the Yardwaste Hotline at 946-7755.
       

Blood donors get
Playhouse coupons

               Give blood and get a two-for-one coupon for a performance at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

        Hoxworth Blood Center employees will be at the Eden Park playhouse from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday seeking donations.

        Those who donate will receive a “buy one, get one free” coupon for selected performances of A Christmas Carol or the thriller Dark Paradise.

        Blood donors must be at least 17, weigh at least 100 pounds, and be in good health and have identification.

        For more information: (513) 451-0910 or (800) 830-1091, or access www.hoxworth.org.

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You asked for it
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