With more than a month left to go this year, the number of Tristate organ donors has outpaced last year's, and the number of organs collected and transplanted has outpaced the past two years'.

        Through Nov. 22, the LifeCenter reports that 42 people have become organ donors this year, resulting in 127 organs collected for transplant.

        That's an improvement over 1999, when 41 donors produced 125 organs and 1998, when 45 donors produced 125 organs.

        One reason for the increase is that hospitals have been getting better at notifying the LifeCenter about potential organ donors, said David Lewis, executive director. Another is that individuals and families are becoming more likely to agree to allow organ donation.

        The consent rate among families asked to approve organ donations has grown from 44 percent in 1998 to 61 percent so far this year.

        Next year, the LifeCenter hopes a state law passed this year to create a registry of willing organ donors will further increase organ supply by increasing consent rates.
       

Schedules change
on 15 bus routes

               Metro will change its time or routing schedule for 15 bus routes beginning Dec. 3, with new schedules available Sunday.

        In addition, Hamilton County's bus service began offering its Downtowner route — which runs throughout the central business district and along Main Street — free of charge Friday. The route operates weekdays between 6:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. on the weekends.

        For more information on both the schedule changes or the free Downtowner route, call MetroCenter at 621-4455 or log on to www.sorta.com.
       

Assault, robbery
just part of bad day

               COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — A man washing his car Friday afternoon in Colerain Township got hit on the head and robbed before landing in jail himself.

        Dale Wilkymacky, 27, of Westwood, was cleaning his car at a Harrison Avenue car wash about 12:45 p.m. when, he told sheriff's deputies, a man approached from behind and demanded money. When Mr. Wilkymacky refused, he said, the man hit him on the head with something, then grabbed money from his pocket while Mr. Wilkymacky was on the ground.

        He described his attacker as white, about 5 foot 9 and 210 pounds who was last seen driving a dark Chevrolet Cavalier and wearing dark pants and a down jacket.

        After treatment for a deep cut on his head, Mr. Wilkymacky was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center to await extradition to Indiana.

        He is wanted there, according to the sheriff's department, for passing bad checks.
       

Broken gas main
closes viaduct deck

               The eastbound lower deck of the Western Hills viaduct was closed for an hour and a half Friday to repair a broken gas main.

        The gas main broke about 200 yards from the west end of the viaduct, police say. Traffic was shut down from about 11:48 a.m. to 1:12 p.m. to allow Cinergy crews to repair the pipe.

        Changing temperatures causing expansions and contractions of the viaduct structure may have contributed to the break, said Cincinnati Police.

        Cinergy spokespeople did not return phone calls for comment.
       

Fire damage $20,000
at auto-repair garage

               A one-alarm fire early Friday morning damaged a Price Hill auto service garage causing $20,000 worth of damage.

        Cincinnati Fire officials said the fire at the Kunnen Brothers Auto Service, 3408 Glenway Ave., was reported at approximately 3:22 a.m. No one was injured in the one-story structure and the fire's cause remains under investigation, said fire officials.
       

Woman found dead
of "homicidal violence'

               Police officers found an Avondale woman dead Friday morning in her Asmann Avenue apartment.

        Investigators did not say what led officers to the apartment where they found the body of Shirlene Y. McElhaney, 48. How she died also was not released, only that the cause was “homicidal violence.”

        Jessica Forrester was Ms. McElhaney's neighbor during the last year but rarely had contact with her besides passing one another in the hallway of their large Asmann Avenue apartment building.

        Ms. Forrester said she heard nothing suspicious in recent days prior to Ms. McElhaney's body being discovered Friday in her one-bedroom apartment that she shared with two dogs.

        “She was a nice lady but I didn't really know her,” said Ms. Forrester. “It's kind of scary.”

        She did say, however, that she believed Ms. McElhaney did not work and was not married.

        Cincinnati homicide detectives continued to investigate Friday. An autopsy was scheduled at the Hamilton County coroner's office.

        Police asked that anyone with information about Ms. McElhaney call them at 352-3542 or Crime Stoppers at 352-3040.
       

Astronomy workshop
at observatory center

               The Cincinnati Observatory Center is offering a workshop on astronomy Dec. 1-2 and Dec. 15-16 to help teachers prepare elementary and middle school students for the Ohio Proficiency Test.

        The cost is $50. Topics to be covered include the solar system (motions, orbits, compositions and scale), the moon (motions, phases and tidal effects) and seasons (orbital motion, rotation of the earth and its relationship to astronomical, geographical and meteorological aspects of the world).

        Participants also will receive a workbook with almost 100 classroom activities, an astronomy poster and a set of astronomy slides.

        Times are: Dec. 1 from 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 2 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Dec. 15 from 6-9 p.m.; Dec. 16 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

        For information, call (513) 321-5186.
       

Man, 84, dies while
walking T-Day race

               COVINGTON — An 84-year-old Newport man died of an apparent heart attack during the Thanksgiving Day race as it started out through Covington, authorities said.

        Clarence Miller was walking the race with his son when he fell to the ground.

        Richard Miller, 54, of Warren County's Maineville said his father used to run the Thanksgiving Day race from beginning to end, but about three years ago slowed to a walk because of his advancing age. The two decided this year to walk the 10K race together.

        Richard Miller said his father's death was fitting for a man who loved life.

        “He liked to live life to the fullest, and he certainly proved that to the very end,” Richard Miller said.

        Mr. Miller was a retired business agent for the Stationary Firemen and Oilers union and had lived in Newport for about 20 years, his son said.

        Survivors include three children and 10 grandchildren. Radel Funeral Home of Newport was handling funeral arrangements.

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