The Cincinnati Police Division is investigating the city's first bank robbery of 2001.

        After a short foot pursuit, police charged Vincent L. Jones, 30, of Hamilton with one count of aggravated robbery.

District 4 police officers confer in front of the Fifth Third Bank on Vine Street in Carthage, which had Cincinnati's first bank robbery of 2001 Friday. A suspect was arrested nearby by an off-duty officer working at the bank. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        Officials say a man walked into the Fifth Third Bank in the 7000 block of Vine Street, Carthage, brandishing a semiautomatic pistol. Officer Brian Brazile, who was working off-duty security in the bank, spotted the man and ordered him to drop the gun.

        The man fled out the front door with the officer following closely behind. Another officer, Lonnie Brock, also followed.

        Mr. Jones was arrested a few blocks away in the 200 block of Seymour Avenue.

        Officials said no money was taken and no one was injured.

UC alum receives archaeology medal

        Emmett Bennett Jr., a University of Cincinnati graduate, received the Gold Medal for Distinguished Archaeological Achievement on Thursday from the Archaeological Institute of America.

        The presentation came during the institute's 102nd annual meeting in San Diego.

        His mentor, UC archaeologist Carl W. Blegen, was the first recipient in 1965.

        Dr. Blegen's 1939 discovery of hundreds of clay tablets with an unreadable script became the focus of his student's work.

        He didn't crack the language. Instead, his analysis of what had become known as Linear B script proved central to another scholar, Michael Ventris, who decoded it in 1952.

        Linear B is called the oldest readable script known in Europe.

KIDS OK AFTER SCHOOL BUS WRECK: Four children aboard a Lakota Local School District bus and driver Nola Bowlin were uninjured when their bus and a pickup wrecked at 12:15 p.m. Friday at Hamilton-Mason Road and Ohio 747 in Liberty Township, Butler County. Pickup driver Thomas L. Cavin of Tennessee suffered slight injuries. The sport-utility vehicle (left) had a smashed windshield after its driver stopped just as the wreck was happening and got hit. No charges were filed. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        Dr. Bennett, 82, graduated from Hughes High School and received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees from UC.

Fernald briefing will be held Tuesday

        The next Fernald cleanup progress briefing will be 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the services building conference room at the Fernald site. The Department of Energy and Fluor Fernald will discuss the Fernald closure contract.

        For information, contact Gary Stegner of the DOE at 648-3153 or e-mail: gary.stegner@fernald.gov.

St. Pat's parade falls on holiday

        Cincinnati's 35th annual St. Patrick's Day parade will fall on St. Patrick's Day this year, parade organizers said Friday.

        The parade will begin at 11 a.m. March 17, downtown.

THAW'S PRIORITY: WASH THE CAR: Friday's thaw into the upper 30s ended an 18-day period of below-freezing temperatures, and that meant good business for carwashes. At Parkway Auto Wash on Central Parkway (above), a crowd of cars got the road salt, slush and grime cleaned off. The warm-up could last through the weekend. Highs today and Sunday are expected to be in the mid-30s. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        “Since the 17th falls on a Saturday this year, we saw the opportunity to celebrate on St. Patrick's Day and still ensure families all the convenience of a weekend event,” said Dave Lane, spokesman for the Cincinnati St. Patrick's Day Committee.

        Last year's parade was held March 13.
       

Lebanon will keep paying for generator

        LEBANON — City Council voted 5-1 Friday to continue renting a generator for Franklin Brazing, the first company in the city's industrial park, for up to three more weeks.

        The action, taken in a brief special meeting, raises the city's potential cost for the generator rental and fuel to $60,000.

        The cold weather has held up Cinergy workers, who are building temporary electric lines to replace the generator. City workers, however, have made progress installing lines within the park, Assistant Electric Director Tom Diegel said Friday.

        Both ends of the project could be completed by next Friday, he said, which would reduce the final cost of the generator.
       

Parents of teens can share experiences

        WARREN COUNTY — “Facing the Teen Years With Confidence,” a free program for parents of teens and preteens, will begin Wednesday at Mason Middle School 770 S. Mason-Montgomery Road.

        Offered by the Community Mental Health Centers of Warren County, the program will take place 6:30-8:30 p.m. on four successive Wednesdays.

        Parents will meet to discuss topics that include adolescent development, self-esteem, communication, setting limits and conflict management. Program coordinator Jane Skinner is a licensed social worker.

        Pre-registration is required. Call 695-1354, 420-4354 or 925-1357.

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