Fatal shooting in S. Fairmount

        Cincinnati police were investigating as a homicide the death of an unidentified man found behind the wheel of an ice cream truck in South Fairmount.

        Crime-scene investigators cordoned off an area around the truck, stopped in the middle of the street in the 1900 block of Knob Court.

        Police said the shooting may have occurred during a robbery.

        The police responded to the area about 9:45 p.m.
       

Police officer awarded for service

        Cincinnati Police Officer Eric Smoot has received the Community Service Award from the National Conference for Community and Justice.

        The awards, bestowed during the organization's 37th annual Brotherhood/Sisterhood Week, recognizes Officer Smoot's dedication to the community, his years of working with children in mentoring and diversion programs and his participation in violence prevention seminars.

        Officer Smoot, who graduated from the Police Academy in 1980, has worked in Districts 1 and 5 prior to joining the Youth services Section in 1997, where he is intelligence and training coordinator for the Gang Unit. Officer Smoot makes presentations the community about cultural diversity, gangs, gang awareness and self-defense,

        While a beat officer in District 5, Officer Smoot developed Strike Force, a juvenile diversion program for intense monitoring of at-risk youth.
       

University newspaper wins regional prize

        The University of Cincinnati's independent student newspaper, The News Record, has won the Society of Professional Journalists' Region IV top prize for non-daily newspapers.

        The student newspaper will be honored March 30-31 at the SPJ Conference in Pittsburgh as part of SPJ's annual “Mark of Excellence” contest for Region IV, which is Ohio, Michigan, West Virginia and western Pennsylvania.

        In addition to the top award, the paper won eight other awards.

        The paper, which publishes three times a week, has a staff of 50 students.
       

Railroad repairs cause road closures

        SPRINGDALE — Railroad repairs will close a stretch of West Crescentville Road next week.

        Beginning Monday at 6 a.m. through Friday, the road will be closed to through traffic just west of Ohio 747 in northern Hamilton County, said Springdale City officials.

        Alternative routes will be provided and marked for motorists while CSX Railroad workers repair the tracks crossing West Crescentville Road.

        Motorists going north or south on Ohio 747 who need to go west on West Crescentville will be directed to Progress Place and Centron Place.

        Motorists traveling east will reverse the detour route, taking Centron Place to Progress Place to Ohio 747.
       

Military Academy Night planned

        Congressman Steve Chabot will hold a Military Academy Night at 7 p.m. Monday at Colerain High School, 8801 Cheviot Road. High school and junior high school students in the Cincinnati area interested in attending a military service academy are invited.

        Representatives from West Point, the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy will meet with students and their parents.

        Members of the congressman's staff will also be available to explain the nomination process.

Breast health subject of seminar

        An “Upfront” about Breast Health seminar will be held Saturday at the Blue Ash Conference Center, 5901 Pfeiffer Road. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m.

        The event is sponsored by the Hamilton County American Cancer Society. Guest speakers will give information on the latest breast cancer research and updates on breast cancer surgery and the genetics of inherited breast cancer.

        Open to women of all ages, the seminar is approved for 3.8 continuing education units for health care professionals. The cost of $25 includes a continental breakfast and lunch.

        Information and directions: 891-1600, Ext. 301. Cancer information is available at (800) ACS-2345 or www.cancer.org.

Found remains lead to murder charges

        McARTHUR, Ohio — A man was charged Friday with killing two people whose remains were found on his property in southern Ohio.

        A Vinton County grand jury indicted Gregory McKnight, 24, on charges including aggravated murder, kidnapping and gross abuse of a corpse.

        Mr. McKnight had been the prime suspect in the deaths of Emily Murray, a student at Kenyon College in Gambier, and Greg Julious, 20, of Chillicothe.

        Ms. Murray, 20, a philosophy major from Cold Spring, N.Y., disappeared Nov. 3. Her body was found Dec. 9 in Mr. McKnight's trailer near Ray, 60 miles south of Columbus. She had been shot in the head.

        Mr. Julious' bones and teeth were found four days later on the same property.

        He was last seen alive last May with Mr. McKnight, investigators have said.

        Ms. Murray disappeared after leaving her job at a pizza shop in Gambier where she worked as a waitress and Mr. McKnight worked as the kitchen manager.
       

Fiberglass figures going on mammoth trip

        Here's something no one has seen for, oh, 10,000 years or so: A herd of mammoths wandering around town.

        That would be the four mammoths that have stood in front of the Cincinnati Museum Center's Gilbert Avenue facility since 1980. Come 2 p.m. Wednesday, they take their act on the road.

        Portman Equipment Co. and Hensley Industries will move the fiberglass beauties — the two large ones are 1,000 pounds each, the smaller two about 150 — from Gilbert Avenue to Fountain Square, where they'll stand through April 30.

        Then to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, April 30-May 26. They'll also visit Taste of Cincinnati, Yeatman's Cove and MainStrasse before settling at Yeatman's Cove (July 31-Sept. 4) for Riverfest. After that, they'll take up residence at the Museum Center's new collections and research facility on Gest Street.
       

Police chief accused of stealing from fund

        SANDUSKY, Ohio — A township police chief accused of stealing money from the department's police dog fund told jurors he was passionate about dogs and spent his own money on the K-9 unit.

        “I like dogs better than people,” Perkins Township Chief Tim McClung said Thursday.

        Mr. McClung said he spent his own money to buy equipment and dogs for the K-9 unit and was reimbursed by the K-9 fund.

        He is charged with tampering with evidence, forgery, money laundering and theft in office for allegedly mishandling more than $20,000.
       

Proposal reorganizes Dayton school system

        DAYTON, Ohio — Under a reorganization proposal designed to mimic smaller school districts, the city's public school system would be divided into at least three academic regions with no more than 4,500 students.

        The plan, being developed by Superintendent Jerrie McGill, envisions that schools would be closed, jobs cut and spending slashed during the next three years.

        Without the changes, the school system could face a state takeover in 2002, district Treasurer Jan Schultz said Thursday.

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