$110,000 grant fights domestic violence

        Domestic violence agencies and Cincinnati police can continue their cooperation on cases with renewed funding brought Thursday by Ohio Lt. Gov. Maureen O'Connor.

        The YWCA, which operates Cincinnati's only battered women's shelter, got another $110,000 to continue its joint hot line project with Women Helping Women. Victims who call either place can be patched into three-way calls with police or prosecutors so advocates can help them get their questions answered.

        The Cincinnati Police Division got $57,000, which will help pay for two Women Helping Women advocates to continue working half-time in the city's five police districts. The advocates follow up with victims and work with each district's domestic-violence investigator.

        “Immediate follow-up is just right there,” said Lt. Col. Richard Janke.

        Years ago when the anti-domestic violence movement was beginning, advocates wouldn't have even sought this kind of cooperation, said Ann MacDonald, executive director of Women Helping Women. “We thought we had to do it all by ourselves.”

SHARING A LOVE OF SPACE EXPLORATION: Wearing his authentic NASA flight-ready astronaut suit, Bob McMillan, a science teacher at Mount Healthy High, talks about the space program Thursday at Sands Montessori School. He does up to 75 such presentations each year on his own time. His other avocation: watching shuttle launches. He's attended 40. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        More than 900 women and children stayed in the YWCA's shelter last year, and the joint hot line took about 20,000 calls. Cincinnati police average about 2,500 domestic violence arrests annually.
       

Police investigate apparent home invasion

        GOLF MANOR — Police are trying to piece together the details of an apparent home invasion that left a man with a gunshot wound to the shoulder.

        Police say they were called to a two-family condominium in the 6200 block of Ridgeacres Drive about 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. On the way, they received word that a person had been shot, Police Lt. Bill Cravens said.

        “We got there and the suspect had fled,” Lt. Cravens said.

        The unidentified 29-year-old victim, who was staying at the Ridgeacres address, was taken to University Hospital, but abruptly left during treatment, Lt. Cravens said. Police had noticed drugs in the home, obtained a search warrant, and confiscated eight pounds of marijuana and a handgun, he said.

        No charges have been filed, but the investigation is continuing, Lt. Cravens said.
       

Mount St. Joseph prof garners art award

        DELHI TOWNSHIP — A College of Mount St. Joseph faculty member has drawn another honor from colleagues in the arts.

        Sharon Kesterson Bollen of Hyde Park, professor of art education and fine arts at the Delhi campus, has been named 2001 Western Region Higher Education Art Educator by the National Art Education Association.

        She previously was named the association's Ohio Art Educator for 2001.

        Dr. Kesterson Bollen has taught for 32 years, most of them at the Mount. She has shown her painted, printed and dyed fabric works in juried and invitational shows around the country.

        She won the Mount's award for distinguished teaching and other honors in the past two decades.

        The association's western region comprises 16 states and three Canadian provinces.
       

Ky. pulls ad after lawyers complain

        FRANKFORT — A radio advertisement to promote highway safety was pulled by the state after the Kentucky Bar Association objected to the script, which referred to dead and lying lawyers.

        Kimberly Smith, a spokeswoman for the bar association, said Wednesday some lawyers were offended by the ad.

        “We did not mean to offend anyone,” said Terri Giltner, a spokeswoman for the state Transportation Cabinet. “The ad was designed to try to make Kentucky roads safer after 859 lives were lost last year on our highways.”

        The ad ran Monday on several Clear Channel Communications stations, including WLAP in Lexington, WHAS in Louisville and WLW in Cincinnati, Ms. Giltner said.

        It featured a man with a folksy voice talking about “a bad accident down home.”

        “A car full of lawyers turned over right in front of old man Jenkins' place. He comes out and buries them all. The sheriff asked old man Jenkins, "You sure they were all dead?'

        “"Well,' says Jenkins, "some said they weren't. But you know how them lawyers lie.”'

        The ad then encouraged listeners to drive more slowly and to call a toll-free number, (800) PATCHIT to report potholes.
       

Blood banks thank Colerain Township

        COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — Colerain Township Fire and Emergency Services is one of 25 organizations nationwide to be honored by a network of blood banks for outstanding contributions to community blood centers.

        The department Thursday received a “Bronze Blood Drive Award” from America's Blood Center, a network that includes Greater Cincinnati's Hoxworth Blood Center.

        The fire department has 85 employees, but helped provide more than 250 units of blood during the summer of 2000, helping the Hoxworth Blood Center avoid the need for emergency public appeals.

        The department also allows the blood bank to use fire department space at Northgate Mall as a regular site for blood donations, Hoxworth officials said.
       

StarShine Hospice celebrates five years

        StarShine Hospice of Children's Hospital Medical Center will mark its fifth anniversary at a reception.

        The hospice for children with terminal illness is among 12 nationwide. StarShine has admitted 70 patients since opening in 1996 and expects to serve 30 children this year.

        The reception, for families, staff, volunteers and supporters, will be 5 p.m. April 6 at the hospital's new Sabin Education Center.
       

College workers agree to cutbacks

        YELLOW SPRINGS, Ohio — Antioch College employees have agreed to pay cuts or reduced hours for the next three months to help prevent other co-workers from being laid off or reduced to part-time status.

        College officials announced a month ago that a projected $300,000 budget shortfall would require the school to lay off two employees permanently, furlough four other employees temporarily and temporarily reduce the hours of 16 other full-time employees to part-time status.

        The remainder of the shortfall is to be offset by cuts in operating expenses and postponement of some repairs and construction.

        About half of the college's 200 employees have donated around $43,000 to a special fund aimed at preventing those cutbacks, said Susan Eklund-Leen, associate professor and director of cooperative education.

        Some employees have donated cash or written checks, others have donated a part of their salary through payroll deduction and some have agreed to reduce their work week and corresponding pay by an hour, Ms. Eklund-Leen said Wednesday.
       

Retirement community could rise at site of fire
Builder betting on old-time style as newest trend
Crimes troubling Miami U.
Levee unfolds; excitement grows
60 years later, they're still going off to war
Killer's transfer request denied
N. Ky. abstinence program not expected to affect many
As NKU budget hits record, Votruba urges fiscal restraint
Panels to tell pair of stories
Baby sitter admits to molestation
Bill would add Butler juvenile judge
Butler trims on hold
Charter schools get break from Senate
Computers in Florence police cars prove their potential in first hour
Condemned man's lawyer appeals to Taft
Ky. pulls ad after lawyers complain
Language barriers grow with minorities
Man surrenders to police for Price Hill store robbery
Morgan Elementary names new principal
Police dog was 'always something special'
Report: UK should do more for gender equity
Sabo possible skipper for Florence team
Kentucky News Briefs
Tristate A.M. Report