SPRINGDALE — A morning fire destroyed the interior of a Kemper Road office complex Sunday.

        When firefighters responded to the 5 a.m. alarm, they found the roof of the two-story, 14-unit Ponds Office complex at 1313 Kemper Road engulfed in flames, Capt. Ralph Richey said.

        The preliminary damage estimate is more than $250,000. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation. No firefighters were injured.

Mason man charged
after interstate chase

               A 19-year-old Mason man was arrested early Sunday after a chase by Hamilton County Sheriff's officers.

        Jeremy Estep, of the 6500 block of Fallen Leaves Court, was charged with fleeing and eluding, DUI, speeding and driving without a license, the sheriff's office said.

        The pursuit began on Colerain Avenue about 7 a.m. when a deputy attempted to stop a vehicle for speeding and operating without headlights. The driver accelerated on northbound Colerain Avenue and then traveled eastbound on I-275.

        The chase continued for about 15 miles until another deputy laid stop sticks in the path of the vehicle. After the vehicle struck the sticks, it slowed and came to a stop on the ramp from eastbound I-275 to southbound I-71, police said.

        The driver and one of the passengers got out of the vehicle and attempted to flee on foot. They were caught after a short foot chase, police said.

        Mr. Estep was taken to the Hamilton County Justice Center. The three other occupants of the vehicle were not charged.
       

No contact between
Comair, pilots

               There was no contact again between Comair and its striking pilots Sunday, officials from both the company and the union said. The strike is 22 days old as of today. Flights have now been canceled through 9 a.m. April 24.

        The pilots walked out March 26 over differences that include work rules, retirement benefits, job protection and pay. There has been no contact between the sides throughout the walkout.
       

Union Institute sets
informational session

               The Union Institute will hold an information session about doctoral programs 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at its headquarters, 440 E. McMillan St., Avondale.

        Participants will learn about the school's Ph.D. programs in Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences and Professional Psychology. Balancing activities inside and outside the classroom will be part of the discussion.

        To register, call 861-6400 or (800) 486-3116. Web site: www.tui.edu.
       

Burglary suspect
killed in Columbus

               COLUMBUS — A police officer responding to a burglary report at a bowling alley fatally shot a suspect Sunday morning after he and two employees were confronted by a man with a gun wearing a black ski mask.

        Officer Stephen O'Brien, 37, was in a small office of the bowling alley taking information from the employees who called the police after noticing the business had been broken into when the suspect surprised them.

        As the suspect threatened the three, Officer O'Brien managed to remove his gun from his holster and shoot the man.

        The man, who has not been identified, was taken to Grant Hospital where he died. The shooting will be investigated.

Ohio's maple syrup
harvest may set mark

               CLEVELAND — Ohio maple syrup producers have collected what's expected to be a near-record harvest this spring.

        Statewide production of maple syrup this year may reach 100,000 gallons — nearly triple the output from last year's dismal season, regarded as the worst in Ohio, said Les Ober, of who isa board member of the Ohio Maple Producers Association.

        “It was just the kind of year when the sap kept running,” Mr. Ober said. “The biggest problem we had was keeping up.”

        Ohio has 800 sugar houses, which produce about $2.3 million worth of syrup each year.

        While the news is sweet in Ohio, national production is expected to fall beneath 1 million gallons for the first time in more than a decade, said Larry Myott, executive secretary of the International Maple Syrup Institute.

        Production in Canada, which makes more than 70 percent of the world's maple syrup, also is lagging, Mr. Myott said. Low temperatures and persistent snow delayed and curtailed the harvest in the northern production areas, even freezing sap in buckets in some areas.

        In Ohio, perfect weather conditions — a combination of cold nights and warm days, which helps create and move sap — fueled the season, Mr. Ober said. Production extended nearly seven weeks, ending in early April when the trees began to bud, which reduces the sugar content of the sap and distorts the flavor.

        Last year, warm weather caused the trees in Ohio to bud early, ruining the harvest.
       

Wilmington College
announces speaker

               Barbara Ross-Lee will be the keynote speaker at Wilmington College's 125th commencement on May 5. Ms. Ross-Lee, who is sister of singer Diana Ross, is vice president for health services and medical affairs and dean of the School of Allied Health and Life Sciences at the New York Institute of Technology.

        Ms. Ross-Lee will be introduced by graduating senior Tammy Venema, an honor student in a pre-medicine curriculum and a women's soccer All-America selection.
       

Police charge pair
with jailbreak attempt

               ANDERSON, Ind. — Madison County police said they foiled a planned jailbreak by finding a hacksaw blade hidden inside an inmate's Bible.

        Sheriff Terry Richwine says an anonymous tip about a possible escape using a file smuggled inside the jail led officers to search Simeon Gordon's cell Thursday.

        Stashed inside the cover of a Bible that police said belonged to Mr. Gordon, officers found two pieces of a hacksaw blade, Sheriff Richwine said.

        Mr. Gordon, 18, who was being held on auto theft charges, now faces an additional felony count of attempted escape.

        After finding the blades, police say they later spotted Anthony Butcher, 22, crouching in the driver's side of a car parked across the street from the jail.

        Police say Mr. Butcher, who had a change of clothes in the car, was a former cellblock mate of Mr. Gordon's at the jail. Mr. Butcher was arrested and taken to the jail. He now faces a preliminary charge of conspiracy to commit escape.
       

Kiss tribute festival
banned from Ind. farm

               PARKER CITY, Ind. — A festival featuring tributes to the rock band Kiss won't take place on the outskirts of this Randolph County town after all.

        On Wednesday, a Randolph County judge issued a temporary injunction to prevent the Wombat Music Festival from being held May 4-6 on a farm.

        But festival organizers Scott Myers and Jay Williams, who did not attend the hearing, said they have made arrangements to hold the concert at the Water Bowl in Muncie.

        The festival was held in Muncie last year, but failed to live up to expectations. The organizers filed a lawsuit claiming Muncie police intentionally tried to keep people away from the festival.

        The city police deny the charge.

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