Ex-driver guilty in school-bus incident

        BATAVIA — A former Loveland City Schools bus driver on Tuesday was found guilty of a minor misdemeanor and fined $100 for an incident in which a Loveland Primary School student was dragged about a block by his school bus.

        Tammy Sue Fox was charged with failing to allow the child to clear the door of the bus before shutting the door, Clermont County Prosecutor Donald White said. The $100 fine was the maximum penalty.

        Seven-year-old Charles Schebor received minor injuries March 23 when his foot became caught in the door and he was dragged 300 feet.

CHEAP GAS WON'T LAST: Calvin Kline, a maintenance worker at Thornton's Food Mart in Springdale, advertises a special on gas for a few hours Wednesday afternoon at the pumps on Ohio 747 near Crescentville Road. Cars were lined up two, three and four deep at the station's 10 pumps. Kenny Sowards, regional manager for Thornton's in Greater Cincinnati, estimated 200 to 300 motorists took advantage of the sale. The special was 20 cents a gallon off the posted price, but even $1.59 a gallon might seem cheap by summer, experts say; some predict prices will top $2 a gallon. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        Ms. Fox, employed with Loveland City Schools since October 1997, resigned shortly after the accident.
       

Health foundation awards $650K in grants

        Two mental-health organizations and four school districts have been awarded more than $650,000 in grants from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.

        The Butler County Mental Health Board received a two-year, $222,000 grant to expand the use of new medications to treat schizophrenia.

        Recovery Services of Warren and Clinton Counties won $299,000 to launch an “assertive community treatment” program that hopes to serve 50 people with severe mental illness.

        Meanwhile, the St. Bernard-Elmwood Place, Ludlow Independent, Bellevue and Erlanger-Elsmere Independent school districts will split about $134,000 to conduct feasibility studies on whether to open school-based health clinics.
       

Student achievers to be guests of Reds

        Students at Cincinnati Public Schools who attain high academic achievement and put their leadership skills to good use will be awarded with free tickets to Cincinnati Reds baseball games, thanks to a grant from the Carl Lindner family.

        The Lindner family made a donation that will give CPS 10,000 vouchers for two tickets to any season game, plus a hot dog and drink for each ticket holder.

        “Academic achievement is improving in the Cincinnati Public Schools and we applaud them,” Mr. Lindner said. “We believe students should be rewarded and encouraged to do their best every day.”

        Each school will determine the students who will receive vouchers.

        Tickets will also be distributed to Cincinnati Youth Collaborative members to use with their student partners to encourage improved performance.
       

CPAs to teach kids math, finance basics

        The first Accounting for Kids Day, in which CPAs will teach city school students math and finance basics, is May 1.

        “If kids can learn the fundamentals of finance early, they will be empowered to develop skills that can last a lifetime,” said Crystal Faulkner, chairman of the event and a partner in Cooney, Faulkner & Stevens, accountants.

        The goal is to get 100 volunteers in 20 classrooms on that day.

        Chuck Stevens, another partner with the firm and a mentor to a fifth-grader, said he hopes the one-day event will lead to other mentoring relationships.

        The investment firm Bartlett & Co. has provided an interactive finance game for the children to play. Other businesses also are donating resources, Ms. Faulkner said.

        That evening, a reception at the Bankers Club will allow organizers to thank volunteers and invite others interested in joining the efforts. John Pepper, chairman of Procter & Gamble, is the guest. He started the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative and mentors two students.

        For more information call Crystal Faulkner, 768-6796, or e-mail cfaulkner@cfscpa.com.
       

Reward growing to solve barn fires

        FREDERICKSBURG, Ohio — Investigators hope a growing reward now at $12,000 will help solve a rash of suspicious barn fires in the Amish region of northeast Ohio.

        Reward programs have proven to be “the best tools for catching an arsonist,” said Charles McGrath, chief of the arson bureau in the state fire marshal's office. “More than one person knows who the arsonist is.”

        The reward came from the Ohio Farm Bureau Association, insurers, other groups and private donations.

        In 1999, loss from suspicious fires in Holmes and Wayne counties was estimated at $1 million, but that amount could be low, McGrath said. Since 1999, 18 suspicious fires have occurred in the area.

        Last year, three suspicious fires occurred in Holmes County and four in Wayne County. So far this year, there have been four suspicious fires in Holmes County and two in Wayne.

        Most of the fires have occurred along a narrow stretch of rolling countryside straddling the two counties about 55 miles south of Cleveland. All have been in roadside barns.
       

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