FLORENCE — A sibling rivalry between two adults led to a fight in the parking lot of a Northern Kentucky law firm that left a 56-year-old in an area hospital with head, neck and spine injuries, police say.

        John D. Zahlout, accused of beating up his sister, was charged with first-degree assault, domestic violence and disorderly conduct. The 41-year-old Williamstown man is being held at Boone County jail. His bond had not been set as of Friday afternoon.

        Florence police did not release the name of the 56-year-old Wisconsin woman assaulted or the hospital treating her. Her husband expressed concernfor her safety.

        Officers found the sister knocked out on the ground in a pool of blood, according to a police report.

        The fight occurred at 9:30 a.m. Friday in an attorney's parking lot on U.S. 42.

        Florence police were investigating Friday what the brother and sister were fighting over. Investigators did confirm that another sister was present at the time of the fight, and they were visiting the attorney's office.

Boy, 13, stabs classmate in school

               LOUISVILLE — While students quietly worked on a homework assignment during first period at Moore Traditional Middle School, a 13-year-old student stabbed another classmate and calmly walked out the door.

        Chris Redman, 14, sat nearby as the 14-year-old boy was stabbed.

        “My teacher's head was down and we were working on worksheets when I happened to look over,” said Chris.

        “I saw (the victim) leaning back and he was bleeding. He pulled the knife out of him and threw it on the floor, but he never said anything, he was just shocked.”

        The 13-year-old boy is in custody following the altercation on Friday at the middle school. The boy is charged with first-degree assault, said Stacey Redmon, Jefferson County Police spokeswoman.

        The victim apparently asked the attacker for a pencil, prompting a quiet verbal altercation which ended when the 13-year-old stabbed the victim twice in the midsection, Jefferson County Public School spokeswoman Lauren Roberts said during a news conference at the school.
       

Grand jury reduces murder to manslaughter

               DRY RIDGE — A Grant County grand jury has reduced a murder charge to second-degree manslaughter in what appears to be an unintentional shooting last week of a 15-year-old girl.

        Joseph C. Meither, 24, of Dry Ridge, pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge Wednesday in Grant Circuit Court. He was previously charged with the murder of Tammy Rhea Vickers, of Dry Ridge.

        “It was obviously preventable if people would have used good judgment,” said Jim Crawford, commonwealth's attorney for Grant County. “But it was not a planned murder.”

        Ms. Vickers was shot while attending an outdoor party at a friend's house in Dry Ridge last Friday, Kentucky State Police said. Mr. Meither allegedly was firing his shotgun from the top of the hill less than 100 feet away when she was struck by the blast, police said.

        Mr. Meither said he didn't know she was there when he shot.

        A trial date has not been set.
       

State wants higher gas prices explained

               LOUISVILLE — State Attorney General Ben Chandler has ordered gas station owners in Louisville's West End to provide information that might explain why their prices were higher than the rest of the city's last year.

        A preliminary investigation by Chandler's office found that gas prices within six west Louisville ZIP codes “were higher than prices at retail gasoline outlets outside the area,” according to a letter mailed to gas station owners this week.

        But Assistant Attorney General Todd Leatherman said on Thursday that “it's far too early to conclude” that any illegal conduct has occurred.

        Dave Satterly, president of the Kentucky Gasoline Dealers Association, said he doesn't know why such a discrepancy would exist in one area of the community.

Investors: Wilkinson siphoned off $20M

               LOUISVILLE — A group of Florida investors is alleging in a federal lawsuit that former Gov. Wallace Wilkinson siphoned off $20 million from ecampus.com and used part of it to settle unrelated state lawsuits filed against him.

        Ten investors filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach, Fla., alleging fraud and mismanagement for transfering money to his bookstore company without disclosing the purpose to investors.

        Mr. Wilkinson took $11 million from the business to settle lawsuits filed over the 1993 collapse of Kentucky Central Life Insurance Co., investors allege.

        “There was no disclosure that Wilkinson had personally used $11 million of the funds loaned to Wallace's Bookstores by ecampus.com ... to settle claims against him personally,” the Florida lawsuit said.

        The lawsuit alleges Mr. Wilkinson used another $9 million of the ecampus.com money to cover personal and bookstore expenses, using “Wallace's Bookstores as a conduit,” the lawsuit said.
       

Professor's mother defends accused killer
The Associated Press
              

        BOWLING GREEN — The mother of a Texas college faculty member charged with killing his stepfather said her husband had a history of being controlling and intimidating.

        Edith McGown told Warren District Judge JoAnn Coleman during a preliminary hearing Friday she lived in constant fear of physical violence at the hands of Robert H. McGown, 79.

        Her son, Patrick Doyle, pleaded innocent of murder in the bludgeoning death of Mr. McGown on Wednesday.

        Mr. Doyle, 58, is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake who came to visit his mother this week.

        Police said Mr. Doyle told officers responding to an emergency at the home, “I beat him to death with a hammer. I killed him.” Mr. Doyle then led police into the garage, where Mr. McGown was found dead.

Kentucky events

               Covington: Mad Hatter's Day at the Baker Hunt, a tea party. Wear original and creative hats, 1 to 3 p.m., 620 Greenup St. Admission is $10 per person, including tea and refreshments and prizes for the most creative hats.

        Union: Boone County Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution meeting, 10 a.m., Boone County Public Library, 8899 U.S. 42.

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