Crash takes life of Winton Place man

        GREEN TOWNSHIP — A Winton Place man died Tuesday after losing control of his car and hitting a guardrail on Interstate 74.

        Hamilton County Sheriff's officials said Robert Grant, 27, was eastbound on I-74 at Harrison Avenue at approximately 11:30 a.m. when his car went off the right side of the road, striking the guardrail.

HOT TIME: A fire at the Bayer Corp. plastics plant on Three Rivers Parkway in Addyston at 2:15 p.m. Tuesday drew firefighters from Cincinnati and Miami and Whitewater townships. The blaze started in a hopper containing plastic material and spread to duct work, according to officials. Emergency workers had to contend with Tuesday's humidity and temperatures that reached a high of 89 degrees, in addition to the fire; no injuries were reported. (Glenn Hartongphoto) | ZOOM |

        Mr. Grant was transported to Mercy-Franciscan Mount Airy Hospital by the Green Township Fire Department. He was pronounced dead at 12:50 p.m. Police said Mr. Grant was not wearing a seat belt h and neither alcohol nor drugs was a factor in the death.

        The crash remains under investigation.
       

Blood supplies drop below proper levels

        A summer slowdown in blood donations has caused Tristate blood supplies to dip about 20 percent below proper levels, the Hoxworth Blood Center reported Tuesday.

        To assure proper blood supplies for 24 Tristate hospitals, Hoxworth tries to have 2,350 units in stock. On Tuesday, the inventory dipped to 1,720 units.

        While the supply hasn't been low enough to call an emergency appeal for donors, it has prompted the blood bank to buy supplies from out-of-town and to ask some local hospitals to trade extra supplies with more needy hospitals.

        For information on how to donate blood, call 451-0910.
       

Meth lab suspect gave false name

        LEBANON — Warren County law-enforcement officials have dropped charges against one man and are seeking charges against another in the weekend bust of a methamphetamine lab in Deerfield Township.

Reidmiller

        Police are on the lookout for Clint Reidmiller, 27, according to county drug task force commander John Burke.

        Mr. Reidmiller falsely gave his name as Scott Mills, Mr. Burke said. Mr. Mills has been cleared.

        Mr. Reidmiller, meanwhile, remained at large Tuesday afternoon, along with a second suspect, Clara Morse.

        Two others — Frank Kruse and James Morse — were arrested Saturday after the discovery of a meth lab in a garage on Shore Drive.
       

Man listed as critical after hanging self

        HAMILTON — A 36-year-old Hamilton man was listed in critical condition Tuesday after hanging himself in a holding cell at police headquarters, said Officer Don Taylor, Hamilton police spokesman.

        A police department employee found Scott Gray hanging unconscious from the cell bars around 6:20 p.m. Monday. He had apparently used shoelaces to hang himself, officers said.

        Paramedics took him to Fort Hamilton Hospital.

        The incident occurred less than two hours after police had arrested Mr. Gray on a disorderly conduct charge after a fight in the 1900 block of Logan Avenue. He also was being held on a warrant for breaking and entering from Hamilton County.
       

Mason farmers mart open on Saturdays

        MASON — The city of Mason Farmers Market will be open from 8 a.m. to noon each Saturday, except Aug. 25, in the lot on Reading Road south of St. Susanna Catholic Church and north of Tylersville Road.

LEADER OF THE PACK: Kevin Rutkowski, 13, of Loveland leads a group of children in a race Tuesday to cross a field without being tagged as part of Camp Recsploration in Lebanon. This is the second year the day camp has been offered by Lebanon's Parks and Recreation Department for 7- through 13-year-olds. With almost three weeks left to go, attendance already has topped last year's figure of about 270 campers, said department director Bob Harris. A few openings remain for next week and the week of Aug. 6-10. For more information or to register, call 932-3060. (Dick Swaim photo) | ZOOM |

        The market awill feature fresh-cut flowers, meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, specialty foods, gourmet coffee, and baked bread and pastries. There will also be music and face painting.

        For vendor information, call Steve Smith at (937) 435-6671.
       

Inmate now faces intimidation charges

        LEBANON — A Mason man who was convicted of violating a civil protection order faces new charges of intimidating his wife and a fellow inmate.

        Warren County Prosecutor Tim Oliver said Robert Sutts, 33, was convicted Thursday on two counts of violating a civil protection order. As prosecutors prepared for that trial, they learned that Mr. Sutts allegedly threatened his wife and a fellow inmate to keep them from testifying in Thursday's trial while he was in the Warren County Jail, Mr. Oliver said.

        Mr. Oliver said these allegations resulted in Mr. Sutts being indicted on five counts of intimidation of a witness, extortion, menacing by stalking and violating a protection order.

        Mr. Sutts will be arraigned Aug. 3 on the new charges. He will be sentenced in about one month for his conviction of violating the protection order. Mr. Sutts was in the county jail Tuesday evening.
       

Authorities seek ID of man's body

        EATON, Ohio — Authorities on Tuesday were trying to determine whether the body of a man found in a shallow grave is that of a missing businessman.

        Mike Blair, spokesman for the Wood County sheriff's office, said the body of a white male about 40 years old was found along an access road near the northwestern Ohio town of Cygnet.

        “We still have not gotten a positive ID,” Mr. Blair said.

        Discovery of the body came three days after the disappearance of Fred Smith, president of Rexarc International, a family-owned company in the western Ohio town of West Alexandria near Eaton.
       
       

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