Woman holds phone, rescued in house fire

        NORWOOD — A woman trapped in a second-floor bedroom of a burning home late Monday night used her cell phone to stay in contact with emergency dispatchers as firefighters searched for her.

        Shannon Garner held on to the phone even after falling about 15 feet out of a second-floor window of her home in the 4200 block of Ivanhoe Avenue.

        “We would have never had a clue that she fell outside,” Norwood Fire Chief Curtis Goodman said. “We would have been spending all of our resources searching because a (victim) was in the house.”

        Ms. Garner was in fair condition Tuesday evening at University Hospital with smoke inhalation and other injuries after the rescue late Monday.

        “She was on her cell phone all the way up until we found her,” Chief Goodman said.

        Crews were called to the three-alarm fire just after 11:30 p.m. From her bedroom, Ms. Garner told dispatchers that she heard the firefighters in the house. Seconds later, still holding the cell phone, she said she was outside.

        “I think I fell outside,” she said. “I must have fallen out the window.”
       

Motorcyclist dies in collision with SUV

        STONELICK TOWNSHIP — A motorcyclist was killed Tuesday in a collision with a sports utility vehicle on Ohio 132.

        Killed was Shane R. Jefferies, 39, of Sharonville. Troopers at the Batavia Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said his motorcycle, headed south on Ohio 132 near Owensville in Clermont County, went out of control, crossed the center line and struck a northbound SUV driven by Tammy R. Heagy, 28, of Goshen.

        Mr. Jefferies was pronounced dead at the scene. Mrs. Heagy was taken to Clermont Mercy Hospital, where she was treated and released.

        The crash, which is still under investigation, happened at 5:15 p.m.
       

Three men indicted in shooting death

        Three Dayton men were indicted Tuesday on aggravated murder charges in a carjacking that resulted in the fatal shooting of a Madisonville man, police said.

        A grand jury indicted Douglas Pittman and Anthony Stephens, both 18, and Michael Peterson, 19, on one count each of aggravated murder, murder and robbery and two counts each of aggravated robbery, Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen said.

        The indictments resulted from the Sept. 17 shooting death of Timothy Powell Jr., whose car was stolen after he was shot and killed in the parking lot of his apartment complex on Roe Street, Mr. Allen said.

        The prosecutor said the defendants and other unidentified suspects apparently targeted Mr. Powell's car for theft while Mr. Powell was in a nightclub, then followed him in three separate vehicles to his apartment complex.

        The defendants blocked Mr. Powell's car in the parking lot and fired at least 10 shots into the vehicle, with one of the bullets striking and killing him, Mr. Allen said.

        All three men could be sentenced to life in prison.
       

Covington fire union to aid New Yorkers

        The Covington Professional Firefighters Local 38 will hold a benefit today at Jack Quinn's Irish Ale House and Pub in Covington to raise money for the New York Firefighters 9-11 Disaster Relief Fund.

        Local bands MC Blue, the MadHornets and WOJO will perform on the second floor from 8 p.m. to midnight; admission is $8, with all proceeds to the fund. Jack Quinn's is at 112 E. Fourth St., Covington.

        In addition, there will be a silent auction on the third floor tonight, including items from local artists, Reds tickets, Imax tickets, Coney Island passes, and a dozen desserts and pastries.
       

UC delays work on new medical building

        Without explanation or debate, University of Cincinnati trustees Tuesday put off a decision to spend $7.2 million for design work needed to build a $76 million medical research building.

        Administrators want the new Center for Academic and Research Excellence to keep up with evolving research standards.

        It also would make room for an even larger project to renovate the Medical Sciences Building, the main facility for UC's College of Medicine.
       

Construction mishap knocks out cable

        LEBANON — A construction vehicle on Interstate 71 near Lebanon knocked down a utility pole early Tuesday, knocking out cable television to Time Warner Cable customers in Lebanon for much of the day.

        The accident also shut off power to some 1,500 Cinergy customers in the area for about 90 minutes.

        Time Warner Cable officials say they couldn't restore service until the pole was replaced. Cinergy owns the pole.
       

"Stand and deliver' teacher to speak

        Jaime Escalante, hero of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, will speak at 7:30 p.m. today in Greaves Hall at Northern Kentucky University's Highland Heights campus.

        His appearance is part of National Hispanic Heritage Month.

        Mr. Escalante became famous for his efforts to prod under-achieving Latino students into passing an advanced placement calculus test.

        His talk is free and open to the public.

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