SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — Hamilton County Park District Chief Ranger Col. Richard Greer received a Distinguished Law Enforcement Service Award from Ohio Attorney General Betty Montgomery at the state's annual Law Enforcement Conference earlier this month.

        Col. Greer began his parks career in 1975, and became chief ranger in 1983.

        He implemented regular, bike, mounted and marine patrols in the district's 16 parks, and is a past president of the Hamilton County Police Association.

        Under Col. Greer's supervision, the park district rangers became the first park law enforcement agency to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies in 1995. They have since been re-accredited in 1998 and this year.
       

Habitat builders have 8-day goal

               LEBANON — Hundreds of volunteers will try to build two Habitat for Humanity houses in eight days beginning today.

        The “blitz build” will take place on the east side of Lebanon.

        Cintas Corp. alone — lead sponsor for one of the houses — will have 100 employees working at the site today.

        The effort is led by the Tristate chapter of Habitat.

        Ohio first lady Hope Taft, an advocate of Habitat for Humanity, is scheduled to work at the site Tuesday.
       

Wright-Pat band performs tonight

               WYOMING — The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Band of Flight will perform an evening of patriotic music at 7 p.m. today in the Pendery Center for the Arts at Wyoming High School.

        Tickets are available at the school, 106 Pendery Ave., 761-7722; Wyoming Civic Center at Springfield Pike and Worthington Avenue, 821-5423; and Fancy This, 506 Wyoming Ave., 821-0844.

        Families of Wyoming High School alumni who are serving in the military will be honored at the event, sponsored by the Wyoming Schools Parent School Association,

        A dessert and social hour with band members will follow. The event is free. Donations will benefit the American Red Cross.
       

Clermont applies for project grant

               BATAVIA — Clermont County is applying for a $377,000 grant to help construct a larger water main line along Clough Pike in the Eastgate area.

        The county is applying to the Ohio Public Works Commission for a State Capital Improvement Program grant toward the $770,000 project.

        Mark Jaehnen, with the county sewer district, said the new main would follow Clough Pike between Shayler Road and Gleneste-Withamsville Road, about a two-mile stretch.

        “It's to boost the pressure and the flow in the Eastgate area,” said Mr. Jaehnen.
       

Glendale offers master plan ideas

               GLENDALE — A project to update the 1944 Glendale Master Plan is nearing completion. Key points will be discussed at an event open to the public on Nov. 8.

        Each committee chair will present proposals. Residents can ask questions. The meeting is at Glendale Town Hall, 80 E. Sharon Ave., at 7 p.m.
       

Chief consults on safety courses

               DEERFIELD TWP. — The National Fire Academy has enlisted the help of Deerfield Township Fire Rescue Chief William Kramer in the redesign of administrative practices and instructional course materials as a result of the increased focus on domestic terrorism.

        The U.S. Fire Administration has begun to revise the Advanced Fire Administration course.

        With more than 30 years of firefighting experience, Chief Kramer is a nationally recognized expert on fire service and safety. He is the primary author of Disaster & Fire Defense Planning, Political and Legal Foundation of the Fire Service, Advanced Fire Administration and The Fire Officer's Guide to Disaster Control, all published in 1992.
       

Fraternity thanks rescue fire crew

               OXFORD — Almost a year after a fire heavily damaged a Miami University fraternity house and seriously injured a student, the fraternity members are thanking the firefighters who rescued them.

        Firefighters said the department's thermal imaging camera helped them find and rescue Robert Ammarell, a Sigma Chi member. He was hospitalized for smoke inhalation after the early morning blaze on Nov. 10, 2000.

        Fraternity members plan a ceremony today to dedicate their renovated Sigma Chi house, which reopened this summer. The fraternity plans to present Oxford fire chief Len Endress with a check for $17,200 to help his department buy a second thermal imaging camera.

        Fraternity members, alumni and Oxford firefighters contributed to the fund, said Steve Hlavin, president of Miami's Sigma Chi chapter. Miami's Interfraternity Council donated $1,800.
       

Ex-college staff face porn charges

               MARIETTA, Ohio — Two men were indicted Friday on accusations that they used their access to computer networks at two colleges to spread child pornography over the Internet.

        A Washington County grand jury indicted Eugene Robert Anderson, 51, of Parkersburg, W.Va., and Robert Lynn Sandford, 32, of Vincent, Ohio, on a total of 201 counts. The charges include pandering obscenity involving a minor, promoting prostitution, unauthorized use of property, wiretapping and tampering with evidence.

        Mr. Sandford is a former Ohio University employee and Mr. Anderson is a former Marietta College computer expert.

        The men are scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in the Washington County Common Pleas Court, Attorney General Betty Montgomery's office said.

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