Man indicted in anthrax hoax

        A 51-year-old Pierce Township man who left an envelope of white powder on his boss's desk as a prank was indicted Wednesday by a Hamilton County grand jury on a charge of inducing panic.

        John R. Silz, a former employee of Glass Wise Inc. in Linwood, faces up to six months in jail on the misdemeanor charge. Mr. Silz told police he placed the envelope, which contained glass ground into a fine powder, on Tim Wise's desk as a joke.

        When Mr. Wise, owner of the glass replacement firm, discovered the suspicious envelope, he feared it was anthrax and called the Cincinnati Fire Division.

No conflict found in vote by Neyer

        Hamilton County prosecutors said Commissioner Tom Neyer had no conflict of interest when he voted in favor of creating the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority to oversee development of the riverfront neighborhood known as The Banks.

        County commissioners and Cincinnati City Council put the Port Authority in charge of the $700 million development when they issued grants to get the organization started last year.

GLAD TO BE WITCH YOU: A community trick-or-treat was expected to attract thousands Wednesday to Lemon-Monroe High School. Angela Froman (right), a sophomore, was among the costumed volunteers handing out candy. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

        Mr. Neyer holds one of three votes on the county commission, which must soon decide whether to fund construction of about $60 million in parking garages.

        Prosecutors, however, declined to give Mr. Neyer guidance on whether he could vote on funding The Banks while his construction firm, Al Neyer Inc., is trying to be a developer. They referred him to the Ohio Ethics Commission for an opinion.

        Mr. Neyer's firm has since withdrawn interest in the development.
       

Trip to New York has 150 signed up

        A trip to New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has sold out with about 150 participants, officials at the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce said Wednesday.

        The chamber arranged the trip to support Delta Air Lines and Federated Department Stores, two companies with significant operations in Cincinnati and stakes in the New York tourist market. Tickets to the parade were provided by Federated, which owns Macy's.
       

County refinances bonds at lower rate

        Hamilton County sold $31 million in bonds Tuesday to refinance two previous debt issues and fund two capital projects. The refinancing is expected to save taxpayers $3 million.

        The county sold $3 million in bonds for a new water line extension and a building renovation project; $9.05 million in bonds were sold to refinance debt resulting from the purchase of the 800 Broadway building; and $19.5 million in bonds were for the Museum Center project.

        The county's new debt was issued at 3.8 percent.

Arm of Sentinels endorses Fuller

        The political action committee of Cincinnati's black police officers' group has endorsed Courtis Fuller for mayor.

        The Friends of the Sentinel Police Association PAC released its choices Wednesday. The others:

        • For Cincinnati City Council: incumbents Paul Booth, Minette Cooper, Pat DeWine and Alicia Reece; David Pepper; John Schlagetter; Todd Ward and former officer Clarence Williams.

        • For school board: Melanie Bates; G.R. Schloemer; Fred Suggs Sr.; and Sally Warner.
       

Ohio fights reopening of killer's case
       

        COLUMBUS — The Ohio Attorney General asked the U.S. Supreme Court Wednesday to rule that a federal court cannot reopen the death penalty case of John W. Byrd Jr.

        Convicted of killing store clerk Monte Tewksbury during a 1983 robbery, Mr. Byrd was scheduled to die in the electric chair Sept. 12.

        Mr. Byrd is scheduled to testify Monday that he did not hold the knife that killed Mr. Tewksbury. The testimony will take place at a Dayton magistrate's hearing ordered by the Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit.

        A divided federal appeals court in Cincinnati stopped the execution and ordered a federal magistrate to hear the confessions of John Brewer, an accomplice who says he stabbed Mr. Tewksbury.

        Attorney General Betty Montgomery argues the 6th Circuit has no legal power to order new hearings.
       

Assistant chief has new assignment

        Lt. Col. Ron Twitty, Cincinnati's only African-American assistant police chief, is getting a new supervisory assignment: Overseeing the division's investigations staff.

        It's an assignment he requested and Chief Tom Streicher granted, the chief said Wednesday.

        Lt. Col. Twitty had been supervising the patrol bureau. Now he'll supervise the homicide, vice and personal crimes units.

        The move comes about because of a retirement and promotion within Chief Streicher's command staff — Lt. Col. Cindy Combs will be officially promoted in a City Hall ceremony Friday. She'll be the 1,020-officer division's first female assistant chief.

        Lt. Col. Combs will oversee the resource bureau, which includes dispatching and budgets. Lt. Col. Richard Janke, currently the resource bureau commander, will move to patrol. Lt. Col. Rick Biehl will remain commander of administration.
       

Columnist to speak on world affairs

        OXFORD — Syndicated national columnist Georgie Anne Geyer will speak at 8 p.m. Monday in Miami University's Hall Auditorium. Her topic will be “Where is the world going?”

        Tickets — free but limited — will be available at 7 p.m. Monday at the auditorium box office. Information, Lana Kay Rosenberg at www.rosenblk@muohio.edu or (513) 529-2730.
       

Man arrested on child-support charges
       

        HAMILTON — A Middletown man accused of owing more than $35,000 in child-support payments was arrested at the Mexico border, authorities reported Tuesday.

        The Butler County Prosecutor's Office said Christopher Roell, 37, was caught entering the country last week by the U.S. Border Patrol, who arrested him on a nationwide warrant the prosecutor's office had issued.

        His ex-wife and two children still live in Butler County. Mr. Roell disappeared soon after he was indicted in May 1994 for failure to pay child support, the prosecutor's office said. Mr. Roell is being held in the county jail on $50,000 bond, and is set for a Nov. 21 hearing before Judge Michael J. Sage.

        In another child-support case, a Fairfield man who allegedly fled to Las Vegas to avoid prosecution turned himself in and has paid more than $10,000. James Hughes, 29, last paid support for his child in November 1994, the prosecutor's office said.
       

Fired township worker has Jan. 3 court date
       

        DEERFIELD TWP. — Attorneys for the township and for fired employee Doug Larrick will argue Jan. 3 in Warren County Common Pleas Court during a one-day trial to determine whether Mr. Larrick was unjustifiably or unconstitutionally fired.

        Mr. Larrick, the former assistant township administrator who was reprimanded last yearfor insubordination and had his job title changed, was fired in May.

        The Ohio Unemployment Compensation Review Commission determined last month that Mr. Larrick was “discharged by Deerfield Township without just cause in connection with work.” Deerfield is appealing the decision.

        Cincinnati attorney Sheila Smith, representing Mr. Larrick, said as a result of the commission's decision Mr. Larrick has received his unemployment benefits in a lump sum.

        However, the Warren County judge cannot consider the commission's decision because a different standard was used to reach the decision, Ms. Smith said. If the judge rules in his favor, Mr. Larrick could be reinstated into his job as public works project manager.
       

Prosecuting Jorg could get tougher
Police brutality convictions rare
Officer describes striking Owensby
Fuller bases campaign on 'walk of faith'
Anthrax scare at IRS office
Award open for nominees
Council approves plan to ease density of low-income housing
CPS board candidates put focus on reforms
School board candidates
Faculty faction targets Steger
Parents group united, helping
Township needs a focus, some say
Tristate A.M. Report
PULFER: The Oyler case
RADEL: 'King' has 50 years of ribbing
Bill adds authority on group homes
Bond issue is seed money for school
Candy making is magic
City leaders often at odds
Court transcript quality criticized in Butler Co.
Doctors: Baby suffered new traumas
Dueling ads condemn, state support for Lebanon City Council candidates
Eight compete in Kings
Electric chair may be out in Ohio
Rainy-day dip-in passes House
Ky. charity cutting back work force
Patton stresses clean environment
Plummer challenging Koenig in Kenton GOP primary