As part of its policy for restructuring low-performing high schools, Cincinnati Public Schools' Board of Education on Monday approved developing three new high schools for the 2002-03 school year. They are:

        • A Design Technology (Engineering) High School on the Western Hills Campus beginning with up to 200 students in ninth grade. The school will add one grade per year until reaching about 600 students in grades 9-12 by 2005-06.

        • A University School on the Western Hills Campus beginning with up to 300 students in the Preparatory Academy (for grades 9 and 10) and up to 250 students in the Senior Institute (for grades 11 and 12). The School will grow to about 600 students by 2003-04.

        • An Entrepreneurship High School in a location to be determined beginning with up to 125 ninth grade students. The school will add one grade per year until reaching an enrollment of about 400 students in grades 9-12 by 2005-06.
       

School ranking reviewed, revised

               Cincinnati Public Schools' Board of Education on Monday revised the district's policy for ranking schools.

        Under what's called the school accountability plan, the district ranks schools annually using several measures, such as how students improve on proficiency tests and their attendance rate.

        A majority of the board said it wants the system of ranking schools to include student performance in five subjects for grades 2-12. The subjects are: math, reading, writing, science and social studies

        Under a policy that had not yet been implemented, the district would not have measured second- and third-grade students' performance in social studies and science.
       

Clermont Co. offers senior safety session

               BATAVIA — A safety training session is being offered to anyone who works with Clermont County senior citizens on Nov. 14 and Nov. 17, at Mercy Hospital Clermont.

        The county's Senior Safety Council, coordinated by the Clermont County Health District, is conducting the training for people who work with seniors in preventing falls and fires and in managing medications.

        The health district says these three hazards are the cause of many 911 calls and hospital admissions among seniors.

        Those who work with or are related to seniors are invited to attend the training, which is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

        To register: 735-8979.
       

Scholar to speak at Hebrew Union College

               Visiting scholar James A. Sanders' public lecture on Greek influences on Judaism will be held at noon Wednesday at Hebrew Union College, 3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton Heights.

        The title of his talk is “What Alexander (the Great) Did to Us All.”

        It is part of the “Food for Thought” luncheon series. Reservations are $8; call Marcia Cruse, 221-1875, Ext. 353.

        Dr. Sanders earned his doctorate in Bible and Ancient Judaism from the HUC graduate school in 1955.

        He is president of the Ancient Biblical Manuscript Center at the University of California/Claremont, where he was on the school of theology faculty for 20 years.

        A Presbyterian, Dr. Sanders' expertise includes the period between Jewish and Christian Bibles. He also will lead a graduate student seminar.

        Since it was founded in 1947 at the seminary and awarded its first doctorates in 1951, 80 percent of the students in HUC's School of Graduate Studies have been non-Jews.
       

Citizenship topic of Wright State lecture

               The origins of citizenship will be Cynthia King's topic at 5 p.m. Nov. 15 at Wright State University's student union in Fairborn, Ohio.

        Dr. King, associate professor of classics, will speak on “Citizens, Not Subjects: The Ancient Greek Origins of Citizenship” in Room E163B.

        She said the idea of citizenship arose in Greece more than 2,500 years ago as a contrast between free peoples versus slaves of kings and tyrants.
       

Dry Ridge man dead after shooting

               A Dry Ridge man shot in the chest during a brawl at First and Last Chance Bar in Crittenden died over the weekend.

        Michael Travis Lovelace, 31, of Dry Ridge, was shot multiple times in his chest Thursday night. He died at University Hospital on Saturday.

        Danny Johnson, 47, of Crittenden, was arrested at the scene and charged with multiple counts of assault. With Mr. Lovelace's death, authorities are now considering murder charges.

        Mr. Johnson was being held Monday night at the Kenton County Jail on $1 million bond.

        Police recovered a .25-caliber handgun and a switchblade at the bar in the 15000 block of Dixie Highway near the Kenton/Grant county line.

        Two Northern Kentucky men stabbed during the brawl were treated at hospitals and released.

        Kenton County police said alcohol was a factor in the fight, which broke out after a derogatory remark was made about a woman at the bar.
       

Gen. Schwarzkopf cancels appearance

               COLUMBUS — Retired Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf has canceled an appearance in the city's Veterans Day parade, an organizer said Monday.

        Parade spokesman Richard Reach said organizers were told by Gen. Schwarzkopf's staff that he had received threats since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He did not know specifics.

        It was not clear whether Gen. Schwarzkopf, who commanded U.S. troops in the Persian Gulf War, had canceled any other appearances.

        He had accepted an invitation several months earlier to be honorary grand marshal in the parade Friday.

        Messages seeking comment were left with Bob Thomas, a representative for Gen. Schwarzkopf in the Washington area.

        Columbus police said they had no information on any threats.

        The parade, called “United We Stand,” will mark the 10th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm.

        Reach said the new honorary grand marshal will be Ohio Adjutant General John Smith, head of the Ohio National Guard.
       

Utility watchdog questions refunds

               COLUMBUS — The state's utility watchdog on Monday asked regulators to reconsider their decision to allow Dominion East Ohio to refund $100 million in overpayments to some natural gas customers.

        The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio last month approved Dominion's plan to give as much as $500 per customer to people who pay their reconnect fee before Dec. 31.

        The company said the credit will help customers reduce their outstanding balances after they pay the fee.

        More than 100,000 of about 1.2 million Dominion customers in northeast Ohio are eligible for the refund. The company had three times as many customers as usual with bad accounts because of last year's unusually cold winter and high natural gas prices.

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