DTP vaccine still in short supply

        A shortage of a common childhood vaccine that started more than a year ago is expected to continue until the middle of this year, federal health officials say.

        The diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine (DTP) has been in chronically short supply since mid-2000, when two of the four U.S. companies that make the vaccine stopped production.

        The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a public statement Thursday urging doctors to continue temporarily withholding the vaccine from some patients.

        The CDC recommends that infants continue receiving the first three doses of the five-dose series, but that fourth and fifth doses can be deferred.

        Officials with the Cincinnati Health Department, the Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati and Children's Hospital Medical Center say they continue to receive enough supply for high-priority needs.
       

Teen on probation in postal stunt

        HAMILTON — A Trenton teen-ager has been placed on indefinite probation for posing as a postal worker and telling a woman that her mail could have been tainted with anthrax.

        The teen, who was not identified by authorities, randomly called a woman, saying he was an employee of the post office and postal officials had traced a package that could contain anthrax to her home, said Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Jason Phillabaum.

        “He said this person was to seek hospital attention immediately or contact the poison control center,” Mr. Phillabaum said.

        He said the message left on the woman's answering machine Oct. 24 was pretty convincing until he said “bin Laden rules.”

        “That's how she knew it was a hoax.”

        The boy also called from a friend's cell phone, which police traced from the victim's caller-identification system.

        The boy, then 17, initially denied the charge but then pleaded “true” — the juvenile equivalent of a guilty plea — to one count of delinquency by way of inducing panic, a misdemeanor. Mr. Phillabaum said if the woman had sought hospital attention it would have been a felony.
       

Council, mayor, judge to be sworn in

       HAMILTON — New Hamilton Mayor Donald Ryan, the new City Council and re-elected Municipal Court Judge John Rosmarin will be sworn into office in a 7 p.m. ceremony today.

        The new council members are James Noonan, who will become vice mayor, Ed Shelton and Christopher Flaig. Re-elected council members are Katherine Becker, Richard Holzberger and George McNally.

        A reception will follow the ceremony at One Renaissance Center,345 High Street. The public is invited.
       

Middletown swears in new police employees

        MIDDLETOWN — Three new police division employees were sworn in Thursday.

        Police Officer Frank Hart Jr., Corrections Officer Preston Brewer and Dispatcher Jessica Sowers were appointed to fill vacancies, said Lt. Don Owens.
       

Schools' report cards to be posted on Internet

       COLUMBUS — The Ohio Department of Education on Monday is to post on its Web site the 2002 Local Report Cards for each school district.

        The report cards will include a new performance rating, “excellent.”.

        Previously, school districts received one of four ratings — “effective,” “continuous improvement,” “academic watch” and “academic emergency” — depending on how many of 27 benchmarks were met.

        This year, districts rated “excellent” must meet at least 26 of the 27 indicators, which mostly are based on passing rates from the state's proficiency tests.
       

Clermont Co. names department director

        BATAVIA — Charles Ashmore, assistant director of the Hamilton County Department of Job and Family Services, is the new director of the Clermont County Department of Job and Family Services.

        The county board of commissioners named him director Thursday. He will assume his new position on Jan. 22.

        Mr. Ashmore has held a number of different positions with the Hamilton County department and had been assistant director since February 1998.

        Mr. Ashmore will be responsible for a staff of 214 and a budget of more than $28 million.
       

Plans for seniors' campus postponed

        Cincinnati officials have stalled plans to develop a seniors' campus on about 11 acres at 3156 Glenmore Avenue in Westwood.

        Both the Neighborhood and Public Works Committee and City Council voted to indefinitely postpone the zone change needed to proceed with the development.

        The site is zoned IR, “institutional residential,” for use by hospitals and universities. The developer, Glenmore Partners LLC, was requesting a change to a zone that would would allow for multi-family units.
       

Judge denies request to exclude statements

        A Hamilton County Common Pleas judge has denied a defense request to exclude statements made to police by a Springfield Township man accused of beating another man to death last year.

        Victor Mathis, 32, was found in the street in front of his house in the 2800 block of Ruberg Avenue and was pronounced dead at Good Samaritan Hospital on June 1 of head trauma.

        Eric Pierce, 33, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and two counts of murderin Mr. Mathis' death. On Wednesday, his attorney, Mark Tierney asked that statements made by his client outside the presence of his attorney be excluded.

        But Judge Ann Marie Tracey denied the request. The trial is scheduled for Jan. 14.

        Mr. Pierce contends the two men wrestled when Mr. Pierce was helping Mr. Mathis' girlfriend take belongings from Mr. Mathis' home. He told police as he drove away he saw another man holding Mr. Mathis in a headlock.
       

No smoke detectors in two recent fires

        Two deadly Cincinnati fires this week had different causes, but something in common: no smoke detectors.

        Fire investigator Capt. Dan Rottmueller said Thursday that the Dec. 30 fire that killed Helen Lucas, 73, in Price Hill was caused by a discarded cigarette. Firefighters found a bracket that should've held a smoke detector, but it did not have one, he said.

        Tuesday's fire in Madisonville that killed Miles Naltner was caused by a lack of chimney maintenance, Capt. Rottmueller said.

        In both, he said, a smoke detector “would've given the occupant early warning of the fire.”

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