Democrats choose Chabot opponent

        Greg Harris, executive director of the advocacy organization Citizens for Civic Renewal, will run as a write-in candidate in the May 7 primary as the designated Democratic choice to run against U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot for the 1st Congressional District seat in November.

        The Hamilton County Democratic Party chose Mr. Harris from among five people interested in running for the congressional seat, said party co-chairman Tim Burke.

        Mr. Harris has until March 18 to file as a write-in candidate in the May primary. If he gets at least 51 votes, he will be listed as the Democratic candidate on the November ballot.
       

Woman accused of murdering brother

       LOVELAND — A Covedale woman has been charged with murder in connection with the shooting death of her brother.

        Becky Mendenhall, 49, of 1519 Hillsun Place is being held at the Hamilton County jail without bail. She also faces a felony charge of tampering with evidence.

        At 11:40 p.m. Friday, Loveland Police received a phone call from a female in the 1500 block of West Loveland Avenue saying a man had been shot. When officers arrived, they found Ms. Mendenhall at the door.

        Inside, they found the body of Roger Mendenhall. He had been shot in the head. Detectives recovered a .40-caliber pistol found near the body.
       

Fire damages home in Columbia-Tusculum

        The Cincinnati Fire Department responded early Saturday to a two-alarm fire that caused $100,000 damage to a vacant home in Columbia-Tusculum.

        The fire engulfed the two-story single-family homein the 300-block of Tusculum Avenue.

        When firefighters arrived, smoke was so intense that it was hard to tell which structure was burning.

        It took 35 firefighters about 30 minutes to get the fire under control. There were no injuries, and the home, owned by Amy Martina, had been vacant for two weeks.

        The cause was undetermined Saturday afternoon, but it was not considered suspicious.
       

$300,000 given for "eternal flame'

        A $300,000 gift from two Cincinnati arts patrons will fund an “Eternal Flame of Freedom” to be placed in the central pavilion of the planned National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

        The Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation made the gift Friday to the Freedom Center's campaign, “Lighting Freedom's Flame,” which has raised more than $75 million in pledges, ash and in-kind gifts so far.

        Freedom Center president Ed Rigaud said the flame is to be placed at the center of a 2,700 square-foot terrace on the third level of the center, which is to be built on Cincinnati's riverfront. It is scheduled to open in 2004.

        The center is designed to tell the story of slavery in America and commemorate the Underground Railroad, the network that helped slaves escape.

        The Rosenthals have been patrons of the arts in Cincinnati for decades. The museum being built on the corner of Sixth and Race streets downtown will be known as the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Center for the Contemporary Arts.
       

West End woman declared missing

        Cincinnati Police are investigating the disappearance of a West End woman.

        Paula Phillips, 24, of the 2100 block of Colerain Avenue disappeared Feb. 15 after leaving a friend's Price Hill home.

        She was last seen at Lochman Avenue and Rapid Run Road wearing blue jeans, a brown tweed sweater, a red leather mid-length coat with the picture of an Indian head and the state of Florida on it.

        Cincinnati Police are calling her disappearance suspicious. Ms. Phillips has a 4-year-old son and 1-year-old daughter.
       

Girl burned in fire released from hospital

        The 6-year-old who was injured in the house fire Feb. 10 that critically injured adult store owner Elyse Metcalf was released Friday from Shriners Burns Institute.

        Taylor Bogan, Ms. Metcalf's great-niece, was severely burned in the fire that destroyed Ms. Metcalf's Carthage home.

        Ms. Metcalf, 42, remained in critical condition Saturday at University Hospital. She owns Elyse's Passion, a Northside store that sells sexually explicit gifts.
       

Unemployment can be collected longer

        COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gov. Bob Taft on Saturday announced that jobless Ohioans can collect unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks. Those collecting unemployment usually are cut off after 26 weeks.

        Mr. Taft's announcement came the same day President Bush signed a long-sought economic stimulus package, which includes the federally funded extensions.

        Workers who have exhausted eligibility for unemployment benefits at any time on or after March 17, 2001, could be eligible for the extra weeks.

        The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, which administers the state's unemployment compensation program, will mail applications this week to more than 300,000 potentially eligible recipients.

        Tom Hayes, the department's director, said the agency has hired 60 people to help process unemployment claims.

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Kenton sends tax refunds, slowly
UK honors Loretta Lynn