Bicyclist fatally hit by semi tractor-trailer

        A male bicyclist was killed Tuesday afternoon when he collided with a semi tractor-trailer at the intersection of Reading Road and the entrance ramp to Interstate 471 in Over-the-Rhine.

Cincinnati police talk with the owners of a semi tractor-trailer that struck and killed a bicyclist Tuesday on Reading Road. (Tony Jones photo) | ZOOM |

        The tractor-trailer was turning from Reading Road onto the interstate ramp when it and the bicycle, traveling the same direction on Reading Road, collided, police said.

        The accident occurred about 4:45 p.m. and the intersection was blocked for more than five hours,causing rush-hour backups.

        The name of the victim, an adult male, was being withheld pending notification of relatives.

        Ebony Berry, 17, of Over-the-Rhine, said she witnessed the accident.

        “As the truck was turning, the bike keep on going and he ran into the truck. He went under the truck,” Ms. Berry said.

        The truck rolled over the victim, she said.
       

Highway Patrol firm on seat-belt use

        COLUMBUS — The State Highway Patrol is planning a statewide crackdown on motorists who don't buckle up.

        Officials say improving Ohio's lackluster record in seat-belt use could save 120 lives per year.

        It's expected that troopers will issue an additional 50,000 tickets this year for seat-belt violations, many during the busy travel time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

        Until now, troopers have had the flexibility to issue a seat-belt warning instead of a ticket. But patrol Superintendent Kenneth Morckel is making the ticket mandatory.

        The seat belt campaign officially begins on Thursday.
       

No leads in suspected animal cruelty case

        HAMILTON — Police on Tuesdaysaid they had no leads in a case of suspected cruelty to an animal that was found skinned and decapitated in the 700 block of Ross Avenue.

        The animal, believed to be a cat or a dog, was discovered by Casey Riffe, 26, on Sunday afternoon. She spotted the carcass atop her neighbor's vehicle — and fears the remains might be those of a stray female cat that she and her family had somewhat adopted.

        As of Tuesday, that cat remained missing, Ms. Riffe said.

        Officer Dave Crawford, Hamilton police spokesman, said he thinks the incident was isolated.

        But Ms. Riffe said the officer who took her report told her that a similar carcass had been found a couple days earlier a few blocks away.

        Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 868-5811, Ext. 2007.
       

Lawyers appeal ruling of antitrust violation

        Lawyers for two pharmaceutical companies and an array of consumers and retail drug purchasers clashed Tuesday over whether an agreement between the companies illegally delayed the marketing of a generic drug for treatment of high blood pressure.

        The maker of Cardizem CD, which is used to treat high blood pressure and angina, and the company that makes a cheaper, generic version of the drug, said they did nothing to delay Cardizem's generic competition.

        Lawyers for Hoechst Marion Roussel Inc., known in the United States as Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc., and Andrx Pharmaceuticals Inc. asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati to reverse a ruling made last year by U.S. District Judge Nancy Edmunds of Detroit.

        Judge Edmunds' ruling that the companies violated antitrust laws backed consumers who said the agreement delayed the generic drug's marketing for 11 months.

Cincinnati firefighters organize group outing

        A group of Cincinnati firefighters is organizing a Thursday night outing to help downtown businesses.

        The firefighters — about 70 of them, with their spouses and friends — are starting at 7 p.m. at Cafe Cin Cin, then moving to Rock Bottom Brewery at 9 p.m.

        “With everything that's been going on, we figured they've been having a hard time,” said Doug Stern, an organizer. “These businesses have always been good to us. It's just our way of trying to help out.”

        He said he hopes the firefighters' event prompts other groups to do the same.
       

Anderson teen-ager found guilty by court

        A Hamilton County Juvenile court magistrate found an Anderson Township teen-ager guilty Tuesday of causing the fatal crash that killed a 16-year-old St. Ursula Academy classmate.

        The teen, who was 16 at the time of the Jan. 18 crash, acknowledged her part in the death of Julia Schmidt, of Westwood, and will be sentenced June 4 by Juvenile Court Judge Sylvia Sieve Hendon.

        Miss Schmidt was a backseat passenger in the 1996 Mercedes Benz driven by the teen, who is not being identified because she is charged as a juvenile.

        Prosecutors said the car was traveling 135 mph when it crashed along East Woodruff Road in Anderson Township. The defense disputed that speed, contending the girl's car was going between 78 and 82 mph.
       

Heart research center tests use of radiation

        The Carl and Edyth Lindner Center for Cardiovascular Research has become one of two research centers nationwide to begin testing repeated use of radiation as a way to stop reclogging in coronary arteries.

        The use of stents to prop open blocked arteries has become commonplace in cardiac care. However, some patients suffer scar tissue growth that can reclog the artery, which can lead to sudden death and often requires a full bypass operation to treat.

        Many stent patients have benefitted from experiments using radiation and other medicines to prevent the scarring. However, those treatments still haven't helped a “small, but difficult-to-treat” group, said Dr. Dean Kereiakes, medical director of the Lindner Center.
       

Author Cornel West to speak on May 9

        Dr. Cornel West, author and professor at Princeton University, will speak on May 9 at 7 p.m. at Christ Church Cathedral downtown.

        Dr. West had been scheduled to deliver his lecture on April 25 to kick off the cathedral's “Racism: Violence to the Human Spirit” conference, but did not appear because of health reasons.

        All tickets issued for the April 25 lecture will be honored on May 9.

        Dr. West gained prominence with his 1993 book Race Matters, and has also worked on such projects as the Million Man March, gatherings on hip-hop music and national summits on youth gangs.

        One of Harvard's most distinguished black-studies professors, Dr. West recently returned to Princeton University after a falling-out with Harvard's new president.

        For more information: 842-2055.
       

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