Enquirer cartoonist wins Gannett honor

        Jim Borgman, editorial cartoonist for The Cincinnati Enquirer, has been honored for outstanding achievement during 25 years of Best of Gannett contests.

        The Special Outstanding Achievement Awards of Excellence were announced “to salute the legacy of outstanding journalism in 25 years of Best of Gannett,” said Phil Currie, senior vice president/news, Newspaper Division for Gannett, the Enquirer's parent company.

        “It's wonderful recognition for Jim, and it acknowledges the kind of special relationship he has with Greater Cincinnati over the past quarter-century,” said Enquirer editor Ward Bushee.

        Mr. Borgman's first editorial cartoon for the Enquirer was published June 10, 1976, after Gerald Ford won the Ohio Republican presidential primary. He has drawn more than 7,500 cartoons since then for the editorial page. His work was nationally syndicated in 1980; and in 1991, he won the Pulitzer Prize, journalism's top award.

        Mr. Borgman is also co-creator of the comic strip Zits, a family strip that he produces with Jerry Scott.

        Gannett chose 10 winners after a review of 25 years of awards in the Best of Gannett annual contest that recognizes exceptional work produced by individuals and staffs at Gannett newspapers.
       

Man who abused girls gets 6 years in prison

        A Dillsboro, Ind., man Tuesday was sentenced to six years in prison for fondling three young girls — ages 8-12 — and viewing child pornography with them.

        Gary Daniels, 33, formerly of Reading, was convicted last month by a Hamilton County Common Pleas jury on two counts of sexual touching and two counts of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles.

        The incidents occurred April 28, 2001.

        Mr. Daniels was convicted of having sexual contact with two of the girls, under the age of 13, and then showing those girls and another girl, also under age 13, obscene photographs downloaded from the Internet.

        In handing down the sentence, Judge Patrick Dinkelacker adjudged Mr. Daniels a sexual predator, which will require him to register his home address with police after his release from prison.
       

Woman sentenced in attack on daughter

       AKRON, Ohio — A woman convicted of helping her husband impregnate her 16-year-old daughter with a syringe was sentenced Tuesday to three years in prison.

        Narda Goff, 43, was convicted in a nonjury trial in March of child endangering and complicity to commit sexual battery. She could have gotten 10 years behind bars.

        Her husband, John Goff, 40 — the girl's stepfather — has been charged with rape and sexual battery and is awaiting trial.

        “Mrs. Goff, I just can't understand why you failed to protect your daughter,” Summit County Common Pleas Judge John R. Adams said Tuesday. “I think she'll suffer more by the sentence than you will.”

        Mrs. Goff broke down in tears when asked if she wanted to make a statement.

        “Just that I'm sorry,” she said in a barely audible voice.

        Mrs. Goff then sat down and looked at her daughter, who began to sob. Mrs. Goff pushed a box of tissues across the table toward her daughter.

        John and Narda Goff became advocates for tougher rape laws after a man accused of molesting Mrs. Goff's daughter was acquitted. The Goffs persuaded lawmakers to change the law in 1996 to include penetration with any object as a component of rape. Previously, only sexual intercourse was considered rape.

        Mr. Goff now faces trial under the toughened rape laws.
       

Claim expands against vice mayor

       Lawyers for Angela Leisure and Cincinnati Vice Mayor Alicia Reece traded court motions Tuesday in their legal battle over allegations that the vice mayor abused her power.

        Mrs. Leisure is the mother of Timothy Thomas, whose fatal shooting by a Cincinnati police officer sparked the April 2001 riots. She claims in a federal lawsuit that Ms. Reece conspired with her father, Steven Reece Sr., and another businessman to get her to fire her lawyer, Kenneth L. Lawson. Mrs. Leisure is suing the city for wrongful death, and is seeking $10 million.

        Ms. Reece's lawyer, Ross A. Wright, demanded Monday that the lawsuit against the vice mayor be dismissed as frivolous.

        Mrs. Leisure's lawyers declined to drop it Tuesday, instead filing an amended complaint that asserts an additional claim that Ms. Reece tried to interfere in a federal judicial proceeding.

City gains $54.7M from sale of stock

        The city of Cincinnati has sold its stock in Anthem Inc., resulting in a windfall of about $54.7 million, more than the $50 million predicted.

        City Manager Valerie Lemmie will report to City Council today that the 870,021 shares — which the city received when Anthem converted from a nonprofit mutual insurance company to a for-profit, publicly traded company — were sold by April 30 at an average price of $62.94 per share.

        City Council has already earmarked $50 million from the sale for neighborhood development.

        Finance Committee Chairman John Cranley said Tuesday that he is “open-minded” about how to spend the additional $4.7 million. City officials were projecting a $27 million deficit in 2003 before the Anthem windfall.
       

Company recalls chicken nuggets

        The Hamilton County Health District is advising residents that an Orange City, Iowa, company is recalling more than 20,000 pounds of frozen chicken nuggets due to potential health risks for people allergic to milk.

        Labels of the recalled Advance Brands product, “Fast Fixin, Hot & Spicy Chicken Breast Nuggets — White Breast Meat, Fully Cooked,” neglect to mention that milk products are used in the making of the nuggets.

        Each package displays a 12-digit date code with one of the following sequences: F1172, F1282, G0013, G0051, G0063, G0174, G0212 and G0252. Each package also has the establishment code P2568 inside the USDA mark of inspection.

        The nuggets were distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Texas, Ohio and Oregon.

        Consumers with questions should call (877) 447-3279.
       

Upgrade proposed for police technology

       The Law and Public Safety Committee of Cincinnati City Council called Tuesday for an investment in crime-fighting technology that could cost the city $1 million.

        The proposal by Councilman John Cranley also asks that block-by-block crime information be made available to city residents on an Internet site, and that the Police Department revamp its Telephone Crime Reporting Unit to make it more customer-friendly.

        Mr. Cranley said the changes should be incorporated into a computer upgrade already required by the U.S. Justice Department as part of its settlement with the city last month.

Parks, mental health levies just squeak by
Yates wins primary for seat in state House
Mariemont's school tax fails
Warren, Butler say no to taxes
Warren County voters back levy for seniors
Boyle wins primary for state treasurer
Maineville voters trounce levies
Norwood among those to OK levies
Turner leads in 3rd District
Curbing runoff not easy
Erpenbeck quits NKU board of regents
Group offers to end boycott
Homes slide in rain
Man injured in crash with officer now critical
Report says foreclosures cluster heavily in certain neighborhoods
Runway project going ahead
School manager may sue trustees
Tristate A.M. Report
Vannatter wins sheriff nomination
BRONSON: Dear Bill
Cranley beats the odds, DeWine
HOWARD: Some Good News
SMITH AMOS: Don't give up
Jury hears emotional taped interview
Kilburn opens lead for Warren commission
Election fraud alleged
Immersion in an art form is inspiring, students told
Judge to get summaries in land dispute
Land board violated law, state rules
Mall becomes last in area to go smoke-free
Westwood man indicted on charge of manslaughter in Covington killing