An agreement could be reached in the coming weeks in the case of a troubled Bond Hill apartment complex slated for closing.

        Hamilton County Common Pleas Magistrate Richard Bernat on Friday was supposed to decide whether managers of Huntington Meadows would be allowed to close the apartment complex — displacing hundreds of families. But the hearing was canceled.

        Instead Magistrate Bernat and opposing attorneys went behind closed doors to discuss a resolution. Exactly what that resolution might entail was not made public.

        “We're hoping whatever resolution is reached it will include some kind of extension,” said Herbert Walker, manager of emergency services, housing and energy with the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency.

        Mr. Walker said as many as 550 low-income and working families will lose their homes if the complex is shut down.

        Managers have asked to close Aug. 31.

Man arrested in parking scam

        Cincinnati police officers, pretending Thursday night to be a couple looking for a place to park, arrested a man they believe has been scamming drivers downtown by taking money as if he's a parking attendant.

        Officers Dan Kowalski and Jenny Jones, members of the District 1 Violent Crimes Squad, pulled into the Salvation Army lot on East 12th Street and paid their suspect $2 to park. When they told him they were cops, he said: “I was just kidding.”

        James Smith, 36, of Clifton Heights was charged with theft and possession of drug paraphernalia after officers found a metal crack pipe on him at the jail.

        Police have gotten complaints in recent weeks about fake parking attendants stealing people's money.

Drug tip line leads to arrest

        FAIRFIELD — The city police department's new anonymous drug tip line is paying off, said Lt. Ken Colburn, police spokesman.

        A tip shortly after the hot line's activation in late April launched an investigation leading to the arrest of Vincent Keith Witte, 39, of Mack Road. Police Friday searched his apartment and found nine pounds of marijuana, which has a street value of about $10,000, and related paraphernalia, Lt. Colburn said.

        He encouraged citizens to continue calling the tip line, 896-8200.

Three hurt in 3-vehicle wreck

        ST. CLAIR TWP. — Three people were hurt, one seriously, in a three-vehicle crash that closed U.S. 127 for more than two hours Friday.

        Angela Cardeman, 27, of Seven Mile, was in serious condition at University Hospital, where she was flown by medical helicopter.

        Her 10-year-old son was treated at Fort Hamilton Hospital.

        Around 10:40 a.m., Ms. Cardeman's vehicle was southbound on U.S. 127 near Jacksonburg Road when it traveled left of center into the path of a northbound concrete truck, Detective Mayer said.

        The truck went off the left side of the road and flopped onto its side, spilling some diesel fuel. The Hamilton Fire Department's hazardous-materials team was called to clean up the fuel.

        The truck's driver, Nathan Martin Jr., 36, of Middletown, was treated and released at Fort Hamilton Hospital.

        Ms. Cardeman's vehicle also struck a 2001 Dodge Caravan driven by Joanne Evans, 51, of Camden. Neither Ms. Evans nor her two passengers, an 11-year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, required medical treatment, Detective Mayer said.

        The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Duchess of York to visit Ohio mall

        TOLEDO - The Duchess of York will be visiting a northwest Ohio mall next month.

        Sarah Ferguson will be at Westfield Shoppingtown Aug. 7. She is a spokeswoman for the mall's parent company, Westfield America Trust of Australia.

        Shoppers will be able to enter a raffle to meet “Fergie.”

Ex-insurance agent admits thefts

        LEBANON — A former insurance salesman admitted Friday that he swindled three clients into buying fraudulent insurance policies.

        William L. Herman, 54 of Springboro pleaded guilty to three felony counts of theft from an elderly person before Warren County Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson. In exchange for the plea, three charges were dismissed. Mr. Herman faces a maximum penalty of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine for each count.

        Even though he had no association with a valid insurance company, Mr. Herman sold policies to the unwary clients, he admitted.

        A sentencing date has not been set.

Judge refuses to let altered cars race

        AKRON — Four All-American Soap Box Derby contestants whose cars were ruled ineligible failed Friday to win a judge's order allowing the cars to be used as built.

        Each of the four agreed to revise their cars to comply with derby rules in time for the race today, according to derby spokesman Bob Troyer.

        Eleven cars, including four built by the youngsters who sued, had been altered to make them less than the required 17-inch width at the widest spot, Mr. Troyer said. One way to alter them is by sanding.

        Summit County Common Pleas Judge James E. Murphy said the youngsters did not prove their claim that a template used to measure the floorboards during the inspection was inaccurate.

        Tony Dalayanis, an Akron attorney representing Rachelle Tucker, Alex Reynolds, Lauren Fountain and Ashley Christian, argued that the rules don't mention a template as part of the inspection.

Terra College president to resign

        FREMONT, Ohio - The president of Terra Community College plans to resign within a year.

        Charlotte Lee told the school's board that she thought her decision was best for her and the college.

        Ms. Lee, who has been president for eight years, said she feels she's leaving the college on good terms. No date has been set for her departure.

        Board chairwoman Helene Zielinski said Ms. Lee made the decision in April. .

        Two lawsuits claiming sex and age discrimination were filed against the school in May and June by former Terra employee Sue Babione.

        Compiled from staff and wire reports

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