A 43-year-old man was shot dead Sunday night in Price Hill and his neighbor has been charged with murder, Cincinnati police say.

        Neighbors said William Gibbs and Jeffrey Kibler argued earlier in the day, before police and emergency medical personnel were called about 6:20 p.m. to a Coronado Avenue address. Mr. Gibbs was found fatally wounded, police said.

        Mr. Kibler, 35, was arrested and charged with murder. He lives in the house but neighbors said Mr. Gibbs used to live there, too.

        Mr. Gibbs was the 42nd homicide victim in the city so far this year. That compares with 31 at this time in 2001.

Public meeting on AK Steel's proposal

        MIDDLETOWN - State environmental officials will be looking for public comments Thursday regarding a proposed change being sought by AK Steel to modify its wastewater discharge permit for Dicks Creek.

        The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency will hold its public meeting at 7 p.m. at Middletown High School, 601 N. Breiel Blvd., to accept comments on the wastewater discharge at 1801 Crawford St. in Middletown.

        OEPA officials said the purpose of the modification would be to increase the loading limits for copper and zinc and to extend the permit to Oct. 29, 2002.

        If approved, the discharges will not exceed chemical-specific water quality standards that protect aquatic life and human health, said officials, but would change water quality conditions in Dicks Creek.

        OEPA will accept written comments through Aug. 13: Ohio EPA, Division of Surface Water, Permits Processing Unit, P.O. Box 1049, Columbus, OH 43216-1049.

Police arrest 17 in drug sweep

        Cincinnati police over the weekend staged their third weekend drug sweep in six weeks, arresting 17 people - one of them 14 years old.

        District 4's Operation Crack-Down ended early Sunday with officers recovering more than 41 grams of crack cocaine and more than 11 grams of marijuana.

        The 14-year-old was caught on Reading Road in Avondale with more than a gram of crack and charged with drug possession. A 15-year-old also was arrested for possession of pot. Six of the arrests were for drug trafficking, which Lt. Mike Neville says officers are trying to target.

        More sweeps will follow, according to a report by Chief Tom Streicher. Since the first one, on June 22, officers have arrested 57 people - 23 of them for selling drugs - served 31 warrants and recovered one gun.

Curfew roundup nets 60 violators

        Members of westside Citizens on Patrol groups helped Friday night with a curfew roundup that nabbed 60 juvenile violators and eight parents in Cincinnati neighborhoods such as English Woods, North and South Fairmount and Westwood.

        It was the third time in less than two months that juveniles who were out too late in District 3 neighborhoods were picked up. Eight adults were charged for having kids who are repeat curfew violators. The city's curfew ordinance requires children 15 and younger to be in by 10 p.m. Anyone 16 or 17 has to be in by midnight.

        Officers picked up 102 juveniles during their first roundup June 15, and 131 on their second, July 5.

UC institute awarded $1.7M

        The University of Cincinnati's Genome Research Institute, in collaboration with Wright State University, has been awarded $1.7 million from the Ohio Board of Regents.

        The grant was part of $12 million awarded to researchers statewide through the Hayes Investment Fund Competition. The money will be used to buy equipment for the institute.

        The genome institute was formed last year to study diseases and normal human cell functions by using genomic, proteomic, molecular and physiological methods. Research focus areas include cancer biology, neuroscience, endocrinology and cardiovascular/pulmonary biology.

        By early next year, the institute plans to be working in Reading, in renovated labs at the former Aventis Pharmaceuticals campus.

Two-car crash ties up I-275

        FOREST PARK - A two-vehicle crash on Interstate 275 near Winton Road sent two people to a hospital and snarled traffic on the busy highway Monday afternoon.

        Lomtadza Jurka and Parker Polley, 82, of Greenhills were both in good condition Monday at Mercy Hospital Fairfield.

        Preliminary investigation shows that Mr. Polley was driving a Chrysler New Yorker entering east I-275 from Winton Road when it struck a Buick Regal being driven on I-275 by Mr. Jurka. Both cars suffered heavy damage, Forest Park Police Officer Vada Harris said.

        Both men were alone in their cars. The accident happened about 12:35 p.m. It remains under investigation.

Three juveniles charged in break-in

        ARLINGTON HEIGHTS - Three boys ages 15-17 are facing charges in connection with a Aug. 2 break-in at an Arlington Street house.

        Two were arrested Saturday and one Sunday. The 16-year-old is charged with one count of burglary, two counts of drug abuse and one count of possessing drug paraphernalia. The 15-year-old was charged with receiving stolen property and the 17-year-old was charged with one count of burglary, Arlington Heights Police Officer Scott Fetter said.

        The break-in happened about 1 p.m. There was minor damage to the house.

        A watch and an unknown amount of rolled coins were taken from the home. The watch was recovered, the officer said.

        Two of the boys are from Arlington Heights and the third is from Lockland.

7 arrested in search of gambling operation

        Undercover Cincinnati police officers searched a suspected illegal gambling operation Friday, arresting seven people.

        Cedric Williams, 59, was charged with engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity and possession of drugs after the SWAT team searched his Victory Parkway apartment in Avondale and another location on Liberty Street in Over-the-Rhine.

        Vice investigators said Mr. Williams received and organized betting slips and money for an illegal numbers game. They also said they found more than 2,800 grams of pot in his apartment.

        Officers also arrested Charles Barrow, 64, of Springdale, and charged him with five counts of operating a gambling house. Five others were charged with a variety of crimes, including gambling, drug abuse and drug possession. Officers also confiscated $10,000 in cash, four guns and 14 grams of cocaine.

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