Colerain gas station robber gets away

COLERAIN TWP. - Authorities searched Sunday for a masked gunman who robbed the Clark Oil Station on Colerain Avenue late Saturday.

A man wearing a black nylon skullcap pulled over his face entered the gas station at 7434 Colerain Ave. at 6:45 p.m., pulled a black semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and demanded money, according to Hamilton County sheriff's deputies.

After taking an undisclosed amount of cash, the robber ran east on Jonrose Avenue.

Sheriff's deputies described the gunman as 6-feet-tall, black, with a heavy build, wearing an oversized black coat, light-colored blue jeans and a light-colored muscle shirt.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 352-3040.

Madeira schools host talk session

MADEIRA - Residents are invited to the Madeira City Schools Community Dialogue hosted by the Madeira Board of Education today. Coffee and conversation begin at 6:30 p.m., followed by the community dialogue from 7-8:30 p.m. at Madeira Junior/Senior High School's Perin Media Center, 7465 Loannes Drive.

Residents can tell the board what's going well in the district and what the schools can do better.

Pepper speaks from experience on crime

Cincinnati City Councilman David Pepper said Sunday he is relieved that suspects have been arrested in his October abduction, but stressed that he still feels safe in the city and others should, too.

Michael Gray, 21, of College Hill, and Michael W. Watkins, 18, of Westwood, face charges Mr. Pepper's Oct. 17 abduction and robbery as well as charges in a similar attempted robbery Thursday in Mount Lookout.

Mr. Gray was being held in the Hamilton County Justice Center late Sunday but police were still searching for Mr. Watkins.

While increased police presence downtown and in some neighborhoods has made a difference, Mr. Pepper predicted the city will continue to lose population unless residents and commuters feel secure.

"We cannot force people to make a choice about whether to put up with incidents like this," Mr. Pepper said. "If we put people between their personal safety and the city, obviously they won't stay. (But) I am always out and about all over town and always treated very well. People should feel comfortable in the city."

Intruder attacks in Pleasant Ridge

A woman was raped and robbed inside a Pleasant Ridge home late Saturday, Cincinnati police said.

The 8:30 p.m. incident occurred in the 2400 block of Briarcliffe Avenue. A man entered the home, forced the woman to engage in sexual activity with him, and then robbed her of $200 to $300 in cash, according to police reports.

Guard unit leaves for year in Bosnia

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Members of a Kentucky Army National Guard unit received a formal send-off from the community before leaving for a 12-month mission that will take them to Bosnia for peacekeeping duty.

The unit will train in Kansas and Germany before beginning its mission in Bosnia. After speeches, songs, prayers and a cascade of red, white and blue balloons, the guardsmen and their families ate a meal provided by the well-wishers.

Pension funds add staff as value drops

COLUMBUS - Ohio's two largest pension funds for public employees have raised salaries and staffing levels while their assets have dropped.

The Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio's annual report shows expenses for wages and salaries have nearly doubled to $24.2 million since 1998.

The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio had a 24 percent increase in total pay last year.

Officials from both pension funds said they needed more staff to take care of increasing numbers of retirees. Also, the increase in management costs doesn't affect monthly pension checks or health-care benefits, officials told the Columbus Dispatch for a Sunday story.

PERS oversees $48 billion in investments for state, municipal and nonteaching university employees. That's down from $58 billion at the end of 1999.

Investment expenses at PERS, including investment-department salaries and management fees, doubled to $13.2 million in 2001 from the year before.

Payments to consultants tripled.

Blade endorses Taft to win a second term

TOLEDO - The Blade on Sunday endorsed Republican Gov. Bob Taft for re-election in his race against Tim Hagan, saying Democrats are not ready or able to reclaim the job.

"Today, as Governor Taft stands poised to win a second term as the state's chief executive, we are still underwhelmed by his credentials and performance," the newspaper said in an editorial on Sunday.

"But because the Ohio Democratic Party has basically abdicated its responsibilities in a two-party system, their candidate has been handcuffed from the beginning and really offers no realistic plan or shot at victory."

The Blade did praise Mr. Taft for his OhioReads program, which has recruited thousands of volunteer tutors to help children learn to read. "But with the governor's bully pulpit, he could be doing so much more for education," the newspaper said.

Ohio's other major newspapers made their endorsement for governor two weeks ago.

Compiled from staff and wire reportsTristate A.M. ReportHoliday tour