Screeners stop woman with gun in purse

HEBRON - For the second time in less than a month, federal security screeners found a gun in a would-be passenger's purse at a checkpoint at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Transportation Security Administration officials said screeners found a .25-caliber titanium-plated handgun in a woman's bag at 6:15 a.m. Thursday as she was trying to go through the checkpoint of Terminal 2.

TSA spokeswoman Suzanne Luber said that the gun was loaded, but there was no round in the chamber.

Arrested was Janette A. Adwani, 44, of Georgetown, Ohio. She was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and was taken to the Boone County Detention Center. Ms. Adwani was born in Amman, Jordan, and has been a U.S. resident for 17 years.

In his arrest report, airport Police Officer Jeff Knauf said he believed the woman had made an honest mistake.

A man was found at the airport with a handgun in a shoebox at Thanksgiving.

Air Care gets bigger helicopter in deal

University Air Care will start using a bigger, faster medical helicopter in January as part of a new lease deal.

A contract with Omniflight Helicopters will provide two BK-117 helicopters, which are capable of carrying two patients or an extra medical staff person..

Under the previous contract with PHI Helicopters, one of the choppers was a smaller, slower BO-105 model, which can carry only one patient.

BK-117s have a slanted nose and a boxy back end while BO-105s have more of a pill-shaped body.

"From the inside, the difference is like working in the back of a van instead of the back of a car," said Dudley Smith, director of Alliance Medical Transport.

The helicopters will be deployed as before, with one at University Hospital and the other at the Butler County Regional Airport.

Newtown votes to join joint fire department

NEWTOWN - Following months of meetings and discussions, Village Council on Thursday agreed to join the Fairfax/Madison Place Joint Fire Rescue Department, effectively shutting down the village's fire and emergency medical services operation.

The ordinance was approved by a 5-1 vote. In a related ordinance, council also agreed to transfer equipment used by the Newtown department to the Fairfax/Madison Place district.

The next step is for council and the district to sign a proposed five-year contract. Tentative plans call for the district to begin operations in Newtown Feb. 1.

Council members said joining the district would improve fire and emergency medical services to the community and provide a more cost-effective operation.

Teachers federation ratifies extension

The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers unanimously ratified a one-year contract extension at the union's membership meeting Wednesday night.

The union's contract, which was scheduled to run out Dec. 31, includes a 3.5 percent raise and will run through Dec. 31, 2003.

The raise is an increase from what teachers got under a three-year contract that took effect January 2000. Under that contract, teachers got a 2 percent raise the first year and 3 percent raises the following two years.

4 hurt after vehicle strikes ambulance

Four people were injured, including two Cincinnati firefighters on an emergency run, when a vehicle driven by a Mount Orab man crossed the center line on Columbia Parkway Thursday and struck an ambulance, police said.

The crash occurred at 2:20 p.m. at 2881 Columbia, between Torrence Parkway and Delta Avenue in the East End. The parkway was closed in both directions until 5:30 p.m..

The two firefighters, James Kettler, 29, and James Nearor, 22, were treated for minor injuries at University Hospital and released.

The ambulance's lights and siren were activated before the crash, police said.

Edward Steinher, 22, of High Street in Mount Orab, Brown County, was traveling west on Columbia Parkway when he lost control and crossed the double yellow center line, striking the eastbound ambulance, according to the Cincinnati Police traffic division.

Mr. Steinher was listed in stable condition Thursday night at University Hospital. His passenger, Joshua Ludlum, 22, of Meadowland Drive, Anderson Township, was in fair condition at University.

No charges have been filed. The crash remains under investigation.

City seeks to replace resigning councilman

BLUE ASH - Walter Reuszer, serving a seventh term as city councilman, has resigned for personal reasons.

He also has served as the city's mayor, vice mayor and planning commissioner.

Those interested in replacing him are asked to submit a rÈsumÈ and letter of interest by Jan. 6.

Correspondence should be addressed to Blue Ash City Council, Attention: Manager's Office, City of Blue Ash, 4343 Cooper Road, Blue Ash, OH 45242.

For more information, call 745-8510.

Cab driver charged in shooting at bus lot

Cincinnati police arrested a cab driver Thursday night after a shooting near a downtown bus terminal.

Ronald Clay, 58, of the East End, was charged with felonious assault for shooting another man inside his cab outside the Greyhound station. The victim's injuries were not life-threatening. His identity was not released.

Officers went to the cab driver's house on Eastern Avenue. They found the cab there and two guns, one in a freezer.

Mr. Clay was acquitted in 1999 in another shooting, according to court records.