Three seen on film face rioting charges

COLUMBUS - Three people caught on film during disturbances near Ohio State University after the football team's win over Michigan were charged Monday with rioting, police said.

Four more, including a juvenile, are expected to be charged this week and another 11 people remain under investigation for suspected involvement, said police spokeswoman Sherry Mercurio.

She said she expects most to be charged with misdemeanor counts of rioting.

The three charged Monday each face two misdemeanor counts.

The individuals were identified from video images and still photographs taken during the disturbance. It was the first time the city used the pictures to identify and criminally charge rioters, police said.

The images are posted on Ohio State's Web site.

"Some people called in and said, `Yah, that's me,'" Ms. Mercurio said.

A campus-area neighborhood erupted early Nov. 24 when fans celebrating Ohio State's 14-9 win over rival Michigan started more than 100 fires, torched nine cars, broke windows of homes and stores, and pelted firefighters with rocks and debris.

Taser disarmed woman, police say

HAMILTON - Police say use of a Taser weapon prevented a knife-wielding city woman from hurting anyone during a weekend domestic dispute.

Officer Dave Crawford, police spokesman, said the stun weapon was used on Michelle M. Ferguson, 28, after she ignored officers' repeated commands to drop a butcher knife early Sunday.

A report says she headed toward her boyfriend "with the knife still in her hand, in an aggressive manner," at a residence in the 1100 block of Lane Street. She apparently suffered no significant ill effects from the Taser, Officer Crawford said.

After the incident, officers reported finding come crack cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

A judge on Monday set Ms. Ferguson's bond at $3,000 cash. Ms. Ferguson is scheduled for a Jan. 7 preliminary hearing in Hamilton Municipal Court.

She is accused of felonious assault, two counts of drug abuse and a drug-paraphernalia charge.

Jury indicts deputy, brother in bar fight

LEBANON - A Hamilton County sheriff's deputy and his brother were charged Monday in an October beer-bottle attack on two Landen bar patrons during an impromptu high school reunion.

A grand jury indicted Kevin Schweitzer, a 28-year-old deputy employed as a corrections officer since June 2001, on three counts of felonious assault. His brother, Ralph Schweitzer, 31, of Crittenden, Ky., faces a single count of the same charge.

The Schweitzers are accused of assaulting brothers Bobby and Joe Miller, of Harlan Township, during a gathering at Tabby's American Grill & Bar for the 1996 graduating class of Little Miami High School.

Hamilton County sheriff's spokesman Steve Barnett said Kevin Schweitzer was suspended without pay on Monday.

Gasoline cited as cause of fire

DEER PARK - Gasoline next to a water heater sparked a blaze that caused an estimated $25,000 in damage to a single-family home at 4119 Oakwood Ave. Sunday afternoon.

There were no injuries. One person was home when the fire broke, but he was already outside when fire crews arrived, Deer Park-Silverton Fire Chief Don Newman said. Firefighters saved a cat.

The basement had fire damage while the rest of the residence was damaged by smoke.

Firefighters were called about 5:24 p.m. Sunday, Chief Newman said.

Settlement OK'd in death of inmate

Hamilton County commissioners Monday approved a $190,000 settlement in a wrongful death suit filed by relatives of an inmate who hung himself while incarcerated in the Justice Center.

Hooven resident Glenn Stacy Pruitt Sr. was in the justice center on criminal charges on Nov. 22, 1999 when his cellmate found him hanging from a water sprinkler.

In November, 2001, Mr. Pruitt's father, Glenn E. Pruitt filed a complaint in U.S. District Court for violation of civil rights, wrongful death and loss of consortium on behalf of his son's estate.

The settlement includes $126,666.67 to be paid to Melissa Pruitt, executrix of the estate of her late husband's estate, and $63,333.33 to be paid to attorney Kenneth Lawson.

According to the complaint, on Nov. 21. 1999, Mr. Pruitt tied a bed sheet around his waist in an attempt to jump from a balcony and cause physical harm to himself. Mr. Pruitt's cellmate, the complaint states, witnessed his actions and notified a jail guard, but the guard failed to refer Mr. Pruitt to the medical or psychiatric unit for evaluation or to tell other guards about the inmate's actions.

A nurse also told a deputy that Mr. Pruitt was making phone calls threatening to harm himself and that Ms. Pruitt telephoned justice center official voicing her concern regarding her husband's suicide threats, according to the complaint.

School construction director appointed

COLUMBUS - Gov. Bob Taft on Monday appointed the state's top education lawyer to direct Ohio's $23 billion school construction program.

Lynn Readey, an assistant attorney general, has been interim director since August of the Ohio School Facilities Commission. Before that, she led the state's fight against an 11-year-old lawsuit that charged Ohio's school funding system was unconstitutional.

Mr. Taft said he is confident in Ms. Readey's ability to run the commission, which the governor said spends about $2.5 million a day on building and renovating schools.

Ms. Readey, 49, replaces Randy Fischer, who resigned last summer after questions arose about the way the commission awarded contracts.

The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled the state school-funding system unconstitutional three times, including a 4-3 decision in December. The commission was created in 1997 to begin rebuilding Ohio schools after one of those rulings.

New Year's Day closings

Postal Service: No delivery
Library: Closed
Banks: Closed
Trash collection
Cincinnati: One day delay
Rumpke: One day delay
CSI: One day delay
Metro: Holiday schedule
Parking meters: No coins required
Courts: Closed
Government offices
Federal: Closed
City and county: Closed
State: Closed
Stock markets: Closed

- Compiled from staff and wire reports