Commissioner offers to pay for busing

Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune is proposing that the county offer financial assistance to restore high school busing to Mount Healthy City School District through the end of the school year.

The district cut busing Monday because it lost two operating levies last year. Eliminating high school busing saves the district $40,000.

Mr. Portune on Monday will ask the Board of Commissioners to modify its Dec. 18 action regarding use of unclaimed inheritance funds and allocate a $40,000 grant to the Mount Healthy district.

Under law, he said, the funds are to be used to benefit the interests of public schools in the county. The board agreed last month to explore the issue, but no immediate use was determined.

"Now there is," Mr. Portune said. "An immediate transportation crisis looms in the city of Mount Healthy for its student population.

The crisis affects the students, their parents and the function and operation of the school. It poses significant safety concerns, as well."

Mount Healthy Superintendent David Horine said he would have to discuss Mr. Portune's proposal with the school board. The district has already cut $1.1 million from its budget, and even if a levy passes Feb. 4, another $436,000 in cuts must be made through staff reduction.

Ohio nuclear plant unlikely to be fined

OAK HARBOR - A nuclear plant that allowed workers to leave after being exposed to radiation violated three requirements but probably won't be fined, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Tuesday.

Two of the violations were considered low to moderate safety significance and the other was of very low safety significance.

Five workers at the Davis-Besse nuclear plant took several showers after working inside a steam generator in February, but still left with specks of radiation on their clothes.

Radioactive particles from the workers were found in hotel rooms and homes in Ohio, Texas, South Carolina and Virginia, according to Akron-based FirstEnergy Corp., which operates the plant.

There was no threat to the public, the NRC said in an earlier report.

Man sentenced in 4-year-old's death

FREMONT - A man who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 4-year-old girl was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Jeffrey Green, a former football player at the University of Toledo, faced a maximum of 10 years in prison in the death of Samantha Morringelli. He was sentenced Monday.

The girl died two days after she was found unconscious in the home Mr. Green shared with the girl's mother, Garla Morringelli.

An autopsy found the girl died from head injuries.

Mr. Green told authorities the child was choking and he attempted to give her CPR and later shook the girl in attempt to aid her. She died on Aug. 10, 2001.

Mr. Green, a Fremont native, was as an offensive lineman from 1992 to 1994 at Toledo.

Gifts to mayor, former chief scrutinized

GREENSBURG, Ind. - The city's mayor and former police chief are under investigation for accepting 12-guage shotguns as gifts from the president of the company that built its police station.

Decatur County Prosecutor William O. Smith announced last week the investigation of Mayor Gary Bailey and former Police Chief Keith Gay. Jon Oldham, who was the Decatur County sheriff until Jan. 1, will lead the investigation.

Mayor Bailey said he did nothing wrong in accepting the shotgun.

"If I made a mistake in accepting the gift, I am willing to face whatever comes next," he said.

The gifts were personal and not in exchange for favors, he said.

Pyramid Architecture/Engineering built the $2.5 million Police Department building in the city about 40 miles southeast of Indianapolis. Company President Terry Burnworth gave the shotguns, which retail for almost $1,000 each.

Turner, Ryan sworn in as congressmen

WASHINGTON - New Ohio congressmen Mike Turner and Tim Ryan were sworn in Tuesday as the House began its 2003-04 session.

Mr. Turner, a Republican and a former mayor of Dayton, replaces longtime Dayton-area Democratic Rep. Tony Hall, who resigned to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations for food and agriculture programs.

Mr. Ryan, a Democrat from Niles, arrived in Washington on Monday evening after taking a bus trip from Ohio with about 100 friends and supporters.

He replaces his former boss, Democrat James A. Traficant, who was expelled from Congress in July after being convicted on federal bribery and racketeering charges.