Compiled from staff and wire reports

Camden man jailed in horse theft case

GOSHEN TOWNSHIP - A Camden, Ohio, man was arrested Tuesday in connection with the Nov. 29 theft of two horses from a Goshen Township farm.

Warren County deputies picked up Steven L. Hall, 33, at an undisclosed location in Warren County. Deputies were acting on a tip.

PANHANDLING TARGETED: Downtown Ambassador Felton Walker (left) describes to Jeff Besecker, president of Hunt Club Clothiers, at his Fountain Square store, a program sponsored by Downtown Cincinnati Inc. encouraging merchants to display posters that discourage giving money directly to panhandlers and encourage charitable giving instead. "Panhandling, especially aggressive panhandling, is a problem," said DCI president David Ginsburg. "Panhandlers ... will go where the money is." Cincinnati City Councilman Pat DeWine said, "Giving panhandlers money doesn't help them, and it doesn't help the city." (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

Mr. Hall is charged with two counts of grand theft and one count of breaking and entering, all felonies, Goshen Township Police Chief Ray Snyder said. The suspect was being held in the Clermont County Jail on $25,000 cash bond Thursday afternoon, Clermont County Jail officials said.

Another defendant, Amee Burton, was arrested several weeks ago and is out of jail on bond, Chief Snyder said. The horses were recovered and returned to their owners.

Husband in hospital may have killed wife

WAYNESVILLE - A Waynesville man was in critical condition Thursday in a Dayton hospital after he shot his wife to death and then attempted to take his own life, Warren County detectives said.

Kim Barton, 46, was killed by a shotgun blast just after 4 p.m. at the Bellbrook Road house she shared with her husband, Rocky Barton, 46.

Mr. Barton was taken to Miami Valley Hospital by Care Flight helicopter.

Vehicular homicide won't be charged

A vehicular homicide charge will not be filed in the death of 49-year-old Timothy L. Sowards, a Lebanon Correctional Institution inspector who was a passenger in a car struck by a Warren County sheriff's cruiser.

Ohio State Highway Patrol officials said county prosecutors declined the charge against Jessica Bostic, 21, of Hamilton, who was driving the car that was broad-sided Tuesday night by a 24-year-old rookie deputy on patrol alone for his first week.

The crash occurred when Ms. Bostic turned left into Mr. Sowards' driveway on Ohio 63 in a blind spot at the crest of a short hill. Neither Ms. Bostic nor Deputy Richard K. Jones saw the other's car, Sgt. Ken Ward of the highway patrol's Lebanon post said. He said the blind spot and Ms. Bostic's unfamiliarity with the area prompted county prosecutors to decline the misdemeanor charge. Instead, she will be cited with failure to yield.

Man gets 10 years in drug conspiracy

A Cincinnati man who was a fugitive for nine months until his arrest in March was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday on drug conspiracy charges.

Odell Neal, 33, was sentenced by Judge Herman J. Weber in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.

Mr. Neal was the final member of a seven-person conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base in Cincinnati, Hamilton and Northern Kentucky, according to Gregory J. Lockhart, U.S. attorney. Officials said the group distributed cocaine and also processed some of it into crack for street sales. The group was described as a "multiple kilogram distribution ring."

P.F. Chang's coming to West Chester mall

WEST CHESTER TWP. - The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Chinese bistro chain P.F. Chang's is coming to a $100 million lifestyle center under construction at the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and Union Centre Boulevard.

The opening date for the 7,000-square-foot eatery has not been decided, said David Kass, president of Continental Retail Development of Columbus. Continental is developing The Streets of West Chester, which also will include Barnes & Noble, Mitchell's Fish Market, Rave Motion Pictures and two other restaurants.

Moeller students build Habitat home

Thanks to a lot of hard work and fund raising, there will be a new homeowner at 116 Winkler St., in Mount Auburn.

Archbishop Moeller High School students and alumni partnered with Habitat for Humanity to construct the home, which will be dedicated 2 p.m. Sunday. This is the first time that an all-boys high school fully supported a Habitat house in the Tristate, said John Cerniglia, executive director of the nonprofit organization.

The new homeowner will be Belinda Reeves and her two grandchildren. Ms. Reeves worked alongside the volunteers, doing 500 hours of "sweat equity" to invest in the house.

More than 150 members of the Moeller community dedicated time and money toward the four-month effort, and numerous businesses offered donations. In all, $76,660 was raised to build the home.

City Councilman Chris Monzel, an alumnus of the school, will speak at Sunday's dedication ceremony. The public is invited.