Enquirer staff reports

Woman in court; husband was knifed

COVINGTON - A Crestview Hills woman was arraigned in Kenton District Court Monday morning in the weekend stabbing of her husband.

Lesley K. Wagner, 43, of Copper Coin Drive, is charged with first-degree assault. Crestview Hills-Lakeside Park police say she stabbed her husband with a steak knife during an argument Friday evening in their condominium. She is free on a $500 bond.

Her husband, Leroy K. Wagner, 52, was treated at University Hospital in Cincinnati and released.

Gateway can offer associate degrees

Gateway Community and Technical College announced Monday that the school has received approval to offer associate of art and associate of science degrees.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System Board of Regents granted the approval.

The degrees are generally considered transfer degrees in higher education; students can begin a four-year track at a community college and then transfer to a college or university to complete a bachelor's degree.

The college will now be eligible to seek candidacy for accreditation from the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. (

"We are taking a significant step forward today toward bringing the two-year college track option back to the Northern Kentucky region," said Ed Hughes, president and CEO of Gateway. "We will add faculty, academic support programs and services to enhance the success of the technical programs that we currently offer."

Traffic stop leads to two drug arrests

FORT THOMAS - A traffic stop led to a drug bust and two arrests over the weekend.

John Bowers, 31, of Clifton was charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first-degree possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was being held in the Campbell County jail Monday evening in lieu of a $5,000 bond.

Bowers' acquaintance, James Weatherspoon, 59, of Oakwood Drive, was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. The Campbell County jail does not have a record of housing Weatherspoon.

Fort Thomas police said Bowers consented to a search of his car after he was pulled over on Stardust Lane for a traffic violation Saturday evening. A Dayton police dog was brought in and located two bags of crack cocaine, a bag of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and scales, police said.

About 14 grams of crack cocaine were confiscated during the search, according to police.

During the traffic stop, police said, Bowers called Weatherspoon for assistance. After Weatherspoon arrived, police asked to search his nearby apartment and he consented. There, the Dayton dog found marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Meth lab caused fire that burned man

WARSAW - A fire that seriously burned an Arkansas man in Gallatin County last week was caused by an illegally operated methamphetamine lab in a trailer, law enforcement officials said.

A condition was not available for Gary Coley, 44, Monday evening. He was burned in the May 13 fire.

The fire broke out in a trailer Coley was living in at a campsite at Ky. 184 and U.S. 42. He had been employed as a construction worker for Kentucky Utilities.

Citigroup donates $25K for services

ELSMERE - In observance of Older Americans Month, Citigroup is contributing $25,000 to Senior Services of Northern Kentucky for the agency's nutrition, transportation and protection programs.

Citigroup will present the check at the Elsmere Senior Center today.

Kenton government cancels town meeting

COVINGTON - Because it's Election Day, Kenton Fiscal Court has canceled tonight's town meeting in Covington.

The next fiscal court meeting will be May 27.