Compiled from staff and wire reports

Bush to brief head of area black chamber

DeAsa Brown, president of the Greater Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce, will be in Washington, D.C., today attending a White House briefing on President Bush's recent trip to Africa.

Brown received the invitation late last week and will be among a group in attendance. The briefing, to start at noon, will focus on Bush's weeklong trip to Africa and various domestic policy issues.

Brown welcomed the invitation. She said the trip offers the chamber an opportunity to achieve its objective of delivering broader and better business opportunities to its members.

"I'm hoping to hear about some new trade agreements that could lead to additional business for our member companies currently involved in the import or export of raw materials or finished goods," Brown said. "I know of a number of members who have products that they would like to export to South Africa, but did not have the proper channels to do that."

Man pleads guilty to selling fireworks

A Mount Washington man caught selling fireworks out of his vehicle in Newtown last month pleaded guilty Tuesday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to two charges of unlawful possession of dangerous ordnance and four charges of unlawful possession of fireworks.

Gary Zavisin, 41, will be sentenced Aug. 21.

In exchange for the plea, four charges of unlawful possession of fireworks and four charges of illegal transport of fireworks were dropped, according to court records.

Zavisin was arrested June 10 after he was observed selling the fireworks. He did not have a license or permit, and further investigation revealed he had made previous sales of the fireworks, according to the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Hearing for Flynt brothers delayed

A hearing that was scheduled for today in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court to determine whether charges against Larry and Jimmy Flynt can be reinstated has been postponed.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Mike Allen asked Judge Patrick Dinkelacker to decide whether criminal charges filed against the Flynts in 1998 should be reinstated because the Flynts allegedly broke a promise to stop selling explicit pornography videos in Hamilton County. Jimmy Flynt operates the Hustler store in downtown Cincinnati.

H. Louis Sirkin, the Flynts' attorney, asked the appeals court to intervene Monday, arguing that the deal is not valid. The hearing in Common Pleas Court was postponed pending the appeal.

Batavia rezoning OK'd to build 203 houses

BATAVIA TWP. - Township trustees Tuesday approved a zoning change allowing a fellow trustee to build 203 houses on 99 acres.

Residents opposed to the project who live near the proposed Twin Gates subdivision say they may seek a referendum overturning the zoning change. They contend the proposal puts too many homes on the site.

Residents said that the land's owner/developer, Trustee Archie Wilson, has a conflict of interest and promised that he would not develop the land while in office. Wilson contends he never made such promises and can do what he wants with his own property.

Residents said lead-based paint had once been stored on the land, which abuts Amelia-Olive Branch and Judd roads. Wilson argued that the paint had been cleaned up and has refused to pay for an environmental study of the land.

On Tuesday, trustee Deborah Clepper voted against the zoning change. She wanted Wilson to conduct the environmental study.

Trustee James Bushman, however, approved the change. Only one vote was needed for the zoning change to pass.

Gary Cates declares for state Senate race

HAMILTON - State Rep. Gary Cates officially declared his candidacy Tuesday for the state Senate next year.

The 47-year-old West Chester resident, who will be forced from office next year by the state term-limits law, will be running in the March 3 Republican primary against Courtney Combs, who has been a Butler County commissioner for 17 years.

Cates said his experience in the state House has prepared him to fill the 4th Senate District seat being vacated next year by Scott Nein, who also must leave his position because of term limits. The district includes parts of Butler and Preble counties.

Cates, who is House speaker pro tem, and Combs will be battling for the endorsement of the Butler County Republican Party.

Area counties on list of 33 ozone violators

Ohio environmental regulators submitted to the federal government Tuesday a final list of 33 counties that don't meet the new federal ozone standard. The listing is the first step in a years-long process that could lead to further regulation of industries and motor vehicles.

Included on the list are Hamilton, Butler, Clermont, Warren and Clinton counties.

The state now has three years to develop a plan to bring the counties into compliance with the federal ozone standard.