Bus driver charged in death of pedestrian

A Metro bus driver has been charged in the death of a pedestrian following an Oct. 2 incident downtown.

Cincinnati police Wednesdaycharged Carmencita Richardson, 48, of Over-the-Rhine, with vehicular manslaughter in the death of Joyce Jones, 62, of Delhi Township.

According to police, Richardson was operating a bus west on West Sixth Street downtown when she failed to yield and struck Jones, who was legally crossing in the crosswalk.

Jones, who was critically injured, died the following day.

Second officer gets time in inmate party

A second Hamilton County sheriff's corrections officer landed behind bars Thursday, the result of a party he and the other deputy had with inmates in a secure county facility last year.

Jerry Lunsford, 35, was sentenced to one year in jail on charges of illegally bringing alcohol into a jail, obstructing official business, unlawful restraint, assault and failing to do his duty in the August 2002 incident at the Talbert House.

Lunsford, a Hamilton County corrections officer assigned to Talbert House, resigned in June.

Lloyd Fawley, 29, the other officer, was sentenced to two years in prison earlier.

Man charged in alleged kidnapping

OXFORD - Federal charges of kidnapping and use of a firearm in a crime of violence have been filed against John R. Powers Jr., 45, in connection with the abduction of Heidi Moore from an Oxford motel Nov. 11.

Moore, 20, who earlier in November obtained a protection order against Powers after he allegedly threatened to kidnap her, apparently went to see Moore, a former co-worker, at a motel in Oxford on Nov. 11, and the two vanished.

U.S. Attorney Gregory G. Lockhart said officers found duct tape and rope in the motel room. Powers' rented car was found in Miamisburg. Powers was tracked to Wisconsin, and Moore was rescued.

Coin toss decides tied mayor's race in Chilo

BATAVIA - With the toss of a coin Thursday, Chilo got a new mayor.

The Clermont County Board of Elections declared George Seale the official winner of the Nov. 4 election.

He and incumbent Mayor Shana Stevenson each received 21 votes, but elections officials broke the tie with a coin toss.

In addition, Pierce Township has a new trustee.

Challenger Gregg Conrad, who led incumbent Trustee Bonnie Batchler, after all votes were counted 1,254 to 1,244, was also officially declared the winner.

Board officials certified all election results Thursday afternoon.

On Dec. 1, there will be three automatic recounts, one for the race between Seale and Stevenson; one for the race between Conrad and Batchler; and one between Felicity-Franklin school board candidates Teresa Battista and Donald Woodall.

Battista and Willie Estep won seats on the board; however, Battista and Woodall were separated by only seven votes, officials said.

St. John school opens doors on Sunday

DEER PARK - St. John the Evangelist School in Deer Park will hold an open house for prospective new students and families 12:30-1:30 p.m. Sunday.

Families are invited to tour the facilities, meet the faculty, and learn more about the school's curriculum and special programs. St. John, accredited by the Ohio Catholic School Accrediting Association, offers a K-8 program.

Prospective families will have an opportunity to enter a drawing to win a free registration fee for the 2004-05 school year.

For information, contact the school office at 686-2727, ext. 402 or go online at www.stjohndeerpark.org.

Teen faces charges in alleged false report

UNION TWP. - A 16-year-old girl who allegedly made up a story about an attempted abduction and reported it to police in this western Clermont County community soon will face a juvenile judge.

The teen has been charged with one count of making a false police report.

The charge is a first-degree misdemeanor, and if convicted she could face at least six months in juvenile detention.

The teen, who lives on Surrey Trail in Eastgate, told investigators she was waiting for her school bus early Monday when a man in a truck attempted to pull her into his vehicle.

Traffic watch

For 24-hour traffic information call ARTIMIS at 333-3333 or 511 from Cincinnati or Northern Kentucky.

Interstate 275

Westbound will be reduced to one lane near the I-75/71 exchange from 9 p.m. until 9 a.m. Saturday.