Grandmother of man in struggle sets up fund

The grandmother of Nathaniel Jones, the 41-year-old Northside man who died after a struggle with police on Nov. 30, has set up a fund to help his two sons.

Bessie Jones set up the fund at U.S. Bank. Donors can stop in or send contributions to any branch, said the family's pastor, the Rev. Gregory Chandler. The money, he said, will go toward the education and other needs for Nathaniel Jr., 14, and Tyriq, 11. Both boys live in Cleveland with their mothers.

Investigations continue into Jones' death.

Hyde Park man missing for two months

HYDE PARK - Cincinnati police want help to find a missing 76-year-old Hyde Park man who hasn't been seen for almost two months.

George Hauck, of Grovedale Place, has not been seen or heard from since his son visited him Oct 16, police said Thursday. His red Dodge Ram pickup truck is also missing. Its expired license plate is BDC9146.

Hauck suffers from tunnel vision in one eye, which makes it difficult for him to drive after dark.

Police ask anyone with information on Hauck's whereabouts, or his activities after Oct. 16, to call the Personal Crimes Unit, 352-6474, District 2, 979-4400, or Criminal Investigations, 352-3542.

Man who helped in investigation freed

A man who played a role in helping to convict two men accused of killing police dispatcher Sara Ridder in March of 2002 walked out of prison Thursday - more than a year and a half before his scheduled release on a charge of obstruction of official business.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Richard Niehaus granted the release to Daniel Battaglia Jr. Thursday morning.

Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Mark Piepmeier who prosecuted the case against Michael Neely, Ridder's former boyfriend, and his friend William Boyles, the men convicted of plotting and carrying out the homicide, said his office didn't ask for the release, but did not fight it.

"Battaglia did eventually cooperate," Piepmeier said. "He had nothing to do with planning or carrying out the shooting."

Battaglia helped connect the gun used to kill Ridder to Boyles. Niehaus ordered Battaglia to spend the next two years on probation.

Lincoln Heights fire leaves five homeless

LINCOLN HEIGHTS - An early morning fire caused about $10,000 damage and left five people seeking shelter Thursday.

Three adults and two children were at a home in the 1000 block of Simmons Avenue when the fire broke out. They escaped and no one was hurt, said Lincoln Heights Assistant Fire Chief Michael Solomon. The Cincinnati area chapter of the American Red Cross is helping the family.

Firefighters were called just before 1 a.m. "When they pulled up, (there were) flames coming out of one of the basement windows," Solomon said.

Careless smoking in a basement bedroom caused the fire, he said.