House fire blamed on smoking in bed

GREEN TWP. - A 16-year-old boy smoking in bed Saturday while his parents were out of town sparked a fire that caused more than $50,000 in damage to the house at 4411 Ebenezer Road .

Fire Chief Robert Weitzel said a neighbor on Ebenezer Road called firefighters when they saw smoke coming from the home about 10 a.m.

Weitzel said the owners of the home were out of town, but their son was staying alone in the home.

The teen was taken to University Hospital for smoke inhalation. His condition is unknown.

Driver accused of crashing car twice

ST. BERNARD - A 24-year-old Silverton man was charged with leaving the scene of an accident early Saturday after he crashed his car - twice - on Paddock Road, police said.

Demetrius Stewart, of 3851 Kirkup Ave., was taken to University Hospital after his second crash within a few blocks.

Police say Stewart was driving east in the 7200 block of Paddock at 3 a.m., when he crossed the center line and struck a car headed west. Stewart allegedly continued driving east until he crashed a second time, this time in the 5100 block of Paddock.

A University Hospital nursing supervisor declined to release Stewart's condition.

1 hospitalized in Ft. Thomas shooting

FORT THOMAS - A shooting at 134 Hartweg Ave., Friday night left one man hospitalized and another jailed in the assault.

Dale Furtwengler, a Fort Thomas man whose age and address were not released by police, is being held in the Campbell County Detention Center.

He is charged with first-degree assault in the shooting of William Burnett, whose age and address also were not released.

A University Hospital spokesman refused to release information about Burnett's condition Saturday afternoon.

Police would not say what led to the shooting.

2 home burglaries net police 8 arrests

Eight people have been arrested and charged with separate burglaries in Clermont County.

Sheriff's deputies investigating a house burglary on Swope Road in Bethel have arrested four people: Jerry Morgan, 27, of Hamilton, Donald Heuberger, 23, of, Madisonville, and Melissa Raines, 20, and a 16-year-old juvenile, both from Bethel.

The four face multiple counts of breaking and entering, complicity to breaking and entering, and misuse of a credit card.

In a separate burglary at a residence on Todds Run in Williamsburg Township, four people have been charged: Jeff Smith, 20, of Williamsburg Township, Sean Riddell, 18, of Covington, Ky. and a 17-year-old juvenile, of Williamsburg, and a 16-year-old juvenile, of Mount Orab.