COLUMBUS - A majority of Columbus residents expect shootings along the city's outerbelt to continue, and a third avoid driving the stretch of highway, a survey shows.

The telephone survey conducted on behalf of the Columbus Dispatch sought to gauge the mood of residents after the series of 15 shootings along the southern stretch of Interstate 270 since May, including one that killed a 62-year-old woman.

Polling firm Saperstein Associates surveyed 406 people in the Columbus area Monday through Thursday. The survey has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 5 percentage points.

Franklin County Sheriff's Chief Deputy Steve Martin on Sunday said authorities are not close to an arrest.

The task force investigating the shootings remains interested in more than one person identified by callers to a sheriff's tip line, but several others had been cleared, he said. Martin wouldn't specify how many.

Cleveland lakefront plan in final phase

CLEVELAND - A plan to transform the city's lakefront must go forward despite financial woes that have prompted the mayor to lay off more than 700 city workers to offset a $61 million deficit, the city's head planner said.

"I view the lakefront plan as an antidote to the budget crisis, a light at the end of a tunnel," planning director Christopher Ronayne said.

The lakefront redevelopment plan is expected to take another step forward today, when City Council is scheduled to approve the use of state money to finalize details of the project, the Plain Dealer reported Sunday.

City planners want to use a $1.5 million state grant to pay for the six-month final phase of "Connecting Cleveland: The Lakefront Plan." City leaders say the project will revamp Cleveland's eight miles of lakefront by adding parks, housing, recreation and retail outlets.

Ind. town marshal's death a homicide

NEW RICHMOND, Ind. - The death of New Richmond's town marshal following a struggle with a teenage domestic battery suspect has been ruled a homicide by the Marion County coroner's office.

Town Marshal Richard Mark Clapp, 45, fell ill shortly after a five-minute fight with a 17-year-old he was attempting to arrest on suspicion of domestic battery the night of Dec. 4.

Clapp was rushed to an Indianapolis hospital, where he was pronounced dead early on Dec. 5. According to a preliminary finding, he died from atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease complicated by physical altercation.

Atherosclerosis is a type of coronary artery disease that prevents adequate blood flow to the heart.

It was unclear whether the classification of Clapp's death as a homicide would have any bearing on criminal charges against the youth involved in he scuffle.

Fatal crash in Ky. blamed on snowfall

LOUISVILLE - The season's first significant snow has led to a fatal crash that killed a Louisville woman.

The crash on a slippery overpass occurred around 2 p.m. on Saturday, Louisville Metro Police said.

A Ford Contour headed south on Breckenridge Lane began spinning into the northbound lane, where it was struck by a Toyota 4Runner.

The driver of the Contour, Stephanie L. Lewis, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Jefferson County coroner's office.

Removed judge often fought prosecutor

HAZARD - An eastern Kentucky circuit judge had a history of clashing with the Perry County prosecutor before the judge was removed from the bench last week amid federal and state investigations.

The rancor between Circuit Judge Douglas C. Combs Jr. and commonwealth's attorney John Hansen "is the worst I've ever seen," said Ned Pillersdorf, a Floyd County lawyer who periodically appeared in Perry Circuit Court with the two.

"When I'm in court with them, it's nuclear warfare," Pillersdorf said. "They have a terrible relationship."