Shelter short of fund goal

OVER-THE-RHINE - The Drop Inn Center is $25,000 short in its annual holiday fund-raising drive and is asking for help in reaching its goal. The center, the city's largest homeless shelter, hopes to raise $300,000 in donations by Dec. 31, said Tim Donahue, development coordinator. The shelter's capacity is 250 people a night, but there were 280 people there one night earlier this week. Contributions can be mailed to Drop Inn Center, 217 W. 12th St., Cincinnati, OH, 45202. Information: (513) 721-0643.

Donations back up at Nativity

PLEASANT RIDGE - The financial crisis that erupted at the Nativity of Our Lord Church after the firing of its popular school principal is over, parish leaders said this week. Collections at the church's Saturday and Sunday Masses more than tripled last weekend to make up for thousands in shortfalls over the past three weeks, said Patricia Gallagher Newberry, a parishioner and spokeswoman for its parents group. The shortfalls began shortly after Father Marc Sherlock, pastor of the parish, fired longtime principal Bob Herring from Nativity, a K-8 Catholic school. Neither party will discuss the reason for the Nov. 24 firing. Herring regained his job Dec. 17.

FoodBank sees record number

BOND HILL - The FreeStore/FoodBank reported that it saw a record number of people come through its Liberty Street distribution center the first three days of this week. From Monday through Wednesday, the organization distributed 242,817 pounds of food, a 30 percent increase over 2002. It also served 13,813 people (a 23 percent increase over last year) in 5,971 households (a 22 percent increase).

TRAFFIC WATCH

The Roebling Suspension Bridge will be temporarily converted to one-way southbound traffic beginning at 6 a.m. Monday because of the reconstruction of the Theodore M. Berry Way approach to the bridge. A posted detour will route Covington traffic onto Fourth Street and across the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-March.