Ohio Treasurer Joe Deters did a turn as radio talk show host this week, filling in for Bill Cunningham on 700 WLW.

Cunningham was out earning continuing education credits required for lawyers to remain active, Deters said.

"It's kind of frightening, but I think it might be true," he said.

Deters, a former Hamilton County prosecutor, had a Republican lovefest with U.S. Sen. George Voinovich, Cincinnati Councilman Pat DeWine, and Bush-Cheney campaign Chairman Marc Racicot. In the interests of equal opportunity, he also chatted up Mayor Charlie Luken and black activist Kabaka Oba - both Democrats.

Deters logged five hours on the air Monday and Tuesday, but says he didn't neglect state business. He also worked out of the treasurer's regional office in Cincinnati.

Cindi Andrews

GREEN TWP. - In a special meeting that lasted four minutes, the two remaining township trustees couldn't agree Monday on who would fill the vacant third trustee spot.

Trustee Tony Upton, a Republican, nominated Peggy Lopez, founder of the Monfort Heights-White Oak Community Association, to replace Paul Rattermann, a Republican who resigned two weeks after the election.

Trustee Stephen Grote, an independent, nominated Dick Hammersmith, former chief of staff to Cincinnati councilman Chris Monzel.

Upton made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Grote protested. Upton left the room. Township attorney Francis Hyle said that with Upton gone, the meeting was effectively over.

With trustees deadlocked, the decision on a new trustee to finish the final two years of Rattermann's term lies with his nominating committee: clerk Tom Straus, former township attorney Chuck Mitchell and ex-trustees Dale Proffitt and Cheryl Winkler. The committee will meet Monday.

Lopez said she expects Mitchell to be the committee's choice.

Both trustees should have been more open during the process, she said. "This is an important appointment," Lopez said. "As a community of 55,000 people, we deserve better."

Reid Forgrave

LIBERTY TWP. - Driving a snow plow isn't as hard as you might think, says Barry Tiffany, Liberty Township administrator.

"Once you go out, you make right turns. And you continue to make right turns. If you turn into a cul-de-sac, you're going to make a right turn when you come out. And you just keep making right turns, and eventually you're going to come back to where you came into the subdivision.

"Then you go out to the main exit, go down to the next subdivision, and make a right turn."

Tiffany obtained his commercial drivers license while working as a code enforcement officer in West Chester Township, where he also helped plow streets. He has been Liberty administrator since February.

John Kiesewetter

Around the suburbs is compiled by Enquirer reporters.