Cincinnati Public Schools is partnering with eight community and social service organizations to offer computer training to Cincinnati residents.

The training will be available to adults and children in Avondale, Evanston, Mount Auburn, Over-the-Rhine, Walnut Hills, West End and surrounding communities such as Winton Terrace and the East End, which have population demographics similar to empowerment-zone neighborhoods.

The partnership, paid for through a $271,000 U.S. Department of Education grant, expands existing adult basic education and family literacy programs. It also provides supplemental-tutoring services for targeted high school students who have not passed all of the Ohio proficiency tests.

Locations of the training program will be announced today.

Dowlin president of County Commission

The longest-serving Hamilton County commissioner will preside over meetings of the three-man board for another year.

Commissioners voted 3-0 Monday to make John Dowlin their president for 2004. The board president has no extra power or staff, but he runs the commissioners' twice-weekly meetings. He also represents the commissioners on some other boards, including the Community Action Agency, which runs Head Start and other social services.

Also Monday, Dowlin's fellow Republican, Phil Heimlich, was voted vice president again.

Monroe hopes to have new councilman soon

MONROE - Candidates are lining up to fill a City Council seat left vacant by Robert Youtsler. Acting City Manager William Brock said officials have received 16 applications for the position. Interviews are expected to begin Thursday.

"That's the hope of the council - that we have something by the end of this month," Brock said.

If council doesn't appoint someone to the position within 30 days, the decision will go to Mayor Robert Routson. Youtsler resigned after winning re-election in November and being sworn in Jan. 1, citing personal differences with some other council members and outside issues.

Council will hear a second reading this evening to accept the annexation of property east of Interstate 75 and North of Route 63. City council meets at 7:30 p.m. at 233 South Main Street.

Gold's Gym open in Colerain Twp.

COLERAIN TWP. - For those whose New Year's resolutions include exercising, Ohio's largest township has another gym.

Gold's Gym opened its seventh location in Greater Cincinnati last week, a 45,000-square-foot gym in the old Service Merchandise building, 9450 Colerain Ave., across the street from Northgate Mall. It's the first Gold's in the township.

The two-floor gym has basketball, racquetball, an indoor track, a cardio cinema, group fitness classes, a play area for children and a smoothie bar.