Staff reports

Police arrest fraud suspect

LEBANON - Police arrested a Hamilton County man facing dozens of securities-fraud charges. John Brinker Jr. was arrested Thursday after Indianapolis authorities contacted police with a tip that Brinker might be in the area, Police Chief Ken Burns said. Police spotted Brinker in a vehicle in the Wood Forge subdivision in the city's southern section. Shortly the arrest, Brinker was transferred to Clermont County to face additional charges. Brinker, with former business partner Gary Bentz, faces 102 counts of securities fraud in Ripley County, Ind.. They are accused of selling unregistered securities.

300 Ube workers return to work

MASON - About 300 employees of Ube Automotive will return to work Tuesday after accepting the aluminum-wheel maker's contract proposal Friday. Members of United Auto Workers Local 2332 have been idle since Nov. 7 after Ube locked them out when a one-week extension of their old contract expired. The four-year pact includes lump-sum payments of $2,000 in each of the first two years and 3 percent wage increases in each of the next two years. The deal limits weekend work.

Peoples planning rights offering

WEST CHESTER - Peoples Community Bancorp Inc. announced late Friday that it is planning an offering of nearly 1.4 million shares of common stock to its stockholders and a concurrent offering to the public. The offering will be made to stockholders of record as of Jan. 26, with stockholders granted a basic subscription right to purchase one share of common stock for every two shares of common stock owned. The anticipated subscription price will be $20 per share.