Child dies after falling into swimming pool

GREEN TOWNSHIP - A 27-month-old boy died Tuesday night after he fell into a residential swimming pool.

Hamilton County Sheriff's deputies and Green Township police officers responded to the 5800 block of Cedar Ridge Drive at 5:58 p.m. for a report of a child who had fallen into a pool, the sheriff's office said. The Green Township Fire Department transported the child to Mercy Franciscan Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:28 p.m.

The incident remains under investigation by the sheriff's criminal investigation section.

15-year-old arrested after BB gun fired

GREEN TOWNSHIP - A 15-year-old boy was arrested Tuesday after a BB gun was fired at students getting off an Oak Hills school bus.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office charged the boy with inducing panic and criminal endangering in the incident, which occurred about 2:35 p.m. in the area of Garmar and Hearne roads.

There were no reported injuries to the students who were getting off the bus.

Drake patient back

after surprise exit

HARTWELL - A partially paralyzed man who left Drake Center Inc. Monday with a former girlfriend who had been ordered to stay away from him arrived back at the hospital Tuesday afternoon.

Eric Simon, 42, an Addyston police officer, was surrounded by his sisters after his return. Recovering from a stroke, officials said, he was pushed out a front door of the hospital Monday in his wheelchair by the woman, Christine Spencer. Hospital officials said the couple had a long-term relationship, but that Simon's family asked last week that she not be allowed to see him.

Spencer was arrested Tuesday afternoon, but details about how and when Spencer and Simon returned were not immediately available.

Drake vice president Patricia Clark said hospital staff followed all procedures when they spotted Spencer in the hospital Monday. A nurse manager called security, Clark said, but Spencer and Simon were gone before the security officers arrived.

Spencer is a registered nurse, but Clark said it was important for Simon to get back to his rehabilitation.

Pettus-Brown pleads not guilty to charges

LaShawn Pettus-Brown pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that he defrauded the city of Cincinnati after he was hired to rebuild the Empire Theater in Over-the-Rhine.

Pettus-Brown, 27, was indicted last week on two counts of theft of government funds, three counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering.

Prosecutors have said the scandal cost city taxpayers at least $184,000. Pettus-Brown's attorney, Kenneth Lawson, has said his client "got in over his head" on the project, but did not do anything criminal.