Summit investigation needs another month

HYDE PARK - The investigation into why a portion of Summit Country Day School's main building collapsed should conclude in about another month, one of the school's engineers said Wednesday.

The work is taking longer than expected because engineers are installing an earth-retaining structure in the area that toppled, said Donald Meinheit, a senior consultant for Wiss, Janney Elstner Associates Inc. of Chicago.

That is a system to hold back soil so engineers have space on the opposite side of the collapsed portion to do stabilization work on the building and chapel, he explained.

This week, Summit officials announced they have a new project team and replaced the original architect and engineers on their $10.5 million expansion for a new Lower School.

Council votes down service competition

Cincinnati City Council voted 6-3 Wednesday to end a two-year-old program that required the city manager to allow private companies to bid on city services.

The vote follows Mayor Charlie Luken's announcement in his State of the City Address that he no longer favors "managed competition" as a way to cut costs and improve services.

Councilman David Crowley said the city's labor agreements still allow specific services to be outsourced if necessary.

But he said a new program would focus the city's energies on cutting costs and improving efficiencies.

Square to honor firefighter Armstrong

NORTH AVONDALE - The intersection of Reading Road, Paddock Road and Barry Lane in North Avondale will be designated as "Oscar Armstrong III Square," after a vote Wednesday by Cincinnati City Council.

Armstrong, a city firefighter, died March 21 while battling a blaze in Bond Hill.

The intersection is not far from Engine Co. 9, where Armstrong worked.

Clermont designing pollution Web site

Miami University graduate students and the Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality are holding focus group meetings today to help the county develop an educational Web site related to storm water and pollution prevention.

The focus group sessions will take about 45 minutes and be at the Clermont County Office of Environmental Quality, 2379 Clermont Center Drive, Batavia. There will be three sessions: 3-4 p.m., 4-5 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Participation is voluntary and refreshments will be available.

For more information about the study, contact Vincent Hand by e-mail at handvc@muohio.edu or the Office of Environmental Quality at 732-7894.

Warren to finance veterans group trip

LEBANON - Straying from their long-standing policy to deny all out-of-state training requests for employees, the Warren County commissioners Tuesday approved a modified travel request for the veterans administration.

Commissioners Mike Kilburn and Larry Crisenbery said Tuesday they would pay for one employee - but not two - to go to a national conference in South Dakota, costing about $1,500. The veterans administration would have lost its accreditation if the commissioners had denied the request and no one went to the conference.

Commissioner Pat South was not at Tuesday's meeting.