Warren to improve sewage monitoring

LEBANON - It could get easier to detect problems with Warren County sewer system.

County commissioners approved a notice of intent Tuesday to award Beckman Environmental Services Co. a $133,824 contract for sewage lift station alarms and a pump monitoring system.

The Batavia company was the lowest bidder for the project.

As recently as last week, debris in a lift station blocked the pumps and caused a sewage backup into sevenDeerfield Township homes. The new monitoring system will allow county officials to be notified more quickly when a problem arises.

CPS teachers to vote Friday on contract

Cincinnati Public Schools teachers are expected to begin voting Friday on a tentative three-year union contract.

The board of education scheduled an emergency meeting today to discuss negotiations.

Representatives of the school board and the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers reached a tentative agreement Tuesday for the Association of Cincinnati Public Schools Office Personnel, said Sue Taylor, president of the union.

As of Monday, Taylor said a tentative agreement for the teachers union was in jeopardy. But on Tuesday, she said teachers would proceed toward ratification of the tentative agreement now that an agreement has been reached for the office personnel.

A one-year extension of the union contract expired Dec. 31 and teachers have been working on a day-to-day extension.

UC to study county's higher-ed needs

MASON - University of Cincinnati officials on Tuesday announced a research project to identify Warren County's higher-education needs.

The announcement was made at the Kings Island Resort and Conference Center in Mason.

The university's Institute for Policy Research will be doing phone surveys and focus groups.

Warren County is the largest Ohio county without a public college or university campus.

Two St. X students charged by police

FINNEYTOWN - Two St. Xavier High School students were charged Tuesday by police with selling pornographic DVDs on school grounds. The two juveniles were charged with disseminating materials harmful to juveniles, a first-degree misdemeanor, Detective Eric Catron said. The incident surfaced Feb. 11 when a student dropped a DVD when he was asked by a school official to tuck in his shirt. An assistant principal who confiscated the DVDs believed they were pornographic after seeing the covers. The school did not to comment on possible disciplinary action.