Mother charged with endangering child

FORT MITCHELL - A 21-year-old mother was charged Thursday after her son was found earlier in the week alone and dirty at a gas station.

Jenifer Kirchner, 21, who lives in Lakeside Village Apartments on West Chelsea Drive, is charged with one count of endangering the welfare of a minor. If convicted of the misdemeanor, she could be sentenced up to one year in jail.

Kirchner, who couldn't be reached for comment, has been served with a summons to appear before a judge at 9:30 a.m. June 2 in Kenton District Court.

The child, who has been released to his grandmother, was found shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday at a gas station on Buttermilk Pike, several blocks from his home.

Employees of the apartment complex told police they had received numerous complaints from neighbors about the 3-year-old being left outside alone, according to court records.

Police investigating attack at Levee

NEWPORT - Police here continue to investigate a report of a 13-year-old girl being attacked in a public restroom at Newport on the Levee.

Detectives say they have pictures of a man matching the description of the attacker taken from cameras at the Levee.

The Centerville teen told her father she was coming out of a stall about 6:20 p.m. Saturday when a man grabbed her by the arm and throat and tried to push her back into the stall.

The girl fought back and was able to escape, police said. She had bruising on her neck, according to police, but did not need medical attention.

Anyone with information is asked to call Newport police at (859) 292-3622.

Race pits teens and machines

COVINGTON - Area high school students will race the finest human-powered vehicles they could build on the campus of Gateway Community and Technical College, 1025 Amsterdam Road, Covington, at 8:30 a.m. Saturday. The race is open to the public.

A course has been designed around the parking lot and behind the buildings on Gateway's campus. Covington Catholic High School has two entries, and Simon Kenton and Carroll County high schools each have one vehicle. "Gateway's Great Race 2004" is the brainchild of faculty member Kevin Donohoo, who teaches industrial maintenance and controls.

Private preserve opens for a day

PETERSBURG - A Boone County natural wonder is open to the public Saturday for only the third time. Split Rock Conservation Park, a private nature preserve usually open only to educational groups, will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The 145-acre park on the Ohio River and Woolper Creek is named for large glacial deposits that look like a large rock cut in two. The deposits were left near the river between 130,000 and 300,000 years ago. Visitors can explore trails through meadows, wetlands and along the river.

Split Rock Park is at 4503 Belleview Road, Petersburg. Information: (859) 689-9999 or online at www.splitrockpark.org. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children.