Muke holds her baby Cecil at the Cincinnati Zoo. Muke lately has been "interacting" with visitors. Enquirer file

Gorilla throwing turf at visitors

Zoo officials call it "interacting," but for some visitors it's more like dodge ball. Muke, a 23-year-old female gorilla, has taken to ripping up sod and flinging it at Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden guests as they tour her Gorilla World home. Last week, an 8-year-old girl was struck but not seriously injured.

"We have a volunteer stationed in there now to tell people Muke might 'interact' with the public," said zoo spokesman Chad Yelton. "Some people are finding it entertaining, but some don't and might not want to go in. ... We also let them know they can't throw back."

Convicted killer seeking clemency

The man set to be executed for killing a Hamilton County jailer 20 years ago will find out next week if his plea for clemency will be granted. During a clemency hearing Tuesday, representatives from the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office and the Ohio Attorney General's Office argued that the state should execute William G. Zuern, 45, in the jailhouse killing of Phillip Pence on June 9, 1984.

The Ohio Supreme Court set a June 8 execution date for Zuern, but a federal judge put the execution on hold and the attorney general is appealing. The Ohio Parole Board will determine by noon Tuesday if it will recommend that Gov. Bob Taft grant clemency. No one spoke on behalf of Zuern.

Rumpke starts safety campaign

After a Rumpke worker died and another was seriously hurt in January, the company's safety director promised the dead man's family he'd do something to protect other workers. Larry Stone wasn't sure what that would be, but it turned out to be a safety campaign called "Slow Down to Get Around,'' and he says he's finding support as he pitches it across the country.

"These are mothers and fathers in our community, with children,'' said Randy Moore, president of Cincinnati Public Employees Local 250, which represents city trash collectors and others.

Cincinnati City Council will talk today about backing it, too. Commercials could be shown on CitiCable, and city officials said they could also buy stickers with the motto for city work trucks.