Staff/Wire reports

Those pesky cicadas might stick around a couple of days longer than expected, thanks to Mother Nature.

CICADAS: The next round of reader-submitted photos are now online! Click here to view a gallery.

This past weekend's cool temperatures and rain across Greater Cincinnati had the effect of slowing cicada metabolism, meaning many of the females won't lay their eggs as quickly as they otherwise would have. Gene Kritsky, cicada researcher and biology professor at the College of Mount St. Joseph, said the females won't die (of natural causes) until they lay eggs in tiny slits of tree branches.

"The cold weather and rain slowed things a little bit," Kritsky said.

Holiday weekend crashes kill 17

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said 17 people were killed in 16 traffic crashes on Ohio roads over the Memorial Day weekend from Friday through Monday. Two of the fatal crashes were linked to the use of alcohol. The only Greater Cincinnati fatalities occurred early Sunday when the drivers of two cars were killed in a head-on collision on Ronald Reagan Highway. So far this year, 303 people have been killed in traffic accidents in Ohio, compared with 333 fatalities for the same period in 2003.

Police cite 101 in curfew sweep

The first west-side curfew sweep of the year ended in citations for 89 juveniles and 12 adults for violating Cincinnati's curfew law. District 3 Capt. Drew Raabe said the sweep late Friday and early Saturday, used officers from the four other districts as well as 30 members of the Citizens on Patrol. Officers also seized almost five grams of crack cocaine and more than $800. They worked mostly in Price Hill and Westwood. Cincinnati's curfew requires youth 15 and younger to be off the streets by 10 p.m., and those 16 and 17 to be in by midnight. It also allows police to cite parents upon the second and subsequent violations by their children and fine them $100.

Traffic watch

• Forest Avenue in Avondale will be closed between Vine Street and Dury Avenue beginning at 9 a.m. today for sewer line repairs and road surface restoration. A detour is posted.

• Hunt Road between Cooper Road and the southern edge of Thriftway's parking lot in Blue Ash will be closed at 9 a.m. today through June 7 for SummerBration. Access to Thriftway will be maintained.