Flags to stay lowered 30 days

Even though former President Ronald Reagan was buried a week ago, American flags are to remain at half-staff for 30 days by presidential proclamation. That means flags across the country will remain lowered through July 5. A resolution passed by Congress in 1942 and amended in 1976 set the rules for how the Stars and Stripes are to be displayed. It said that, by presidential proclamation, the flag should be at half-staff for 30 days from the death of a president or former president. MONEY 'STUCK'

Report could ease security funds

The bottleneck holding up Cincinnati's $20.8 million in homeland security funding could flow easier under recommendations released by the Department of Homeland Security Thursday. The task force report blamed communication gaps between different levels of government, a shortage of specialized equipment and outmoded purchasing rules for holding up the money. Akron Mayor Donald L. Plusquellic, vice chairman of the task force, said the recommendations may help cities like Cincinnati put in place measures to deter terrorist attacks like the one plotted on a Columbus-area mall. "The money was stuck," Plusquellic said. "We went about this not trying to find blame or pointing fingers, but to say, 'How do we correct whatever it is that's out there sticking this money?'"

Trustees debate Wal-Mart store

DEERFIELD TWP. - Deerfield Township trustees continued their months-long debate over a proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter Thursday. Trustee Lee Speidel was especially critical, saying he wanted to eliminate a 20,000-square-foot outlying retail building and a 6,000-square-foot restaurant. He also wanted to remove a county-ordered access road. After four hours of discussion, township trustees agreed to continue matter the until 5:30 p.m. Wednesday. The proposed changes were part of a site plan review of the Shoppes of Deerfield, which would be anchored by a 203,000-square-foot Supercenter. The development is being proposed for Mason-Montgomery Road on land between the Deerfield Towne Center and a Kroger shopping center.

TRAFFIC WATCH

The ramp from westbound Ohio 32 to eastbound Ohio 125 in Hamilton County will be closed at 7 p.m. When crews finish working on that ramp, the one from eastbound Ohio 125 to westbound Ohio 32 will be closed until 5 a.m. Saturday.