Guardian Angels come to town

The Guardian Angels will start walking the streets of Westwood, the city's largest neighborhood, Thursday. They were introduced at the Westwood Concern meeting Tuesday and will be introduced tonight at a citywide anti-crime meeting at 7 p.m. in the Sabin Auditorium at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. The group will give a presentation about how its work addresses crime problems. The group started in New York City when then-McDonald's night manager Curtis Sliwa got fed up with crime he saw around the restaurant. The Angels get self-defense training, but carry no weapons. The group of four members will stay for several months and leave after recruiting local residents to join the group.

Former mayor 'Sonny' Hill dies

Services are pending for Robert "Sonny" Hill Jr., a Middletown City Council member and former mayor who died of bone cancer Tuesday morning. Hill, 69, was the first African-American to serve as mayor, from January 2001 to January 2002. The Hamilton native also was the first African-American to be an Armco maintenance foreman and training department head. He retired from Armco after 36 years, but continued to operate the plastering company founded by his father. Hill had represented the city's Second Ward, on the south end of town, since the ward system was instituted in the 1993 election. At the time, he was the first African-American elected to council since 1965. "The city has suffered a great loss. We've lost a friend and a mentor," said Laura Williams, City Council member.

Taft: Cincinnati won't get $4M

Ohio Gov. Bob Taft said Tuesday the state is already doing all it can afford to do to provide summer jobs for urban youth, and can't provide the $4 million a state lawmaker is demanding. Taft was responding to a June 2 letter from state Rep. Tyrone K. Yates, D-East Walnut Hills, who predicted "major disruptions" in Cincinnati if the state didn't spend more money on summer jobs. The governor said he would have been happy to discuss the issue with Yates "if he had made the request a lot earlier, and in a more constructive way." "Our goals are the same. We want to provide opportunities for young people in Cincinnati," Taft said in an interview. He said the state has provided $3 million in additional state in federal money for job assistance since the 2001 riots.

TRAFFIC WATCH

The ramp from eastbound Interstate 275 to northbound Interstate 71 in Hamilton County will be closed from 10 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. Thursday.

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