The Enquirer

DOWNTOWN - Cincinnati City Council unanimously passed a resolution Wednesday ordering the city manager to start looking for a consultant to help devise a master plan for the fire department.

The city manager will now start soliciting and accepting proposals. The city could have to pay between $250,000-$500,000.

Cincinnati is struggling to figure out how to respond to more ambulance calls at a time when the city is facing a tight budget.

The Cincinnati Fire Department operates 10 ambulances from fire stations in the city - one for every 31,128 residents. The shortage of ambulances and growing number of calls seeking medical care made them unavailable last year an average of 11/2 times every day.

Bridge renamed for former engineer

LIBERTY TWP. - The Michael A. Fox Highway (Ohio 129) bridge over Maud-Hughes Road will be dedicated June 30 to William R. Foster, former Butler County engineer.

Foster kept the regional highway project alive in the 1980s by preventing developers from building in the proposed route between Interstate 75 and Hamilton and completing the environmental impact study, said Jim Blount, chairman of the Butler County Transportation Improvement District.

The Ross Township resident served as county engineer from 1976 to 1994.

The transportation district, created in 1993, built the 11-mile highway in 1998-99.

The ceremony will be 9:30 a.m. on Maud-Hughes Road, under the bridge.

Section of Deerfield will go dry today

DEERFIELD TWP. - Water will be shut off today to residents along Socialville Fosters Road from Ashmont subdivision west to Snider Road.

The water will be turned off from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. while the Warren County Water and Sewer Department makes improvements.

Once service is turned back on, a boil advisory will be in effect for those residents, including those in the Ashmont subdivision, Harbour Watch and Simpson Creek Farms south.

Water should be boiled for at least two minutes and residents should use bottled water for drinking and cooking.

Sucher becomes Amelia police chief

AMELIA - A Union Township police sergeant will begin a new job next week as police chief for Amelia, replacing former chief Greg Homer.

Homer recently took a job as police chief in the city of Monroe.

Jeff Sucher will assume command of the police department Monday in this Clermont County village.