15 Ind. counties to get disaster-related aid

Fifteen Indiana counties were designated for disaster-related assistance this week, including Dearborn, Franklin, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland.

Homeowners, renters and business owners in those counties were affected by tornadoes, storms and flooding this spring. The assistance was approved based on a review of the damage data gathered by federal, state and local disaster recovery officials, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Indiana State Emergency Management Agency.

Residents in designated counties can apply for assistance by calling (800) 621-FEMA (3362).

Other counties added are Adams, Allen, Decatur, DeKalb, Huntington, Jennings, Kosciusko, Noble, Wells and Whitley.

Prosecutors evaluating new trial for deputy

LEBANON - Warren County prosecutors are expected to decide within a matter of weeks if a former Warren County sheriff's deputy will be prosecuted again on drug-related charges.

A Warren County jury convicted Michael Moore, 34, late Wednesday of a misdemeanor charge of illegal possession of dangerous drugs. Jurors deadlocked on five other charges.

Prosecutors have the option of retrying Moore on any or all of the five charges, which included two felonies, Warren County Prosecutor Rachel Hutzelsaid Thursday.

"We will begin evaluating it to determine if we're going to go forward," she said.

The charges he could be retried on are aggravated possession of drugs, and assembly or possession of chemicals to manufacture methamphetamine, both felonies; and misdemeanor charges of theft, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of marijuana.

Moore could get up to six months in prison and up to $1,000 fine when he is sentenced on the illegal possession of dangerous drugs conviction.

Streicher reorganizes police command staff

Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher has reorganized his top command staff after the retirement of an assistant chief.

Lt. Col. Rick Biehl, who already moved on this spring to become director of the Community Police Partnering Center, officially leaves the police department Saturday. That left two of the four assistant chief positions vacant - the other vacant since Lt. Col. Ron Twitty was accused two years ago this weekend of lying about damage to his city-owned car. He retired as part of a deal to end his criminal case.

Twitty's position had been filled by Capt. Vince Demasi, who's in charge of investigations. Biehl's had been filled by Capt. Dan Gerard, boss of the internal investigations unit. Both of them, Streicher has said, needed to get back to their own duties.

The city has not filled either position permanently because of ongoing litigation over Issue 5, the 2001 referendum voters approved that allows the city to go outside the department to hire chiefs. The city wants that referendum also to apply to vacancies for assistant chiefs. The Fraternal Order of Police says that would violate its contract.

The city also is waiting for an Issue 5-related decision by the State Employee Relations Board on whether the city committed an unfair labor practice by failing to promote Capt. Steve Gregoire to Twitty's job. Gregoire was next in line on the assistant chief's test.

Until the Issue 5 issues are resolved, the department will be divided into two bureaus instead of four, essentially doubling the responsibilities for remaining assistant chiefs Lt. Col. Cindy Combs and Lt. Col. Richard Janke.

Friends pull 7-year-old from apartment pool

NORTH COLLEGE HILL - Companions pulled a 7-year-old boy from an apartment complex swimming pool Thursday.

The boy, who was conscious when rescued from the swimming pool at Four World Apartments, 8292 Four Worlds Drive, was transported to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said Fire Department Lt. Tony Pohl.

The boy name and condition were not available Thursday night.

The boy jumped into the pool about 4:50 p.m. and went under the water and didn't come back up, Pohl said. The boy had been under water a matter of minutes.