Latonia woman gets 12 years for shooting

COVINGTON - A Latonia woman who shot the mother of her child's classmate in a busy schoolyard in 2001 was sentenced Wednesday to 12 years in prison.

Marjorie McElfresh, 32, must serve 85 percent of her sentence before being eligible for parole. Kenton Circuit Judge Greg Bartlett handed down the sentence after McElfresh reached a plea agreement with prosecutors. McElfresh pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a charge of manslaughter.

She shot and killed Linda Gegner, 26, of Covington, in September 2001 in front of several children and teachers at Latonia Elementary School in Covington.

Ky. Right to Life backs senator

The anti-abortion group Kentucky Right to Life has endorsed U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning, a Southgate Republican running for re-election this fall. The Louisville-based group said in a statement that Bunning has maintained a "100 percent pro-life record" in the Senate and that his endorsement was a "no brainer."

Bunning voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, two laws enacted by Congress and backed by Kentucky Right to Life. Bunning is challenged in November by Hazard Democrat Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, a state senator from eastern Kentucky.

Police look for links in two bank robberies

COVINGTON - Police are investigating whether two bank robberies at two banks within eight days were committed by the same man.

On Wednesday a white man wearing a blue shirt and pants, and a hat walked into Huntington Bank in Latonia and told a teller to put money in a white plastic bag. He was described as 6 feet tall and weighing 180 pounds.

Detectives say the description is similar to a man who robbed the PNC Bank on Madison Avenue in Covington July 6.

18-hour Relay for Life kicks off at school

BLUE ASH - The American Cancer Society will sponsor a fund-raiser called Relay for Life at Sycamore Junior High School beginning at 6 p.m. today and concluding at noon Saturday.

The 18-hour event will raise money through a walk and other means.

Volunteers are formed into teams that compete in the amount of money raised, with each team sponsoring a different fund-raising booth.

Local bands will also perform.

A candlelight ceremony will honor lives lost to cancer and celebrate those who beat cancer.

All proceeds go to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Mason agrees to allow emergency sewer link

MASON - A divided City Council agreed this week to allow an emergency connection to the city's sewer system should Warren County's service to the Rosemont subdivision in Deerfield Township fail.

This would allow the flow to go into the city's service for a short time instead of possibly backing up into homes.

Residents in those homes have complained to county officials in the past about such issues.

The vote was 4-3 in favor of allowing the connection in emergency situations.

Those councilmen against the ordinance said they had concerns that the connection would be abused.

They were worried that this was setting a bad precedent for subdivisions that refused annexation into the city.

Financial deal could add jobs in Monroe

MONROE - Seventy-five new jobs could come to this Butler County city under a seven-year tax abatement proposed by City Council this week.

Dealer Specialties Inc. of Middletown, which provides computer support to the Auto Trader magazines and 10,000 car dealerships, was offered financial help to build a new 20,000-square-foot office for 75 full-time employees on Overbrook Boulevard, said Jay Stewart, city development director. The company now employs 35, said George Nenni, vice president and general manager.

Nenni said he expects the Monroe action to spur a matching offer from Middletown City Council.

Nenni said he wants to make a relocation decision by September.