Business owner killed in accident

WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP - A North Bend man was killed late Wednesday when the excavator he was operating behind his business overturned in a wooded area, authorities said today.

Kenneth Neyer Sr., 60, was found dead in the cab of the excavator about 11:30 p.m. behind Ken Neyer Plumbing at 4895 Ohio 128, Hamilton County sheriff's deputies said.

Deputies went to the business after Neyer, who had been working in the woods, was not heard from for about six hours.

Driver charged with homicide

BOND HILL - A driver involved in a fatal car accident last month has been charged with vehicular homicide. Steven Thomas, 23, of Golf Manor, was behind the wheel on Langdon Farm Road on June 15 when the car went off the left side of the road and hit a tree. A passenger, Markita Chatman, 23, of Winton Terrace, died.

Thomas was released on his own recognizance.

Cincinnati police honors awarded

DOWNTOWN - Four employees of the Cincinnati Police Department won honors Thursday from the Rotary Club of Cincinnati at its annual police recognition luncheon:

• Officer Katrina Neal took the valor/hero award for her handling of a March incident in which a juvenile in the back of her cruiser fired shots at her with a gun officers had missed when they patted him down.

• Spc. John Rose, career achievement award for being the driving force behind the department's selection, purchase and implementation of new Taser guns.

• Spc. David Feldhaus, superior achievement for 15 years of work in homicide.

• Civilian Ella Topham, administrative excellence for proposing changes to the city's false-alarm reduction unit which reduced false-alarm calls by 16 percent between August 2003 and April of this year.