Man gets prison for providing pot to kids

Chris Drescher, 33, of Delhi Township, has been sentenced to 15 months in prison for giving his girlfriend's children and their friends wine coolers and marijuana.

Judge Steve Martin of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court convicted Drescher on four charges of corrupting another with drugs.

The girlfriend, Melony Wikette, 28, pleaded guilty in April and was sentenced to a year in prison.

Drescher and Wikette were accused of giving the woman's 12-year-old twins and five other sixth-graders nitrous oxide, marijuana and alcohol in January and February.

Horn honker guilty of bad behavior

FAIRFIELD - A recent Fairfield High School graduate was found guilty of an amended charge of excessive use of a horn in connection with an election-related incident last month.

Jordan Kessler, Fairfield High senior class president, was originally charged with disorderly conduct after driving past the home of Arnold Engel more than once and honking his horn.

Engel was a vocal opponent of the 6.9-mill Fairfield Schools levy that voters defeated Tuesday. Kessler was a supporter.

After pleading no contest to the charge in Fairfield Municipal Court, Kessler was ordered to serve 30 hours of community service and pay a $150 fine. He was also forbidden to have any contact with Engel and to stay off the street where Engel lives.

One of two defendants found guilty of murder

In the case of two men accused of killing Raymone Lyons, a Hamilton County jury convicted one of the suspects Wednesday, but could not decide whether the second man was guilty.

Ryan Lillard, 23, of Clifton, and Derrick Benning, 22, of Evanston, were charged with killing Lyons Aug. 6, 2003, at York and Linn streets in the West End.

The jury found Benning guilty on a charge of murder and three charges of felonious assault, but deadlocked on whether Lillard was guilty.

Lillard was indicted Oct. 6 on two charges of murder and three charges of felonious assault. Prosecutors say they will take Lillard to trial again.

Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Beth Myers is scheduled to sentence Benning on Aug. 27.

The indictments alleged Lillard and Benning were driving a green Camaro when they opened fire with two handguns on a group of people, firing about 20 shots, one of which killed Lyons, 20. Also injured were Rosalind Campbell and Jerry Black.