Tuesday, December 07, 1999
TRISTATE DIGEST
Police cars collide; two officers hurt
Two Cincinnati police officers suffered minor injuries early Monday when their vehicles collided at an intersection in Walnut Hills.
Officer Roderick Malone, with the Criminal Investigations Section, was driving an unmarked vehicle north on Madison Road when it was struck by a marked cruiser traveling north on Woodburn Avenue, police said. According to a witness, the marked cruiser with lights and sirens disregarded the red light and struck the unmarked police vehicle, police said. District 2 Officer Kevin Crayon was driving the marked cruiser.
Both officers were taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, where they were treated and released. The crash, which occurred at 1:25 a.m., remains under investigation by Cincinnati Police Division traffic unit.
Man pleads not guilty to assaults
A judge ordered a North Avondale man to stay away from the apartment where a woman and two children were punched on Sunday.
Corry Glass, 27, of the 800 block of East Mitchell Avenue, pleaded not guilty Monday to three counts of assault in Cincinnati Municipal Court.
Judge Cheryl Grant instructed Mr. Glass to have no contact with the alleged victims or anyone else who lives in the Race Street apartment where the attack took place. Police arrested Mr. Glass at the apartment early Sunday.
26 citations given on Ft. Washington Way
Twenty-six citations were issued to vehicles in the Fort Washington Way corridor Monday morning during an extensive traffic enforcement effort.
The Cincinnati Police Division's traffic unit issued 17 citations for violations of vehicle-width restrictions and four for speeding. The Ohio State Highway Patrol Motor Carrier Enforcement Unit conducted inspections of 12 commercial vehicles. They resulted in four logbook violations, one citation for no brake lights, and two vehicles being placed out of service.
The enforcement effort was conducted 5-9 a.m.
As construction continues on Fort Washington Way, traffic enforcement and police visibility will continue to be priorities for the safety of motorists and construction personnel, police said.
Hoxworth director Dr. Zuck retires
Dr. Thomas Zuck, longtime director of the Hoxworth Blood Center, has retired.
Susan Wilkinson, Hoxworth's deputy director, has been named Thomas Zuck
interim director while Hoxworth's board of trustees conducts a national search.
Hoxworth is the Tristate's primary blood bank, collecting more than 70,000 units of blood a year to supply 25 hospitals in a 13-county region in Greater Cincinnati.
Dr. Zuck, 65, became Hoxworth director in 1987. After 12 years at the post, he stepped down last week for health reasons.
Man's dismemberment trial gets under way
HAMILTON — The trial of a Middletown man accused of killing a 34-year-old woman and dismembering her body began Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
James Lee Lawson is charged with the slaying of Cheryl Durkin, of Madison Township. Police say he killed her in late February 1998, cut up her body and coaxed family members to hide the body parts.
Ms. Durkin's torso was found floating in the Great Miami River in Hamilton two months later.
Last month, Mr. Lawson, 30, pleaded guilty to charges of gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He entered a no-contest plea and Judge Patricia Oney of Butler County Common Pleas Court found him guilty.
Jury selection consumed all of Monday afternoon's session at his trial.
Mr. Lawson was arrested in November 1998 in Carrollton, Ky., after a two-month nationwide manhunt.
Mr. Lawson's mother, Ellen Kay Peck, was sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of obstructing justice and tampering with evidence.
His sister, Melissa Lawson, pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and is awaiting sentencing.
5 state unions unite to negotiate contracts
COLUMBUS, Ohio — As state employees prepare to negotiate new contracts, representatives of the five unions that represent those employees announced they've created a coalition to press their joint issues.
The United Coalition of State Employees is the first such organization bringing together five state employees' unions, said Peter Wray, spokesman for the Civil Service Employees Association, which begins contract negotiations Tuesday.
Not only are the groups trying to join forces, “we're trying to share data information,” Wray said. “In the past, we all erred by assuming we knew what everyone was doing.”
The unions are the Ohio Civil Service Employees Association, including prison employees, highway workers and skilled tradespeople, with 35,000 workers; the Service Employees International Union, including parole officers, nurses and social workers, with 4,500 workers; the Ohio State Troopers Association, with 1,400 workers; the State Council of Professional Educators, including teachers and librarians, with 725 workers; and the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1059, including clerks and other staff positions, with 135 workers.
Two held in fatal club shooting
DAYTON, Ohio — Two suspects were in custody Monday after a shooting at a supper club filled with 200 people that killed a 17-year-old boy.
The shooting at the Maximillion Banquet Center began during a fight in the parking lot early Sunday between club security guards and customers who had been ejected for being disorderly, Dayton police Sgt. Gary White said.
He said several other patrons joined in the fight and some people got guns out of their vehicles and began firing at the guards.
Shots entered the supper club, Sgt. White said. One went through walls and hit Marcus Quinn, of Dayton, in the head. He died at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Authorities do not know who fired the fatal shot, Sgt. White said. No charges had been filed.
Some of the gunmen also were shot, apparently by someone with a shotgun, he said.
The suspects were taken into custody when suburban Trotwood police stopped a car after the shooting. Several of the occupants had shotgun pellet injuries, Sgt. White said.
Weapons charge dropped against Sikh
MENTOR, Ohio — A charge of carrying a concealed weapon was dropped Monday against a Sikh cleric who carries a 6-inch knife as a sign of his religious faith.
The case of Gurbachan Singh Bhatia had sparked a letter-writing and phone-call campaign led by fellow Sikhs in Mr. Bhatia's temple.
Mr. Bhatia and his supporters said his arrest following a minor traffic accident in September violated his right to practice his religion.
Luken takes slap at Shirey
The story on toys: More kids are needy
Judge invokes Santa Claus(e) in decision
UC group in Cuban drama
Their holiday trip helps others to see
An advanced lesson from the students
City told it needs to slash millions
Colerain recruiting citizens for 4th police academy
Compromise struck on The Banks
County wants break from prisoners
New arts center on drawing board
'Smooth' songwriter
$100M estate case ends, another starts
Campbell court clerk runs for re-election
Company pressure kills Elsmere jail proposal
Dems complain of Blackwell absences
Fans shriek for Ricky Martin
House tour is observatory fund-raiser
Old Capitol was setting for tale of two governors
School redistricting draws flak
Become part of historic photo
Brooks freed from jail to pay support
Lebanon festival reins in 70,000
Middletown adds salt storage
Prosecutor: death after rebuff
GET TO IT
Holiday TV schedule
TRISTATE DIGEST
