Saturday, March 25, 2000
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Former UC player out of prison early
Former University of Cincinnati basketball star Dontonio Wingfield was released from prison six months early Friday.
Mr. Wingfield, 24, was serving a one-year sentence for assaulting a police officer during a domestic dispute at his girlfriend's apartment in 1998.
The scuffle left one of the officers with a broken finger.
After a hearing in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court, Judge David Davis agreed to release Mr. Wingfield early. Early releases typically are granted for defendants who stay out of trouble in prison and who have little or no criminal record.
Mr. Wingfield of Albany, Ga., was a forward for UC during the 1993-94 season. He left school and entered the NBA draft after his freshman year.
A second-round pick of the Portland Trail Blazers, he was waived by the team in 1998. He injured his back in a car accident last year and has not played professional basketball since.
Holy Trinity School to hold open house
Holy Trinity School, 2411 Moeller Ave., Norwood, will hold an open house for parents and prospective students from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Catholic school offers a kindergarten through eighth grade curriculum.
Families with children entering kindergarten next year, as well as those who are considering transferring to Holy Trinity, will be able to tour the school, talk with teachers and meet Principal Kathy Prosperi.
For information, call 366-4406.
Woman charged with records tampering
FAIRFIELD — A Hamilton woman has been charged with tampering with records and trying to steal money from her job at the Ohio Bureau of Worker Compensation, state police said Friday.
Melissa Lynn Branham, 29, of the 2300 block of Queenmary Lane, was arrested and taken to the city jail on Thursday. A preliminary hearing is scheduled March 30 in Fairfield Municipal Court.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol charged Ms. Branham with tampering with records, a third-degree felony, and a fifth-degree felony of attempted theft. Police allege that she tried to put her name on a check that was not hers.
Troopers began investigatingTuesday, after a BWC supervisor, who was conducting a regular payment audit, noticed Ms. Branham's name on a benefit payment. The payment was not released.
Ms. Branham also is accused of trying to access the BWC computer system to hide her actions, troopers said. The investigation is continuing.
Officer to go home a month after accident
LORAIN, Ohio — A police officer forced off a bridge in a hit and run accident says he just wants to get back to the way he was before he went to work on the night of Feb. 25.
Amherst Police Officer Marc Zappa is scheduled to be released from the hospital today. He suffered numerous injuries, including a broken arm and damaged back.
He has been undergoing more than three hours of physical therapy each day, with his wife, Michelle, by his side, but doctors say he'll need to recuperate for another couple of months before he can walk.
Officer Zappa was hurt while investigating a head-on accident in the eastbound lane of state Route 2 on Feb. 25. James Hunt, 53, a truck driver from Vermilion, stopped to help him.
The two were standing along the side of the eastbound lanes when a pickup truck traveling east struck a bridge abutment and barreled through the crash scene.
They were forced over the edge. Mr. Hunt was killed in the fall.
Teen admits killing father, stepmother
KENTON, Ohio — A 16-year-old on Friday pleaded guilty to the October killing of his father, a champion motorcycle racer, and stepmother to avoid the possibility of a life prison sentence.
Brandon Grigaliunas pleaded guilty to two counts of voluntary manslaughter in Hardin County Common Pleas Court. He will serve 10 years in prison.
He did not speak during Friday's hearing. His mother, Sherry Grigaliunas, said after the sentencing that her son was innocent but added that it made sense to accept the plea agreement.
“It's something that we feel must be done,” she said.
Police found the bodies of Scott Grigaliunas, 39, and his wife, Becky, 42, at their home in rural northwest Ohio on Oct. 8. A family friend had called police after Mrs. Grigaliunas didn't show up for work at an auto dealership.
Mr. Grigaliunas was a four-time season champion in International Drag Bike Association events, winning two titles last year. He was twice voted rider of the year by the association's 1,500 members.
Black chamber denies wrongdoing with funds
Rape cases seem to differ
Cross-burning horrifies family
Digitron worker dies in shooting
Gifted, sure - but what do you do next?
Mason rape suspects to be tutored
Missing Marine home at long last
Taft affirms support for reading test
YMCA poised for renovation
Dollar by dollar, YMCA fund grows
Racetrack blues: 'The diehards are dying'
Sex bias in sports alleged
Ky. Senate approves budget bill
Lance Lucas chosen to fill Boone Co. Fiscal Court vacancy
Council unable to override veto
Queen City's moments to shine reflected in book
Garth Fagan Dance delights
GET TO IT
7th-grader is accused in 1 of 2 bomb threats
Appeals court rips judge for OK'ing lie-detector tests
Birth-to-age-3 called crucial
Bricks honor vets' service
City manager survives turmoil
Comment sought on 211: Use for ARTIMIS or referral line?
Cops' search for man praised
Domestic shooting kills 2
Erlanger expands building
Glitch holds up lottery pick
Magic Johnson to speak at conference
More suspicious ballots found
Portune: Lend a hand to immigrants
Residency proposal reviewed
Road worker hurt when truck flips
Students shown wider world
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