The Young Professionals of the World Affairs Council of Greater Cincinnati will hold an “Inter-Continental Breakfast Session” Thursday with Gerard Laviec, president and chief executive of CFM International, a joint company of SNECMA France and General Electric USA.

        Mr. Laviec will discuss career development issues.

        The program will be held from 7:45-9 a.m. at the law offices of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, 425 Walnut St., 16th floor, downtown.

        Contact the World Affairs Council at 621-2320.
       

Woman accused of
making false 911 call

               An Avondale woman who called 911 to report that her boyfriend was holding a shotgun to her head was jailed late Saturday night on a charge of making a false alarm.

        Several police units were dispatched to a Hawaiian Terrace apartment in Mount Airy at 9:56 p.m. Saturday, but four witnesses said the woman made up the story to get her boyfriend in trouble, Cincinnati District 5 police said.

        A search of the apartment yielded no weapon.

        Latonia Edwards, 19, of the 500 block of Hale Avenue, was charged with the first-degree misdemeanor, because the large number of police cars alarmed residents, police said.
       

Recycled sneakers
bring zoo discount

               If you take unwanted athletic shoes to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden on Nov. 11, you'll get half-price admission.

        That is America Recycles Day. The event is part of Nike's Reuse-A-Shoe program, which recycles old athletic shoes of any brand for other useful products.

        Among the things that can be made: soccer, football and weight room flooring, tennis courts and padding under hardwood basketball courts.

        Zoo visitors can fill out a pledge card to recycle more and become eligible to win prizes such as a “Green Dream House” worth more than $200,000 or a trip to Disney World.

Springdale men
charged in robbery

               SHARONVILLE — Two Springdale men were charged in the Saturday morning armed robbery of a Chester Road gas station, police said.

        Herb Rashawn Price, 19, of the 1200 block of Chesterwood Court, was charged with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony. Charles Blair, 18, of the 1000 block of Chesterdale Drive, was charged with complicity to aggravated robbery. The Sunoco station at 11585 Chester Road was robbed at 4:35 a.m. Twenty-five minutes after the robbery, the suspects were apprehended by Evendale police while in a parking lot on Triangle Park Drive. They appeared to match the descriptions of the men on the station's security video.

        Mr. Blair helped police to locate the gun used.

College offers free
entry-level English

               A free entry-level class in English as a Second Language will be offered next month by Cincinnati State Technical & Community College in Clifton.

        Lasting 10 weeks, it starts Nov. 15. Classes will be 6:30-9:30 p.m. Wednesdays.

        Information and registration, 569-4848.
       

Miami Middletown
will explain majors

               MIDDLETOWN — A Majors Fair will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m. Wednesday in Johnston Hall at Miami University Middletown, 4200 E. University Blvd.

        Information will be available on the following majors: education, computer science, business, mechanical engineering technology, electrical engineering technology, chemical technology, nursing, social work, sociology, gerontology, psychology, art, architecture and interior design.

        Information: (513) 727-3216.

Public meeting set
for Lebanon project

               LEBANON — State officials will hold a public meeting Wednesday to discuss how traffic will be maintained during the widening of Main Street.

        Four options will be presented.

        “Although there is no way to avoid inconveniencing people during construction, we have looked at every possible way to lessen the impact,” said Mike Flynn, deputy director of the Ohio Department of Transportation's District 8. “Now we need to hear from our customers about how we should proceed.”

        Residents along Main Street have unsuccessfully fought ODOT's plan to widen a 2-mile stretch that doubles as Ohio 63 on the west side of town and Ohio 123 on the east side.

        Planned improvements include leveling a hump in the middle of the street, and installing sewer lines and underground electrical lines. ODOT also plans to remove parking along both sides to make room for a middle turn lane.

        The meeting will take place from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Lebanon High School cafeteria, 160 Miller Road. Presentations will be given at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., followed by a question-and-answer session.
       

Web sex operation
nabs two more men

               XENIA, Ohio — Since setting up a sting operation in April, police posing as teen-age girls in Internet chat rooms have arrested eight men who apparently thought they had made a date to have sex.

        The two most recent arrests were of men from Texas and Massachusetts.

        Eugene Kellogg, 55, of Carrollton, Texas, has been indicted on a charge of attempted corruption of a minor.

        Roderick E. Parker, 42, of Whitman, Mass., was arrested Friday. He is in the Greene County jail awaiting an appearance today in Xenia Municipal Court on a charge of attempted corruption of a minor.

        Police said Mr. Kellogg flew from Texas to Columbus Oct. 5, rented a car and drove to Shawnee Park, the place detectives alleged he agreed to meet the “girl” he met on the Internet.

        Mr. Kellogg was released Oct. 5 after posting $2,500 bond.
       

Hepatitis C grant
funds new research

               COLUMBUS — A researcher at Children's Hospital is getting federal funding for his study to find why some people with hepatitis C can fight off the liver disease.

        The National Institutes of Health recently announced it will award the first installment of a $6 million grant to a group of hepatitis C researchers that includes Chris Walker.

        Dr. Walker said he has no idea why the immune systems of a few people can conquer the infection that most of its victims have for life.

        “At this point, it's a complete unknown,” he told The Columbus Dispatch. “Eight out of 10 (hepatitis C victims) will be infected for life and have deterioration in liver function. Very few will clear the virus spontaneously within a few weeks.”

        Studies initially will focus on chimpanzees and might eventually move to adults and children.

        First identified in the 1980s, hepatitis C is now estimated to infect about 3 percent of the world's population, including almost 4 million Americans.

        Conservative estimates indicate that Ohio has about 200,000 cases.

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