Ham radio operator accused of interference

        HAMILTON — A ham radio operator has been indicted on a felony charge for allegedly interfering with Middletown police radio transmissions.

        Kenneth Kelly, 28, was charged with disrupting public service in an indictment made public Friday in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

        He is accused in incidents that occurred July 25 and 26.

        On July 25, “there were 11 unidentified transmissions using vulgarity and some singing,” a Middletown police report says. On July 26, there were 18 such transmissions and some laughter. The transmissions included use of a racial slur, as well as chants of “Ice, Ice Baby,” from singer Vanilla Ice's hit tune, police said, and the messages came across frequencies used in car-to-car communication.

        Mr. Kelly, who was arrested last month, remained in jail Friday awaiting arraignment, said Assistant Prosecutor Brenda Cox.
       

Xavier gets grants for physics research tool

        A National Science Foundation grant of $123,800 and a $20,000 grant from the local John Hauck Foundation will enhance Xavier University's physics program.

        The university will buy a thin film deposition system for students and faculty to use for research.

        It creates films — primarily metals — as thin as billionths of a meter. These films are important to electrical devices and materials research.
       

Hospital will offer low-cost prostate tests

        Men can receive discounted prostate cancer screening tests Wednesday at a cancer awareness program offered by Mercy Franciscan Hospital-Mount Airy.

        Doctors recommend annual prostate cancer screening for all men over 50, and African-American men starting at age 45.

        The screening tests, which include a digital rectal exam and a PSA blood test, will be conducted from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Mount Airy hospital. Cost: $30.

        Appointments are required. Information: 95-MERCY.
       

Ex-lawmaker sees both sides of grand jury

        CLEVELAND — A former state representative who pleaded guilty to giving false information to a grand jury was named foreman of a Cuyahoga County grand jury.

        Common Pleas Judge Nancy Margaret Russo appointed five-time Ohio House member Frank Mahnic Jr. as foreman of one of four county grand juries.

        Mr. Mahnic was accused in 1996 of giving false information to a special grand jury regarding former Cleveland Clerk of Courts Benny Bonanno. Mr. Bonanno was convicted of theft in office and other charges for running a political operation out of the clerk's office.

        Mr. Mahnic's lawyer in the criminal case, Richard Lillie, told The Plain Dealer that he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor technical violation involving whether he had seen certain documents in the clerk's office. The charge was cleared from his record a year later, Mr. Lillie said.
       

Death-row inmate incompetent, judge says

        COLUMBUS — A child-murderer who had volunteered to waive all legal challenges to his death sentence and then changed his mind was ruled not competent to make decisions to waive appeals.

        U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley ruled Wednesday that Kevin P. Scudder, based on examinations by three psychiatrists, is “incompetent to waive all further legal challenges to his death sentence.”

        Mr. Scudder, 37, said in an affidavit last month that a newly developed relationship with his daughter and “medication that helps me see the value of pursuing legal remedies” changed his mind.

        Nonetheless, court-ordered psychiatric evaluations proceeded and the diagnosis was “borderline-personality disorder,” a mental disease that experts concluded “substantially affects his capacity to make the choice to discontinue litigating his position.”

        Mr. Scudder was sentenced to death for the Feb. 8, 1989, kidnapping, rape and murder of 14-year-old Tina Baisden.
       

OEPA lets firm move creeks, fill wetlands

        PARMA, Ohio — The state has approved a retail development that will eliminate 3 1/2 acres of wetlands and require the diversion of two creeks in this Cleveland suburb.

        “It was a balancing act,” said Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Director Christopher Jones in explaining Thursday's approval for the project, which will include a Home Depot and Giant Eagle supermarket.

        “I'm comfortable that this provides us with the best opportunity to assure the long-term protection of West Creek,” Mr. Jones said.

        Heritage Development Co. has agreed to conduct biological, chemical, sediment and habitat monitoring that will provide data never before available to the EPA.

        Heritage is headed by Bart Wolstein, a Cleveland developer who lost out to Al Lerner in bidding for the expansion Browns franchise of the National Football League three years ago.
       

Robbery suspect dies in shootout with cops

        AKRON — A man listed as a possible suspect in an armed robbery was killed this week in a shootout with the Akron SWAT team, authorities said.

        Summit County Medical Examiner Lisa J. Kohler said Thursday that David Thomas Hopkins, 24, died Tuesday of multiple gunshot wounds.

        Copley Township Police Chief Michael Mier said Akron officers fired pepper gas into Mr. Hopkins' hotel room after two hours of phone negotiations failed to persuade him to come out.

        He came out of the room with a gun in each hand and fired at the SWAT team members, who then returned the fire, Chief Mier said.

        Mr. Hopkins had no permanent address, but he had relatives in New Jersey.

Oxford man indicted in fatal car crash

        HAMILTON — A 33-year-old Oxford man is accused of drunken-driving and aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal January crash.

        Terry Bolser faces two counts of each charge in an indictment released Friday.

        Mr. Bolser was seriously hurt in the crash that killed Elwood Singleton, 39, of Somerville, on Ohio 503 in Butler County's Wayne Township.

        Police have said Mr. Bolser's vehicle went left of center and struck the truck driven by Mr. Singleton.
       

Christ doctors test angioplasty technique

        Doctors at Christ Hospital have performed a new form of angioplasty that cools arteries to prevent scar tissue from building up in stents.

        The procedure, called cryoplasty, was done to study results before the start of a national trial.

        Doctors say it could become an alternative to intracoronary radiation to reduce scar tissue.

        Cryoplasty is performed with a balloon catheter. The inside of the balloon has a metal lining that cools the artery with nitrous oxide to inhibit the growth of scar tissue.

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