A state legislative subcommittee plans to start hearings in the next several weeks to delve into physician pay and recruitment concerns in Southwest Ohio.

        The five-member panel was announced Monday by Rep. Greg Jolivette, R-Hamilton, chairman of the House Health and Family Services Committee.

        “In 1989, the Cincinnati Bengals went to the Super Bowl as one of the top teams in the NFL. Cincinnati also had a reputation at that time of having a top quality health network. I hope that Cincinnati's health network is not going down the same path that the Bengals have walked since 1989,” Mr. Jolivette said.

        For several months, the Academy of Medicine of Cincinnati has raised concerns that years of low reimbursement rates for doctors here have caused some to leave town while making it difficult to recruit doctors to the city.

        Last year, a shortage of anesthesiologists forced Children's Hospital Medical Center to shut down some operating rooms. This year, a lack of specialists willing to take on extra emergency department duty also has played havoc with trauma center plans at Bethesda North Hospital and other suburban hospitals.
       The subcommittee will include Mr. Jolivette, Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, Rep. Michelle Schneider, R-Madeira, Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Columbus, and Sylvester Patton, D-Youngstown. Hearings could begin within a month, but no date has been set. The doctor pay issue appears limited to Cincinnati, rather than all of Ohio. Mr. Jolivette said he was not sure what, if any, legislative changes could be made to address the situation. “That will be determined once we get into the hearings,” he said.

Man in anthrax case to represent self

               The man suspected of mailing fake anthrax letters to abortion clinics nationwide can represent himself against charges filed after he was captured in Springdale, a judge ruled Monday.

        Clayton Lee Waagner, 45, said he wants to defend himself against the firearms and stolen-weapons charges because he wants to speak to the jury.

        “It is my belief that my best chance to win this case is before a jury, rather than sitting quietly at the table,” Mr. Waagner told U.S. District Judge Herman Weber.

        Before agreeing to let Mr. Waagner be his own attorney, Judge Weber warned him about the risk of representing himself. Because Mr. Waagner has been convicted of at least three prior violent crimes, federal authorities say he could receive a life sentence if convicted of carrying firearms. He also faces a possible $1.5 million fine.

        Mr. Waagner agreed to have Kelly Johnson, an assistant federal public defender who attended Monday's hearing, be his standby lawyer ready to take over if the judge decides that is necessary.

        Judge Weber also delayed Mr. Waagner's trial from March 11 until April 8 to give him time to prepare for trial.

        Mr. Waagner is to be tried on charges that he possessed stolen guns and a stolen car when he was arrested Dec. 5, about 10 months after he eescaped from a jail in Illinois while awaiting sentencing on federal charges.

        The charges are separate from a government investigation on whether Mr. Waagner mailed fake anthrax letters to abortion clinics nationwide.

Three dead in fire, 2 of them brothers

               HILLSBORO — A fire that started in the stairwell of a house early Monday killed three people, including two brothers.

        Authorities do not know what caused the fire that killed Donald Butler, 55; Devin Butler, 32; and Adeline Davis, 24, all of Hillsboro, said Assistant Fire Chief David Lowell.

        Smoke inhalation was the probable cause of death, according to preliminary reports from the Highland County Coroner's Office.

        Fire Capt. Jeff Stethem said firefighters were called to the home on East Main Street at 2:06 a.m. and found heavy smoke and flames.

        He said the three victims were on the second floor of the house, which consisted of an apartment above a doctor's office.

        Mr. Stethem said the victims, who were pulled from the home minutes after firefighters arrived, were pronounced dead at the scene.

        Mr. Lowell said the two men were found in a living-room area that was also used for sleeping and that the woman was found in another room. He did not know Ms. Davis' relationship to the brothers.
       The second floor of the structure sustained heavy fire damage, while the first floor had water damage.

Sycamore holds school registration

        BLUE ASH — Sycamore Community Schools will hold kindergarten registration from 3-5:30 p.m. Thursday. Children who will be 5 years old on or before Sept. 30 are eligible to enroll.
               Parents are asked to call their neighborhood elementary school — Blue Ash, Maple Dale, Montgomery or Symmes — for a registration packet.

        Anyone unsure about which elementary school their child will attend may call the Sycamore Board of Education, 791-4848.

Signs urge cleaner rivers and creeks

        COLERAIN TOWNSHIP — About 40 “Keep Your Watershed Clean” signs will go up this week to increase residents' awareness of watershed pollution.
               The signs will be posted along roads adjacent to waterways such as Mill Creek and the Great Miami River and are part of a study being conducted by the Institute of Environmental Sciences at Miami University.

        In addition to signs, about 1,000 randomly selected residents are being asked to participate in a direct mail survey.

        The study is funded by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Education Fund.

Organ donation play performed at Xavier

        Xavier University will present a free public performance of Unfinished Business, a play about organ donation in Ohio, on Wednesday.

        It is in conjunction with Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, the Bioethics Network of Ohio and Kaiser Permanente of Ohio.

        The play, which will be held at 6:30 p.m. in banquet room two of the Cintas Center, portrays the decision-making process of becoming an organ donor.

        The six-person cast features a multiracial and ethnically diverse group of college students taking a class on theater and social issues. They begin writing a script about organ donation and, in the process, express typical attitudes about organ donation.

        It then emphasizes the need for donors to share their decision with family members.

Doctor robbed by surgical-masked men

        FAIRFIELD — Two masked men, one armed with a gun, held up a doctor's office early Monday but left with only a small amount amount of cash, police said.

        Dr. Bharati Narasimhan's office at 1251 Nilles Road was robbed at 8:55 a.m., Fairfield police said. They did not disclose the amount taken.

        Both robbers were described as white, in their 20s or 30s and about 6 feet tall. They wore short, dark coats; ball caps and surgical masks.

        According to a voice recording left on Dr. Narasimhan's answering machine, the office is expected to reopen today.

        Anyone with information is asked to call the Fairfield Police Department at 639-7820.

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