The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 4

THF CINCINNATI ENQUIRER D2 SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2000 METRO Tristate A.M. Report Compliled from staff and wire reports Teen faces weapons charge school grounds should be sent to Warren County Common Pleas Court. If convicted of the charge, Mr. Downey could receive up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine, said Franklin Municipal Court Prosecutor Steve Runge. Mr.

Downey has been suspended from school and could be recommended for expulsion, said Bill Wood, administrative assistant of Franklin schools. A police report shows that Franklin Patrolman Gary Wallace found the weapon loaded with nine rounds in the spare tire compart rf The Associated PressDORAL CHENOWETH III Four baby eastern screech owls sit beside one of their parents in Clintonville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. A fifth baby preferred a perch a few feet away from the family. pal Court on Friday, Mr. Downey, a junior at the school, told Judge James D.

Ruppert that he has no criminal record and has lived with his grandfather on Ohio 123 for the last several months. Dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and appearing via video from the jail, Mr. Downey sounded timid as he answered the judge's questions. The preliminary hearing will determine whether the case 3 Gun found on By David Eck Enquirer Contributor FRANKLIN A Franklin High School student accused of having a loaded pistol in his car at the school was released Friday from the Warren County Jail on his promise to appear in court May 26 for a preliminary hearing. Matthew Downey, 18, is charged with illegally conveying a deadly weapon into a school safety zone, a felony.

In Franklin Munici Bring your appetite to Ji i I The Cincinnati EnquirerJEFF SWINGER Covington Scarborough of Shiska House in Covington shows off his fresh crawfish at the 21st annual Maifest. Friday was opening night for the MainStrasse Village festival. ment of Mr. Downey's car Thursday in the student parking lot. Police were called after school administrators received a tip from an anonymous parent that Mr.

Downey had been showing off a gun at school. Franklin High School Principal Robert Leahy said Mr. Downey had not shown the gun at school, but that he did show it to some friends at a restaurant last weekend, the police report said. High-school officials could not find the gun when they initially searched Mr. Downey's car.

Appeal rejected in death of officer The Cincinnati Enquirer and the Associated Press FRANKFORT Shawnta Robertson, the Avondale man convicted of manslaughter after Covington police officer Mike Partin fell into the Ohio River and drowned while chasing him, lost a bid for a new trial Friday. The Kentucky Court of Appeals said it did not matter that the officer's death was accidental Mr. Robertson knew he was putting people in danger when he bolted on foot into heavy traffic and across an Ohio River bridge after a traffic stop in the early morning hours of Jan 4. 1998, the panel said in a 2-1 ruling. Officer Partin fell to his death during the pursuit of Mr.

Robertson, whom another officer had stopped for suspected drunken driving. Officer Partin was among several officers who responded to a radio call for help. The officer tried to jump from the roadway to the pedestrian walkway of the Clay Wade Bailey bridge and fell through the space between the two. His body was found five months later. Mr.

Robertson argued that he could not be held responsible, but a jury convicted him of second-degree manslaughter. three years ago. "I've got a grandson I was supposed to be watching today, but I wouldn't bring him onto campus for one hour," Ms. Millard said. The U.S.

House of Representatives on Thursday approved language in a larger defense bill that gives the Army Corps of Engineers authority to consider school relocation as a cleanup option. That change in the law that governs what the Army Corps can do is essential to the arrangement announced Friday; without it, the Army Corps could not legally take part in moving the schools. That legal authority is in a Senate defense bill which is due for a floor vote later this month. After the defense bill becomes law, Congress then can legally appropriate $15 million for the Army Corps' share of replacing the schools. Gov.

Bob Taft said that after at least six months of discussions, state officials concluded that new buildings elsewhere would be cheaper than cleaning up the site to school standards. He acknowledged there was some concern about setting a precedent. Building new schools and cleaning up the site would cost the Army Corps up to about $25 million for its share, compared with a total of about $44 million to keep the schools on the site. Mr. Taft proposes that about $4.7 million for the school construction would come from the state.

He said the state also would expect to contribute toward the redevelopment of the property. If a bond issue is approved in November, the new schools could open in August 2003, Mr. Shade said. of vote fraud The grand jury reviewed a report by the Butler County Elections Board that found strong evidence that Mr. Saylor, 27, violated several Ohio election laws, including knowingly registering people to vote in a precinct in which they were not eligible, interfering with the conduct of an election, tampering with, ballots and possessing false election Coaster off-limits for third weekend MASON The new Son of Beast ride at Paramount's Kings Island will be sidelined for the third weekend in a row.

But park officials say the giant, looping wooden roller coaster should be roaring again by Memorial Day weekend. "Our workers are wrapping up the adjustments on a 15-foot section of track at the top of the second hill that was a little rougher than we would have liked," said park spokesman Jeff Siebert. "We know there are so many folks who are still excited and can't wait to ride it. We've got a winner here; we just need to get it open." Mr. Siebert said coaster carpenters will test the 15-foot section and re-examine the entire ride this weekend.

The roller coaster, which opened to rave reviews April 28, has remained idle for all but about 10 hours since its debut. Park officials say Son of Beast, Kings Island's 13th roller coaster, is the world's tallest and only looping wooden roller coaster. The ride, costing about $15 million, is the single largest investment in Kings Island's history. Masked man robs Provident Bank branch A masked man robbed the Glenway Avenue branch of Provident Bank on Friday afternoon, Cincinnati Police say. The man walked into the bank at 2:30 p.m.

carrying a plastic grocery bag and handed a note to a teller demanding money. Police didn't release the amount of money taken. The robber is described as white with a dark complexion, about 5 feet 7 inches tall and 130 pounds. He was wearing a white, green and black plaid shirt with a collar over a long-sleeve T-shirt, a red and white baseball cap and black mask. Police found the clothes a short distance from the bank.

Authorities do not think this robbery was connected to a bank heist Friday morning in Union Township. Anyone with information about either robbery can call police at 352-3542 or Crime-stoppers at 352-3040. Ribbon of money donated for park A ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Firstar Bank branch in Mount Washington will benefit a group raising money for Stan-bery Park. The ceremony at 9 a.m. Monday at 2261 Beechmont Ave.

will feature a "ribbon" made of money adding up to $500. The money will be donated to "Stand by Stanbery." If the group raises $25,000, the Cincinnati Parks Foundation will match it. That would pay for a master plan for the park. Even before the Firstar donation, the group has raised nearly $6,800. The ceremony Monday is open to the public.

Refreshments will be served. For information on "Stand by Stanbery" or to help, call 231-8541. Donations can be sent to the Cincinnati Parks Foundation, 950 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Checks must have "Stand by Stanbery" written on them. Special registration for Carson pupils A special registration session will be held from 9 a.m.

to noon today for students interested in attending the new Carson neighborhood school on Glenway Avenue. Registration will be held in the new school's temporary home at Dater Junior High School, 2840 Boudinot Westwood. When registering, parents should bring a child's birth certificate, immunization records, Social Security card and proof of the child's address. If the child is new to the district, the parent also should bring the child's most recent report card. Renovations at three Cincinnati Public Schools are causing the delay in opening the new neighborhood school in the Carson building.

The new Carson students will attend classes in the Dater building for the next school year. They will move into the renovated Carson building for the start of the 2001 school year. Girl, 14, suspended for threatening letter A 14-year-old girl was suspended from Clermont Northeast Middle School for the remainder of the school year Friday after she admitted to writing a threatening letter to a classmate, Clermont County authorities said. The girl, whose name was not released because she is a minor, had written in the letter that she intended to kill at least one of her classmates because she had been repeatedly teased. In the letter, the girl said she would carry out her plan Friday, said Clermont County Sheriff AJ.

"Tim" Rodenberg Jr. The letter was intercepted Thursday, he said, adding that the girl did not have access to weapons. The school district is considering expelling the girl, who has been charged as a juvenile with aggravated menacing, the sheriff said. She has been released into a relative's custody. Police, city sued over search, seizure A Portsmouth couple are suing the city of Portsmouth and its police department, accusing them of wrongly raiding the couple's business and confiscating money and financial records without cause.

The lawsuit by Johnnie and Nina Ruby demands $500,000 in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages. Bad publicity from the wrongful November, 1998, raid has ruined Mr. Ruby's Portsmouth restaurant and catering business, his lawyer, James Banks, said Friday. Portsmouth Police Chief Greg Ratcliff and David Kuhn, the Portsmouth city solicitor, said Friday they didn't know about the lawsuit and the raid that prompted it. According to the federal lawsuit, filed Wednesday in Cincinnati, Portsmouth police had a search warrant for an apartment attached to but separate from Mr.

Ruby's business. The lawsuit claims police officers searched the business without authority, told the business' security monitoring company not to notify Mi Ruby, and confiscated money and financial records that were not returned until after Mr. Ruby had hired a lawyer. Police found drugs in the apartment, but that had nothing to do with Mr. Ruby's business, Mr.

Banks said. off tainted site Schools Deal involves Ohio, Army Corps By Charley Gillespie The Associated Press MARION, Ohio The state announced a preliminary agreement Friday to move two schools built on the site of an Army depot, near fields contaminated with rusted barrels of cancer-causing chemicals. The Army Corps of Engineers, River Valley Local Schools and the state agreed in principle to move the high school and middle school and develop their current property for industrial use. "When you look at this from all sides, this is the cost-effective argument and the best way to go. To clean it up and maintain the school is too costly," said River Valley Schools Superintendent Tom Shade.

The 78-acre campus in Marion, about 40 miles north of Columbus, was used as a dump for spent solvents and other chemical wastes. The schools, which have about 775 students total, were built in 1962. An investi cation be can after questions were raised about the rate of leukemia cases amonc the high school's graduates. Nearlv 70 current and former Marion County residents were diagnosed with leukemia between 1992 and 1996, and the state health department in July confirmed nine cases amonc River Valley High graduates. No cause has been found.

Contamination was found below the soil, and some athletic fields were abandoned and fenced off two years ago. Authorities say they still think the site other to move Cancer report led Key events in the investigation into contamination: June 1997: The Ohio Department of Health investigates a report of unusually high cancer rates among River Valley High School graduates and students. July 1997: Health officials determine that leukemia rates among graduates and students are almost three times higher than expected in that population. Aug. 25, 1997: An environmental sampling reveals a small radioactive source in the schoolyard and undetermined quantities of cancer-causing chemicals in the soil of the practice football field.

The Army Corps of Engineers begins investigating. Oct. 15, 1997: A study of leukemia deaths shows that mortality rates increased 1 22 percent in the city of Marion from 1966 to 1995. Feb. 3, 1998: Five athletic fields are cordoned off after more contamination is found.

April 7, 1998: The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency tells school officials not to mow grass on roped-off areas after chemicals linked to leukemia are detected on the athletic fields. School buildings are deemed safe. than the 6 acres of fenced-off areas is safe for students and school staff. The schools' relocation depends on congressional action, voter approval of a $19.6 million bond levy and agreement by the River Valley Board of Education. The board not only wants to move the indicted on 68 counts of voter fraud.

If convicted, he would be disqualified from holding office and council would select a replacement to serve out the rest of his term, Mr. D'Epifanio said. Peter Swenty, Mr. Saylor's attorney, said he was aware of the indictment, but declined comment because he hadn't read it. Don Daiker, chairman of the Butler County board of elections, said the indictments are the first to probe June 22, 1998: The Ohio EPA conducts tests at six dump sites in the city of Marion.

Aug. 19, 1998: Health officials determine that leukemia incidence rates in Marion County are 46 percent higher than expected mostly due to higher rates among older women. Sept. 24, 1998: Radiation is ruled out as a problem on the school grounds. October 1998: Contractor with Corps of Engineers says tests detected cancer-causing chemicals on the surface of the high school's football practice field.

December 1999: School officials restrict two back doors at the middle school to emergency use only. A chemical had been found in a soil sample nearby that registered nearly two times higher than acceptable standards. January: Ohio EPA says Army Corps investigation must include full review of historical photographs of the site. May 19: A preliminary agreement is announced to rebuild the high school and middle school at another site. The Associated Press schools but also to build two elementary schools at a total cost of $43 million.

A news conference about the proposed move drew concerned parents as well as the media. Robin Millard, 50, said her 27-year-old daughter, Stephanie, was diagnosed with breast cancer instance in his experience "of deliberate and systematic voter "I think it's a very sad situation that a candidate for public office seems to have broken deliberately a series of laws," he said. Mr. Saylor rejected a petition signed by more than 400 voters asking that he resign, Mr. D'Epifanio said Friday night.

A recall vote could not be held until July 1 at the earliest. Grand juiy accuses Fairfield official Lottery roundup Ohio (Drawings: May 19.20001 Pick 3 (early): 5 3 3 Red Ball: White ball selected Pick 4 (early): 4 4 5 0 Pick 3 (late): 732 Red Ball: White ball selected Pick 4 (late): 9 4 4 9 Buckeye 5: 28 10 12 16 Tonight's Super Lotto jackpot will be $4 million. Information: (800) 589-6446. Powerball Tonight's jackpot will be $48 million. Information: (502) 583-2000, a toll call.

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Information: (502) 583-2000, a toll call. The Cincinnati Enquirer HAMILTON A Butler County grand jury has indicted Fairfield Councilman Jon Saylor on multiple counts of voter fraud in connection with November's 1st Ward council race. Butler County Prosecutor John Holcomb confirmed the indict ment Friday night, but did not have details. Fairfield Councilman Ron D'Epifanio said Mr. Saylor was.