The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 1

IIKSKD-U I. KkkoH today at 8 p.m Channels 19,45 4 ClNCINNffl EK CINCINNATI.COM FINAL NEWSSPORTS 50 CENTS THE QUIRER CROSSTOWN CHOW-DOWN ome default Up Front Must reads inside today's Enquirer on city loans following riots Almost $1 million unpaid by downtown businesses If Online: Go to Cincinnati.Com for a list of those who got loans, including those who have repaid in full and those who are current Keyword: loans Mil JLL J. By Dan Klepal Enquirer staff writer Almost half of the 70 emergency loans that the city of Cincinnati issued to struggling businesses after the 2001 riots have fallen into default almost $1 million in unpaid cash. The low-interest loans were given to businesses that could show a significant drop in revenue after the riots. A failure to pay back the money, funded by a federal grant program, means that the city loses out on federal grant money it could collect every year.

Some business owners say they are still feeling aftershocks of the riots, coupled with the city's problems with violent crime 284 homicides since 2002 and panhandling. All of that combines to make many people feel unsafe, or unwilling, to come downtown, they say. "We expected business to bounce back, so we took out a loan because we thought it would help during the slow period," said Paulette Hisle, owner of Extravagant Hair and Nails in Walnut Hills, The EnquirerCara Owsley Xavler University basketball coach Sean Miller is cheered by students Monday night as he delivers pizza to those camping out by the Cintas Center while in line for tickets to the XU game against the University of Cincinnati. Student tickets will be handed out today. The Crosstown Shootout will be played Thursday at Xavier.

Xavier fans crave tickets to hoops game with UC near Over-the-Rhine. Hisle stopped making payments in October, after paying down the principal on her $25,000 loan by almost $5,000. Her loan is the most recent of 32 to fall into default and that happened only after she closed one of her two stores and laid off sue employees. "It seems like it's only getting worse," Hisle said. "The loan did help me during the first eight months, but people just don't want to come down here.

We're just trying to hold on to what we have." The loans are considered in default after six months of missed payments. The city has received no payments in more than a year on 27 of the loans, with the full principal still owed on 19 of them. So, this mom goes into a comedy club, and thing you know, Angie Montgomery's heading for New York to compete for "Funniest Mom in America." LIFE Dl See a video of her on stage at Cincinnati.Com. Keyword: comedy Police get best compliance report Cincinnati police are in compliance with nearly all requirements of the agreements that followed the 2001 riots, a monitor says. LOCAL B3 North College Hill slams Taft, 82-70 North College Hill High School took control with a 17-2 opening burst to beat Taft 82-70 in basketball.

SPORTS CI Irish landmark Dubliner closing The Dubliner bar and restaurant in Pleasant Ridge closes after last call Wednesday night But a new bar may open there in time for St Patrick's Day. BUSINESS B6 Windmill business spins local firms The return of windmills is fair weather for Magna Machine in Forest Park and Cast-Fab in Oakley. BUSINESS B6 Also Senior citizens in Portland, Maine, can trade in their cars in return for rides. NATION WORLD A2 The big game When: 9 p.m. Thursday.

Where: Cintas Center at XU. TV: ESPN. Radio: WLW-AM (700) and WKRC-AM (550). See DOWNTOWN, Page A6 ail By Dustin Dow Enquirer staff writer Class can wait for another day. Today, Xavier University freshman Michael Scholten has Crosstown Shootout tickets to claim.

Scholten is one of several hundred Xavier students camping in tents outside Cintas Center waiting for tickets to Thursday's big game between Cln-. cinnati and Xavier, which will be distributed at 5 p.m. today. "I skipped class on Friday to line up, and IU probably skip class (today), too," Scholten said. Tickets to the game are free for students, but with a student-section allotment of less than 800, demand is so high that the most dedicated fans have been sleeping in the tents since Friday to make sure they can go to the game.

Technically, the rules for getting tickets allow Scholten to attend class today, but life in the community of tents that I Xavier a tougher, confident team. CI I Devan Downey is factor for UC. CI I XU makes case for NCAA tourney. C4 I UC adjusts to loss of Kirkland. C4 Golden Globes Clooney best supporting actor ich, one of seven people sharing the tent with Scholten.

"Then we lost our space heater. Campus police cut our power because we were blowing circuits in Cintas Center. But if definitely worth it" A Xavier official confirmed that power was cut Scholten and Diederich are two of the lucky ones. Their tent is third in line. A few hundred feet away, on the other side of the building, a half-dozen guys were setting up tent No.

73 Monday. George Clooney, who grew up in the Cincinnati newsroom of his journalist father, Nick, received the Golden Globe for best supporting actor for his role as a the students call Cintas City is too entertaining to leave. Though it could be a little warmer at night "If been freezing," Scholten said. "We're sleeping in Under Armour (sports apparel) and thermals." "We had electricity," said Joe Dieder- CIA agent in the ou-industry thriller "Syriana." The Globes are awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. PEOPLE A2 See XAVIER, PageA6 We're more worried about war, politicians Americans less concerned about economy, according to poll By Will Lester The Associated Press COMING the people when they're working for their own pockets." Public concern about the economy, while still relatively high, has been declining.

About one in five, 21 percent named economic issues as the top problem, down from 28 percent in July, according to the poll of 1,001 adults taken Jan. 3-5. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. The economy has been bolstered by a strong housing sector, a rising stock market and relative strength in jobs. ening.

But U.S. officials are heartened by progress they see in training Iraqi security forces a key step toward disengaging U.S. forces. While violence continues in Iraq, scandals involving prominent politicians in this country have been growing. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay faces trial on charges in a Texas campaign finance investigation.

He's one of several lawmak ers who were close to lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Abramoff lavished favors on lawmakers and is now cooperating with prosecutors after pleading guilty to corruption charges. Neal Bowser, a carpet technician from Westchester, said the bribery scandals are his top concern now. "Money seems to be corrupting the whole bottom line," he said. "Our political leaders are not working for WASHINGTON Economic worries have decreased in the last six months as the U.S.

public has shifted its concern more to the war in Iraq and problems faced by political leaders, AP-Ipsos polling found. The economy has been showing signs of strength in recent months. But the violence in Iraq has continued, before and after the latest round of elections in mid-De- new year starts. "The war is a problem that fouls up what we need to do in the world," said Peter Palys, a lawyer from Wheaton, Dl. "My feelings about Iraq have solidified over the last six months," he said.

"We can't stay, we can't leave, and we can't win." American troops are dying at a rate of about two a day, and the insurgency has shown no clear signs of weak cember. And high-profile politicians in this country have been ensnared by scandal. When people were asked in an open-ended question to name the nation's top problem, 25 percent named war, close to the level in October, but up from 19 percent in July. The number of people who named political leaders as the most important problem has almost tripled, from 5 percent in July to 14 percent as the If you give a chef a rotisserie chicken, what would he make of it? We asked the chef of Wild Bill's in Lebanon. UFEFOOD WEATHER High 52s Low 27s Rain, i i 1 1 6 thunder COMPLETE FORECAST: B10 "4 1 Tl Ohio considers licensing of all home inspectors 1 INDEX 4 sections, 165th year, No.

283 i MLK honored Among those gathered downtown to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. are (in front) Jordan Patterson, Victoria Russell and Linee Boyd; (back) Jelan Boyd and Susan Russell. The Enquirer Michael E. Keating Lotteries B2 Movies D5 Obituaries B4 Sports CI TV 02 Abby D2 Business B6 Comics 04 Editorial B8 Kids' Comer Classified C7-14 First Run Classified A8 including Kentucky and Indiana have passed regulatory laws in the last eight years, according to the Des Plaines, Debased society.

Pierina Schmidt of Amberley Village thinks that consumers need the law. Two years ago, she and her husband, Carl, hired a home inspector who did not identify major repairs needed to the $400,000 home they subsequently bought More inside How to find a home inspector and check his credentials. A6 That's a concern when the purchase of a house can hinge on a satisfactory home inspection. Ii the bill passes this year, Ohio would join 30 other states in having home inspector regulations, according to the American Society of Home Inspectors. Twenty-six states By Kathy Bergstrom Enquirer contributor COLUMBUS Ohio consumers need better assurances that the home inspectors they hire are qualified to do the job, say the backers of a bill that would create state licensing for home inspectors.

Home inspectors are not regulated by the state, and it's relatively easy for an unqualified person to enter the profession, they say. Copyright 2006, Die Cincinnati Enquirer MIT frV Nation: Report on celebrations across America. A4 Local: Full story and more photos of the march. Bl Cincinnati.Com: Photo gallery. Keyword: photos More coverage See HOMES, PageA6.