India seizes armed 'anti-piracy' ship owned by U.S. security firm

CHENNAI, India  - India has detained an armed ship operated by a U.S. maritime security company and the 35 people on board for failing to produce papers authorizing it to carry weapons and ammunition in Indian waters, the coast guard said on Sunday.<br /><br /><br /><a data-cthref="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VtYCTQxsFmFPlM&tbnid=L0lajJWcYn6DJM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ASeaman_Guard_Ohio_Vessel.JPG&ei=26JbUsz9M-iW2gXSpYDoBA&psig=AFQjCNH9BH62xekzfQh-UFwfGZ-0uP6sKA&ust=1381823535267314" data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=VtYCTQxsFmFPlM&tbnid=L0lajJWcYn6DJM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcommons.wikimedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3ASeaman_Guard_Ohio_Vessel.JPG&ei=26JbUsz9M-iW2gXSpYDoBA&psig=AFQjCNH9BH62xekzfQh-UFwfGZ-0uP6sKA&ust=1381823535267314" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentColor;"><img height="476" id="irc_mi" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Seaman_Guard_Ohio_Vessel.JPG" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br />Coast Guard Commandant Anand Kumar said the ship was stopped on Friday and was being held in the southern port of Tuticorin along with its 10 crew and 25 armed security guards until required documentation is submitted.<br /><br />The crew and security guards included British, Estonian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals, Kumar said.<br /><br />The southern tip of India is close to major trading routes from Asia to Europe. Many cargo ships now travel with armed guards to deter pirates. Sri Lanka, close to Tuticorin, is a popular boarding point for private armed guards.<br /><br /><a data-cthref="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=uXsa8Pf4BvNTgM&tbnid=Q5GCXu13ZDdJjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fpiracydaily%2F7703903868%2F&ei=eaNbUtyhPImQ2gXqx4HoCQ&psig=AFQjCNH9BH62xekzfQh-UFwfGZ-0uP6sKA&ust=1381823535267314" data-ved="0CAUQjRw" href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=uXsa8Pf4BvNTgM&tbnid=Q5GCXu13ZDdJjM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.flickr.com%2Fphotos%2Fpiracydaily%2F7703903868%2F&ei=eaNbUtyhPImQ2gXqx4HoCQ&psig=AFQjCNH9BH62xekzfQh-UFwfGZ-0uP6sKA&ust=1381823535267314" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentcolor; clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img id="irc_mi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTEuAHlcFr9m8R11oEMsPfwzxCyDh0A2PD75idtqAnwcf0jrQZzyQ" style="margin-top: 0px;" /></a><br /><br />"At the moment the documents are still awaited," Kumar told Reuters. "We have to see how valid are the documents that they do produce towards their entry into Indian waters and carrying arms and ammunitions."<br /><br />The Sierra Leone-flagged ship Seaman Guard Ohio belongs to Virginia-based AdvanFort, a maritime security firm that specializes in anti-piracy operations. AdvanFort and the U.S. consulate in Chennai were not immediately available for comment.<br /><br />Kumar said the ship was approached and detained on Friday night. He said Indian authorities had been assured they would receive documentation within an hour of the detention, but that 24 hours later the ship's master had still not produced them.<br /><br />In February last year, two Indian fishermen were allegedly shot dead by two Italian marines serving as security guards on an Italian-flagged oil tanker off the Kerala coast. The marines are currently being prosecuted in India.<br /><br />The incident highlighted the loosely-regulated practice of placing private and military armed guards on ships for protection against pirate attacks.<br /><br />Pirate attacks cost billions of dollars every year - as much as $5.7-6.1 billion in 2012, according to The Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group.<a abp="765" data-rapid_p="1" data-ylk="sec:content;slk:provider;itc:0;tar:www.reuters.com;ltxt:Reuters;" href="http://www.reuters.com/" id="yui_3_9_1_1_1381736334371_2484"><img abp="766" alt="Reuters" class="provider-img" src="http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/d/0c/d0c3eb8ca18907492a4b337b5cec5193.jpeg" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>

India seizes armed 'anti-piracy' ship owned by U.S. security firm

CHENNAI, India  - India has detained an armed ship operated by a U.S. maritime security company and the 35 people on board for failing to pr...

"The law is clear-the display of this particular kind of religious artifact (in a public school) is unconstitutional."

<h3></h3><h3>Ohio school forced to remove Jesus portrait.</h3><br />JACKSON, Ohio — A middle school in Ohio will be forced to permanently remove a portrait of Jesus from its school grounds and pay nearly $100,000 after reaching a settlement with two groups, including the state chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.<br /><br />The settlement requires the Jackson City School District in southern Ohio to pay the ACLU and Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation damages and legal fees totaling $95,000.<br /><br />The two sides had a tentative agreement months ago that bogged down in more legal filings after the two groups said the school district continued to keep the Jesus portrait and displayed it on the school lawn during a prayer meeting. Court filings show the portrait was also visible to those entering an art-storage area.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Ohio school says Jesus portrait has been taken down</blockquote><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publimetro.us/" target="_blank"><img abp="82" alt="Ohio school forced to remove Jesus portrait: A portrait of Jesus hangs in the hallway at Jackson Middle School in Jackson, Ohio." class="image" data-src="{"default":"http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/87/26788b1b5e17a97ce87ab1b69deae/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg"}" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/87/26788b1b5e17a97ce87ab1b69deae/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="628" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.publimetro.us/" target="_blank">A portrait of Jesus hangs in the hallway at Jackson Middle School in Jackson, Ohio.</a></td></tr></tbody></table>"All of this was unnecessary," said James Hardiman, legal director for ACLU of Ohio. "The law is pretty clear ... the display of this particular kind of religious artifact (in a public school) is unconstitutional."<br /><br />He said U.S. District Judge Algenon Marbley in Columbus accepted the settlement Friday.<br /><br />Superintendent Phil Howard said in a statement that the district's attorneys believed settling was the "best case scenario" at this point because legal fees were "mounting by the day."<br /><br />He said the district's insurance will pay the nearly $95,000 and taxpayers will not be liable for the damages and legal fees.<br /><div><br /></div>

"The law is clear-the display of this particular kind of religious artifact (in a public school) is unconstitutional."

Ohio school forced to remove Jesus portrait. JACKSON, Ohio — A middle school in Ohio will be forced to permanently remove a portrait of Jesu...

Bus goes off southwest Ohio highway, hits tree and fence and then flips; 35 injured

CINCINNATI - A Greyhound bus drove off an interstate highway in southwest Ohio early Saturday, struck a tree and a fence and flipped on its side before sliding to a stop in a cornfield, injuring at least 35 people.<br /><br /><img abp="1" src="http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/Wires/Online/2013-09-14/AP/Images/Ohio%20Bus%20Accident.JPEG-07602.jpg" /><br /><br />None of the injuries was considered life-threatening, though several people were trapped and had to be extricated by firefighters and paramedics, the State Highway Patrol said in a statement.<br /><br />Patrol Sgt. Pete Combs said an investigation was underway and he could not comment on a possible cause for the crash, which happened around 4 a.m. on Interstate 75 in Liberty Township, about 25 miles north of Cincinnati.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Officials+overturns+southwest+Ohio+hurt+with+injuries/8913091/cms/binary/8913721.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img abp="722" alt="Bus goes off southwest Ohio highway, hits tree and fence and then flips; 35 injured" border="0" class="thumbnail tabClick" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Officials+overturns+southwest+Ohio+hurt+with+injuries/8913091/cms/binary/8913721.jpg" title="Map locates Liberty Township, Ohio, near site of bus accident; 1c x 3 inches; 46.5 mm x 76 mm;" /></a>But passenger Christopher Link, of Michigan, told WCPO-TV in Cincinnati that he saw the driver slumped over. Link said he heard a woman scream at the driver "Wake up! Wake up!" but that he thinks the man might have had a medical problem.<br /><br />Link told the station the bus rolled over at least twice after hitting the tree.<br /><br />Jeff Galloway, director of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency, said 35 people were taken to hospitals, six by helicopters and 29 by ambulance. The injuries ranged from minor to severe, officials said.<br /><br />The bus, which left Cincinnati bound for Detroit, was carrying 51 passengers and the driver. Those passengers who were not injured and those who were treated and released from hospitals were transported back to Cincinnati, but none of them were at the bus station later Saturday morning.<br /><br />At least nine people remained in hospitals Saturday night.<br /><br />Eleven of 13 people taken to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown and all but one of the 14 taken to West Chester Hospital had been released as of Saturday evening, according to officials at both hospitals. The conditions of those who remained hospitalized were not released.<br /><br />One person was admitted to Mercy Health-Fairfield Hospital in stable condition, according to spokeswoman Lauryn Moore.<br /><br />Two patients taken to Bethesda North in Cincinnati remained in fair condition there Saturday evening, hospital spokesman Michael Mattingly said. Terri Ann Fredette, a spokeswoman for University of Cincinnati Medical Center, said two people were taken there. One was released and the other was in stable condition.<br /><br />Two of the four people taken by helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton were released and one was taken to surgery for a broken leg, spokeswoman Nancy Thickel said. The fourth was admitted for contusions and bruising.<br /><img abp="332" alt="Good morning for driving: There was no major weather going on in the region when the crash happened" class="blkBorder" height="424" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/09/14/article-2420853-1BD2DA27000005DC-296_634x424.jpg" width="634" /><br />Link, who was not injured, told WCPO he saw some children on the bus and thought some passengers had broken arms and legs. He said that the bus driver seemed fine when he boarded the bus.<br /><br />The driver, who has been with the company for almost 15 years, had been on duty for an hour and was fully rested, Kim Plaskett, a spokeswoman for Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc., told the Associated Press.<br /><br />The driver was among the injured, but she said she could not release the person's name or medical condition due to medical privacy laws.<br /><br />Plaskett said she couldn't discuss any details of the crash or the possible cause. The company was co-operating with investigators and will talk to the driver and conduct an internal investigation to try to determine what happened, Plaskett said.<br /><br />The bus just had its regular major annual inspection 14 days ago, Plaskett said. She said drivers also do pre-trip inspections to make sure buses are fit for travel.<br /><br />Greyhound sent a crisis-response team to the site to help the customers and authorities as soon as the company was notified of the crash, she said.<br /><br />A telephone hotline was set up for friends and family members seeking information about the passengers on the bus. The phone number is 800-972-4583.<br /><br />The skies were clear in the region early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.<br /><div><img abp="1" src="http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/09/14/article-2420853-1BD2D5EE000005DC-101_634x471.jpg" /></div>

Bus goes off southwest Ohio highway, hits tree and fence and then flips; 35 injured

CINCINNATI - A Greyhound bus drove off an interstate highway in southwest Ohio early Saturday, struck a tree and a fence and flipped on its ...

Mobile home fire kills man, 5 children in Ohio while mom is at work

TIFFIN, Ohio - A fire that ripped through a mobile home killed a man and five children ages 6 and under just a few hours after the children's mother left to work an early morning shift at a fast-food restaurant.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img abp="705" alt="Mobile home fire kills man, 5 children in Ohio while mom is at work" border="0" class="thumbnail tabClick" height="438" id="storyphoto" src="http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Police+children+killed+mobile+home+fire+northwest+Ohio/8915541/cms/binary/8915714.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Anna Angel, right, is comforted by her mother Linda Ramirez, left, while exiting Tiffin Mercy Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2103 in Tiffin, Ohio. Angel is the mother of the five children that were killed during the fire that swept through a mobile home Sunday in Tiffin, Ohio. The fire also killed a man that is reported to be Angel's boyfriend. The fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday in a mobile home park in Tiffin, about 50 miles southeast of Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/The Blade, Amy Voigt)" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anna Angel, right, is comforted by her mother Linda Ramirez, left, while exiting Tiffin Mercy Hospital on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2103 in Tiffin, Ohio. Angel is the mother of the five children that were killed during the fire that swept through a mobile home Sunday in Tiffin, Ohio. The fire also killed a man that is reported to be Angel's boyfriend. The fire was reported shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday in a mobile home park in Tiffin, about 50 miles southeast of Toledo, Ohio. (AP Photo/The Blade, Amy Voigt)</td></tr></tbody></table>Anna Angel, the children's mother, lived in the home with the children and her boyfriend, a relative and neighbours said.<br /><br />"She had a whole family and now she has nothing," said Owanna Ortiz, the woman's cousin. "Her kids were her life."<br /><br /><img abp="1" height="353" src="http://images.worldnow.com/AP/images/2813006_G.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br />The fire that broke out shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday was fast moving and left neighbours stunned in the mobile home park in Tiffin, about 50 miles southeast of Toledo. Firefighters got all six people out in about 12 minutes, but they were pronounced dead at a hospital, Tiffin Fire Chief William Ennis said.<br /><br />Authorities would not confirm the identities or relationships of those killed or comment on a possible cause. A state fire marshal's investigator said there were no indications of anything suspicious and it could take up to two days before authorities know how the six died.<br /><br />"We won't release any more information until we know the cause of death," state investigator Tim Spradlin said.<br /><br />Ortiz said Angel had four daughters of her own as well as a son with her boyfriend. The Blade newspaper in Toledo reported that Angel identified the children at the hospital where they were pronounced dead.<br /><br />The family didn't have a car and had to get around on bicycles, Oritz said. "If she had to get somewhere, they had two strollers they had to take, but they made it work," Ortiz said.<br /><br />Angel was at work Sunday morning when she was told there was a fire at home, Ortiz said.<br /><br />The two oldest children were in kindergarten and first grade, she said.<br /><br />"They were always happy and full of sunshine," she said. "The older ones looked out for the younger ones."<br /><br />Outside the charred home, neighbours stared at the trailer where left in the yard were a stroller, a little pink bicycle and an adult bicycle with a bike trailer for kids.<br /><br />Nancy Williams, who manages the Highland Park Estates mobile home park and also lives there, said she yelled to her son to call 911 and ran to the home when a neighbour alerted her to the blaze.<br /><br />"I knew there were babies in there," she said. "But once we got there, there was nothing we could do. It was fully engulfed in flames and we couldn't get in."<br /><br />The fire chief said there was heavy fire in the centre of the mobile home and heavy smoke throughout it when firefighters arrived. Witnesses said the fire burned quickly, breaking out windows and peeling some of the trailer's aluminum siding.<br /><br />"I watched the babies get dragged out," said neighbour, Rick Hummell. "It just made me sick."<br /><br />He said he often saw the children outside and would give them money when the ice cream truck came through the trailer park. "She was always good to her kids," Hummell said of Angel.<br /><br />Louis Keller lived across the road from the home that burned. "They would come over and play with my dogs," he said, as a strong smell of smoke blew across his yard.<br /><br />Harry Miller, chief of the Bascom Joint Fire District outside Tiffin, said about 30 members of his volunteer department assisted Tiffin firefighters. He said fires involving children are among the most difficult for firefighters to handle.<br /><br />"We had some new EMTs on the scene as well, and it's very tough on everyone when it involves kids," Miller said. "It hits home because we all have kids."<br /><div><br /></div>

Mobile home fire kills man, 5 children in Ohio while mom is at work

TIFFIN, Ohio - A fire that ripped through a mobile home killed a man and five children ages 6 and under just a few hours after the children...

Cleveland Kidnapper Ariel Castro Dead After Found Hanging In Prison Cell

<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">Castro was found hanging in his cell at about 9:20 p.m .ET, according to </span><a data-uotrack="storyinlinelink" href="http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/09/04/Pickaway_Castro_Death.html" style="background-color: white; color: #1990e5; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/09/04/Pickaway_Castro_Death.html">10TV in central Ohio</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px;">.</span><br /><br />ORIENT, Ohio - Ohio Rehabilitation and Correction officials said convicted kidnapper Ariel Castro was found hanging in his prison cell at the Correctional Reception Center in Orient.<br /><br /><img alt="arielcastro" height="480" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/1f666f502fc56bbb9385c40064786897b733030f/c=61-0-2056-1504&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/09/04/1378269256000-AP-Missing-Women-Found-Suicide.jpg" width="640" /><br /><br />Officials said he was found hanging in his cell around 9:20 p.m.<br />Prison medical staff began performing lifesaving measures. Castro was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 10:52 p.m.<br />JoEllen Smith, spokesperson with the Ohio Rehabilitation and Correction, said Castro died from an apparent suicide.<br /><br />Castro was sentenced to life in prison for holding three women captive in Cleveland for more than a decade and raping them repeatedly.<br /><br />Castro was not a part of the general prison population and was isolated from other inmates for his own protection because of his high profile.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.10tv.com/content/stories/2013/09/04/Pickaway_Castro_Death.html" target="_blank">Watch 10TV News and refresh 10TV.com for the latest.</a>

Cleveland Kidnapper Ariel Castro Dead After Found Hanging In Prison Cell

Castro was found hanging in his cell at about 9:20 p.m .ET, according to  10TV in central Ohio . ORIENT, Ohio - Ohio Rehabilitation and Corr...

Ohio kidnapper Ariel Castro found hanged in cell –reports

Ariel Castro, the convicted kidnapper who kept three women captive in his Cleveland home for a decade, has been found hanged in his prison cell, reports US media.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAzO7srhH5UqH7CexjuaJxmCzE_oIG9AI-dRfvvFJGV5jpJF27rWcWoNmH8Ve8SpKT4XQRIL74eTBInaVjYbd6fZn9GGSgergSHz59CSkoXgV46rQU_VpTz4l0DuqhpOLs2cTXJgGrE/s1600/logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCbAzO7srhH5UqH7CexjuaJxmCzE_oIG9AI-dRfvvFJGV5jpJF27rWcWoNmH8Ve8SpKT4XQRIL74eTBInaVjYbd6fZn9GGSgergSHz59CSkoXgV46rQU_VpTz4l0DuqhpOLs2cTXJgGrE/s1600/logo.png" /></a>Castro had previously pleaded guilty to the charges against him to avoid the death penalty.<br /><br /><br /><br />Prison officials at the Ohio Correctional Reception Center discovered Castro’s body hanged in his cell at 9.20 pm local time (1.20 GMT). His body was then transferred to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center where he was pronounced dead an hour later, reports CNN.

Ohio kidnapper Ariel Castro found hanged in cell –reports

Ariel Castro, the convicted kidnapper who kept three women captive in his Cleveland home for a decade, has been found hanged in his prison c...

75 Cleveland officers broke rules in chase

<h3>In the 23-minute chase involving five dozen cruisers last November,a fleeing driver and passenger were killed when officers fired 137 shots at them.</h3><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cleveland police broke rules: Cleveland Police Chief Mike McGrath answers questions with Mayor Frank Jackson, back, after release of a report on a Nov. 2012 police chase and shooting" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/1d/7c4534a59964db3f65b9e524bc7930/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cleveland Police Chief Mike McGrath answers questions with Mayor Frank Jackson, back, after release of a report on a Nov. 2012 police chase and shooting April 24, 2013, in Cleveland.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />CLEVELAND, Ohio – A review of a deadly police chase in Cleveland last fall has found that 75 patrol officers violated orders and police department rules, city officials said Friday. Nineteen officers face disciplinary hearings.<br /><br />In the November chase, a fleeing driver and passenger were killed when officers fired 137 shots at them. The 23-minute pursuit involved five dozen cruisers and wove through residential neighborhood before ending in gunfire.<br /><br />Police Chief Michael McGrath said at a news conference Friday that the violations ranged from insubordination to failure to obtain permission to leave the city. By way of example, he said, an officer might have been driving 100 mph on a side street and was told to stop, but didn't.<br /><br />Some officers were cited for multiple violations, he said, but none of the violations was so serious they warranted termination. Punishments could range from a written reprimand to a suspension. Multiple offenders were referred to the public safety director for hearings because their punishment could go beyond a 10-day suspension.<br /><br />City officials say one of the 75 offending officers has since left for Cleveland's fire department but still faces disciplinary action.<br /><br />Police previously announced punishments for 12 supervisors stemming from the chase. One sergeant was fired. A captain and lieutenant were demoted, and nine sergeants were suspended.<br /><br />Also, a county grand jury is investigating possible criminal wrongdoing among the 13 officers who fired their weapons as the chase ended in a school parking lot in East Cleveland.<br /><br />The nighttime chase began when an officer thought he heard a gunshot from a car speeding by the police and courts complex in downtown Cleveland. A parking lot attendant thought it might have been a car backfire, a theory endorsed by the driver's family.<br /><br />The officer jumped into his patrol car and radioed for help. The chase went through crowded residential neighborhoods, headed onto busy Interstate 90, and eventually into East Cleveland.<br /><br />Driver Timothy Russell, 43, was shot 23 times and passenger Malissa Williams, 30, was shot 24 times. No weapon or shell casings were found in the fleeing car.<br /><br />Police say they don't know why Russell didn't stop. Russell had a criminal record including convictions for receiving stolen property and robbery. Williams had convictions for drug-related charges and attempted abduction.<br /><br />The union has said the shootings were justified because the driver tried to ram an officer.<br /><br />Of the 277 officers working that night, at least 104 were involved in the pursuit in some capacity, McGrath said Friday. Not all were there for the duration of the chase. Officers dropped off, others left at the instructions of their supervisor and some just blocked intersections.<br /><br />McGrath called the shootings a "tragedy" for the victims and their families, the community, and the officers and their families. He said it was the job of the mayor, public safety director and himself to get the facts.<br /><br />"And if we made mistakes or if we have policies that need to be fixed, we'll do that," he said.<br /><div><br /></div>

75 Cleveland officers broke rules in chase

In the 23-minute chase involving five dozen cruisers last November,a fleeing driver and passenger were killed when officers fired 137 shots ...

3 bodies found in plastic bags in East Cleveland,Ohio

<h3>Police say three bodies,believed to be women,were found in plastic bags in East Cleveland, Ohio, and say a man arrested after a standoff with police is a suspect.</h3><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Bodies found in Ohio: Law enforcement and FBI stand at the back of a boarded-up home where bodies were found in East Cleveland, Ohio." class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/1e/b8c4e576c424ea9044bbd8e76ef8b0/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local law enforcement and FBI stand at the back of a boarded-up home where bodies were found Saturday, July 20, in East Cleveland, Ohio.</td></tr></tbody></table>EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three bodies have been found wrapped in plastic bags in a Cleveland suburb and police will continue a search for possibly more victims Sunday, East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton said.<br /><br />The bodies, believed to be female, were found about 100 to 200 yards apart and a 35-year-old man was arrested and is a suspect in all three deaths, although he has not yet been charged, Norton said late Saturday.<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoVk1MUXoNu1L_eEIr2MiFspm0WmYnSGdo5Y3yp23MrbC4ylZ1APO1NmgGEvCAgVclx0eolDlElN5-xXMwEDjnw-Yagk04SS4-hAkxAxr_ntXAVgD_Ic0gA_gVE1PqSZ083TD7Z3BCTg/s1600/michael_madison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoVk1MUXoNu1L_eEIr2MiFspm0WmYnSGdo5Y3yp23MrbC4ylZ1APO1NmgGEvCAgVclx0eolDlElN5-xXMwEDjnw-Yagk04SS4-hAkxAxr_ntXAVgD_Ic0gA_gVE1PqSZ083TD7Z3BCTg/s1600/michael_madison.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Madison</td></tr></tbody></table>The suspect is a registered sex offender and has served prison time, the mayor said.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px;">"Officials identified the suspect as Michael Madison."</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #202022; font-family: Georgia, 'Time New Roman', serif; font-size: 17px; line-height: 22px;"><br /></span>In police interviews, the man led them to believe he might have been influenced by convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell, Norton said in an interview with The Associated Press.<br /><br />"He said some things that led us to believe that in some way, shape, or form, Sowell might be an influence," the mayor said.<br /><br />Sowell was found guilty in 2011 of killing 11 women and hiding their remains around his Cleveland home. He was sentenced to death and is in an Ohio prison.<br /><br />Asked if the suspect has a fascination with the Sowell case, the mayor said: "We believe so."<br /><br />Police Commander Mike Cardilli said a woman's body was found Friday in a garage and two other bodies were found Saturday — one in a backyard and the other in the basement of a vacant house.<br /><br />All three people are believed to have been killed in the last six to 10 days.<br /><br />Police did not know the gender of the two bodies found Saturday and did not know the identities of any of the three victims. They were sent to the coroner's office.<br /><br />Norton said the bodies were each in the fetal position, wrapped in several layers of trash bags. He said detectives continue to interview the suspect, who used his mother's address in Cleveland, the mayor said, in registering as a sex offender.<br /><br />Cardilli said the man was arrested after a standoff with police Friday. Police did not immediately release the suspect's name. He was jailed in East Cleveland, the mayor said.<br /><br />"The person in custody, some of the things he said to investigators made us go back today," the mayor said.<br /><br />Police searched vacant houses over about three blocks in the neighborhood Saturday and planned to expand their search Sunday, Norton said.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/07/two_more_bodies_found_in_east.html#incart_flyout_news" target="_blank">The Plain Dealer</a> reported that police, the FBI, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department went through yards and abandoned houses in the area where all three bodies were found. They used dogs trained to find cadavers.<br /><br />The neighborhood in East Cleveland, of some 17,000 residents, has many abandoned houses and authorities want to be thorough, the mayor said.<br /><br />"Hopefully, we pray to God, this is it," he said.<br /><div><br /></div>

3 bodies found in plastic bags in East Cleveland,Ohio

Police say three bodies,believed to be women,were found in plastic bags in East Cleveland, Ohio, and say a man arrested after a standoff wit...

Tornado hits Ohio’s Ursuline College;no one hurt

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio — A tornado of 110 mph winds hit Ursuline College in northeast Ohio early Saturday morning, collapsing a wall of the school's athletic center and damaging other buildings but causing no injuries, officials said.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRQyOIC2khGWqbW7kzA3zDiJNGvvj5Lr21S_EJRgH3APsTeFaOFWmpWf3Vs9ufQYdG2ONSift_UhcgCe47MlYNI4eqdjy3NSDbtqd-N5Efv_xCdK79jBHVBEwAdfzEQJnJsxyM9TDnuo/s1600/ohio+tornado.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdRQyOIC2khGWqbW7kzA3zDiJNGvvj5Lr21S_EJRgH3APsTeFaOFWmpWf3Vs9ufQYdG2ONSift_UhcgCe47MlYNI4eqdjy3NSDbtqd-N5Efv_xCdK79jBHVBEwAdfzEQJnJsxyM9TDnuo/s1600/ohio+tornado.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The EF1 twister hit about 3:35 a.m. northwest of the college and continued across part of the campus, meteorologist William Comeaux of the National Weather Service in Cleveland said. It reached 100-200 yards wide and traveled 1.3 miles.<br /><br />Only a few students were on campus at the time and they were close to the athletic center that was hardest hit, a college spokeswoman said.<br /><br />"The blessing is that there was no loss of life or injury," Sister Diana Stano, president of the 1,500-student school about 13 miles east of Cleveland, said on its website.<br /><br />No one answered the main number for the college Saturday evening but a recorded message said the campus was closed Saturday and Sunday to assess the damage.<br /><br />The website said the storm caused an external wall of the school's O'Brien Athletic Center to collapse and destroyed part of the roof. It also damaged several other buildings, including the Dauby Science Center and the Ralph M. Besse Library. Many trees were uprooted or destroyed and other campus facilities had minor damage.<br /><br />College spokeswoman Angela DelPrete said only about five students were on campus at the time and they were about 1,000 feet from the gymnasium. She described debris scattered around the campus and broken windows. Weather service photos showed roof tiles torn away on the gymnasium exposing splintered wood and metal beams.<br /><br />Despite the damage, Comeaux said, "It's a beautiful area with lots of trees."<br /><br />He said it's been about two years since a tornado has touched down in the region; the state averages 17-19 tornadoes per year. A disaster relief fund will be established to help rebuild the campus, the website said.

Tornado hits Ohio’s Ursuline College;no one hurt

PEPPER PIKE, Ohio — A tornado of 110 mph winds hit Ursuline College in northeast Ohio early Saturday morning, collapsing a wall of the schoo...

Boat rolls backward at Ohio amusement park; 7 hurt

<b>A boat ride at an Ohio amusement park malfunctioned Friday, causing a boat to roll down a hill and flip over, injuring the seven people on board.</b><br /><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Ohio boat ride accident: Victim transported on an emergency vehicle" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/5d/cc9971595e3f8a5665cf10e775ef/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A victim of an accident at Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio, is transported on an emergency vehicle, Friday, July 19.</td></tr></tbody></table>SANDUSKY, Ohio — A boat on a thrill ride at an amusement park that bills itself as the best in the world accidentally rolled backward down a hill and flipped over in water when the ride malfunctioned Friday, injuring all seven people on it.<br /><br />Operators stopped the Shoot the Rapids water ride after the accident, which occurred on the ride's first hill, the Cedar Point amusement park said. Park police officers, medical technicians, ride operators and park visitors waded into the water and helped the passengers off the boat.<br /><br />Cedar Point officials wouldn't say how the boat landed after rolling downhill. But witnesses told the Sandusky Register newspaper the boat flipped on its side or upside down.<br /><br />Matthew Orr, of Euclid, was at the park and said people were belted into the boat and were trapped.<br /><br />"We jumped in and helped them get out," he told the newspaper. "If we didn't help, I don't even know what would have happened."<br /><br />Cedar Point officials said six of the seven boat passengers on the flume ride were evaluated and treated at the park and then were released and the other was taken to a hospital for further evaluation before being released.<br /><br />Cedar Point, which says it has been rated the best amusement park in the world for 15 years in a row, is in Sandusky, along Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo. It's owned by Cedar Fair Entertainment Co.<br /><br />The Shoot the Rapids ride, rated an "Aggressive Thrill" by the park, "takes you up and splashes you down," Cedar Point says on its website.<br /><br />"Shoot the Rapids feels like a real wild river adventure with canyons, a tunnel and something unexpected around every corner!" it says.<br /><br />The accident was being investigated by Cedar Point officials, who said they had reported it to state officials. They said the ride, which opened in 2010, will stay closed until park and state inspectors complete their review.<br /><br />"The safety of our guests is our number one priority," Cedar Point said in an emailed statement.<img alt="AP" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/e3/12e7ff08bf55a6d7449b766b4e23c/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" /><br /><div><br /></div>

Boat rolls backward at Ohio amusement park; 7 hurt

A boat ride at an Ohio amusement park malfunctioned Friday, causing a boat to roll down a hill and flip over, injuring the seven people on b...

Fourth Amendment right against unlawful searches and seizures?

Fake drug checkpoints: OK for cops to lie to motorists?.<br /><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">Random roadblocks intended for drug searches aren't allowed, so Mayfield Heights, Ohio, used the next best thing: fake drug checkpoints.</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Fake drug checkpoint in Mayfield Heights: Drug Checkpoint sign on I-271 North in Mayfield Heights Ohio" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/9b/caddecfa782d25f2bb77e19d13cde0/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drug Checkpoint sign on I-271 North in Mayfield Heights Ohio</td></tr></tbody></table>Police in one Ohio town are defending their use of fake drug checkpoints as a legal and useful tactic to catch would-be drug violators. But civil libertarians aren't so sure.<br /><br /><h4>The ACLU of Ohio wants to make sure officers aren't profiling motorists or violating their Fourth Amendment right against unlawful searches and seizures.</h4><br />"We're obviously gathering information and most of that deals with the specifics of stops and how that happened," Nick Worner, a spokesman for the ACLU of Ohio, told MSN News on Tuesday.<br /><br />"I think the question beyond whether they can conduct fake drug checkpoints is whether they should. There's at least a certain segment of the population that thinks it's dishonest."<br /><br />On June 24, police in Mayfield Heights, a city of about 19,000 east of Cleveland, put up signs along the northbound I-271 express lanes that warned: "Drug Checkpoint Ahead," "Police K9 Dog In Use" and "Prepare to Stop," <a href="http://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2013/06/fake_drug_checkpoint_in_mayfie.html#incart_m-rpt-2" target="_blank">according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.</a><br /><br />Officers then watched how motorists reacted after seeing the signs. Those who reacted "suspiciously" — crossing through the grassy median, for example — were pulled over, according to the Plain Dealer.<br /><br />Dominic Vitantonio, a Mayfield Heights assistant prosecutor, said four motorists were stopped and searched. He said there were arrests and drugs seized but didn't provide details.<br /><br />'THEY CAN LIE TO ANYBODY'<br /><br />The Supreme Court, which upheld the use of sobriety checkpoints in 1990 as public health and safety measures, in 2000 struck down the use of random roadblocks intended for drug searches, saying they are an unreasonable invasion of privacy under the Constitution. But the use of fake drug checkpoints is perfectly legal, experts told The Pain Dealer.<br /><br />Ric Simmons, a law professor at the Moritz College of Law at Ohio State University, was quoted by the newspaper as saying police are legally allowed to deceive people.<br /><br />"They can lie to anybody," Simmons said.<br /><br />Vitantonio said fake checkpoints are a legitimate tactic to catch drug criminals.<br /><br />"We should be applauded for doing this," Vitantonio told the Plain Dealer. "It's a good thing."<br /><br /><br />John Bowman, of the National Motorists Association, said he doesn't like the tactic, even if it is legal.<br /><br />"I think it is kind of shady to do something like that, to trick people," he told MSN News.<br /><br />Worner of the ACLU agreed the tactic raises more than legal questions.<br /><br />"Is this what the community wants the police to be doing?" he asked.<br /><div><br /></div>

Fourth Amendment right against unlawful searches and seizures?

Fake drug checkpoints: OK for cops to lie to motorists?. Random roadblocks intended for drug searches aren't allowed, so Mayfield Height...

Boy shot brother then self in small Ohio town

<blockquote class="tr_bq">Two half brothers, ages 12 and 9, were reportedly home alone when the older boy shot and killed the younger and then himself, police say. </blockquote><br /><br /><br /><img alt="Two half brothers shot in Ohio: Officials stand outside the home where 2 boys were shot." class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/11/7f283d8681eb2a9d227636b5e288a3/_h353_w628_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" /><br /><br /><br />JACKSON, Ohio — The police chief in a southern Ohio town said there might never be an explanation for why a 12-year-old boy shot his 9-year-old half brother and then himself.<br /><br />Jackson Chief Carl Eisnaugle told The Associated Press that it's not clear whether the first shooting was accidental. And he says it will be extremely hard to determine.<br /><br />The Jackson County coroner has said each boy had a gunshot wound to the head.<br /><br />Police say they lived at their grandparents' home, where the shootings occurred Wednesday in an upstairs bedroom. Authorities say the grandparents were away at the time, and that they don't believe anyone else was involved in the shootings.<br /><br />A .44-caliber handgun was recovered at the scene.<br /><br />The boys were identified as 12-year-old Austin Wiseman and 9-year-old Blake Campbell.<img alt="AP" class="image" src="http://newsbcpcol.stb.s-msn.com/amnews/i/e3/12e7ff08bf55a6d7449b766b4e23c/_h17_w0_m6_otrue_lfalse.jpg" /><br /><div><br /></div>

Boy shot brother then self in small Ohio town

Two half brothers, ages 12 and 9, were reportedly home alone when the older boy shot and killed the younger and then himself, police say.  J...

8 arrested after brawl at Ohio kindergarten graduation

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kqzqQvbSR16hLibYNwNFjoLXzg6PXQKduwOJCX-c8E1mEqfxjmd_5QJPGUXLEom0bq1EmWwBk2gLxnAM3Ss0LtRu9BMUIG44r3W-_7O3Qn0LgFARS5KAJvYpE7B7B5wAFQTpl56q_2Xu/s1600/publimetro.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-kqzqQvbSR16hLibYNwNFjoLXzg6PXQKduwOJCX-c8E1mEqfxjmd_5QJPGUXLEom0bq1EmWwBk2gLxnAM3Ss0LtRu9BMUIG44r3W-_7O3Qn0LgFARS5KAJvYpE7B7B5wAFQTpl56q_2Xu/s1600/publimetro.gif" /></a>A fight between two teenage girls led to the brawl, which came near the end of a kindergarten graduation ceremony, Cleveland police said.<br /><br />CLEVELAND — A brawl that started over spilled punch at a kindergarten graduation ceremony Friday resulted in the arrest of eight people, authorities said. Police were called when one participant pulled out a pipe and another a hammer.<br /><br />Two teenage girls apparently started hitting each other at Michael R. White Elementary School, and their families joined in, Cleveland police Cmdr. Wayne Drummond said. The fight involved adults and minors, he said.<br /><br />"You had adults fighting adults, juvies fighting juvies, and so forth," he said as parents streamed into the building to pick up their children. "You just had a melee here."<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDAhQAWuNOdA1w6VRolGuqqyruWfrGrc_ytPKgTB1cb4LzbbulcvMOBD2YRg_9nd7I-Vpok795G22O_UjIDvIEN5DqoqWCUzymDdzAO9jvtn-XI43UdtZSvTGlI97y1BDArvGIjBvc_j3/s1600/p1_out_i64c64.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaDAhQAWuNOdA1w6VRolGuqqyruWfrGrc_ytPKgTB1cb4LzbbulcvMOBD2YRg_9nd7I-Vpok795G22O_UjIDvIEN5DqoqWCUzymDdzAO9jvtn-XI43UdtZSvTGlI97y1BDArvGIjBvc_j3/s1600/p1_out_i64c64.png" /></a><br />No charges were immediately filed, but those arrested were being booked for aggravated rioting, Drummond said. By city practice, charges are filed after prosecutors review a case.<br /><br />City Councilman Jeff Johnson lives across the street from the school, which is in a blue-collar neighborhood overlooking the leafy University Circle arts and museum district. He said the spilled punch set off the fight, with one person pulling out a pipe and another a hammer, leading school security officers to call police.<br /><br />At least 10 patrols cars went to the scene.<br /><br />"It was a very chaotic scene," according to Drummond, who said the fight erupted as the ceremony was ending about 11 a.m. and then moved outside.<br /><br />Officers quickly restored order, Drummond said. More than the eight arrested were involved in the fight, and the initial heavy police response came amid a call, which turned out to be false, about shots fired, he said.

8 arrested after brawl at Ohio kindergarten graduation

A fight between two teenage girls led to the brawl, which came near the end of a kindergarten graduation ceremony, Cleveland police said. CL...

Doctor Accused In Rape, Murder Released On Bond

<br /><br />COLUMBUS, Ohio -Days after a local doctor was charged with the murder of a pregnant woman, the suspect is out of jail on bond.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGjVYiQ_GBnS4yPgPsWcyz2SgEUJQTuFQGffeVwFVz8BVVj61h6bQGsXd-0Uez7WVr9IMgUrssbs0L53Q31Dt_bKNtTNiLloASmF16WvCfksXfLulXLVIA8nOkQk6jB4tvQUbbAGlRZgf/s1600/dr1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjGjVYiQ_GBnS4yPgPsWcyz2SgEUJQTuFQGffeVwFVz8BVVj61h6bQGsXd-0Uez7WVr9IMgUrssbs0L53Q31Dt_bKNtTNiLloASmF16WvCfksXfLulXLVIA8nOkQk6jB4tvQUbbAGlRZgf/s1600/dr1.jpg" /></a></div><br />New Albany Doctor Ali Salim is accused in connection with the death of 23-year-old Deanna Ballman, of Pataskala, and her unborn child.<br /><br />Ballman's body was found in the front yard of an abandoned farmhouse in August, 2012.<br /><br />Salim has been charged with two counts of murder, rape, felonious assault, corrupting another with drugs, kidnapping, tampering with evidence, and abuse of a corpse.<br /><br />Bond was set for Salim at $1 million last week.<br /><br />He posted bond and will be under house arrest, wearing an ankle monitor. His trial begins on May 7.<br /><br />His attorney, Sam Shamansky, said his client is innocent.<br /><br />"He's innocent. He's not guilty. He's got no reason to flee. His life is here. His profession is here. His history since 1992 is here," Shamansky said.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVOkDoLT1eGzsXWVV7GXYcMyPEYVVUngsqArwmaIA19b4s1cCpm_w3hHaf7doPaTRfDdHfZTLBiBfQt73vGgKMycMflgmS5u13is2ahlnpK32lj25QaXJ6h3p6LLitI9_MKulMrsLphmz/s1600/dr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZVOkDoLT1eGzsXWVV7GXYcMyPEYVVUngsqArwmaIA19b4s1cCpm_w3hHaf7doPaTRfDdHfZTLBiBfQt73vGgKMycMflgmS5u13is2ahlnpK32lj25QaXJ6h3p6LLitI9_MKulMrsLphmz/s1600/dr.jpg" /></a></div><br />Delaware County Adult Court services went to the home Monday to adjust Salim's ankle monitor to make sure he doesn't leave the home.<br /><br />Ballman's body was found in her vehicle in the front yard of an abandoned farm house, along the 12000 block of Bevelheimer Road, in Harlem Township, in Delaware County, at about 12:27 p.m. on August 1, 2012.<br /><br />Ballman was nine-months pregnant at the time of her death. She was originally reported missing, and had last been seen in the New Albany area on July 31, 2012, according to the sheriff's office.<br /><br />Sources told NBC4 that she went to Salim to sell sex because she needed money.<br /><br />Ballman's mother told NBC4 that her daughter was three weeks away from delivering her third child.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLxYBY1aHP2sW7zjPI2i7c9ATwQsRIktj-rJD0RCQnIioOs-4-AwYkdsasXjFIQxBzqZUx8FZXp7NU045-LmULiBApl8gxsCcPVd3S2ikQ_K04-G8dtaytXPqvTkVMpQwlsrM83AuSGj/s1600/Pakistani-born-Dr-Ali-Salim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimkLxYBY1aHP2sW7zjPI2i7c9ATwQsRIktj-rJD0RCQnIioOs-4-AwYkdsasXjFIQxBzqZUx8FZXp7NU045-LmULiBApl8gxsCcPVd3S2ikQ_K04-G8dtaytXPqvTkVMpQwlsrM83AuSGj/s1600/Pakistani-born-Dr-Ali-Salim.jpg" /></a>A toxicology report released by the Delaware County Coroner's office noted Ballman died of acute heroin intoxication. Ballman's blood tested positive for morphine, monoacetylmorphine, acetylcodeine, and traces of codeine, commonly known as heroin.<br /><br />An autopsy on Ballman's body showed no signs of trauma, but indicated that she had bruising on the inside of her left elbow, and a needle puncture and bruising on her left thigh.<br /><br />Salim is still a licensed Ohio doctor. He most recently practiced in Mount Vernon and Jackson, Ohio.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />

Doctor Accused In Rape, Murder Released On Bond

COLUMBUS, Ohio -Days after a local doctor was charged with the murder of a pregnant woman, the suspect is out of jail on bond. New Albany Do...

Neighbor: 'I was first' to help kidnapped Ohio women escape

<br /><h4>Angel Cordero claims he got to Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight before animated neighbor Charles Ramsey.</h4><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wJEoh6m_P_98LLC-UoKFgY27iKBq8LWmm2zjDAfAtehAaP7bM17QgXti-zbkyGccqw0-J6RLDFhwjwCVlOHei4w0rcRzfMfpcBkyGkxc2j3QugtbB0APzgDm-BYxjFdNXo71ZsLAgxnR/s1600/Angel+Cordero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wJEoh6m_P_98LLC-UoKFgY27iKBq8LWmm2zjDAfAtehAaP7bM17QgXti-zbkyGccqw0-J6RLDFhwjwCVlOHei4w0rcRzfMfpcBkyGkxc2j3QugtbB0APzgDm-BYxjFdNXo71ZsLAgxnR/s1600/Angel+Cordero.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Charles Ramsey has become the unofficial hero of the story of the three kidnapped women rescued in Ohio Monday.<br /><br />But now a neighbor is claiming he got there first.<br /><br />"I helped her and I was first," Angel Cordero said, according to the International Business Times.<br /><br />Cordero, speaking via a translator because he speaks Spanish, claimed he kicked down the door and freed Amanda Berry and that she spoke to him before Ramsey, the Times reported.<br /><br />On CNN, Cordero said, "She (Berry) had told me that (she) had been kidnapped for 10 years. So I kicked the door at the bottom … and that's when Amanda ran out of the house."<br /><br />He’s now being touted as the unsung hero who freed the three women who’d been missing for about a decade. The women – Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight – were found Monday in the home of Ariel Castro, who know faces accusations of rape and kidnapping.<br /><br />After the rescue, Ramsey's story of how he found the women went viral on the Internet.<br /><br />"I heard screaming," he said. "I'm eating my McDonald's. I come outside. I see this girl going nuts trying to get out of a house."<br /><br />McDonald's has since promised Ramsey they'll "be in touch" and a petition sprang up online to have Ramsey invited to the White House to eat McDonald's with President Barack Obama.<br /><br />But Cordero, who says he is not jealous of Ramsey's fame, claims Ramsey arrived after him.<br /><br />"Ramsey arrived after she was outside with the girl," Cordero said, according to the Times. "But the truth who arrived there, who crossed the street, who came and broke the door, it was me."<br /><div><br /></div>

Neighbor: 'I was first' to help kidnapped Ohio women escape

Angel Cordero claims he got to Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight before animated neighbor Charles Ramsey. Charles Ramsey has be...

Three Ohio women found alive 10 years after alleged kidnapping

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV0-cwz3D-_Gx25s4GvxdxzsohK-t1WbrjfWzBw14985_yI6Jtqc6xgO3ZsrBieFEOc0b0nz7Qwo69as1-jErfgSS1C3tbh7UbDuMmrG9UH6_ldU2eFgYXIhmXsekNmsuXXhY1mwhiI3Z/s1600/1263_134272490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyV0-cwz3D-_Gx25s4GvxdxzsohK-t1WbrjfWzBw14985_yI6Jtqc6xgO3ZsrBieFEOc0b0nz7Qwo69as1-jErfgSS1C3tbh7UbDuMmrG9UH6_ldU2eFgYXIhmXsekNmsuXXhY1mwhiI3Z/s1600/1263_134272490.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>Three young women have been recovered alive roughly ten years after they went missing in Ohio. Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were found in a residential area just miles from where they were last seen. They were recovered with a third woman whose name was not confirmed. Police did not immediately provide any information into the condition the women were in or reveal any details about their release, although CBS reported Berry was able to call the police Monday afternoon. A 52-year-old man who is thought to have fathered a child with one of the women has reportedly been arrested. Berry was last heard from on April 16, 2003 when, at age 16, she called her sister and said she had a ride home from her job at Burger King. DeJesus disappeared about a year later when she was walking home from school. She was 14 years old at the time. <br /><br />Missing for a decade: How did 3 women go undetected for so long?.<br /><br />Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight were found alive in a Cleveland house just a few miles from where they disappeared individually about a decade ago.<br /><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5NfuVBl0MWfmLFoXYr0-dzFkhW1gRKehr-0xrpv5cLVaVGeA8exF8gByCMRzL14qXcFteIIgfssOsTDy2PFX86kk1U1MIBGo0VoJpEBv_ynwnfnfJmgUzUgDJIuGNePu3z7r_gMi9sRn/s1600/1bab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO5NfuVBl0MWfmLFoXYr0-dzFkhW1gRKehr-0xrpv5cLVaVGeA8exF8gByCMRzL14qXcFteIIgfssOsTDy2PFX86kk1U1MIBGo0VoJpEBv_ynwnfnfJmgUzUgDJIuGNePu3z7r_gMi9sRn/s1600/1bab.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight </td></tr></tbody></table><br />CLEVELAND — The rescue of three Cleveland women from a house about a decade after they were apparently abducted has authorities and neighbors trying to piece together how they could have gone undetected for so long.<br /><br />Police said Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight had apparently been held captive in the house since their teens or early 20s. They were found just a few miles from where they disappeared.<br /><br />"If you don't believe in miracles, I suggest you think again," DeJesus' aunt, Sandra Ruiz, told reporters on Tuesday.<br /><div><div>Authorities arrested three brothers, ages 50 to 54. One of them, former school bus driver Ariel Castro, owned the home where the women were found, situated in a poor, rundown neighborhood dotted with boarded-up houses. No immediate charges were filed.</div><div><br /></div><div>A 6-year-old girl also was found in the home, and Deputy Police Chief Ed Tomba said the child is believed to be Berry's daughter. He declined to say who the father was.</div><div><br /></div><div>Authorities would not say how the women were taken captive, whether they were restrained inside the house or if they had been sexually assaulted. Police said they were trying to be delicate in their questioning of the women, given their ordeal.</div><div><br /></div><div>Agents searched the home Tuesday afternoon, collecting evidence.</div><div><br /></div><div>'I'M FREE NOW'</div><div><br /></div><div>It was the screams for help from Berry, now 27, that alerted a neighbor and led to their release following her frantic 911 call on Monday evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Help me! I'm Amanda Berry. ... I've been kidnapped and I've been missing for 10 years and I'm here. I'm free now," Berry can be heard telling a 911 operator in a recording of the call released by police.</div></div><div><div>Police arrived to find Berry along with DeJesus, now 23, who vanished in 2004, and Knight, now 32, who went missing in 2002. They also discovered the child, who would have been conceived and born during Berry's captivity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Berry had last been seen leaving her job at a fast-food restaurant the day before her 17th birthday in April 2003, and DeJesus was last seen walking home from school.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cleveland authorities and residents grappled with how the young women went unnoticed for so long in a neighborhood where houses sit close together, typically separated only by a driveway.</div><div><br /></div><div>Children and Family Services authorities went to the house in January 2004 after Castro had left a child on a school bus, Mayor Frank Jackson said at a Tuesday news conference.</div></div><div><div>They "knocked on the door but were unsuccessful in connection with making any contact with anyone inside that home," he said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tomba said that Castro was "interviewed extensively" during that investigation and no criminal intent was found regarding the bus incident.</div><div><br /></div><div>That visit to the house was more than a year after Knight disappeared and a few months after Berry went missing.</div><div><br /></div><div>"We have no indication that any of the neighbors, bystanders, witnesses or anyone else has ever called regarding any information, regarding activity that occurred at that house on Seymour Avenue," the mayor said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before the disappearances, in March 2000, police said they responded to a call from Ariel Castro reporting a fight in the street, but no arrests were made, Public Safety Director Martin Flask said.</div></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXrJi75UFvhqUaFFmdyF5DPHv9RfRlgRIsh2QDVJIONj3edGCtAKMGewfgc4HgmZfOt1IrS75F40o6aaf6bZG7wpg19kmSVekiJjFKW20Xj0fiU8svSx7ArMJ4Yj9cyYdwLyZ5CC7BxJM/s1600/22180697_BG8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXrJi75UFvhqUaFFmdyF5DPHv9RfRlgRIsh2QDVJIONj3edGCtAKMGewfgc4HgmZfOt1IrS75F40o6aaf6bZG7wpg19kmSVekiJjFKW20Xj0fiU8svSx7ArMJ4Yj9cyYdwLyZ5CC7BxJM/s1600/22180697_BG8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>This undated combination photo released by the Cleveland Police Department shows from left, Onil Castro, Ariel Castro, and Pedro Casto. The three brothers were arrested Tuesday after three women who disappeared in Cleveland a decade ago were found safe Monday.</div><div><br /></div><div>ALARMED NEIGHBORS</div><div><br /></div><div>Investigators said Tuesday that they had no record of any tips or calls about criminal activity at the house in the years after the victims vanished, but that they were still checking their files.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, two neighbors said they were alarmed enough by what they saw at the house to call police on two occasions.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elsie Cintron, who lives three houses away, said her daughter once saw a naked woman crawling on her hands and knees in the backyard several years ago and called police. "But they didn't take it seriously," she said.</div></div><div><div>Another neighbor, Israel Lugo, said he heard pounding on some of the doors of Castro's house, which had plastic bags on the windows, in November 2011. Lugo said officers knocked on the front door, but no one answered. "They walked to side of the house and then left," he said.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnPjHhfArjPkZEBKDFpIcDyywTsqAoRWoAJyIGxJq18YQsKNRfCvJM0eJYmiH5cG1rlnBz4dGUQ4JPlRNDPAhJX6z3IgC6enfPi-m_UE2Z-hm6FMR1-Xtp9ByZiegVcpNnclBMFoEKTyV/s1600/arielcastro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqnPjHhfArjPkZEBKDFpIcDyywTsqAoRWoAJyIGxJq18YQsKNRfCvJM0eJYmiH5cG1rlnBz4dGUQ4JPlRNDPAhJX6z3IgC6enfPi-m_UE2Z-hm6FMR1-Xtp9ByZiegVcpNnclBMFoEKTyV/s1600/arielcastro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>"Everyone in the neighborhood did what they had to do," said Lupe Collins, who is close to relatives of the women. "The police didn't do their job."</div><div><br /></div><div>Ariel Castro was well known in the mainly Puerto Rican neighborhood. He played bass guitar in salsa and merengue bands. He gave children rides on his motorcycle and joined others at a candlelight vigil to remember two of the missing girls, neighbors said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Neighbors also said they would see Castro sometimes walking a little girl to a neighborhood playground. And Cintron said she once saw a little girl looking out of the attic window of the house.</div><div><br /></div><div>Four years ago, Cleveland police came under heavy criticism following the discovery of 11 bodies in the home and backyard of a man who was later sentenced to death. The home was in a poor part of town several miles away from where the missing women were rescued this week.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the wake of public outrage over the killings, a panel formed by the mayor recommended an overhaul of the city's handling of missing-person and sex crime investigations.</div><div><br /></div><div>FAMILY REUNION</div><div><br /></div><div>The three women appeared to be in good health and were taken to a hospital to be evaluated and reunited with relatives. A photo released by Berry's family showed her smiling with an arm around her sister. All three were released from Metro Health Medical Center on Tuesday morning. Police said they were taken to an undisclosed location in the suburbs.</div><div><br /></div><div>A sign outside the home of DeJesus' parents read "Welcome Home Gina."</div><div><br /></div><div>Her aunt Sandra Ruiz told reporters that she was able to see all three women. She asked that their families be given space.</div><div><br /></div><div>"Those girls, those women are so strong," she said. "What we've done in 10 years is nothing compared to what those women have done in 10 years to survive."</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div><br /></div><div>CRY FOR HELP</div><div><br /></div><div>The women's escape and rescue began with a frenzied cry for help.</div><div><br /></div><div>A neighbor, Charles Ramsey, told WEWS-TV he heard screaming Monday and saw Berry, whom he didn't recognize, at a door that would open only enough to fit a hand through. He said she was trying desperately to get outside and pleaded for help to reach police.</div><div><br /></div><div>"I heard screaming," he said. "I'm eating my McDonald's. I come outside. I see this girl going nuts trying to get out of a house."</div><div><br /></div><div>Neighbor Anna Tejeda was sitting on her porch with friends when they heard someone across the street kicking a door and yelling. Tejeda said one of her friends went over and told Berry how to kick the screen out of the bottom of the door, which allowed her to crawl out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tejeda said Berry, dressed in pajamas and old sandals, was nervous and crying.</div></div><div><div>At first Tejeda said she didn't want to believe who the young woman was. "You're not Amanda Berry," she insisted. "Amanda Berry is dead."</div><div><br /></div><div>But when Berry told her she had been kidnapped and held captive, Tejeda said, she gave the young woman a telephone to call police, who arrived within minutes and then took the other women from the house.</div><div><br /></div><div>In her 911 call Monday, Berry declared: "I'm Amanda Berry. I've been on the news for the last 10 years."</div><div><br /></div><div>HOLDING OUT HOPE</div><div><br /></div><div>The women's loved ones said they hadn't given up hope of seeing them again.</div><div><br /></div><div>Berry's cousin Tasheena Mitchell told The Plain Dealer newspaper: "I'm going to hold her, and I'm going to squeeze her and I probably won't let her go."</div><div><br /></div><div>Berry's mother, Louwana Miller, who had been hospitalized for months with pancreatitis and other ailments, died in 2006. She had spent the previous three years looking for her daughter, whose disappearance took a toll as her health steadily deteriorated, family and friends said.</div><div><br /></div><div>Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Dugard, who were held captive by abductors at a young age, said they were elated by the women's rescue.</div><div><br /></div><div>In a statement released Tuesday through her publicist, Dugard said: "The human spirit is incredibly resilient. More than ever this reaffirms we should never give up hope."</div></div><div><br /></div>

Three Ohio women found alive 10 years after alleged kidnapping

Three young women have been recovered alive roughly ten years after they went missing in Ohio. Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus were found in a...

Ohio teens released in Twitter threat case

Two Ohio teens have been released on house arrest after being accused of making online threats against the victim in the Steubenville rape case, in which two football players were convicted.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrky7ZUImKQKym9O9HZeqHYloJr4B5G4JjJq5gWCRVwBj9hRfBnh6x5dmQc2r7XfGUAnGZXk1X_qOSHzReQSSDBXA81lkosRrIQl7CLQYuFQ4BybBf5qihaFPkDRDFSPKzDVb3TpVctf92/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" /></a>STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — Two Ohio teens accused of making online threats against a rape victim have denied the charges and been released on house arrest.<br /><br />The two 16-year-old Jefferson County girls had been held in juvenile detention in Steubenville since their arrest last week.<br /><br />The girls entered the juvenile court equivalent of a not guilty plea Wednesday before Juvenile Judge Sam Kerr. Their attorneys had no comment.<br /><br />Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says the girls posted threatening comments on Twitter on March 17, the day two high school football players were convicted of raping a 16-year-old West Virginia girl last summer. <br /><br />The case roiled the town of Steubenville and stirred widespread reaction online.<br /><br />DeWine's office says the tweets threatened homicide and bodily harm against the rape victim.`<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="40" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZOoROBlVQxIT2l0wYYzqD07otQf2kI-L652WQKrkfundmolnjIgWglNykmvMnVmC6YeY3_jJxYQhP133VkHstmwtwRL7EBpY8RMW5UeW1U_YKp2zXyIvkbAUSq1kkTvRhsxQyoG6Lr-v/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" width="320" /></a></div>

Ohio teens released in Twitter threat case

Two Ohio teens have been released on house arrest after being accused of making online threats against the victim in the Steubenville rape c...

Accuser in Ohio rape case can't recall assault

Testifying in court Saturday, a teenage girl who has accused two Ohio high school football players of raping her says she can't remember what happened to her the night of the alleged attack.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AUYKCBFzeZHRj0k8HL278yICIDQLEapISoRaaFIsGravJUZ-BeLVXfdUM9FkfInQtY9CFqoRtl-KIgOh08JcOPUSrDgNkd9QEB-pEhJvVP7znNSfEU12iX8fKsJF9Ct96GYLhY9m6wuO/s1600/ohio1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2AUYKCBFzeZHRj0k8HL278yICIDQLEapISoRaaFIsGravJUZ-BeLVXfdUM9FkfInQtY9CFqoRtl-KIgOh08JcOPUSrDgNkd9QEB-pEhJvVP7znNSfEU12iX8fKsJF9Ct96GYLhY9m6wuO/s1600/ohio1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A teenage girl who says she was raped by two Ohio high school football players says she could not recall what happened the night of the alleged attack.<br />The 16-year-old West Virginia girl took the stand Saturday in the trial of 17-year-old Trent Mays and 16-year-old Ma'lik Richmond.<br />She said she remembers drinking at a party last August, leaving the party then throwing up later. She testified that the next thing she remembers is waking up naked in a strange house.<br />The girl said she learned she was assaulted when she later read text messages among friends, and saw a photo of herself and a video made that night.<br />The trial in juvenile court in Steubenville is in its fourth day. The two defendants maintain their innocence.<br />Earlier Saturday, a friend of the accuser testified that she argued with the 16-year-old girl about her behavior at a party before the alleged attack.<br />Gianna Anile, an 11th-grader from across the state line in West Virginia, said she was upset at her friend's drinking and also tried unsuccessfully to get her friend to stay at the party last summer rather than leave with others, including the two defendants.<br />"When I told her not to leave, I was trying to, like, pull her back into the party. She was trying to shrug me off," Anile said in court. "She kind of hit me."<br />The case has riveted the small city of Steubenville amid allegations that more students should have been charged and led to questions about the influence of the local football team, a source of a pride in a community that suffered massive job losses with the collapse of the steel industry.<br />Anile, whose lawyer was present during her testimony Saturday, appeared, like all of the trial's teen witnesses, reluctant to be there.<br />The day after the party, when Anile and another friend picked up the accuser from the house where she'd stayed, the accuser said she had no memory of the night before, Anile testified under questioning by defense attorney Walter Madison.<br />"'We didn't have sex, I swear,'" Anile said, describing the accuser's comment.<br />Anile said she'd seen the girl drink heavily in the past and that she no longer speaks to her.<br />The case has featured disturbing testimony from teens, both in person and in graphic text messages, and has cast an unwelcome light on what students in the community once considered private conversations. Some teenage witnesses winced at times as they were forced to read adult language from texts.<br />Anile repeatedly said she couldn't remember statements she made to police last September about the night of the party. Midway through her testimony, special judge Thomas Lipps agreed to let her listen to a 40-minute recording of her statement to refresh her memory.<br />On Friday, three teenage boys granted immunity for their testimony said the accuser was drunk and didn't seem to know what was happening to her that night.<br />Mark Cole, Evan Westlake and Anthony Craig spoke Friday of the West Virginia girl's behavior the night of a party and described her being digitally penetrated in a car and later on a basement floor.<br />Cole testified that he took a video of Mays and the girl in the car, then deleted it later that morning. Westlake testified he saw Richmond's encounter with the girl in the basement, as did Craig.<br />Testimony in the rape trial wrapped up late Friday as a judge, who's hearing the case without a jury, pushed to finish the case, which is continuing through the weekend. The accuser was expected to testify Saturday.<br />If convicted, Mays and Richmond could be held in a juvenile jail until they turn 21.<br />During Cole's testimony, a prosecutor asked him why he deleted the video.<br />"It was one of those moments when you realize you did something stupid and wrong that night, so I deleted it," Cole replied.<br />Cole testified he saw Mays unsuccessfully try to have the girl perform oral sex on him later in the basement of Cole's house. Cole also testified that the girl was intoxicated and slurring her words.<br />On cross-examination, defense attorney Walter Madison suggested that the girl was behaving no differently than anyone else the night of the party.<br />Westlake, the second witness granted immunity, confirmed that he filmed a 12-minute video, later passed around widely online, in which another student, Michael Nodianos, joked about the attack. Women's rights groups have demanded that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine charge Nodianos with failure to report a crime. DeWine has so far refused to say what he'll do.<br />Westlake said he deeply regrets his actions that night.<br />Craig testified that he saw Richmond's hand in the "crotch region" of the girl, a less descriptive version than he gave last fall in another hearing.<br />Anile's testimony Saturday echoed that of another 16-year-old student, who testified Friday that she tried to persuade the girl to leave the party with her.<br />Farah Marcino said the girl brushed off her attempts. "She actually hit one of my friends and said she did not want to go," Marcino said.<br />The Press normally doesn't identify minors charged in juvenile court, but Mays and Richmond have been widely identified in news coverage, and their names have been used in open court.

Accuser in Ohio rape case can't recall assault

Testifying in court Saturday, a teenage girl who has accused two Ohio high school football players of raping her says she can't remember...

Teen eyewitnesses testify at Ohio rape trial

Three teens testified Friday about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken girl after receiving immunity from prosecution.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ttdoC3SiTIvY42oZQS7j1xAAodHK4i77cuf2S9NohOV9fDcmLYWDEffX5iL6l8BI69G7XdsjGDdQjxIST6j5MNn8uPD8xX7-IkoEG0unsRj-7FI5_0sHY0pp60qadQFkvzeL8ix1IAs/s1600/case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4ttdoC3SiTIvY42oZQS7j1xAAodHK4i77cuf2S9NohOV9fDcmLYWDEffX5iL6l8BI69G7XdsjGDdQjxIST6j5MNn8uPD8xX7-IkoEG0unsRj-7FI5_0sHY0pp60qadQFkvzeL8ix1IAs/s1600/case.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />STEUBENVILLE, Ohio — A judge granted three teenagers immunity from prosecution Friday before they agreed to testify about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken 16-year-old girl after a party in eastern Ohio last summer.<br />Mark Cole, Evan Westlake and Anthony Craig invoked their Fifth Amendment right against testifying for fear of self-incrimination as the trial in Steubenville entered its third day. Testimony from the three is a crucial part of the state's evidence because the West Virginia girl says she doesn't remember what happened.<br />Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'Lik Richmond, 16, are charged with digitally penetrating the girl early in the morning of Aug. 12, first in a car and then in the basement of a house. Mays also is charged with illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material. The two maintain their innocence.<br />Cole testified Friday that he took a video of Mays and the girl in the car, then deleted it. Westlake testified he saw Richmond's encounter with the girl in the basement. The third boy, who has yet to testify, said at a hearing last fall that he took a photo of the alleged basement attack that he also deleted.<br />The case has riveted the small city of Steubenville amid allegations that more students should have been charged and led to questions about the influence of the local football team, a source of a pride in a community that suffered massive job losses with the collapse of the steel industry.<br />If convicted, Mays and Richmond could be held in a juvenile jail until they turn 21.<br />Cole, 17, testified that he filmed Mays digitally penetrate the girl in the car. A prosecutor asked him why he then deleted the video later that morning.<br />"It was one of those moments when you realize you did something stupid and wrong that night, so I deleted it," Cole replied.<br />Cole testified he saw Mays unsuccessfully try to have the girl perform oral sex on him later in the basement of Cole's house. Cole also testified that the alleged victim was intoxicated and slurring her words.<br />On cross-examination, defense attorney Walter Madison suggested that the alleged victim was behaving no differently than anyone else the night of the party.<br />Madison, who represents Richmond, suggested that Cole was remembering events differently because so much attention was now being paid to what happened. Cole agreed with Madison's suggestions.<br />Cole testified he saw Mays and the girl asleep under a blanket on the couch later in the morning.<br />"Did anybody behave in a way to make you think that something was wrong?" Madison asked.<br />"No," Cole said.<br />Related: Opening arguments in Ohio teen rape case<br />Westlake, the second witness granted immunity, testified that he saw Richmond digitally penetrate the girl in the basement of Cole's house.<br />"Was she moving?" special prosecutor Marianne Hemmeter asked.<br />"Not at this time," Westlake said.<br />"Was she talking?" Hemmeter asked.<br />"I didn't hear anything," Westlake said.<br />Westlake said the girl appeared to be "pretty drunk" after a large party earlier that night. But he also testified that before the alleged attack in the basement he saw Mays and the alleged victim cuddling, hugging and kissing in the back seat of Cole's car.<br />Westlake also confirmed that he filmed a 12-minute video — later passed around widely online — in which another student, Michael Nodianos, joked about the attack. Women's rights groups have demanded that Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine charge Nodianos with failure to report a crime. DeWine has so far refused to say what he'll do.<br />Westlake said he deeply regrets his actions that night.<br />Craig testified that he saw Richmond's hand in the "crotch region" of the alleged victim.<br />Craig also confirmed he received a text message from the alleged victim the next day in which she said "I remember hearing Trent's voice telling me to do something, but I said, 'No.'"<br />A 16-year-old Steubenville High School student testified that she tried to persuade the alleged victim to return with her and not stay with several students including the alleged defendants.<br />Farah Marcino said the girl brushed off her attempts. "She actually hit one of my friends and said she did not want to go back," Marcino said.<br />Also Friday, the superintendent of Steubenville city schools responded to evidence presented a day earlier that suggested Steubenville football coach Reno Saccoccia would let the players involved off lightly.<br />The coach "took care of it," Mays said in one text introduced by prosecutors.<br />"Like he was joking about it so I'm not worried," Mays said in another text.<br />McVey told The Associated Press on Friday that the district will wait until after the trial to comment. "We'll get everything down that comes out of trial, look at it and go from there," he said.<br />McVey said it's possible Saccoccia could testify at the trial since he was interviewed earlier by state investigators, who also spoke to other football coaches and McVey himself.<br />Special Judge Thomas Lipps is hearing the case without a jury.<br />The Press normally does not identify minors charged in juvenile court, but Mays and Richmond have been widely identified in news coverage, and their names have been used in open court.

Teen eyewitnesses testify at Ohio rape trial

Three teens testified Friday about the alleged sexual assault of a drunken girl after receiving immunity from prosecution. STEUBENVILLE, Ohi...

Ohio woman, 106, finally gets high school diploma

<div class="abs">Reba Williams, 106, completed high school in Mount Vernon, Ohio, but was denied her diploma because she refused to read a final book assigned by a teacher. She'd read the book once and didn't want to read it again.</div><div class="abs"> </div><section><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSs1pE3_TippOOq-JjObK1Jsz6hEY0ng6xgU0ueom8Aj5PTWZG8FoRLPoT2ej5YYs1VVjXb18cK-Jy-o2XkS7imngqZTffUnN_C1f-k8-Gx1uGd51IqdhTO7mPvHtVXbrwkjND-cr3usD/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZSs1pE3_TippOOq-JjObK1Jsz6hEY0ng6xgU0ueom8Aj5PTWZG8FoRLPoT2ej5YYs1VVjXb18cK-Jy-o2XkS7imngqZTffUnN_C1f-k8-Gx1uGd51IqdhTO7mPvHtVXbrwkjND-cr3usD/s1600/%2540publimetro.png" /></a>COLUMBUS, Ohio — A 106-year-old central Ohio woman who completed classes but didn't graduate in a dispute over a book has received her high school diploma.<br />The News Journal in Mansfield reports the Mount Vernon superintendent presented Reba Williams with the diploma Wednesday at her apartment in Columbus. She even got to wear a traditional graduation cap brought by the retired Mount Vernon English teacher who urged the school board to award the diploma.<br />Williams has said she completed high school in Mount Vernon but was denied her diploma because she refused to read a final book assigned by a teacher. She'd read the book once and didn't want to read it again.<br />Williams says she hopes current students realize that learning is important and that they probably shouldn't follow her example.</section>

Ohio woman, 106, finally gets high school diploma

Reba Williams, 106, completed high school in Mount Vernon, Ohio, but was denied her diploma because she refused to read a final book assigne...