OHIO NEWS BRIEFS

7 injured when Jeep, Amish buggy crash

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says an Amish family of seven was injured when a Jeep crashed into the back of their horse-drawn buggy in western Ohio.

The Lima News reports that one person in the buggy was seriously injured in the Tuesday night crash in Logan County near Bellefontaine. The patrol said a 48-year-old man drove his 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee into the back of the carriage on State Route 47.

The driver said told troopers the setting sun obscured his vision, and he did not see the carriage. He was cited for failing to maintain a safe distance.

ACT scores in Ohio rank above average

COLUMBUS

New figures for the ACT exam show Ohio students have again tested above the national average.

The scores released Wednesday show Ohio’s high school class of 2012 had a composite score of 21.8 in the subjects of English, reading, math and science. The score, measured on a scale of 1 to 36, is unchanged from 2011.

The average is calculated from the 71 percent of Ohio students who took the exam, a jump from 69 percent in 2011.

ACT officials consider Ohio one of several states aggressively pushing to improve teaching in math and science. The state’s scores on both were above the national average.

1,350 seeking 750 Cincy casino jobs

CINCINNATI

Nearly 1,350 people have applied to be table dealers or supervisors at a casino under construction in downtown Cincinnati.

Only 750 such jobs will be available at the $400 million casino, which is about 70 percent finished. It’s slated to open in the spring.

An online application for the openings became available Wednesday and will remain open until Sept. 16. Applicants will be whittled down to 3,000 for an in-person hiring event at the end of September.

Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati will be the last of four voter-approved casinos to open in Ohio. Casinos in Cleveland and Toledo opened first. The Columbus casino is set to open in October.

3 indicted in shootings of toddlers in Toledo

TOLEDO

Three men have been indicted in connection with the shooting of two toddlers in Toledo earlier this month.

Media reports said a Lucas County grand jury indicted the three men Tuesday on charges of obstruction of justice in the Aug. 9 shooting. They are accused of lying to police during the investigation.

None of them has been directly charged with firing the shots into an apartment that struck a 2-year-old and a 1-year-old child. The younger child, Keondra Hooks, died later at a hospital.

Police said at least 12 rounds were fired into the apartment where the girls were sleeping. No one else in the apartment was hurt.

Police believe the shooting was gang-related. The suspects are being held with $500,000 bonds.

When to watch Kasich, Portman at convention

COLUMBUS

Republican convention planners have set speaking slots for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Sen. Rob Portman next week.

Kasich is scheduled as the fifth speaker in the Tuesday night session, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m.

Portman, who was among the candidates considered as running mate for presumptive nominee Mitt Romney, is one of the speakers for the Wednesday night session.

He is scheduled to speak after former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and is in a group that includes U.S. Sen. John McCain, who was the Republican nominee in 2008. That session also is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. The convention runs Monday through Aug. 30 in Tampa, Fla.

Attendance probe

COLUMBUS

Columbus city schools will spend up to $100,000 to hire extra lawyers to help negotiate the ongoing investigation into rigging of attendance data to boost state report card numbers.

The Columbus Dispatch reports the Columbus school board voted 5-1 Tuesday night to retain an outside law firm for the investigation — despite already having in-house attorneys.

Columbus is one of three Ohio school districts targeted by state investigations into enrollment and attendance practices. The others are the Lockland School District in the Cincinnati area and Toledo Public Schools.

Police officer charged with smuggling pot

NORTH COLLEGE HILL, Ohio

A veteran of a suburban Cincinnati police force is among those indicted on charges of conspiring to smuggle marijuana across the country.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the North College Hill officer is among 11 men indicted on federal charges of conspiring to bring “hundreds of kilograms” of pot to southern Ohio from Texas.

The indictment says the marijuana was stored and processed at a Hamilton County farmhouse and at a building in Fairfield among other places.

The police chief says 42-year-old Officer Bryon Roos informed the police department about the allegations Tuesday and was placed on unpaid leave pending the case’s outcome.

Roos’ attorney did not immediately return a call for comment Wednesday. The police department says the 13-year veteran officer was to surrender to federal authorities.

VINDICATOR STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

FIREFIGHTERS-GUNS

Ohio gun-toting firefighters not certified

(Information in the following story is from: The Columbus Dispatch, http://www.dispatch.com )

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus officials say 10 of the 14 firefighters carrying city-issued guns were not certified by the state to do so.

The Columbus Dispatch reports that Fire Chief Greg Paxton said he was not aware that many of his firefighters who carry guns are not certified through the state attorney general’s Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy.

Paxton said he was concerned about the situation because of liability.

City officials said last week that the guns were taken out of service as the division updates a use-of-force policy. But Tuesday, those same officials said the division never has had a written policy approved by the city’s public safety department.