Kings High School is partnering with the Hoxworth Blood Center to host a blood drive March 3.

Appointments are available every 15 minutes from 10:15 a.m. to noon; and from 1:30-4:15 p.m., in the junior high multipurpose room, 5620 Columbia Road.

Donors should be at least 17 years old, or 16, with parental consent. They must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and should bring photo identification.

Participants are asked to eat a good mean within four hours before donating along with drinking plenty of water or juice before and after donating.

Appointments can be scheduled at www.hoxworth.org/groups/kings

Information: 513-398-8050 or jgonzalez@kingslocal.net

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Last year, Sycamore’s Andrianna DiMasso finished 12th place at state. / Enquirer file photo

Jeff Wallner reports:

OXFORD – A few months ago, Sycamore Aviators senior Andrianna DiMasso added a reverse one and a half to her diving repretoire. On Wednesday night in the Division I district championships at Miami University, she finally executed the dive to perfection.

“I had never nailed it, at least not as well as that one,” said DiMasso. “I feel like I finally figured it out.”

Her next chance to showcase the reverse one and a half will be on Feb. 22 at the state diving championships in Canton, Ohio. DiMasso finished fifth in Wednesday’s district competition with 416.25 points at Miami’s Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center.

The top six divers at Wednesday’s districts qualified for the Division I girls state diving championships which will be held on Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. in Branin Natatorium in Canton.

“Coaching her has been such a joy,” said Aviators coach Jack Phipps of DiMasso, who’s making her second trip to Canton. “She’s put in a lot of effort. Everything you can ask for as a coach. State has always been one of her goals.”

Last year, DiMasso finished 12th place at state. She also reached state as a sophomore. DiMasso has earned Greater Miami Conference honorable mention twice.

Joining her at state will be Mason Comets senior Sydney Carr.

The quietly confident Carr rolled into Canton following her second-place district finish Wednesday with 444.45 points, just behind Centerville Elks junior standout Katie Polk.

“She’s developing some self-confidence and that’s been key for her,” said Mason coach Lori Carr. “She’s always been a great athlete.”

Carr’s best dive is her inward one and a half. “My bread and butter,” she says.

And, after finishing 13th last year at state, Carr feels better prepared for the atmosphere and level of competition at Canton.

“It was a little intimidating last year,” she said. “I feel like I got my feet wet. I’ve improved so much over the past year.”

The Mason Comets qualified four divers to districts, tied with Centerville for the most qualifiers competing at Miami University. It was the first time the Comets had four divers at district all of whom finished in the top 16, another first.

“It says a lot about our program,” said Rapp.

Mason nearly had a second state qualifier as junior Aubrey Rose finished seventh, a little more than one point shy of finishing among the top six. Miamisburg’s Katherine Evans edged Rose, 391.30 to 390.00.

Colerain senior Kayley Tepe, the lone diver on the Cardinals’ swim team, qualified for districts for the fourth straight year. The Florida International signee performed well on Wednesday, finishing eighth with 344.60 points.

Walnut Hills junior Jessica Doughman finished 10th with 332.60 points.

The future of Mason diving was on display Wednesday at Miami with freshman Ashley Singleton finishing 12th (324.90) and sophomore Nicole Wendlen placing 16th. (269.90).

Loveland senior Lindsey Miller finished 13th (299.40).

St. Ursula freshmen Kate Bachman (292.30) and Audrey Capannari (291.95) finished 14th and 15th respectively.

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State Rep. Peter Beck, of Mason / Jason Hoffman/The Community Pres

Chrissie Thompson reports:

Editor’s note: Previous versions of this story incorrectly characterized the charges facing Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry. They are state charges.

State Rep. Peter Beck, R-Mason, now faces 53 additional felony counts, as pressure mounts for him to resign his General Assembly seat.

Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, a secretive Linwood church investigated by The Enquirer in September, also faces state felony charges: nine counts of corruption, money laundering and receiving stolen property. The church’s pastor, Janet Combs, faces the same nine felony counts. Officials from the church did not return a call requesting comment. Also named in the indictment is TML Consulting, run by Combs’ late husband, Cincinnati money manager Thomas M. Lysaght.

The new charges against Beck include securities fraud, perjury, corruption and money laundering. In all, Beck has been charged on 69 felony counts for his alleged role in fraudulent business dealings at a West Chester software startup called Christopher Technologies. He was indicted last summer on 16 felony counts, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Beck and partner John Fussner were charged with selling ownership in CTech, even though they knew it was insolvent.

With the latest indictment, Beck has stepped down as chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which handles taxes, after a discussion with Speaker Bill Batchelder, R-Medina. Batchelder also believes Beck should resign his House seat, but the two did not discuss his resignation, a caucus spokesman said.

“While I do not have the sole authority to remove any member of House, it is still my belief that it is in the best interest of Representative Beck, his family, and the constituents of the 54th House District for him to resign,” Batchelder said in a statement. “While there is always a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, it is my belief that these very serious allegations could cause a distraction to the good work of the Ohio House of Representatives.”

Beck did not respond to multiple requests for comment. His attorneys said both sets of federal charges are based on false allegations, but did not respond to multiple questions about whether Beck would resign his seat or cancel his re-election bid.

“Mr. Beck steadfastly maintains his innocence,” said Ralph Kohnen and Chad Ziepfel, attorneys with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, in a statement. “Mr. Beck looks forward to the trial starting on April 7, and is confident that once the facts are presented in a court of law, he will be found not guilty of all charges.”

Beck has been running for re-election and has stayed in office despite calls for his resignation. His trial is currently scheduled to start a month before the primary election. Attorney General Mike DeWine does not expect any plea bargains in the case, spokesman Dan Tierney said Thursday.

Political activist Mary Jo Kubicki, R-Deerfield Township, is taking him on, with endorsements that already include state Rep. Ron Maag, R-Salem Township, several Warren County elected officials and a few local mayors.

Kubicki called for Beck to resign.

“I hope he does what’s best for him and his family, and what’s best for the constituents of the 54th District and the state of Ohio – and that would be to resign,” Kubicki told The Enquirer.

Batchelder had called for Beck to resign when he was charged last summer. But when Beck declined, Batchelder backed off, saying he had just been making a suggestion.

Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges had also called for Beck to resign. Borges stands by those comments, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Last month, an Enquirer reporter asked Beck how his campaign would handle the indictment.

“I think you all have already addressed it,” he said, referring to media coverage of the felony charges.

As a Republican running for re-election, he’ll theoretically have the support of campaign operatives and finances from the Ohio House Republican caucus’ re-election organization.

But just how much support Beck actually receives from the caucus remains to be seen. Caucuses’ investments in each race differ, as leaders determine how much they’re willing to spend to save each member. After Batchelder’s second statement that Beck should resign, the caucus presumably will invest little, if any at all, in Beck’s re-election bid.

As a well-connected Republican, Kubicki would likely be embraced by the caucus were she to defeat Beck. Kubicki is the niece of developer and GOP donor Chuck Kubicki and cousin of Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Charles Kubicki Jr. She was eCampaign coordinator for Kasich’s 2010 campaign and Warren County co-chairwoman for 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney. She has also served as co-chairwoman of the Ohio Young Republicans.

Kubicki has already far outraised Beck. At the end of 2013, Kubicki had $58,000 on hand, while Beck had just $5,500. He received only one donation in the second half of 2013 – $1,000 from Dublin pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm Cardinal Health.

Beck, 63, is a former Mason mayor and city council member.

The new counts include:

•  One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
•  Three counts of aggravated theft, a felony of the third degree
•  Seven counts of theft, a felony of the fourth degree
•  Ten counts of perjury, a felony of the third degree
•  One count of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the second degree
•  Four counts of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the a felony of the third degree
•  One count of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
•  Two counts of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  Two counts of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
•  Two counts of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  Two counts of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
•  Two counts of sale of a security by an insolvent issuer, a felony of the first degree
•  Two counts of sale of a security by an insolvent issuer, a felony of the second degree
•  Two counts of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  Two counts of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
•  Three counts of unlicensed sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  One count of unlicensed sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
•  Two counts of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the first degree
•  Two counts of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the second degree
•  Two counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree

Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, of Linwood, was indicted on nine counts:

•  One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
•  Four counts of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
•  Four counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree

The church’s pastor, Janet Combs, was indicted on nine counts:

•  One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
•   Four counts of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
•  Four counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree

TML Consulting, of Cincinnati, was indicted on eight counts. Combs is now listed with the Ohio secretary of state as the company’s statutory agent:

•  One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
•  One count of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the second degree
•  One count of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  One count of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
•  One count of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  One count of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
•  One count of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the first degree

Secretive church has history of legal trouble

Thursday’s indictment isn’t the only legal action facing the Ark by the River church and its principals, the subject of a September investigation by The Enquirer.

Founded in 1996, the Ark by the River is on a road spotted with churches off Columbia Parkway in Linwood near Linwood Park. It’s in a quaint, ivy-covered building with a hand-painted sign that announces to passers-by its Sunday services and Tuesday prayer gatherings.

The church has little online footprint – no website beyond a spare Facebook page that has just three “fans.” It’s registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3), meaning it’s tax exempt, and because it’s listed as a church, it hasn’t been required to file an annual public tax return.

The church was co-founded by Thomas Lysaght, who died in November 2010. Lysaght’s estate is now embroiled in both civil and criminal cases filed on behalf of investors who say they were bilked of at least $1 million. The suit filed in 2011 was placed on hold while Ohio securities officials investigated.

It’s not the only legal action pending. Lysaght’s widow, Janet Combs, who was named in Thursday’s indictment, also is named as a defendant in a January 2013 civil suit filed on behalf of 14 investors who say they were defrauded. Also targeted in the suit is Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry – the church that Lysaght and Combs founded that, according to documents, appears to have directly benefited from investments meant for Lysaght’s various companies.

For example, one day after a $500,000 check from Michael Farms, which is Scott Michael’s company, was made to TML Consulting, Lysaght’s firm, Combs, an authorized signer for TML, wrote a check from its account to Ark by the River for $100,000. TML, which is named in Thursday’s indictment, also funneled $15,700 to Beck’s 2010 campaign committee, the civil suit alleges.

About the same time, Lysaght wrote a check for $58,300 to Jeff Hauck, a Christopher Technologies investor and church member who, according to the indictment, is the only investor ever repaid. Hauck is also Lysaght’s nephew, according to an obituary that appeared on the website for Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home in the days after Lysaght’s Nov. 15, 2010, death – meaning that the only repaid investor was apparently a relative.

Lysaght was the church’s president; Combs, its pastor. But the church was intimately intertwined with their personal affairs, even owning the couple’s $1 million home on Shattuc Avenue, a historically significant building known as the Crusade Castle, whose history in scenic Mount Lookout dates to the 1850s.

County records show that the home and property at 5100 Shattuc has changed ownership at no cost repeatedly since 2000, when Lysaght first bought it. It has switched hands from Lysaght to the church to Combs and back to the church again. The property has been mortgaged multiple times, sometimes resulting in lawsuits over nonpayment that at least once threatened to end in a sheriff’s sale of its religious-themed belongings.

Ark by the River has been listed as a co-defendant in several lawsuits over the years. In one, Provident Bank sued the church and Lysaght in 2003 for failure to repay a $50,000 mortgage on the Shattuc property. Fifth Third Bank filed suit over an unpaid $505,500 mortgage the church pulled out in September 2000. A mechanic’s lien in 2004 alleged that the church owed Loveland Excavating nearly $200,000 for work done in the Shattuc area.

Eventually, each suit was resolved with the amount requested paid off in full.

In 2006, R.D. Zande & Associates sued for about $33,000 after the firm – hired to work on a church-owned development project named Castle Bella – claimed it was stiffed. That development has sparked its own set of civil lawsuits.

-Mark Wert, Enquirer reporters Brenna Kelly, Sheila McLaughlin, Mark Wert and Amber Hunt  contributed to this report.

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Mike Dyer reports:

Mason senior forward Jack Clark was named the Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year early Thursday morning.

Clark, who signed with the University of Cincinnati earlier this month, is the first Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year from Mason High School, according to a news release.

Clark, The Enquirer Division I player of the year this past season, was the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Division I state player of the year. He had 31 goals and eight assists for the Comets (22-0-1) this past season.

Mason won its first Division I state boys’ soccer title in 2013. Clark scored the goal in the Comets’ 1-0 win over Mentor in the state final at Crew Stadium in Columbus.

Clark was the Greater Miami Conference co-player of the year. he was the Southwest Ohio Coaches’ Association Division I Player of the Year.

“Jack is one of the top attacking players in Ohio and was someone we targeted early in the process,” UC soccer coach Hylton Dayes told the UC website on National Signing Day Feb. 5.

“He is a very quick and technical player with the ability to beat players 1v1 and either serve quality crosses or create scoring opportunities for himself. He has had tremendous success at the club and high school levels and brings a winning mentality to our program.”

According to the UC website, Clark is the Mason record holder in career goals (73), goals in a season (31), goals in a game (four) and career assists (24). In his three years as a letterwinner, Mason had a 54-7-4 record.

Clark played club for the Cincinnati United Premier Gold team and won state championships from 2008-13 and finished as the U.S. Youth Soccer national runner-up in 2013.

“What a year Jack has had as a club and high school player,” said Clark’s club coach and CUP Director of Coaching Bobby Puppione. “Jack is a top player and has proven it at every level he has competed. We look forward to seeing him continue to excel during his future career at UC.”

Clark was rated a four-star recruit (out of five) on TopDrawerSoccer.com at the time of his signing with UC.

 

 

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Carl Weiser reports:

National Journal, a nonpartisan magazine covering Congress, has come out with its ideological rankings of Congress members.

Turns out the most conservative member of the House is none other than Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood.

• GOP redistricting plan gives Warren Co. to Chabot

The rating is based on 111 votes taken in 2013. Chabot was happy to tout his ranking in a blog post, noting “there’s not a lot of room to my right!”.

The 111 votes in the House were broken down into three categories: economic, foreign, and social issues. 62 of the 111 votes scored were economic; 29 were foreign issues; and 20 were considered social issues.

Also noteworthy was the fact that I had the most conservative voting record in all three categories. (There’s not a lot of room to my right!) You can see the description of each of the 111 votes by clicking here.

Also noted in the rankings: Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, was the 13th most liberal senator.  

So Cincinnatians, how do you feel about having the most conservative member of the House?

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Fifth and sixth graders at Columbia Elementary School will return to their school by noon after being evacuated to the junior high after a gas leak was discovered earlier this morning.

A school janitor smelled gas around 9 a.m. today, said Dawn Gould, district spokeswomen. Duke Energy officials were contacted and students were transported to Kings Junior High by bus.

Duke crews repaired the leak by 10 a.m. and firefighters cleared the building of any fumes, allowing the students to return to classes.

Gould said the elementary school students will eat lunch at the junior high and should be back in their Columbia classrooms by noon.

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Rising sun’s rays cast a golden hue over the snow in Burlington on Thursday morning. / Carrie Cochran / The Enquirer

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Cue the confetti!

Thermometers across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky finally hit the freezing mark Wednesday for the first time in nearly a week and will make it there once again today.

Wednesday’s high temperature of 35 degrees was recorded at 4:07 p.m. at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

The mercury today should make it up to 36 degrees. It’s 15 with a wind chill of 3.  The warm-up comes after a string of days with subzero morning lows and wind chills, as daytime highs struggled to reach the single digits and teens.

And, while we’ll enjoy plenty of sunshine today, a wintry mix of freezing drizzle should arrive pre-dawn for Valentine’s Day on Friday.

The rain will switch to snow around lunchtime Friday, dumping 1 to 3 inches of snow across the region by 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Downtown Cincinnati could see 2 inches.

Temperatures will range from 24 degrees to 31 degrees.  More snow could fall by 7 p.m. Friday. The overnight low will plunge to 11 with wind chills as low as 0.

Saturday will be mostly sunny, but cold with a high of 25.  Another round of snow could fall between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday. An inch or less is expected at this point, according to the weather service.

The low will bottom out around 22.  Sunday should be mostly sunny with a high of 32.

Looking ahead to next week, we’ll make a big jump on the thermometer to a high of 48 degrees on President’s Day Monday.

There will be a 50 percent chance for rain. Otherwise, it will be mostly cloudy.  More rain, mixed with a little snow, could continue Monday night. The low will be 31.

The sun will come out to stay for a few days on Tuesday.  Highs will hover in the low- to mid 40s.  Overnight lows will still be in the 20s.

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A Mason Idol winner will be performing with the Cincinnati Brass Band when it brings its winter concert to a West Chester Township church next month to raise funds for the Freestore Foodbank.

From Bach to Rock is the theme of the March 8 concert. It will be held at 7 p.m., March 8, at Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Road.

Vocalist Claire Northcut – who won the 2011 Mason Idol winner – is joining the 35-member band for its concert. Among the songs she will be singing are Moon River and Don’t Rain on My Parade.

The band will play classical selections included Toccata in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach along with a medley of works by Antonin Dvorak.

Among the rock songs the band will perform are an Elvis Presley Medley, the Beatles’ When I’m 64 and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to heaven.

The all-volunteer group is under the direction of conductor Anita Cocker Hunt.

This is the fifth year the group has done a performance to benefit the Freestore Foodbank. The group distributes more than 12 million pounds of food each year through 325 member agencies.

Proceeds over the last four years have exceeded $10,000, said Tony Yocco, president of the band.

Tickets are $10 each. Patrons are also asked to bring at least one can or non-perishable item for the foodbank.

Tickets are available at any Buddy Rogers music store or at the door.

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Information: www.cincinnatibrassband.com or 513-604-0288

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The Enquirer reports:

Tuesday’s prep sports results

Boys basketball

Kings 58, Anderson 38

Kings (11-6) – Brewster 2 1 5, Fails 4 0 9, Mitchell 2 0 5, James 3 0 6, Herbert 0 2 2, Palmer 1 0 3, Wheeler 1 0 2, Woody 3 2 10, Sichterman 0 2 2, O’Sullivan 1 0 2, Sayles 3 6 12. Totals: 20 13 58.

Anderson (4-15) – Williams 0 2 2, Riley 2 2 7, Rogers 0 2 2, Vorderbrueggen 0 4 4, Allen 1 0 3, McCallum 3 1 8, Hinaman 1 0 2, Long 1 1 3, Vosel 1 0 3, Pfeiffer 2 0 4. Totals: 11 12 38.

Halftime: Kings 31-14. 3-pointers: K 5 (Woody 2, Palmer, Mitchell, Fails); A 4 (Riley, Allen, McCallum, Vosel).

Fairfield 62, Mason 48

Fairfield – Well 5 0 10, Johnson 3 2 8, Brunis 4 3 11, Fleming 3 1 7, Johnson 0 1 1, Walker 7 4 20, Horn 0 1 1, Woods 1 0 2, Mills 1 0 2. Totals: 24 12 62.

Mason – Thomas 7 2 17, Huber 1 0 2, Rice 1 0 2, Lamotte 1 0 2, King 2 0 5, Orlando 4 1 9, Beebe 2 0 4, Arminio 2 2 6, Cline 0 1 1. Totals: 20 4 48.

Halftime: F 27-16. 3-pointers; F 2 (Walker); M 4 (Arminio 2, King, Thomas).

BOYS’ DIVING

District meet Division I (Top 16 advance)

Results: 1. Godar (Elder) 432.60, 2. Hickey (Centerville) 427.70, 3. Karn (Piqua) 424.45, 4. Leupen (Anderson) 378.10, 5. Hornhostel (Centerville) 370.15, 6. Beerse (Little Miami) 359.40, 7. Fitzgerald (St. Xavier) 338.90, 8. Hayes (Fairmont) 337.10, 9. Hunter (Butler) 330.60, 10. Wiedermann (Centerville) 324.85, 11. Neckstroth (Piqua) 324.10, 12. Linder (Lakota East) 318.80, 13. Feng (Mason) 299.30, 14. Roberts (Anderson) 289.75, 15. Dennis (Oak Hills) 286.65, 16. Wells (Elder) 284.90.

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Cincinnati Baila! Mexican Folkloric Dance performing during the 2013 Taste of Mason. Provided photo

A  sampling of foods from around the globe will be on the menu Wednesday for the seventh annual Taste of Mason.

Sponsored by the Mason Schools Diversity Council, Manor House and the high school’s student government, 14 restaurants will be offering foods from around the globe including Japanese, Chinese, Ethiopian and Thai.

The event runs from 5-8 p.m. and will be held in the commons area at Mason High School, 6100 Mason-Montgomery Road. There is no admission cost. Families pay only if they purchase food from the vendors.

Targeted to families, each child who comes will be given a passport to get stamped by vendors and performers. Besides the food offering there will be 13 different groups performing between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Among the performers are the Dancing Ducklings from the Mason Chinese School, a group doing Mexican dances, and another performing Indian dances.

Vendors

• Aponte’s Pizzeria, Italian
• Banana Leaf Modern Thai
• Bd’s Mongolian Grill, Chinese
• Brazenhead Irish Pub
• Café Bella, Ethiopian
• Cazadores Mexican
• Chan’s Asian Wok, Chinese
• Golden Cincinnati Deli, Russian
• The Mason Grill, Greek
• Oasis Mediterranean Grill
• Oleg’s International Food, German
• Phoenician Taverna, Mediterranean
• Soho Japanese Bistro
• Straits of Malacca, Malaysian

 Performances

• 5 p.m.: MHS Jazz, Directed by Avious Jackson
• 5:30 p.m.: MHS NoteOrious, Directed by Deba Jones
• 5:45 p.m.: Classical Indian Bharata Natyam “OM Greem” featuring Angela Vettikal
• 5:55 p.m.: Cincinnati Baila! Mexican Folkloric Dance
• 6:05 p.m.: Comet Step Club
• 6:15 p.m.: ‘Danse Royale Ballroom’ Dance Studio West Chester Youth Ballroom Program
• 6:25 p.m.: Comet Skippers
• 6:40 p.m.: Nigerian Solo Drum Performance featuring Baoku Moses
• 6:50 p.m.: ’Danse Royale Ballroom’ Dance Studio West Chester Youth Ballroom Program
• 7 p.m.: Mason Chinese School
• 7:15 p.m.: Chinese School—Dancing Ducklings
• 7:30 p.m.: I.K. Kim Take Kwon Do Demo Team
• 7:45 p.m.: Colombia Viva featuring Laura Forero

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The remodeled carriage house chapel at the Manor House Banquet & Conference Center in Mason. Owners Bill and Kathy Kinane expanded onto the old Western Row Golf Course in 2012. Photo provided

The Manor House Banquet & Conference Center in Mason is among 331 vendors nationwide to be inducted into TheKnot.com’s inaugural Hall of Fame.

The Southern plantation-style facility was inducted into the website’s Best of Weddings Hall of Game and included in the 2014 Knot Best of Weddings list.

The Knot Wedding Network, which includes the wedding websites TheKnot.com and WeddingChannel.com, honored vendors that have won four or more Best of Weddings awards, a by-brides-for-brides guide to wedding vendors in more than 80 cities across the nation.

Manor House owners Bill and Kathy Kinane opened the business in 1997.  In 2012, the couple expanded the facility onto 10 acres of the adjoining former Western Row Golf Course and renovated the existing clubhouse into a lodge-style carriage house.

 

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Sally Clark, a Mason High School guidance counselor, talks with a small group of students, helping them learn more about the FAFSA form for college financial aid and changes to come. / The Enquirer/ Tony Jones

Cliff Peale reports:

More high-school seniors completed their federal financial aid forms before mid-January this year, but, in most cases, less than one-third of the senior class.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA, opens the door to any federal grants or loans, plus any need-based aid from universities.

The application can be filled out starting Jan. 1. There is no formal deadline, but money in some aid programs can run out if the form is submitted too late.

In the first 17 days after filing started at the beginning of the year, 2,179 Greater Cincinnati high-school seniors had completed the form, including 110 seniors at Mason  High School, more than any other high school in the region. That’s up 3.7 percent from the same time last year, an Enquirer analysis of the most recent federal Education Department data shows.

Always critical, the aid form’s importance has catapulted over the last half-dozen years as student-loan debt topped $1 trillion, more than $29,000 per borrower and accounting for 9 percent of all consumer debt.

High schools pester and prod both students and parents on the importance of completing the online form – to be found at https://fafsa.ed.gov – and completing it early.

“The end of January is pretty important, just to see that the money’s still there,” said Jason Mott, junior/senior guidance counselor at Covington Catholic High School. “That federal bucket dries up pretty quickly.”

Suzanne Carr of Mason was planning to complete the form late last week for her twins, both seniors at Mason High School.

“We’re doing our taxes tonight, hopefully, so we’re waiting until we get that done to do the FAFSA,” said Carr, an accountant. “The colleges we’ve applied to have all been contacting us to tell us, ‘Hey, don’t forget to fill out your FAFSA.’ ”

Counselors tell students not to wait, but to estimate taxes, complete the FAFSA and update numbers later.

Among other things, an Enquirer analysis of forms filed by students at 117 local schools shows:

• The number of applications was up at 41 of the 117 schools, down at 33 and unchanged at one. At 42 of the schools, not enough students had completed a form to calculate a change.
• Students at Mason High School completed 110 forms, more than any other high school in the region. But that is 15 percent fewer than last year and only about 14 percent of the school’s 787 seniors.
• Only 11 Woodward Career Technical High School students have completed the FAFSA, up from just five a year ago.
• •Mother of Mercy High School on Cincinnati’s West Side has nearly tripled its completed applications so far, to 30 out of a class of about 120 seniors.
• For students at Purcell Marian High School, completed FAFSA forms fell to 12 this year from 21 a year ago. Batavia, Middletown and Monroe High Schools also saw drops.
• In Northern Kentucky, 101 Simon Kenton High School students students completed the form by Jan. 17, more than any other Northern Kentucky high school and up 55 percent from a year ago.
• Covington Catholic High School also saw 55 percent more students complete the form early, 53 compared to 34 last year.
• St. Henry District High School and Walton-Verona High School saw the biggest decreases in students completing the form, down 26 percent and 40 percent, respectively.

Most federal aid programs depend on the FAFSA form, said Caroline Miller, senior associate vice president for enrollment management at the University of Cincinnati. The Pell Grant program for low-income Americans is an entitlement in which funds do not run out. But money in other programs, such as work-study grants, will be exhausted, she said.

There are other reasons to fill out the form. If a parent is laid off, for example, having a completed FAFSA on file makes it much easier to get additional loans or grants. “People often can qualify for some aid program they don’t realize,” Miller said.

Miller said more than 80 percent of UC’s incoming freshman each fall eventually fill out the FAFSA.

Parents say the process is scary. For many, the “expected family contribution” often produces shock because it’s so far out of their reach.

“The process scares them,” said John Beischel, a counselor at Princeton High School. “Somebody asks them to do their FAFSA, and, after they get the result, they may not trust the whole system.”

In response, schools are reminding students earlier and earlier. At Simon Kenton High School in Independence, counselors meet with every senior individually about filling out the application.

Counselors at Mason High School are considering starting to talk about college financial planning in elementary schools, counselor Sally Clark said. “We tell them it’s very important,” Clark said. “Some people just think that, if you do really well in school, you’re automatically going to get all of this money for college. That’s just not the case.”

Tips for filling out FAFSA

• • Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov, NOT www.fafsa.com, a pay-to-complete site that helps you fill out the form.
• • Make sure the student and one parent obtain a PIN to sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid electronically.
• • If you are divorced, list the parent with whom the student lives at least 51 percent of the time. If there is joint custody, you can pick which parent to use. If remarried, be sure to include the stepparents’ income and assets.
• • Gather last year’s tax return, end-of-year pay stubs or W-2s, and statements from all non-retirement investment, savings and checking accounts.
• • You do not need to wait until your taxes are completed to start the FAFSA. Use estimates and then go back and make corrections. Or use the IRS data retrieval tool on the FAFSA to put in your tax return.
• • Do not include the equity in your home, the value of your retirement accounts – 401(k), IRA, etc. – or the cash value of life insurance or annuities as part of your total asset value.
• • Report the value of the student’s savings and checking accounts as the student’s assets – not the parents’ assets.
• • Report the value of 529 plans or Education IRAs as assets of the parents.
• • Prior to submission, check your numbers by viewing the “FAFSA Summary.”
• • Once you hit “submit,” print off that page, because it shows your expected family contribution and an estimate of any federal aid you may receive.

Source: Dan Bisig, College & Beyond LLC

Here’s a look at the change in completion rates at the 10 local schools with the most applications through Jan. 17.

School City Forms 1-year change

• William Mason High School Mason 110 –15.4%
• Simon Kenton High School Independence 101 55.4%
• Boone County High School Florence 93 50.0%
• Campbell County High School Alexandria 87 13.0%
• Dixie Heights High School Fort Mitchell 78 –7.1%
• Notre Dame Academy Park Hills 62 26.5%
• Highlands High School Fort Thomas 56 14.3%
• Covington Catholic High School Park Hills 53 55.9%
• Walnut Hills High School Cincinnati 52 8.3%
• Milford Senior High School Milford 49 22.5%

Sources: U.S. Department of Education and Enquirer research

To look at the FAFSA completion rates at all 117 schools, visit Cincinnati.com.

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Austin Woodruff standing in front of his snow sculpture he created on his home in Mason, Ohio. / Provided by Stephanie Woodruff

Kate McGinty reports:

Austin Woodruff was shoveling the driveway of his family’s Mason home when he absentmindedly threw snow at the garage.

And it stuck.

Amused, the sophomore at William Mason High School picked up one handful of snow at a time, pressing it into the brick until it stuck. For the next four hours, he continued until it formed a mosaic over the garage.

His 19-year-old brother, Andrew, posted a photo to imgur on Thursday, a popular photo website — and it caught fire. It had nearly 250,000 views within 24 hours.

“I’m always looking at sculptural things on the Internet and I’m always trying to make something of my own,” Woodruff, 16, said. “So I like – sort of what I did here – taking different things and putting them together to make one unified piece of art. I didn’t think that it would grow so popular, but I’m really glad that people enjoy it.”

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Eight Kings High School athletes will be playing sports this fall at college. They are: sitting, from left: Courtney Kelleher, Sydney Zinser, Madelaine Kuhn, Kristen Sevier; standing, from left: Jamison Williams, Andrew Lake, Robbie Frye, and Alex Ward Provided photo

Eight Kings High School seniors plan to continue playing sports following graduation.

The students participated in a signing ceremony yesterday before family, teammates, coaches, teachers, administrators, and friends. They join four other students who made commitments during last fall’s first signing ceremony.

There will be one more signing ceremony this spring.

Those who signed, their sport, and school they will play for are:

• Robbie Frye, soccer, Wittenberg University
• Courtney Kelleher, soccer, Duquesne University
• Madelaine Kuhn, soccer, Heidelberg University
• Andrew Lake, cross-country, Wright State University
• Kristen Sevier, cross country/track and field, Wright State University
• Alex Ward, football, Tiffin University
• Jamison Williams, football, Robert Morris University
• Sydney Zinser, soccer, Belmont University

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Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis will speak at Mason High School Feb. 25. Enquirer file photo

The first in a series of Black History Month lectures at Mason High School begins Tuesday with the viewing and discussion of the movie 42.

The biographical film written and directed by Brian Helgeland tells the story of baseball great Jackie Robinson, a Negro League player recruited to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers, becoming the first African American to play in the major leagues.

The movie and discussion begin at 6:30 p.m., in the Harvard Room at the high school, 6100 Mason-Montgomery Road.

The movie is the first of four programs in The Souls of Black Folks programs organized by Mason African-American Students for Change.

All are free, open to the public, and will be held at the high school:

• Feb. 18, 6:30 p.m.: Performance by Central State Choir, in the auditorium
• Feb. 25: Presentation by Bengals head Coach Marin Lewis, Harvard Room and small commons
• Feb. 27, 6:30 p.m.: Spoken Word Night, featuring winners of the Mason poetry contest and Princeton High School poets, Black Box Theater

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The Enquirer reports:

Here’s who filed for office as of 1 p.m. Wednesday to run for state, county and judicial office this year. If two people from the same party filed for the same seat, they’ll face each other in the May 6 primary.

The general election is Nov. 4.

Stay with Cincinnati.com and MasonBuzz today for updates and news about your 2014 races.

*Denotes incumbent

Federal

No U.S. Senate race in Ohio this year

U.S. Rep., 1st District

• Steve Chabot, R *
• Jim Prues, D

U.S. Rep., 2nd District

• Brad Wenstrup, R*
• Ronny Richards, D
• John Sheil, D
• William Smith, D
• Marek Tyszkiewicz, D

U.S. Rep., 8th District

• John Boehner, R*
• Matthew Ashworth, R
• Eric Gurr, R
• J.D. Winteregg, R
• Robert Edward Crow, D
• Matthew Guyette, D
• Tom Poetter, D

Ohio statewide offices

Governor / Lieutenant Governor

• John Kasich / Mary Taylor, R*
• Ed FitzGerald / Sharen Neuhardt, D
• Charlie Earl / Sherry Clark, L

Attorney General

• Mike DeWine, R*
• David Pepper, D
• Steven Linnabary, L

Auditor

• Dave Yost, R*
• John Patrick Carney, D

Secretary of State

• Jon Husted, R*
• Nina Turner, D

Treasurer

• Josh Mandel, R*
• Connie Pillich, D

Supreme Court, Race 1

• Sharon Kennedy, R*
• Tom Letson, D

Supreme Court, Race 2

• Judith French, R*
• John O’Donnell, D

Ohio General Assembly – House

27th District

• Peter Stautberg, R*
• 28th District
• Micah Kamrass, D
• Rick Bryan, R
• Angel Clark, R
• Jonathan Dever, R

29th District

• Louis Blessing III, R*
• Nathan Lane, G
• 30th District
• Louis Terhar, R*
• Mark Childers, D

31st District

• Denise Driehaus, D*
• Mark Auer, R
• Queen Noble, L

32nd District

• Christie Bryant, D

33rd District

• Alicia Reece, D*
• Mary Michele Fitzpatric, R

51st District

• Wes Retherford, R*
• Arnold Engel, R
• Gregory Jolivette, R
• Michele Decresce, D

52nd District

• Margaret Conditt, R*
• Cathina Hourani, D

53rd District

• Timothy Derickson, R*
• Suzi Rubin, D

54th District

• Peter Beck, R*
• Mary Jo Kubicki, R
• Paul Zeltwanger, R
• Rick Smith, D

62nd District

• Ron Maag, R*
• David Craig, R
• Ben Goldman, R
• Charlene Schneider, D
• Scott Pettigrew, L

65th District

• John Becker, R*
• Charlie Carlier, D

66th District

• Doug Green, R*
• Ken McNeely., D

91st District

• Cliff Rosenberger, R*
• Barb Cole, R
• Christopher Thobaben, D

Ohio Senate

7th District:

• Shannon Jones, R*
• Kelly Kohls, R
• Greg Meek, D

9th District:

• Joe Hye, D
• Catherine Ingram, D
• Dale Mallory, D
• Paul Sohi, D
• Cecil Thomas, D

Warren County

Ohio 12th District Court of Appeals, Judge (two to be elected)

• Robert Ringland, R*
• Robert Hendrickson, R*

County Commissioner

• Tom Ariss, R*
• Cathy Anspach, R
• Tom Grossmann, R

County Auditor

• Staci Morris, R
• Matt Nolan, R

Common Pleas Court, Judge

• Robert Peeler, R
• Andrew Sievers, R
• Benjamin Yoder, R
• Craig Newburger, D

Common Pleas Court, Juvenile/Probate Judge

• Joseph Kirby, R

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Kings Athletic Director Phil Poggi will learn in May whether he has been selected Ohio’s top athletic director.

Poggi was named Athletic Director of the Year by the Southwest Ohio Athletic Directors Association. Officials from the 180 high schools in the southwest district – one of six in the state – nominated, and then selected, him for the honor.

Members of the Ohio Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association will select one of the six district winners as AD of the year in May.

“It was very humbling,’’ said Poggi, in his third year as Kings’ AD. “I’ve got an amazing team here. It’s not just about me; it’s about my team – from the administrative assistant to coaches to the athletes.”

This isn’t Poggi’s first award either. Last year he received an Award of Merit from OIAAA. Two years ago he received the d a Horizon Award from the Southwest Ohio Athletic Directors Association. Only ADs in their first five years in the position are eligible.

Before coming to Kings, Poggi spent two years as Aiken High School’s AD.

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The Warren County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in identifying a bank robbery suspect.

Officials say a man entered the Deerfield Township Chase Bank branch at 8605 Mason-Montgomery Road around 1 p.m. Tuesday and presented a note demanding cash from the teller.

The suspect, who’s described as between 20-30 years old and wearing a yellow plaid shirt and black knit hat, fled on foot.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Warren County Sheriff’s Office at 513-695-1280.

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This graphic form the National Weather Service Wilimington office shows the snow and ice accumulation expected in our region. / National Weather Service / Provided

A messy and dangerous winter storm is expected to disrupt Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky starting tonight through Wednesday morning with a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow.

The system, coming up from the southwest, has the potential to tangle rush hour traffic in the evening and Wednesday morning, cancel or delay schools and lead to power outages.

The National Weather Service has issued an ice warning for most of the area with the northern counties under a winter storm warning.

Both of the warnings are in effect from 4 p.m Tuesday until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

The ice warning covers Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, Adams counties in Ohio; Gallatin, Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Owen, Grant, Pendleton, Bracken, Roberston counties in Kentucky and Ripley, Dearborn, Ohio and Switzerland in Indiana.

The weather service warns a quarter inch to a half inch of ice is possible across the area.

“Travel will be extremely dangerous,” the warning states. “The ice will accumulate appreciably in a short period of time. Untreated roads and sidewalks will become a sheet of ice. Heavy ice accumulations will likely down some tree limbs and power lines.”

In addition to the ice, there could also be anywhere from an inch to 4 inches of snow, the weather service said.

To the north, Butler, Warren and Clinton counties in Ohio and Union, Franklin and Fayette counties in Indiana remain under the winter storm warning.

The weather service forecast calls for 2 to 6 inches of snow in those areas along with one tenth to one third of an inch of ice.

The most ice is expected around Downtown and south of the Ohio River.

“It might be the storm with the most ice we’ve had this year,” said meteorologist Scott Hickman. “A quarter of an inch of ice is pretty significant. It’s the worst thing you can drive on. It depends on the amount of ice, but there is a possibility there could be some minor power outages.”

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

A messy and dangerous winter storm is expected to disrupt Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky starting tonight through Wednesday morning with a wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow.

The system, coming up from the southwest, has the potential to tangle rush hour traffic in the evening and Wednesday morning, cancel or delay schools and lead to power outages.

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has put the entire region under a winter storm warning from 4 p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. Wednesday.

In Ohio, that covers Adams, Butler, Brown, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton and Highland counties; Boone, Campbell, Kenton, Gallatin, Carroll, Mason, Bracken, Pendleton, Grant, and Owen in Kentucky and Switzerland, Ohio, Union, Fayette, Franklin, Dearborn and Ripley counties in Indiana.

The weather service calls for 4 to 8 inches of snow and up to a quarter of an inch of ice tonight starting around 5 p.m. through 10 a.m. Wednesday for Butler, Hamilton and Warren counties in Ohio and Ripley and Dearborn counties in Indiana.

Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties in Northern Kentucky, Clermont and Brown counties in Ohio and Switzerland and Ohio counties in Indiana should see 1 to 3 inches of snow and up to a quarter inch of ice.

The heaviest snow is expected to fall in northwestern Hamilton County and Butler and Warren counties, but a slight change in the storm track could produce “significant differences in these accumulations over a small area,” the weather service cautions.

The most ice is expected around Downtown and south of the Ohio River.

“It might be the storm with the most ice we’ve had this year,” said meteorologist Scott Hickman. “A quarter of an inch of ice is pretty significant. It’s the worst thing you can drive on. It depends on the amount of ice, but there is a possibility there could be some minor power outages.”

Further north and to the west in southeastern Indiana and Dayton, anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of snow could pile up.

Duke Energy officials say they won’t speculate in advance how many outages the region may undergo. But they are cautioning the public to make plans now in case their heat and lights go off. Check and make sure you are stocked up on supplies of flashlights, batteries, bottled water, non-perishable foods and medicine.

Families who have special medical needs or elderly members should closely monitor weather forecasts and make plans now to consider potential alternate arrangements, if needed, said Sally Thelen, a Duke Energy spokeswoman.

“I will tell you that significant icing would be our biggest threat to our lines due to the weight it adds to them, as well as to trees and vegetation that often falls on our lines during this type of weather,” she said. “Typically snow does not create conditions where we would expect to have widespread power outages; however, freezing rain combined with windy conditions, weakened trees and saturated grounds, along with deteriorating traffic conditions can impact our power delivery systems.”

Duke Energy has a detailed storm response plan, she said, and will spring into action once severe weather occurs.

The storm present a quagmire for road crews who also are closely monitoring the weather forecast but said they still aren’t quite sure of the exact timing of the snow, ice and freezing rain.

“Our trucks are loaded. We are ready to go,” said Hamilton County Engineer Ted Hubbard. “We are still trying to think about the exact detailed strategy. We are waiting to see what kind of storm we get this afternoon.”

On top of that, most counties are low on salt, he noted.

Hamilton County has 4,000 tons on hand to treat its 54 routes that cover more than 1,500 lane miles, including main thoroughfares like Colerain, Hamilton and Beechmont Avenues and River Road (U.S. 50).

Ideally, Hubbard said he would like 10,000 tons of salt. To stretch what he has, crews mix the salt with a sand grit-type material and then spray that with calcium chloride.

“With salt salt supplies as low as they are, we wouldn’t even consider sending them out now (to treat roads),” he said. “If we ended up with rain, you put that salt down, then the salt is gone.”

Counties are low on salt because this has been such a snowy winter, suppliers can’t keep up with demand.

“We’ve placed orders long ago, and they have not been filled,” Hubbard said. “We are getting some in, but it’s not coming in as rapidly as we’d like.”

Here’s the latest timeline of the storm:

• Arrive as snow anytime after 4 p.m. as temperatures hold steady in the low 30s.

• Snow will become heavy fairly quickly and continue into the evening.

• While snow falls Downtown and to the north, rain and freezing rain will pelt down south of the Ohio River in Northern Kentucky.

• That weather pattern will continue until 8 p.m. as warmer air moves in, bringing more freezing rain by 10 p.m. along and south of the Ohio River while the northern counties see more snow.

• Everyone will switch over to all snow overnight as temperatures fall into the upper 20s.

• Northern winds gusting up to 20 mph could lead to blowing snow Wednesday, making driving hazardous and reducing visibility.

• Temperatures will fall throughout the day Wednesday, which means the ice likely will not melt.

• The overnight low will plunge to 13 with wind chills in the single digits or near 0.

• Thursday will be partly sunny, but the mercury will struggle to reach the 20s.

• Thursday night’s low will fall back to the single digits.

• There’s more chances of snow this weekend Friday night through Sunday.

• Daytime highs will remain below normal for this time of year and in the 20s or low 30s with overnight lows in the teens.

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Larry Cobb / Provided

Three people involved in a statewide crime ring involving credit card thefts from prominent businesses in Warren County have been sentenced to prison, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office announced Monday.

A Warren County judge Monday sentenced Larry D. Cobb, 55, to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.  Kristina M. Petty, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity and was sentenced to four years in prison.

In December, Deshawn Mitchell, 35, was sentenced to three years in prison for conspiracy to engage in a pattern of corrupt activity.   Last month, Jodie Petty, 31, who is in prison on related charges in other counties, was sentenced to community control.

The four individuals were part of a crime ring officials dubbed the “Office Creeper Case” that involved sneaking into dozens of companies and stealing employees’ credit cards and items left unattended on desks or in offices.

Kristina Petty / Provided

The crime ring spanned eight counties statewide and charged more than $100,000 in merchandise, officials said.  In Warren County, Procter & Gamble’s Mason Business Center and Cintas were targets.

Cobb, who acted as the primary thief, formed the criminal enterprise in 2012, authorities said. He and his co-conspirators used stolen credit cards to quickly buy electronics, gift cards, and other items they could sell for cash, special prosecutors with Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office said.

“Larry Cobb and his co-defendants are professional thieves, plain and simple,”  Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell said in a statement.

“This case serves as a reminder to local businesses to re-visit their security policies and procedures to ensure that their employees aren’t victimized by unauthorized persons on their premises,” he said.

About 35 law enforcement agencies from across the state investigated the case with help from the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office and the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

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