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VOLUME 130, NUMBER 112
INSIDE: ‘Internship’ focuses on Google’s good side. Page 5.
INSIDE: Local athletes get ready for state meet. Page 9.
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May 17 blaze found to be arson Fire officials seeking information from public BY WILL E SANDERS Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com PIQUA — Fire officials have ruled a May 17 blaze in the 500 block of Adams Street that displaced two families an arson and hope members of the public can provide a key to who started the fire. Members of the city’s fire department posted an arson sign at the heavily damaged twostory home, located at 515 ISAAC HALE/STAFF PHOTO The fire that took place at 515 Adams St. May 17 has now been Adams St., Wednesday afternoon as an fire investigation declared an act of arson. Signage was posted Tuesday.
Commish meeting a night of recognitions
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continues. A reward of up to $5,000 is being offered through the Ohio Blue Ribbon Arson Committee to the person who furnishes information to the identification of the person or people responsible for the fire, said Bob Bloom, a firefighter and investigator with the Piqua Fire Department. To report information or tips, call (800) 589-2728 or (937) 6158477. “We believe this fire was intentionally set based on the elimination of any natural or ac-
cidental means,” Bloom said. “The best way to solve this crime is for somebody to come forward with information. Somebody knows who did it. People that do this kind of thing don’t do it without bragging to somebody.” Bloom added that an accelerant was used in starting the fire, which investigators learned after an arson K-9 was called to the fire scene. Fire crews responded to the home May 17 at approximately See Arson/Page 2
Obama names Rice national security adviser
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BY BETHANY J. ROYER Staff Writer broyer@civitasmedia.com
BY JULIE PACE Associated Press
PIQUA — Engagement with one’s community can be very rewarding and on multiple levels as evident by a full house at Tuesday’s commission meeting in anticipation of recognizing a number of citizens. Topping the list was an announcement by Grow Piqua Now marketing committee on their second annual I Love Piqua video contest winners with third place going to Jared and Justin Younce, second place to Elizabeth Ann Butt and first place to Riley Branson, last year’s second place winner. Eight particpants competed with a goal to create a video portraying the unique qualities of living, working, and playing in Piqua, with Branson’s video covering everything from city parks to area businesses. Contestants were awarded $50, $100, and $200 respectively, with the top winner also receiving $150 for their school’s video and/or graphics department. Videos can be seen at the city’s website. The city also recognized 41 participants and 11 businesses in the first ever Bike to Work week held during Bike Month in May. According to Jim HemMIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTO mert, chairperson of the Active Living Advisory Council, participants accumu- Construction crews are hard at work laying block that will form the walls of the lated 740 miles in one week, saving new Springcreek Primary School located on U.S. Route 36, east of Piqua. Students have been on summer vacation less than a week and parts of the new See Commish/Page 2 building already are taking shape.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shaking up his national security team, President Barack Obama tapped diplomat Susan Rice as his national security adviser, defying Republicans who have vigorously criticized her faulty explanation about the attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya. “Susan is the consummate public servant a patriot who puts her country first,” Obama said while announcing Rice’s appointment Wednesday during a Rose Garden ceremony. Rice will take over the top national security post from Tom Donilon, who is resigning after four years in the White House. Obama lauded the 58-year-old Donilon for having “shaped every single national security policy of my presidency,” including the renewed U.S. focus on ties with Asia. The president also announced the nomination of former White House aide Samantha Power to replace Rice as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Power is a human rights advocate and expert on genocide. It’s unclear whether the changes signal a significant shift in Obama’s foreign policy, particularly in Syria, where the U.S. is being pressured to act against President Bashar Assad. Power is seen as a proponent of See Rice/Page 2
Late morning foot chase leads to Piqua man’s arrest BY WILL E SANDERS Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com PIQUA — A man who is no stranger to leading police on foot pursuits was back at it again Wednesday. Police arrested Kevin L. Nill, 36, of Piqua, following a late morning foot chase that began in the Shawnee area of the city. He has been charged with felony violating a protection order, in addition to misdemeanor counts of obstructing official business and a warrant for failure to appear. Authorities with the Piqua Police De-
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partment said Nill was spotted in a vehicle driving around the home of a woman who had a protection order against Nill, who has served prison terms for domestic violencerelated criminal charges in the past. Deputy Chief Tom Steiner said the NILL woman called police after spotting Nill around her residence and upon the arrival of the authorities the police tried stopping the vehicle.
Once an officer attempted to stop the vehicle Nill jumped out and took off on foot, leading authorities on a brief foot chase through backyards and alleys before he was apprehended. Nill, who has fled from the Piqua police in the past, was expected to be arraigned on the charges in Miami County Municipal Court this morning. MIKE ULLERY/STAFF PHOTO
Piqua police cruisers block a vechicle on Second Street, where a foot chase started and ended near Cleveland and Fourth streets when officer Todd Voskuhl caught up with and arrested the suspect.
Gee cites age, family as retirement reasons BY ANDREW WELSH-HUGGINS Associated Press COLUMBUS (AP) — Retiring Ohio State University President Gordon Gee attempted to make his departure personal on Wednesday, citing everything from his age to his 7month-old twin granddaughters to a California girlfriend as reasons for his abrupt departure next month. He continued to downplay the furor over remarks first reported by The Associated Press jabbing Roman Catholics, Notre Dame and the Southeastern Conference, comments taken seriously enough by university
trustees that they threatened in March to fire him for further verbal transgressions. If anything, the remarks helped Gee reflect on what he wanted to do next, he said at a morning news conference. “It played that role but not a defining role in terms of my own conversation with myself,” Gee said. Gee left that news conference for a closeddoor meeting with board trustees to discuss a long-term university plan. He says that upcoming project is another reason he wants to step down now rather than later. He couldn’t say when asked if he would have made a different decision had the remarks, recorded in
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December, not been made public last week. Gee explained away his abrupt resignation by citing a desire not to stay on any longer. “I’m not a victory lap guy,” Gee said Wednesday. “The last thing I want to do is be queen for a day. I want to move on. I want the university to move on.” Trustee chairman Robert Schottenstein denied Gee had been forced out. In Dec. 5 comments to the university Athletic Council, Gee jokingly referred to “those damn Catholics” at Notre Dame and poked fun at the academic quality of other schools. See Gee/Page 2