BBUUSSIINNEESSSS.............B5CCLLAASSSSIIFFIIEEDD .......B7-9

CCOOMMIICCSS ...............C7CCOOMMMMEENNTTAARRYY ......A6

OOBBIITTUUAARRIIEESS ..........B2RREEGGIIOONN//SSTTAATTEE ..B1-6

SSPPOORRTTSS ............C1-6PPUUZZZZLLEESS//TTVV..........C8

FREEDOM COMMUNICATIONS INC.© 2009 • Published at Lima, Ohio

A South Carolinawoman has now been

arrested and accused ofwriting fake doctor’s notesfor four students.

1An Alliance man has

been sentenced to nineyears in prison for stealingunderwear from more than 20women in a series of homebreak-ins going back to 2006.

2Connecticut police said

they went to arrest a 16-year-old, but a woman toldthem the home was under aswine flu quarantine. It wasn’t,but the arrest was delayed.

3A real estate agent said a

resident of Boston’s upscaleBack Bay section plunked down$300,000 to own what isbelieved to be the priciest park-ing space in the city’s history.

4A man in Sparta, Mich.,

has been charged after aneighbor said she found himwearing a purple bra andboxer shorts while rummagingthrough her car.

5

4466 ppaaggeess 44 sseeccttiioonnss

CLASSIFIEDS ..........866-546-2237DELIVERY .................800-686-9914NEWS ......................800-686-9924

5onthego

7755 CCEENNTTSS DDAAIILLYY •• $$11..5500 SSUUNNDDAAYY 8877,,550000 ddaaiillyy//110077,,000000 SSuunnddaayy rreeaaddeerrss

High 75 Low 55PPaaggee AA77

Friday, June 12, 2009

Submitted photo • The Lima News

Brett and Michelle Riley, of Celina

CRAIG J. OROSZ • The Lima News

Three packages of fentanyl are picturedfrom a local Lima pharmacy.

Couplechewedfentanyl

Husband held inCelina woman’s death

By BOB BLAKEbbbbllaakkee@@lliimmaanneewwss..ccoomm

441199--999933--22007777

CELINA — The husband of a Celinawoman who was found dead late Tuesdayreportedly obtained a prescription medicinepatch for recreational use, a police officialsaid Thursday. The woman died and the manis now facing criminal charges.

Michelle Riley, 36, was found dead in herhome at 428 E. Livingston St. at 11:15 p.m.Tuesday by her 11-year-old son, police ChiefDavid Slusser said. Riley and her husband,Brett Riley, 42, had apparently chewed a por-tion of a fentanyl patch to obtain a height-ened effect from the drug.

Fentanyl notcommonly

seen by copsBy GREG SOWINSKI

ggssoowwiinnsskkii@@lliimmaanneewwss..ccoomm 441199--999933--22009900

LIMA — The death of a Celina woman,most likely the result of an overdose from theprescription pain patch fentanyl, once againshows the dangers of misusing drugs.

Michelle Riley, 36, was found dead thisweek after using the patch and her husband,Brett Riley, 42, who also was injured, is fac-ing criminal charges for supplying her thepatch.

See FENTANYL • A7

See DEATH • A7

Unearthing the past

Lost Shawnee High School class ringresurfaces 58 years later

DAVID BOND • The Lima News

Colleen Bradley stands with her metal detector and shovel near where she found a 1951 Shawnee High School classring at Grand Lake. Bradley will return the ring to its owner, 76-year-old Nancy Goodenough.

By HANNAH POTURALSKIhhppoottuurraallsskkii@@lliimmaanneewwss..ccoomm

441199--999933--22009911

T. MARYS — Imagineyou’re 18 years old, aboutto graduate high school,and you’re celebratinggraduation with all yourfriends at a lake party.

Now imagine your class ring,which your sweat and hard workhas earned you, slips off your fin-ger while swimming.

It sinks to the bottom of themurky water to hibernate for thenext 58 years. You are heartbro-ken.

Enter Colleen Bradley, a 46-year-old St. Marys woman. She’sbeen an avid member of theBlack Swamp Metal DetectingClub for six years. She does per-mited-hunting through GrandLake often with her underwatermetal detector, looking not forjewels and treasures, but fortrash polluting the lake.

Bradley said she usually findscans, coins, and batteries but on

May 31 she found somethingnear and dear to Nancy Carter, a1951 graduate of Shawnee HighSchool, who lives in CommerceTownship, Mich.

“I had just found a can and achain and was about to walkaway when my detector made aloud noise,” Bradley said. “I dugdown 12 inches and found aring.”

Bradley said it was a 1951 class

Colleen Bradley found this 1951 Shawnee HighSchool class ring at Grand Lake while cleaningthe water and beach area.

“I was devastated after it

was gone. We searched to

no avail, and my friends

were able to save money to

get a replacement. It was

the same design, but it

never felt the same.”

— Nancy Carter, 76Shawnee High School graduate,

owner of the lost ring

Historic blow against smokingSenate brings new limits to tobacco industry

By JIM ABRAMSTThhee AAssssoocciiaatteedd PPrreessss

WASHINGTON — The Senatevoted overwhelmingly Thursday togive regulators new power to limitnicotine in the cigarettes that killnearly a half-million people a year, todrastically curtail ads that glorifytobacco and to ban flavored productsaimed at spreading the habit toyoung people.

President Barack Obama, who hasspoken of his own struggle to quitsmoking, said he was eager to signthe legislation, and the Houseplanned a vote for Friday. Cigarette

foes said the measure would not onlycut deaths but reduce the $100 bil-lion in annual health care costslinked to tobacco.

Fierce opposition by the industryand tobacco-state lawmakers hadprevented passage for years, alongwith veto threats by the George W.Bush White House. In the end, thenation’s biggest tobacco companysupported the measure, though rivalssuggested that was because it couldlock in Philip Morris’ share of themarket.

Cigarette smoking kills about

• Associated Press

A customer at the Red Key Tavern in Indianapolislights a cigarette Thursday. The U.S. Senate votedThursday on legislation that would control theproduction and marketing of tobacco products.See TOBACCO • A7

See RING • A7

AT A GLANCE

Who: Colleen Bradley, St. Marys residentWhat: Finds 58-year-old class ring and returns

to ownerWhen: May 31Where: A foot under the sand in Grand Lake

S

DDEEAATTHH•• from A1––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

RRIINNGG •• from A1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

ALMANAC

Thursday,

JUNE 11, 2009

WWEEAATTHHEERRPARTLY SUNNY. Highs in the

mid-70s. North winds 5 to 10 mph.Lows in the mid-50s. North windsaround 5 mph.

Today’s forecasted conditionshi lo cdtn

Beijing 91 71 clrCalgary 65 35 clrDublin 61 38 rnHong Kong 89 80 clrJerusalem 89 71 clrLondon 62 53 rnMoscow 80 57 rnNice 74 60 clrSydney 57 46 clr

NATIONAL EXTREMES

WORLD

hi lo hi lo cdtn hi lo cdtn Anchorage 50 47 60 48 cdy 60 48 cdy Atlanta 89 71 89 71 cdy 88 71 cdy Boston 58 55 75 55 rn 69 62 cdy Charlotte,N.C. 86 65 89 68 cdy 89 67 cdy Chicago 64 56 72 52 cdy 70 53 cdy Dallas-Ft Worth 85 68 94 74 cdy 97 78 cdy Denver 68 49 73 50 cdy 75 53 cdy Detroit 62 59 75 54 cdy 73 56 cdy Huntsville 88 73 88 71 rn 89 71 cdy Jackson,Miss. 92 75 93 73 cdy 92 72 cdy Los Angeles 70 63 72 60 cdy 73 59 rn Nashville 83 74 86 69 cdy 88 67 cdy New Orleans 93 75 91 75 cdy 93 75 cdy New York City 62 59 84 63 rn 80 66 cdy Philadelphia 70 64 84 66 rn 81 64 cdy Phoenix 93 73 94 72 cdy 93 73 cdy Pittsburgh 72 62 75 61 cdy 77 56 cdy Savannah 94 73 93 73 cdy 92 74 cdy Washington,D.C. 81 67 85 70 cdy 84 68 cdy

U.S. TEMPERATURES

YESTERDAY TODAY TOMORROW

National high: 107 at San Angelo, Texas National low: 28 at Truckee, Calif.

HI LO

TODAY’S OHIO FORECAST

WEATHER TRIVIA

TODAY’S LOCAL FORECAST

More than 80 percent of lightning

discharges remain inside the clouds.

Bellefontaine 71 62Celina 74 62Findlay 73 61Kenton 76 61LIMA 72 64Ottawa NA NASidney 70 65Van Wert 73 62Wapakoneta 77 64

/////////

SATURDAYHIGH: 78 LOW: 55

SUNDAY

Partlysunny

HIGH: 78 LOW: 59MONDAY

Partlysunny

HIGH: 78 LOW: 59TUESDAY

Partlysunny

HIGH: 78 LOW: 59TODAY

Partlysunny

HIGH: 75 LOW: 55

Storms Persist Across The Central And Eastern USShowers and possible severe storms will persist along a frontal system that will stretch from the Northeast to the Ozarks. Stormy weather is also expected to develop from the Northern Rockies to the Central Plains and across areas of the Intermountain West.

Fronts PressureCold Warm Stationary Low High

50s

90s

60s

70s

100s

60s

90s

60s

80s

70s

80s

90s

70s

80s

70s70s50s

40s

70s

60s

50s50s

TODAY’S NATIONAL HIGHS Weather Underground for AP

AT THE RESORTS

Today’s forecasted conditionshi lo cdtn

Atlantic City 84 66 rnJacksonville 95 73 cdyLas Vegas 88 69 cdyMiami Beach 91 77 cdyOrlando 95 74 cdyReno 72 49 cdySan Diego 68 62 rnSavannah 93 73 cdyTampa 91 74 cdy

YESTERDAY’S AREA TEMPERATURES

Sources: Water treatmentplants, weatherobservers

Today’s high: 73

Record high: 93 in 1976

Today’s low: 60

Record low: 37 in 1972

Precipitation today:0.55”

Precipitation thismonth: 2.15”

Precipitation this year to date: 20.52”

Precipitation last year to date: 23.48”

SUNRISE / SUNSET

TODAY:6:05 a.m. / 9:08 p.m.

SATURDAY: 6:05 a.m. / 9:09 p.m.

Weather data collected inPandora as of 6 p.m.

Akron 75 58Cincinnati 78 61Cleveland 73 57Columbus 76 60

Dayton 76 58Lima 75 55Toledo 76 55Youngstown 75 58

////

////

Source: Ray Burkholder, Pandora weather observer

The Lima News Friday, June 12, 2009 A7

“It wasn’t theirs,”Slusser said. “Our inves-tigation indicates it waspurchased for recre-ational use.”

The couple’s 14-year-old daughter made the911 call reporting the dis-covery after she and her11-year-old brother dis-covered both parentsunresponsive in a televi-sion room at the family’shouse.

Brett Riley was takento Mercer County Com-munity Hospital in Cold-water, where he regainedconsciousness. BrettRiley was releasedThursday morning andimmediately arrested byCelina Police Depart-

ment officers.Riley is being held

without bond in the Mer-cer County Jail on fivefelony charges — twocounts of involuntarymanslaughter, recklesshomicide, corruptinganother with drugs, andtrafficking in drugs.

“It’s a normal, middle-class family,” Slussersaid. “There are nostereotypical indicationsof a drug problem.”

On Wednesday, Slussersaid there was no evi-dence of forced entry ortrauma. Investigatorsalso found no evidence ofa gas leak or low-oxygenlevels. Food poisoningwas also eliminated, he

said. The MontgomeryCounty Coroner’s Officehas completed theautopsy on MichelleRiley, Slusser said. Thepreliminary results con-firmed the Police Depart-ment’s conclusions. Aprecise cause of deathwill only be known infour to six weeks whenthe results of toxicologytests come back.

Slusser said the familyhas no history of run-inswith his department.

The case, however, isn’tthe first fentanyl-relateddeath Celina police haveinvestigated. The otherstook place in July 2005,November 2006 and May2007, Slusser said.

Charges were filed in twoof the previous threecases.

“This has got to be oneof the most classic exam-ples of the tragedy ofdrug abuse. Some peoplesay, ‘Well, somebodywants to abuse drugsthat’s up to them, it’stheir body, it’s theirchoice,’” Slusser said.“Look at what we’vedone. We’ve got a familythat’s just torn to pieces— the mother’s dead, thefather’s facing chargesfor responsibility in herdeath, and the childrenare left with no one.”You can comment onthis story at www.limaohio.com.

TTOOBBAACCCCOO •• from A1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

FFEENNTTAANNYYLL •• from A1 ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

400,000 people in theUnited States every year,according to the Centersfor Disease Control andPrevention. About 45 mil-lion U.S. adults are smok-ers, though the preva-lence has fallen since theU.S. surgeon general’swarning 45 years ago thattobacco causes lung can-cer. The legislation, one ofthe most dramatic anti-smoking initiatives sincethe surgeon general’sreport, would give theFood and Drug Adminis-tration authority to regu-late the content, market-ing and advertising ofcigarettes and othertobacco products.

“This legislation repre-sents the strongest actionCongress has ever takento reduce tobacco use, theleading preventable causeof death in the UnitedStates,” declaredMatthew Myers, presi-dent of Campaign forTobacco-free Kids.

The 79-17 Senate votesent the measure back tothe House, which in Aprilpassed a similar but notidentical version. Houseacceptance of the Senatebill would send it directlyto Obama, who saidThursday that final pas-sage “will make history bygiving the scientists andmedical experts at the

FDA the power to takesensible steps.”

“At any given moment,millions are strugglingwith their habit or worry-ing about loved ones whosmoke,” said Obama.

His signature wouldthen add tobacco to otherhuge, nationally impor-tant areas that have comeunder greater govern-ment supervision sincehis presidency began.Those include banking,housing and autos. Still tocome, if Congress canagree: health care.

Supporters of FDA reg-ulation of tobacco havestruggled for more than adecade to overcome pow-

erful resistance — fromthe industry and else-where. In 2000 theSupreme Court ruled 5-4that the agency did nothave the authority undercurrent law to regulatetobacco products, and theBush administrationopposed several previousefforts by Congress towrite a new law.

Thursday’s legislationgives the FDA power toevaluate the contents oftobacco products and toorder changes or bans onthose that are a danger topublic health. The agencycould limit nicotine yieldsbut not ban nicotine orcigarettes.

ring from Shawnee. Beneaththe black residue from the lakewere the initials N.G., but noother engravings.

After using a jewelry wipe toclean it, Bradley said it looksbrand new again.

In steps Joanie Moore, a sec-retary at Shawnee High School,who helped put Bradley in con-tact with Carter.

“It was such a touching storyand we need more of those,”Moore said.

Shawnee High Schoolreceives a lot of class rings thatare found around the area, butthis ring was the oldest to befound.

Bradley said if it weren’t forthe help of the secretaries atShawnee’s High School andMiddle School she wouldn’thave found Carter.

Carter, whose maiden nameis Goodenough, said she wasamazed when Bradley calledher and never thought she’dsee the ring again.

“It’s a blessing to get to knowsomeone of Colleen’s caliber,”Carter said. “She doesn’t wanta reward and that’s a rare qual-ity.”

Carter said when she was 18she started saving up to buy aclass ring. She did baby-sittingand worked part-time at New-berry’s Ten Cent Store, whichused to be on Main Street.

Carter said a friend of hersdesigned the ring, which madeit extra special to her.

“I was devastated after it wasgone,” Carter said. “Wesearched to no avail and myfriends were able to save moneyto get a replacement. It was thesame design, but it never feltthe same.”

Carter, now 76, said her highschool experience was an excep-tional one. After 58 years, shestill stays in close contact witha large number of classmates.Carter even married her highschool sweetheart in the fall of1952.

The remaining members ofher high school class meetevery September in Lima for aKewpee hamburger, golfing anda nice dinner.

Bradley said once she showsthe ring to her metal-detectingclub mates Wednesday, it willbe mailed to Carter.

Carter said she has twodaughers, and for a long timestruggled with which daughterto give her class ring. She isrelieved that now she doesn’thave to worry about that.

Bradley and the Carters planto dine at Kewpee Hamburgerswhen they finally meet in Sep-tember.

Bradley said this was thefourth class ring she has foundand returned to the owner.

“I just love mysteries, it’s likeplaying detective,” Bradleysaid.You can comment on thisstory at www.limaohio.com.

Fentanyl is a patch thatslowly administers doses of apain killer typically over an 18-hour span. The patch comes indifferent doses, said John Pack,a pharmacist who owns PackPharmacy on West MarketStreet. The drug cannot beobtained over the counter.

Death from fentanyl occurswhen the drug creates respira-tory depression and the personsuffocates, Pack said.

In the case of Michelle Riley,authorities said she chewed itto increase its effect.

Lima has not seen a problemwith fentanyl patches, said Maj.Kevin Martin of the LimaPolice Department.

In Auglaize County, Sheriff AlSolomon said he hasn’t seen aproblem with it.

“That’s not to say it’s notgoing on, we just don’t comeacross it,” he said.

The patch is time-releasedand takes a while to penetratethe skin so it doesn’t have animmediate effect somethingthat can be dangerous if an

abuser is seeking an immediatefix, Pack said. Fentanyl often isused along with other painmedication.

“They are not the first step inpain control but they are notuncommon,” he said. “This ismeant to handle the bulk of thepain.”

Fentanyl often is used by can-cer patients, people withchronic back problems or some-one with around-the-clock pain.The patch typically is stuck to aperson’s arm, shoulder, chest orback, he said.

Fentanyl patches can findtheir way to illegal use manyways, often through someonewho holds a prescription, Packsaid.

Martin said prescriptiondrugs also can be illegallyobtained when people stealthem or use false pretenses toget the drugs.

“Those are probably the twomost common ways,” he said.

You can comment on thisstory at www.limaohio.com.

Lawmakers let broadcasters turn down volume on TV ads

By CARRIE WELLS MMccCCllaattcchhyy NNeewwssppaappeerrss

WASHINGTON — Lawmakersstepped aside Thursday and agreedto let broadcasters come up with asystem for toning down loud TV ads.

However, they warned that if thebroadcasters don’t cooperate, they’dreintroduce a bill next year to makethe Federal Communications Com-mission turn down the volume onloud commercials.

Industry leaders said they’d reachan agreement by September onwhat David Donovan, president ofthe Association for Maximum Ser-vice Television, called “recom-mended practice” for the sound lev-

els of shows and ads. “We get it,” Donovan said of the

loud ad complaints. “As a matter ofpure economics, we do not want tolose viewers.”

Donavan, whose Washington-based association lobbies on techni-cal matters, said he was confidentthat broadcasters would abide bythe new standards.

Broadcasters contend that the fullconversion to digital TV, which goesinto effect Friday, will make it easierto even out volume levels. Manynoise complaints, in their view, stemfrom the difference between thesound levels of programs and com-mercials.

The industry has been working on

its plan since April 2007, Donovantold the House Subcommittee onCommunications, Technology andthe Internet.

The FCC has been investigatingloud ads since the 1960s, he added,and the industry-wide panel “hasresolved more issues in two yearsthan the government has indecades.”

Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., whohas twice introduced a bill to havethe FCC regulate the loudness ofads, was silent during the hearingand left immediately afterward.

At least one lawmaker yieldedbecause he felt regulation wouldn’twork without the broadcasters’technical expertise.

Partlysunny,

30%chanceof rain