By Jeff Wallner, Enquirer contributor

Balanced scoring and aggressive defense lifted the Mason Comets boys basketball team to an impressive Great Miami Conference victory Friday night.

Junior guard Cameron Arminio and junior center Rodney Hutchinson each scored 13 points and senior guard Adam Thomas added 10, lifting Mason, ranked No. 8 in the Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll, to a 59-46 victory at 5th-ranked Lakota East.

Lakota East guard Alex White led all scorers with 18 points and 12 rebounds. He was 8-for-11 shooting.

“They’ve got so many weapons out there,” said Mason coach Greg Richards. “We talked about our defense the past two weeks. For the most part we took care of the ball when we had to. It was two good teams. In the GMC you better be ready to play.”

Mason had difficulty defending White during much of Friday’s game, beginning with the first quarter in which the 6-foot-7 junior scored eight points for the Thunderhawks.

The Mason student section was relentless with junior G Mitchell Mays, who led all scorers with 20 points when the teams met in December. He silenced them with a pair of 3-pointers in the first half Friday and finished with eight points.

The Comets had eight different players in the scoring column in the first half. Just three players scored for the Thunderhawks including White who scored 10 of their 21 points.

“We passed the ball nicely, and found a lot of open looks,” said Arminio. “Coach stressed defense in practice. We got out on their shooters.”

Senior forward Matt King hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key, putting Mason ahead 32-24 early in the second half.

Arminio hit four consecutive free throws after a personal foul and subsequent technical foul call on East to put the Comets ahead 38-26 late in the third quarter.

He added a 3-pointer from the right corner to make the score 45-30 early in the fourth quarter.

STAR OF THE GAME: White had a big night, albeit in a losing cause. In addition to being 8-of-11 with 18 points, he also was 2-for-2 from the free throw line and had three blocked shots.

VIEW FROM THE SIDELINE: Richards said White might’ve had a similarly big night in the first meeting had it not been for foul trouble. He scored 10 points in the December matchup before fouling out. “He’s a tough matchup no matter what you try on defense,” Richards said.

ODD AND ENDS: The Comets defeated Lakota East 60-51 on Dec. 10. … The Thunderhawks have won four of the previous seven meetings. … Mason shot 60 percent in the first quarter Friday night and didn’t cool off much after that, finishing 20-of-42 for 48 percent. … the Comets forced 13 turnovers and had nine steals.

Mason (10-3, 5-3 GMC) – Thomas 2 5 10, Rice 3 1 7, Orlando 1 1 3, Arminio 4 4 13, Hutchinson 5 3 13, King 3 0 7, Beebe 10 3, Cline 1 1 3. Totals: 20 16 59

Lakota East (11-5, 6-3 GMC) – Bah 1 4 6, Mays 3 0 8, Lowry 2 2 6, White 8 2 18, Blount 2 2 6. Totals: 17 10 46.

3-pointers: M 3 (Arminio, Thomas, King), LE 2 (Mays 2).

A worker operates a game at Kings Island. The Mason theme park is hiring for its 2014 season. Provided

More than 4,000 summer jobs are up for grabs at Kings Island.

The Mason amusement park is now accepting applications for its 2014 season, which opens in April.

The park is hiring in all areas of park operation, including admissions, call center, cash control, entertainment, food and beverage, fire and safety, games and rides, guest services, lifeguards, security and warehouse, among others.

Applicants must be at least 15 years of age. The park will contact qualified applicants to schedule an on-site interview.

More than 25,000 people apply each year for seasonal park positions, 44 percent of which are filled by teens ages 15-18, according to park spokesman Don Helbig. Job perks include free, unlimited access to rides, flexible schedules, a scholarship program and discounted merchandise, he said.

For more information, call the park at 513-754-5748 or go to www.visitkingsisland.com.

Submitted by Jennifer Trepal, City of Mason

During the last cold spell, the City of Mason received a dozen or more reports of water lines freezing in residential and business buildings. With sub-zero temperatures in the forecast, Mason Fire Department offers these tips to keep your pipes from freezing and what to do if they do freeze.

To prevent freezing at outdoor hose bibs, close the inside valves that supply water to them and then open the outside valves. That will allow any remaining water to drain if it’s not already frozen. Keep the valve open so any water remaining in the pipe can expand without causing the pipe to break. (Remember to close the valve before you turn the water on in the spring.)

Be sure you know where the main water shutoff is in your home in case you need to access it quickly. Look around your home for any unheated areas that have water lines in them. Check the basement, crawl space, attic, garage, and inside kitchen and bathroom cabinets. Hot and cold water pipes in these areas should be insulated. Pipe sleeves, heat tape, heat cable, or other insulating products can be installed on the pipes to help prevent freezing. You can even use newspaper. As little as one quarter inch of newspaper can provide significant protection in areas that don’t have frequent or prolonged temperatures below 32 degrees F. If basement and crawl space walls are insulated, make sure any water lines are on the warmer side of the insulation.

Keep your garage door closed if there are water supply lines in or adjacent to it. Open your kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer room air to keep the plumbing warm. If you do this, remove harmful cleaners and chemicals and move them out of the reach of children. Letting the cold water trickle from the faucet will help prevent freezing. Keep your thermostat set to the same temperature both day and night. Otherwise, the dip in temperature may be just enough to allow your pipes to freeze during the night.

What if you get up in the morning and turn the faucet on and nothing comes out? It could be the pipe is frozen, especially if the faucet is on an outside wall. Freezing may also occur where the water service enters your home through the foundation. Open an interior faucet to see whether the outage is isolated to the one faucet.

If you think the pipe is frozen, keep the faucet open. Apply heat to the section of pipe that is frozen by using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (keep it away from flammable materials), or by wrapping the pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do NOT use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.

Keep applying heat until full water pressure is restored. Once water begins to flow, it will help melt the ice in the pipe if you’ve kept the faucet open. Check all the other faucets in the house to see if they need thawing as well.

If a pipe has already burst, turn off the water supply to your home and call a licensed plumber for repairs. Also call a plumber if you can’t locate the frozen area or can’t get to it, or if you can’t get the pipe thawed.

“Frozen pipes can be a serious issue and costly to repair,” said Mason Fire Chief John Moore. He advises everyone to take precautions in their homes and to add extra layers and minimize their time outdoors if they must go out in frigid conditions.

The February/March edition of Our Town is available online.  Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find in this edition:

• That Championship Season: Banner year for Mason sports programs
• Five Questions with Mason Athletic Director Scott Stemple
• Mason band married to success
• Mason Senior Pep Club like “surrogate grandparents”
• Mason family share field and faith
• Restaurant review: Piada Italian Street Food
• New Our History column: Kings Island pays tribute to ammo factory

Read online here or catch up on past issues.

Our Town is published six times per year and is distributed by mail to residents in Mason and Deerfield Township.  Not receiving Our Town?  Email Our Town editor Nancy Daly at ndaly@cincinnati.com and include your name and address. 

The Enquirer reports:

Thursday prep scores:

BOYS’ BOWLING

Lakota West 2599, Summit Country Day 1989

High series: L–Fix 490; Crauth 445; Lawson 436. S–Harris 338. Records: L 7-4, S 5-7.

Goshen 2218, Kings 2116

High series: G-Singleton 404. K-Thomas 337. Records: G 14-4, K 2-11.

 GIRLS’ BOWLING

Goshen 1978, Kings 1894

High series: G-Schafer 341. K-Manne 291. Records: G 12-4, K 1-11.

Dr. Atiq Durrani faces dozens of suits by former patients as well as federal charges of fraudulent billing. / Enquirer file

Lisa Bernard Kuhn reports:

The insurer of Dr. Atiq Durrani – the Mason spine surgeon alleged to have botched hundreds of surgeries – wants a federal judge to rescind the doctor’s multimillion dollar medical malpractice policy.

Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Medical Protective Co. filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio earlier this month arguing Durrani breached conditions of his policy when he fled the country in December. The lawsuit also names as a defendant Durrani’s practice, Center for Advance Spine Technologies Inc. (CAST), which operated out of Florence and Evendale.

A win in court for Medical Protective would mean the firm would be off the hook for paying for Durrani’s defense and potentially tens of millions of dollars in payouts to hundreds of patients with lawsuits against the surgeon.

“It’s very typical for an insurer to go through a policy with a fine-toothed comb to find any reason to get out of the contract or say a person was not truthful” says John Metz, a Cincinnati malpractice lawyer.

Durrani faces more than 170 lawsuits in Hamilton and Butler counties from former patients who claim he performed unnecessary surgeries that left many of them worse off. He also is accused of fraudulently billing Medicare millions for unnecessary procedures – a federal crime that carries up to 25 years in prison.

Federal officials issued a warrant for Durrani’s arrest in December after they were alerted he had fled Greater Cincinnati to Pakistan. Medical Protective says its contract with Durrani requires him to “fully cooperate” with any claims brought against him, and he must “attend and assist in the preparation and trial” related to any claims.

But in a Dec. 23 email from Durrani to Medical Protective, the doctor wrote: “I will not be able to return back to the U.S. and unfortunately will not be able to assist in any way in defense of these civil cases.”

A Hamilton County jury found Durrani negligent in the first of the civil claims to go trial earlier this month, in which Durrani was tried in absentia. A jury awarded former patient Crystal Pierce of Green Township $750,000 in damages for her pain and suffering from an unnecessary surgery Durrani performed in 2009.

Medical Protective claims Durrani’s absence from the trial violated terms of his contract. The insurer also argues Durrani lied on his initial application for malpractice insurance in 2008 when he claimed that he wasn’t involved in any malpractice lawsuits. Durrani was actually “a defendant in seven medical malpractice actions” at the time, according to court papers.

In addition to asking the federal court to rescind Durrani’s policy and relieve it of its duty to defend the doctor, the insurer wants to recover court costs and lawyer fees, according to the lawsuit. Lawyers for Medical Protective could not be reached for comment, nor could lawyers for CAST.

If Durrani doesn’t hire a lawyer to defend him in the Medical Protective case, it could result in a default judgment against him, said Michael Lyon, the lawyer hired by Medical Protective to defend Durrani, who lived in Mason, in the civil cases.

If the policy is rescinded, Durrani would be personally responsible for any financial penalties levied against him in court.

Lawyer Eric Deters, who represents more than 400 former Durrani patients, plans to object canceling the policy. His clients are also considered third party defendants in the insurer’s cases against Durrani because they stand as potential beneficiaries of the insurance plan.

“It’s going to be very difficult for a judge that knows all the circumstances to allow Medical Protective to benefit from Dr. Durrani’s flight from the U.S.,” said Deters. “I can’t imagine a court not looking out for the rights of third party beneficiaries in this case.”

At least 17 civil cases against Durrani have been scheduled for trial through 2015.

Looking north at State Road 741, where Otterbein’s plans could include 3,500 new homes, restaurants and grocery stores, medical offices, arts and cultural shops, a performing arts center and a regional sports complex. / The Enquirer/ Tony Jones

Rachel Richardson reports:

One of the last undeveloped areas between Cincinnati and Dayton would see two new interchanges along Interstate 75, more than 3,000 new homes, an equestrian center and a zoo facility under a plan to develop Warren County.

It could form the blueprint for development in northwest Warren County, officials say.

The proposal, which encompasses about 20 square miles in Turtlecreek and southern Franklin townships, is the brainchild of a 25-member advisory committee representing three counties and five municipalities, made up of residents, business and property owners and developers.

Regional planning officials presented their preliminary “I-75 Area Plan” to Warren County commissioners earlier this month, outlining the proposed development along the east side of I-75 from Liberty Township in Butler County to Franklin Township in Warren County.

The final draft plan is expected to be completed by May, after which it will be submitted to county commissioners for review.

“It really is the last remaining piece of the puzzle,” said Matt Obringer, a planner with Warren County working on the project.

“If you go north from Cincinnati, it’s development and development and then you get to Turtlecreek Township and it’s a dark spot. If you go south from Dayton and get to Centerville and Springboro, it’s another dark spot.”

At the project’s helm is Jonathan Sams, an attorney serving his second term as Turtlecreek Township trustee. The group’s goal, he said, is to manage growth while preserving the area’s rural character.

“I live on a farm. When you have real estate, you get crops if you plan for it and weeds if you don’t,” he said. “I want a highly livable community that respects our rural traditions and has a fundamental cultural impact on the people with long-term economic viability.”

New interchanges at Greentree and Manchester roads would open up hundreds of acres for commercial, light industrial and residential development while areas along Union Road and State Route 122 could see commercial and mixed-use development.

Other proposed developments include:

• A 90-acre park in Hunter, a community in Franklin Township, which planners hope draws more than 126,000 visitors each year;
• A 294-home community on State Route 63 between Ohio 741 and Lebanon in Turtlecreek Township;
• A Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden cheetah breeding center on zoo property north of Mason;
• •The widening of Union Road from two lanes to five between Liberty and Franklin townships.

Many of the proposed developments center on Otterbein Lebanon’s 1,200-acre property at State Route 741 and State Route 63 in Turtlecreek Township. The 900-resident retirement community leases much of its 1,000 undeveloped acres to farmers, said Gary Horning, Otterbein’s vice president of marketing.

Otterbein is working with developers to decide the evolution of its property over the next 10-30 years, Horning said.

Envisioned there is a “new urbanist” community, a philosophy built around walkable neighborhoods with mixed socioeconomic commercial and multi-generational residential development.

Otterbein’s concept could include 3,500 new homes, restaurants and grocery stores, medical offices, arts and cultural shops, a performing arts center, a regional sports complex and YMCA, equestrian center and trails and a college branch.

“Over the last 10 years, as Dayton and Cincinnati started to grow closer and closer together, we’ve had a lot of requests to buy parts of our land,” said Horning. “We’re building that detailed plan so if those opportunities come along, we know how they would fit together. This is a planned family atmosphere, and we want to be exceptionally choosy.”

Planners say it’s not a matter of if the area will develop, but how. A confluence of factors – a major transportation artery, new development, a returning economy and a rapidly growing population – make the Warren County I-75 corridor ripe for development, they say.

Warren County’s population more than doubled from 1980 (99,276) to 2010 (212,693), making it the second-fastest-growing county in Ohio. At 66 square miles, Turtlecreek Township is one of Ohio’s largest townships in size yet remains largely undeveloped, said Sams.

“We have open and accessible land on the busiest highway in America,” he said. “It’s a great advantage. When you walk in with a blank slate of paper, it allows you to decide who you’re going to be.”

The opening of Miami Valley Gaming in Turtlecreek Township last month – the region’s first racino and Ohio’s third – represents the latest regional attraction for the area, which already boasts the popular Cincinnati Premium Outlets mall.

Others, such as the nearby Solid Rock church, which boasts the second-largest statue of Jesus in the nation, and the Atrium Medical Center are also regional draws.

“You can’t just be a bedroom community,” said Warren County Commissioner Dave Young. “I’m very pleased that we’re being proactive in trying to encourage certain types of development as opposed to a city mayor holding up a catcher’s mitt saying, ‘Whatever happens, happens.’ ”

Officials from Turtlecreek, Franklin and Liberty townships, Monroe, Middletown and Warren County began collaboratively developing the I-75 plan in May. The impetus, in part, stemmed from a controversial proposed Interstate 71 truck stop that has drawn opposition from residents.

In March, Warren County commissioners voted 2-1 to approve the Pilot Flying J Travel Plaza near I-71 and Ohio 123 in Turtlecreek Township with a list of conditions. While Commissioner Pat Arnold South said she didn’t like the truck stop idea, the area’s industrial zoning code bound her to approve it. A group of residents appealed the decision, but it was upheld in November by a Warren County judge.

“All of our attention shifted to the I-75 area, and we wanted to make sure we have a plan in place so that we don’t have another situation where we have another truck stop or another undesirable use activity happening at that corridor,” said Obringer.

While some projects could get underway as early as 2015, planners say the study lays the groundwork for officials to get ahead of what is poised to become the center of a booming Cincinnati-Dayton megalopolis.

“The planning of this corridor is critical,” said Young. “You’re almost going to have Cincinnati and Dayton merge over time into one metropolitan area. It’s going to happen.”

Attend a meeting
The I-75 Citizens Advisory Committee will next meet at 9:30 a.m. March 5 at the Warren County Administration Building, 406 Justice Drive, Lebanon. The meetings are open to the public. For more information, go to www.co.warren.oh.us/I75AreaPlan or call the Warren County Regional Planning Commission at 513-695-1174.

Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason / Enquirer file photo

Mike Dyer reports:

COLUMBUS – Ohio High School Athletic Association commissioner Dr. Dan Ross announced today the OHSAA recommended the state boys and girls tennis tournaments to be at the

in Mason starting in fall 2015.

Ross informed the statewide media of the news at annual media advisory meeting at the OHSAA office. The tennis tournaments are held annually at Ohio State’s Stickney Tennis Center.

Ross said the move isn’t finalized but will likely be approved at the OHSAA at the Board of Diectors meeting in April.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” Ross said. “They are very tickled to have us there.”

Girls tennis is a fall sport and boys tennis competes in the spring.

Aman Kumar, far right, was honored Jan. 4 for attaining the Eagle Scout award, the highest honor for Boy Scouts. He’s featured with, from left, sister Aarti and parents Pawan and Rita. Photo provided

Aman Kumar was honored this month with the rank of Eagle Scout, the highest achievement offered through the Boy Scouts of America.

Kumar, a senior at Mason High School, is a member of Troop 500, based at St. Susanna Church in Mason.

To become an Eagle Scout, a candidate must first earn at least 21 merit badges and complete a community service and leadership project before his 18th birthday. Only about five percent of Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout award, according to the Boy Scouts of America.

Kumar, a 10-year Scout, spent more than 350 hours planning and raising almost $4,000 for the installation of three 25-foot flags (U.S., India and Ohio) and landscaping in front of the Hindu Society of Greater Cincinnati’s temple in Clermont County’s Union Township.

In addition to scouting, Kuman also serves as co-founder and president of his school’s Science National Honor Society and has presented his original science research at several state, national and international conferences.

He is the son of Rita and Pawan Kumar of Mason.

Photo of senior guard Jenna Gunn/Enquirer photographer Leigh Taylor

Mike Dyer reports:

The Mason girls’ basketball team moved up to No. 18 nationally the USA Today Super 25 rankings this week.

The Comets (16-0) were No. 24 nationally last week. Mason remained No. 1 in the Assocated Press Division I state poll and in The Enquirer Division I area coaches’ poll.

Mason, which defeated Canton McKinley and Toledo Notre Dame this past weekend at the Classic in the Country, plays at McAuley tonight in a makeup of Tuesday’s postponed game.

Mason plays at Sycamore at 2 p.m. Saturday

Submitted by Tracey Carson, Mason Schools

After using the district’s fifth snow day on Tuesday, Mason City Schools superintendent Dr. Gail Kist-Kline asked the school board to approve a calamity day make-up plan that would give students an alternative to making up days at the end of the year.

The board approved the plan during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, and will ask the Ohio Department of Education to approve the calamity day alternative make-up plan.

Under Ohio Revised Code, a board of education may file an annual plan with the Ohio Department of Education to provide online learning opportunities for students in lieu of attendance on such excess days. The calamity day alternative make-up plan kicks in after a school district uses its five calamity days.

It requires each classroom teacher to develop lessons requiring equal or more instructional time that the student would receive for three school days in his or her teacher’s class. The lessons will be posted on Edline, the district’s secure online portal for accessing assignments and grades.

The district’s teachers union, the Mason Education Association, also agreed to the plan as called for by law.

“It is critical that our instruction not be interrupted. Losing five to eight days of learning in one trimester hurts the pace of our curriculum,” said Karrie Strickland, MEA president.

“If we can use technology to keep our curriculum moving, this helps us stay on pace. At the middle and high school levels, many of us will not have the same students at the end of third trimester that we have during the middle of second trimester. We need academic access to our students each day, so Edline can help us maintain our connection with our students even when the weather prevents our face to face contact so that learning continues.”

Each student has two weeks to complete the lesson.  If the student does not complete the lesson within the two-week time period, the student will receive an incomplete or failing grade unless a reason sufficient to the teacher is provided.

Students without access to a computer will be permitted to complete the posted lessons at school after school reopens.  Students utilizing this option will be granted two weeks from the date of reopening to complete their lessons.

If the student does not complete the lesson within this time period, he or she will receive an incomplete or failing grade unless a reason sufficient to the teacher is provided.  The district will provide access to district computers before, during, or after the school day (provided that the equipment is available and accessible at those times) or may provide a substantially similar paper lesson in order for students to complete the assignments.

“This has been a winter for the record books. This equitable plan will help ensure that students are accessing what they need for their coursework without having to make up days way into the summer,” said Dr. Kist-Kline.

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Michael D. Clark reports:

A former Kings Schools special education teacher is the target of a federal lawsuit filed Monday accusing her of physically and emotionally abusing five mentally and physically challenged students.

Amanda Kitcho taught special needs students at Columbia Elementary in the Warren County district until she negotiated a resignation agreement with district officials in March 2012.

The parents of five of her former students have sued both Kitcho and Kings school officials in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati contending their children suffered physical and emotional abuse.

Kitcho made one girl, who moves with the aid of a walker, “crawl like an animal” to the bathroom while screaming at her, restraining her with duct tape and secluding her in bathroom and a janitorial area, the lawsuit states.

Kitcho also “intentionally provoked and startled students into escalating behaviors … walled students behind dividers in the classroom, took food from the children’s lunches and deprived them of snacks,” according to the suit.

And Kings officials knew of the mistreatment but didn’t report it to law enforcement or inform parents that the district was investigating Kitcho, the suit states.

“Children with significant disabilities are the most vulnerable and invisible of our fellow citizens. They love and hurt just like anybody else. Their parents and grandparent guardians hope and suffer just like all parents and guardians,” said the parents’ attorney, Rick Ganulin. “Each child suffered directly and also suffered by having to observe the abuse of other children.”

Ganulin said one child suffers from glycosylation, which shortens her life and affects her mental and physical abilities.

Her mother and father, Amy and Michael McClellan, who now live with their daughter, Hannah, in Idaho Falls, said they remain “furious” about how then 11-year-old Hannah was treated by Kitcho during the 2010-2011 school year.

“We gave them a bubbly, happy little girl and what we got back at the end of the school year was nothing like that. We got a totally different child because she had such a fear of going to school,” Hannah’s mother said in an interview.

“I was personally lied to by Amanda Kitcho and I was lied to by the district.”

According to the lawsuit, a teacher’s aide, frustrated by the initial lack of action by Kings officials to investigate Kitcho, resigned and a school librarian reported her concerns to the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and the county prosecutor, but no charges were filed.

But according to sheriff’s documents obtained by The Enquirer, a detective who conducted the sheriff’s office investigation noted in his report that though Kitcho’s alleged actions did not merit criminal charges, “it was quite obvious that (she) was extremely mean spirited, verbally abusive and cruel toward these handicapped students and has no business teaching handicapped children.”

Kitcho did not immediately respond to message left at home seeking her comment.

Kings schools are closed Monday and messages left for Kings Superintendent Valerie Browning and other district officials did not elicit a response Monday.

The Kitcho case made headlines last year when Kings settled a public records lawsuit filed by the Coalition Opposed to Additiona Spending and Taxes

by agreeing to release the depositions of teacher aides and school administrators as part of the district’s investigation of Kitcho.

The first complaint about Kitcho came to Kings officials in October 2011 and by January 2012 the teacher was placed on paid leave. Kitcho, under a negotiated resignation agreement with the district in March 2012, received a letter of recommendation that included an excerpt from the teacher’s previously favorable job reviews.

Kings officials said they reported their investigation of Kitcho to the Ohio Department of Education as required by Ohio law.

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Mike Dyer reports:

The mere mention of a 15-0 record brings smiles to the faces of Mason senior Jenna Gunn and sophomore Lauren Van Kleunen.

The Comets understand the national and state rankings and the expectations that accompany that attention.

“We are going to get everyone’s best every night,” Van Kleunen said. “We know that going in.”

And the bulls-eye gets larger each week. But, that doesn’t deter the Comets – ranked No. 24 nationally by USA Today and the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Division I state poll.

“You have to think in the present,” Gunn said. “We are taking it game by game.”

Mason continued a very successful season with a 52-27 win over Canton McKinley on Saturday afternoon in the 11th annual Classic in the Country Challenge at Berlin Hiland High School.

Van Kleunen had 16 points on 6 of 7 from the field. She also had seven rebounds for the Comets.

“Honestly, I thought Lauren played extremely well,” Mason coach Rob Matula said.

Gunn, who is signed with Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Gunn says the team has state championship aspirations but any thoughts of March would be premature.

“I can’t tell you how much she means to our program,” Matula said. “…She is the epitome of a leader.”

The Mason defense was very strong – holding McKinley to just four points in the second and fourth quarters.

Mason switched to a 2-3 zone and it did wonders. The length of the Mason defenders was enough to limit the McKinley perimeter shots.

“I really didn’t expect to hold them to 27 points,” Matula said. “…Our kids did a very good job.”

Junior Tazhia Petitt scored 12 points and had four rebounds for Canton McKinley (12-3).

McKinley led 10-9 at the end of the first quarter but did not reach double digits in any of the following three quarters.

Junior Tyler Newkirk added seven points and for rebounds for Canton McKinley, ranked No. 10 in the Associated Press state poll.

Mason next plays No. 4 state ranked Toledo Notre Dame at 5:15 p.m. Sunday in Berlin.

Mason still hasn’t lost a January game since Jan. 25, 2012 when it fell to Colerain (59-57 in overtime).

By Marc Hardin, Enquirer contributor

Mason diver Sydney Carr has been twisting and turning her body since she was a little girl practicing gymnastics. Whether she’s upside-down or up in the air in the middle of a somersault, the senior is smooth and comfortable doing her dives despite a list of injuries that could have derailed her career.

Having recovered from a fractured vertebrae, a broken wrist and lesser hurts, Carr is driven to succeed because she knows how grumpy she’ll get if she has to stay away from her favorite sport should lingering pain persist or another injury occur.

She’s hoping the setbacks are in the past and a solid finish at the state meet is in her future following yet another strong runner-up performance Sunday at the 1-meter diving championships of the Southwest Classic at University of Cincinnati’s Keating Aquatics Center.

Carr’s effort totaling 433.44 points was her second runner-up finish at a high-level meet in four weeks, and kept Greater Cincinnati divers from being swept out of Sunday’s top three spots by Dayton-area competitors.

Carr, second at December’s Battle of the States event featuring the best from Ohio and Kentucky, finished less than 15 points behind Southwest Classic winner Claire Schuermann of Kettering Alter, who scored 447.60.

Summit Country Day’s fifth-place Allison Brophy (412.56) was the next highest local finisher. Centerville’s Maddy Woods (417.48) and Katie Polk (414.81) were right behind Carr.

The Centerville duo was attempting to make it an Elks sweep. Centerville’s Noah Hickey won the boys’ Classic championship with a score of 441.45, outpointing runner-up Mitch Godar (412.95) of Elder.

Carr, calling herself day-to-day after taking a cortisone shot two weeks ago to ease back discomfort, was able to stay ahead of Woods and Polk on a two-and-half-somersault dive with a tuck that drew high scores

“I was really comfortable with it, and it was one of my last dives,” said Carr, who finished 13th at last season’s state meet. “I knew it was pretty close between me and (Schuermann) so I tried to do my best on all my dives.”

Carr is improving. On Sunday, she finished ahead of Polk, who was 10th at state. She also finished ahead of Sycamore’s Andrianna DiMasso, 12th at state, after placing ahead of DiMasso at the Battle of the States. Carr’s score was better than the 396.25 she posted at Battle of the States while helping Ohio to the team crown.

Making Sunday’s experience even more enjoyable for Carr was Mason teammate Aubrey Rose’s seventh-place finish with a score of 395.19, nearly 55 points better than Rose’s showing at Battle of the States.

Elder’s Godar held off boys’ third-place finisher Stewart Spanbauer of Summit Country Day with the help of a high-scoring one-and-a-half back somersault with a one-and-a-half twist.

“I thought I nailed it, and it felt pretty good coming out of the water,” said Godar, a 16th-place state finisher as a sophomore and 23rd as a junior. “My goal is top 10 at state this year, so I need to keep diving well.”

Mason coach Rob Matula has led the Comets to a No. 24 ranking in the USA Today Super 25. The Enquirer/ Tony Jones / The Enquirer/ Tony Jones

Mike Dyer reports:

Any national or statewide attention is an added bonus, but Mason girls’ basketball coach Rob Matula understands to keep it in perspective as his undefeated squad travels north for a pair of games this weekend.

Mason is ranked No. 24 nationally by the USA Today Super 25 rankings this week.

Mason (14-0), ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Division I state poll, next plays in the annual Classic in the Country event in Berlin, Ohio, this weekend.

The Comets play AP state-ranked No. 10 Canton McKinley at 3:15 p.m. Saturday and No. 4 state-ranked Toledo Notre Dame at 5:15 p.m. Sunday.

“It’s an honor,” Matula said of the national ranking. “It’s something you recognize someone is seeing your program in the light you want it to be.”

Mason is led by senior guard Jenna Gunn, who had 20 points, six rebounds and three assists in a win at Kings on Wednesday.

The Mason girls’ basketball team hasn’t lost a January game since Jan. 25, 2012 at Colerain (59-57 in overtime), according to the Greater Miami Conference website.

Mike Dyer reports:

The Mason girls’ basketball team is ranked No. 24 nationally by the USA Today Super 25.

Mason (13-0) plays at Kings tonight before it travels up north to play Canton McKinley at 3:15 p.m. Saturday at Berlin Hiland in the Classic in the Country in Holmes County.

The Comets, ranked No. 1 in the AP Division I state poll, play Toledo Notre Dame at 5:15 p.m. Sunday at Berlin Hiland.

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Construction of the world’s longest inverted roller coaster Banshee is headed into the home stretch.

The final two pieces of track for Kings Island’s $24 million coaster were delivered Wednesday from Clermont Steel Fabricators in Batavia to the Mason amusement park.

Four of Banshee’s seven inversions have already been constructed and the coaster is on track to make its debut when the park opens in April, park officials said.

• New KI coaster big business for area companies
• Video: First piece of Banshee track installed
• Photos: Local companies at work in building Banshee

Banshee will become the fastest B&M coaster in the nation, surpassing the previous record of 67 mph held by Busch Gardens-Williamsburg’s Alpengeist.

The ride starts with a 167-foot ascent before plunging 150 feet and pitching white-knuckled riders through a dive loop, vertical loop, zero-gravity roller, two batwing inversions, a second vertical loop and a 170 foot heartline finale.

The coaster represents the 364-acre Mason amusement park’s largest investment in its 42-year history, say park officials.

Video/Courtesy Kings Island

Shauna Steigerwald reports:

After a soft opening six or seven weeks ago, Louie’s Taphouse & Grill celebrated its grand opening in Deerfield Township last week. It’s located in the former Willie’s Sports Cafe at 8267 Arbor Square Drive, in the Arbor Square Shopping Center.

Howard Mason, CEO for the business, said it’s not a sports bar (though there are more than 20 TVs for those who do want to catch a game) but a full-service, family-friendly restaurant. The menu is American casual, with wings, burgers, steaks, seafood and the like, but there are also some New Orleans-inspired dishes, such as jambalaya and a shrimp po’ boy. Food is made from scratch, Mason said.

They’ve done some renovations, adding new flooring and new, brighter paint, and they’ve taken down the sports memorabilia. It’s a large space, about 8,000 square feet, and seats about 285 in the bar and dining areas.

There’s anew bar and new tap system, with 62 beers on tap; Mason said they’re hoping to eventually expand to 100.

Speaking of expanding, Mason said that he and his partners, one of whom has been involved in several restaurants in the Dayton and Beavercreek areas, are planning three additional locations. He hopes to open one of those locations in Downtown Cincinnati by late September, in time for football season. (The other locations will be in Dayton and Columbus, he said.)

11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday-Saturday

513-770-0888; www.louiestaphouse.com 

David Wang talks to the judges about his project at the Science Fair at the 2013 Mason Middle School.(Photo by Tony Tribble)

Contributed by Tracey Carson, Mason Schools

The 2014 Mason City Schools Science Fair held at Mason Middle School needs judges. The Thursday, Feb. 6 event hosts approximately 250 middle and high school students, all eager to interact with and learn from members of our community who are interested in science.

SCHEDULE FOR MASON CITY SCHOOLS SCIENCE FAIR

Thursday, Feb. 6

3:00-3:45      Snacks Provided for Judges(Pizza and salad)

3:30              Meeting with the Judges

3:45 – 6:30     Judging in pairs

6:30 – 7:00     Exhibit open to the public

7:00 – 8:00     Awards presentation

Please email MMS Science Fair Coordinator Jay Reutter at reutterj@mason.k12.oh.us as soon as possible if you are willing to help judge our young scientists. A confirmation letter with directions will be sent by email. If you have any questions, please call 513 398-9035, ext. 44450 and ask for MMS Science Fair Coordinator Mark Campbell.

Lisa Bernard Kuhn reports:

A patient of a Mason spine surgeon facing dozens of malpractice lawsuits was awarded $790,000 by a Hamilton County Common Pleas jury Tuesday.

The jury found that Dr. Atiq Durrani was negligent in a 2009 spinal surgery on Crystal Pierce, of Green Township, in which he used “scare tactics” and lies to convince her that she would be paralyzed without the procedure.

It awarded Pierce, 33, $500,000 in punitive damages, another $500,000 for pain and suffering and $40,000 for one year of lost wages. But limits on malpractice payouts for pain and suffering will translate into about $790,000 in damages for her.

“This is a huge victory,” said Pierce’s lawyer Eric Deters, who represents more than 170 patients who have filed lawsuits against Durrani in Hamilton and Butler County courts.

Pierce, who suffers from constant neck and back pain she says is from Durrani’s surgery, said Tuesday she was relieved.

“I didn’t want him to be able to do this to anyone else,” she said. “I just hope every one left (who has sued him for malpractice) can find justice.”

Michael Lyon, Durrani’s lawyer, said he will likely appeal.

Durrani, whose Center for Advanced Spine Technologies has offices in Evendale and Florence, was tried in abenstia – having alerted Lyon in December that he had left the country and returned to Pakistan. Lyon reported the call to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, which issued a warrant for his client’s arrest.

Jurors in the Pierce case were told – at the direction of visiting Hamilton County Judge Guy C. Guckenberger – only that Durrani elected not to attend the trial.

The jury’s decision, Deters said, was significant for the hundreds of patients he represents that have sued or plan to sue Durrani, who was suspended from practicing in Kentucky and Ohio in November.

In his closing arguments Monday, Deters portrayed Durrani as an unscrupulous physician who took advantage of Pierce when she came to him seeking a second opinion.

Pierce testified during the trial that Durrani told her she would be immediately paralyzed if she didn’t undergo two procedures he recommended. While a first helped her, a laminoplasty in January 2009 was unnecessary and required another physician’s intervention to remove screws from her spine that left her in pain, she said.

“Sometimes a banker has to say no to a loan. Sometimes surgeons have to say no to surgeries,” said Deters. “Durrani knew she was looking for options, so he played her.”

Lyon countered, calling Pierce’s case “absolutely hollow.” He defended Durrani by arguing that the doctor did the “best” he could to relieve Pierce’s neck and upper back pain when procedures from other physicians failed to help.

Durrani’s laminoplasty helped relieve the pain and issues Pierce initially came to the doctor for in 2009, Lyon said.

The conditions she lives with now – which includes a limited range of motion in her neck – could be from Pierce’s arthritis, Lyon’s argued.

“She has pain, no question,” Lyon said. “It has nothing to do with Dr. Durrani. He fixed her.”

The jury deliberated for about an hour on Monday, and more than four hours on Tuesday before delivering their verdict.

At least 21 other civil cases against Durrani have been scheduled for trial through 2015. The doctor also faces federal criminal charges for allegedly billing Medicare millions of dollars for unneeded surgeries that left many patients worse off.

Federal officials including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals are looking for the doctor. Officials have said it’s believed he traveled through Mexico into Brazil then fled to Pakistan in early December – a violation of conditions of his bail on the criminal charges.

When Durrani was arrested in July by federal agents he was forced to turnover his passport and prohibited from leaving the country without a federal judge’s permission. He sought that permission, citing a need to visit his sick father in Pakistan, but the court denied the request in September.