CINCINNATI – Two military fighter jets apparently flew higher than allowed and came so close to a commercial flight over southern Ohio this week that they triggered a cockpit alarm in the commuter plane, authorities said Friday.

Atlantic Southeast Airlines Flight 5202, a 70-seat commuter jet, was flying from Cleveland to Atlanta on Thursday when its two pilots saw the F-16s nearby at 10 a.m., the airline said.

The commercial planes “had a near-miss incident,” said Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Tony Molinaro.

Radar showed the Ohio National Guard F-16s were flying at 30,000 feet when they should have been no higher than 29,000 feet, Molinaro said. The commercial plane was flying as planned at 30,000 feet, he said.

The F-16s are from the 180th Fighter Wing, based at the Toledo Express airport and were on normal training flights, said Mark Wayda, a spokesman for the Columbus-based Guard. The Guard is investigating, he said.

“It does appear they were above their ceiling, but we are not sure by how much at this point,” he said.

The commercial pilots saw the F-16s but couldn’t say how near they came, Molinaro said. Pilots contacted controllers, who cleared them to climb to 36,000 feet as a precaution.

The plane was carrying 58 passengers and four crew members; it remained on its flight plan and landed safely and on time, said Kate Modolo, spokeswoman for the Atlanta-based Atlantic Southeast.

“Our pilots did a good job and handled the flight appropriately and got our passengers safely to Atlanta,” she said.

A pilot does not often get outside the training area, Wayda said. If the investigation results warrant, procedures will be reviewed and the F-16 pilots involved could be retrained, he said.

“There are not many of these sort of near-miss incidents,” he said.

The sight of jet fighters outside a plane’s window can mean they’ve been sent because of an air security or safety concern, but that apparently wasn’t the case this time.

“That was not a NORAD mission,” John Cornelio, spokesman for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, said.

ST. MARYS – Community leaders are raising money to help clean up pollution in Ohio’s largest inland lake, which officials and activists say has been hurt by toxic algae caused by contaminants such as fertilizer and manure from nearby farms.

Residents and community supporters around the Grand Lake St. Marys, which sits between Toledo and Dayton, said the water quality problems have contributed to a drop in visitors, the closings of two marinas and a loss in value of homes along the 13,500-acre lake.

“It’s too important not to happen,” said Milt Miller, fundraising chairman of the Grand Lake St. Marys Restoration Commission. “There is no other asset in this area that has the ability to touch every aspect of our economy and community. We cannot let this lake continue to go on with the reputation it has.”

The group plans to install aerators and sediment collectors to improve water quality and to expand the program if successful.

“We wish there was one silver bullet that we could buy that would fix everything. There is not,” said Brian Miller, commission chairman and assistant manager at Grand Lake St. Marys State Park. “It’s like a jigsaw puzzle – there are many different pieces. We feel this is one piece of the puzzle.”

The group has collected $350,000 toward a $500,000 goal, Milt Miller said Thursday.

Ohio officials last spring posted advisories warning that toxic algae posed a health risk for swimmers and boaters. The group said too much sediment and nutrients in the lake feed blue-green algae, which leads to the toxins.

State officials lifted water advisories this week, but warnings could return with warmer temperatures. The toxin, microcystin, can lead to skin rashes, sore throat, congestion or digestive problems, and can kill small animals.

“With the recreational season gearing up, we will start looking at the beaches again,” said Dina Pierce, spokeswoman for the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. “If the levels go back up, we will be putting the signs back up.” The state Department of Natural Resources will test water samples every other week starting May 17.

Milt Miller said the advisories caused buyers to cancel plans to purchase vacation or retirement homes along the lake and other economic woes.

“We had people that normally rent boat space on the lake that aren’t fulfilling those. … Gas sales are down, hotels are off 20 percent,” he said. “It was just absolutely devastating.”

WELLINGTON TWP. — A man was LifeFlighted to MetroHealth Medical Center after he was hit by a car while jogging this morning on Quarry Road south of state Route 18, according to the Wellington Fire Department and the State Highway Patrol.

David Gwinn, 31, of Wellington Township, was treated and released, according to a MetroHealth spokeswoman. Gwinn had visible injuries to his head and arm, according to the Highway Patrol.

Gregorgy Chechuck, 49, of Medina, was southbound on Quarry Road about 7:30 a.m. in a 2003 Pontiac Grand Am when he attempted to pass Gwinn, who was jogging in the middle of the southbound lanes, according to the patrol. Gwinn crossed into the northbound lanes for an unknown reason, and he was struck.

According to the Highway Patrol, Gwinn was jogging on the wrong side of the road and wasn’t wearing reflective clothing.

The patrol said the accident remains under investigation but that neither alcohol nor drugs were suspected.

CHICAGO — Grady Sizemore is healthy and ready to help the Cleveland Indians show that perhaps they shouldn’t be written off this season.

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The season’s only three games old, but the Indians haven’t felt this successful in years.

“We just wanted to get off to a good start,” Sizemore said Thursday night after his three RBIs helped the Indians to a 5-3, 11-inning victory over the Chicago White Sox.

“Chicago got us in Game 1 but we bounced back and played real well these last two games. We just want to get momentum going and carry that through. We’ve already forgotten about last year.”

The Indians were expected to contend in 2009 but started 0-5 and were seven games out in the AL Central by the first week of May. Injuries limited Sizemore, their best player, to 108 games. They traded stars Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez, finished 65-97 and fired manager Eric Wedge.

They hired Manny Acta as manager and went young — and few prognosticators gave them a chance in 2010.

“We want to prove them wrong,” said Chris Perez, who has saved the last two games as a substitute for injured closer Kerry Wood. “Every year, every single person in the media usually is wrong.”

More photos below.

Luis Valbuena opened the 11th with a bunt single off J.J. Putz (0-1). He went to second on Lou Marson’s sacrifice and, after Putz struck out Michael Brantley, Asdrubal Cabrera dumped a single into right field to put Cleveland ahead. Sizemore followed with his second RBI double of the night.

Acta moved Sizemore from leadoff to No. 2 in the order to give him more opportunities to drive in runs.

“He showed in spring training that he’s healthy and ready to go, and this guy’s going to be an All-Star for us again,” Acta said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be able to do what he did before he got hurt.”

While Sizemore and the Indians are over .500 for the first time since they were 81-80 on the next-to-last day of 2008, the White Sox are smarting after getting only 14 hits in the series.

Manager Ozzie Guillen made a big push to ditch the wait-for-home-runs strategy of recent years in favor of a small-ball approach, but the White Sox are batting .154 through three games. They struck out 12 times Thursday and stranded eight runners in scoring position.

“We don’t have the luxury to strike out with people on base,” Guillen said. “With this ballclub, we have to put the ball in play, make things happen. I know they’re trying to do better, I know it’s only the third game of the season, I know it’s cold, but we have too many strikeouts.”

After Carlos Quentin’s two-run homer off Joe Smith gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead in the seventh, the Indians tied it against Matt Thornton in the eighth when Travis Hafner singled and scored on Jhonny Peralta’s two-out, two-strike double.

It then started sleeting, making a night with temperatures in the 30s even more uncomfortable.

“It would have been easy after Smitty gave up that homer for us to pack it in, especially with the way the weather is,” Perez said. “But we’re not going to give up. I think that’s going to be a trademark of this team.”

Both starting pitchers performed well, with Cleveland’s Justin Masters on allowing one run on four hits in five innings and Chicago’s Gavin Floyd giving up two runs on five hits in six innings.

The pitching staffs combined for 28 strikeouts. Floyd contributed seven of Chicago’s 16.

Jensen Lewis (1-0) worked 1 2-3 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Notes

• Former White Sox (and Indians) slugger Jim Thome’s new team, Minnesota, comes into U.S. Cellular Field for a series starting Friday. Guillen says he’s not sorry he valued versatility and speed over what a 39-year-old Thome could have brought to the DH job. “Do we miss him? Yes, but we’re going a different direction,” Guillen said. “I talked to Jimmy about why he can’t be here. I don’t have enough at-bats for him. At least I was honest with him.”
• Indians 1B Russell Branyan (sore back) began a rehab assignment Thursday at Triple-A Columbus. He went 3 for 3, doubled and drove in a run.
• Chicago’s Alexei Ramirez fouled off nine pitches in the third inning before Masterson struck him out on the 14th pitch of the at-bat.