A Milford teen has admitted to his role in the shooting death of a Hamilton girl back in 2018. 19 year old Jordan Spain pleaded guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of 16 year old Sydney Garcia-Tovar as she sat in a car in July 2018 at the Tyler's Creek Townhomes on Wildbranch Road in Fairfield Township. Spain faces up to 11 years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge, and an additional three years on a gun specification. He will be sentenced on November 1st by Judge Gregory Howard. A second man, Markeylnd Townsend, will be back in court October 4th, where he is facing similar charges in the death of Garcia-Tovar.

The Butler County Coroner's Office is trying to identify a body found near downtown Hamilton Tuesday afternoon. Hamilton police and paramedics were called to the railroad tracks near Martin Luther King Boulevard and Pershing Avenue, near the former site of the train depot. CSX workers who were inspecting their property found a decomposing body near a woodline west of the tracks. Hamilton police detectives were called to the scene. There's no word yet on ID or how the victim may have died.

Butler County leaders held their second summit on the 37% residential valuation hike announced by the Ohio Tax Commissioner's Office for Butler County. State lawmakers updated attendees on pending legislation which would provide a temporary fix, and some relief for taxpayers. Butler County Auditor Nancy Nix announced a series of town hall meetings to explain the increase, and what homeowners can do as far as appealing their valuations.

October 11th: Middletown Council Chambers
October 17th: Fairfield Council Chambers
October 18th: West Chester Boardroom
October 24th: Hamilton Council Chambers
October 30th: Oxford Council Chambers

All meetings run from 7:00pm-8:30pm

(Photo Courtesy: Butler County Auditor

Nancy Nix Facebook Page)

The Butler County Coroner's Office has identified the man who drowned at Antenen Nature Preserve Metropark in St. Clair Township Tuesday night as 21yo Joel Vasquez-Diaz of Dayton. He was fishing and swimming with a group of people in Four Mile Creek when he went under and didn't come back up, according to a release from the Butler County Sheriff's Office.
A water rescue team pulled the victim from the water, but lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.

The Lakota School District says Hopewell Junior School will be closed the rest of the week due to a fire that broke out on Labor Day. The blaze broke out in the coach's changing room, according to West Chester Township Spokesperson Barb Wilson. The cause of the fire was electrical in nature, and was accidental. Students had a calamity day Tuesday, and were scheduled to switch to remote learning Wednesday through Friday as repairs were being made.

Eight people are facing charges after the Butler County Regional Narcotics (BURN) Task Force raided two homes in Hamilton, and an apartment in Fairfield. Search warrants were executed at 230 Bond Avenue and 625 S. 11th Street in Hamilton, and at 5350 Camelot Drive #17 in the City of Fairfield. Police seized 182 grams of cocaine, 60 grams of methamphetamine, 10 grams of fentanyl, and a handgun. The following were arrested:

Victor Jacobs-Weapons Under Disability
                         Possession of Drugs

Thomas Jacobs Bowman-Possession of Drugs

Jeannie Hill-Possession of Drugs
                     Outstanding Warrant

Danielle Kimbell-Outstanding Warrant

Andrew Lewis-Outstanding Warrant

Karen Proffitt-Outstanding Warrant

Charles Warren-Trafficking/Possession of Drugs

Steven Ashcraft-Possession of Drugs

Bus drivers for the Lakota School District went on strike Friday, after voting 94% to reject the Petermann company's final offer. Parents of
K-9 and special education students were scrambling to find alternative forms of transportation for their children. The district promised to work with parents, saying they would not mark a child absent or tardy if they were affected by the strike. Athletic teams are also being impacted by the walkout, with players having to find transportation to their games. Representatives with Teamsters Local 100 say the sticking point isn't salary, but rather language in the proposed contract involving technology and cameras watching the drivers.