The Butler County Serious Traffic Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating a fatal vehicle vs. pedestrian accident in Middletown. Two people were hit by a pickup truck on Lafayette Avenue near Baltimore Street around 6:41am Friday. Both victims were rushed to Atrium Medical Center, where one was pronounced dead, and the other was listed in critical condition. Police have not identified the victims or the driver of the truck.

Butler County Engineer Greg Wilkens presented his 2025 Capital Improvements Report to County Commissioners this week. The engineer's office is planning to spend $24.3 million in road improvements this orange barrel season. $13.4 million will be spent to repair 14 bridges. There is one roundabout project this year...the north leg of the Millikin Road and LeSoursdsville West Chester intersection in Liberty Township. Wilkens says they are paving 35 miles of county and township roads to the tune of $8.3 million.

 

(Photo Courtesy: Butler County Engineer's Office)

Bond has been set at $5 million for a Butler County Jail inmate accused of trying to hire a fellow inmate to kill a woman. 18 year old Dominick Grubb allegedly offered the inmate $2,500 and two $100 deposits to the inmate's commissary accounts if he would carry out the murder. It turns out Grubb was actually dealing with a confidential informant. A Butler County Grand Jury indicted Grubb this week on a single count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder. A plea/trial setting hearing has been scheduled for April 3rd in front of common pleas judge Jennifer Muench-McElfresh.
 

Hamilton City Council got their first official look at the proposal to build a new Kroger Marketplace and fueling station on the former Hamilton West Shopping Center property off Brookwood Avenue. The nearly 123,000 square foot development will mean a $35 million investment, as well as 325 full and part-time jobs, according to Ann McBride, who represented the company at Wednesday's council meeting.  A public hearing on the proposal will be held on March 26th, and if all goes according to plan, the final approval is expected to take place on April 9th.

Visitors to downtown Hamilton, Main Street, German Village, and Spooky Nook and will soon be able to board a free shuttle to get to entertainment and dining venues along those routes. LocalMotive, LLC owners Devan Ward and his brother Dustin announced at this week's city council meeting that they are ready to begin operating their electric shuttles, which seat up to five passengers. Even though the rides are free, the company plans to advertise local business on the outside of their shuttles as well as inside, using message boards and touchscreen tablets. The shuttle will run weekends and during special events like RiversEdge concerts and city festivals. Currently, you can catch the shuttle along the posted route, as well as stops at Spooky Nook, Marcum Park, and Main Street.

 

LocalMotive Hours:

Friday: 5pm-12am
Saturday: 11am-2pm|5pm-11pm
Sunday: 11am-3pm

*Additional Hours of Operation will vary.

West Chester police are asking township trustees to ban cars from stopping or standing along West Chester Road between Muhlhauser Road and Union Centre Boulevard. Police Chief Colonel Brian Rebholz says they want the language added to the existing parking ban along that same route in order to enhance safety for kids who walk to school. Rebholz says parents are stopping next to the school to drop their kids off, resulting in traffic congestion. He says the proposed ban would move the dropoff and pickup traffic to the parking lot, enhancing pedestrian safety. Two students were badly injured in vehicle vs. pedestrian accidents near the school last year. Trustees will consider the ban at their next meeting.

An early morning fire in Madison Township Wednesday is being called suspicious. Firefighters were called to an abandoned house on the 7500 block of Darl Drive around 3:35am. First responders arrived to find flames and smoke coming from the roof the single story structure. Mutual aid was called in from Trenton, Middletown, Franklin, and Franklin Township. Crews stayed on the scene for several hours extinguishing the flames. The Butler County Fire Investigation Team was called to the scene, and Madison Township fire officials are asking anyone with information to reach out to them.

 

(Photo Courtesy: Trenton Fire Department-OH on Facebook)

 

A Fairfield man made his first court appearance after being accused of causing a serious injury accident Monday. 23yo Evonte Young was allegedly trying to flee a traffic stop when he crashed into a medical transport van on South Gilmore Road at Mack Road, sending seven people to the hospital. The driver of the van was rushed to University Hospital's Clifton campus with life-threatening injuries. Young was ordered held on $750,000 bond until his preliminary hearing on March 27th. Police were looking for Young after an incident in Spencer County, Kentucky where he is accused of striking a sheriff's deputy with a vehicle during a traffic stop.

Butler County's unemployment rate took a big jump in January. The county's jobless rate was 5%, up from 3.9% in December. According to the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services, there were 8,600 less employed workers between December and January, and 1,900 names were added to the unemployment rolls. The statewide unemployment rate was 4.6% in January, up from 3.9% in December.

Butler County Recorder Danny N. Crank has announced a new property alert program through his office is up and running. Property owners who sign up on the recorder's webpage will be alerted to any changes or paperwork filed concerning their property. Crank says people are concerned about title theft and deed fraud because of commercials for Lifelock and other security firms. He says those crimes are extremely rare in the county. The recorder's office has mailed over 95,000 cards to property owners to notify them of the new service.

Fairfield City Council has approved two pieces of legislation needed for the transformation of the former Forest Fair Mall property to a business park. Council voted unanimously in support of a zoning change and a development agreement which will reimburse the Fairfield City School District for back taxes still owed from the Cincinnati Mills era of the mall. A Texas developer wants to build a business park on the site, which is near the I-275 exit to Winton Road. The State of Ohio has agreed to contribute $7 million for demolition of the empty stores and parking garage on the site. Hillwood Investment Properties is planning to add three industrial buildings on the property.

Governor DeWine has announced that Zachary Zoz will become the new judge for Fairfield Municipal Court. The 1997 Badin High School graduate has been serving as an acting judge and magistrate in Fairfield since 2023. He was previously the chief magistrate for Mason Municipal Court. He has operated the Zoz Law Office in Hamilton since 2006. He has a juris doctorate from the Petit College of Law at Ohio Northern University, and a bachelor's degree from Thomas Moore College. Zoz will assume office March 31st.

Liberty Township Trustees have accepted the donation of nearly 4.8 acres of land, with plans to create a new township park. Howard J. Thomin is giving the township his property located at 4231 Princeton Road, just east of Liberty-Fairfield Road,  with the understanding the new park will be named Thomin Park. As part of the deal, the township agrees to maintain the large barn, cabin, and milk house on the property, and to restore the "Mail Pouch" sign on the side of the barn. They will also install signage that provides a historic background on the property. "I've been here quite a long time, and I don't remember anyone donating land to our park system here," said Trustee Tom Farrell "our predecessors worked very hard to get a park system together that we can be proud of, and this will just make it that much better." Trustee Todd Minniear said the park "is going to be something that lives for generations beyond any of us in a positive way, so it's a pretty neat thing." Township Administrator Caroline McKinney says a ceremony dedicating the park will be held sometime after the real estate closing.

 

(Photo Courtesy: Google Maps)

The Cincinnati Kid is hanging up his cleats. Bengals Defensive End Sam Hubbard announced his retirement from the NFL in a statement on his social media accounts Wednesday.  “I want to send a sincere thank you to my teammates, coaches, trainers, support staff, Bengals ownership, and the NFL for everything you all have done for me. I could not have done any of this alone. To the fans — Who Dey Nation — I thank you the most; you inspired me. From the years of struggle and adversity to Super Bowl LVI, you never stopped believing. I hope I made you proud.” Hubbard spent seven seasons with the Bengals. The Cincinnati native played his high school ball for the Moeller Crusaders, and played his college years for the Ohio State Buckeyes. “Sam always has been and always will be a wonderful part of the Bengals organization and the entire Cincinnati community,” said Bengals president Mike Brown. “Growing up here, he was a top youth athlete on local gridirons and lacrosse fields before becoming a standout football player at Ohio State. We were fortunate to draft him in 2018, and we immediately knew that we added an outstanding player and an even better person to our team. Sam epitomizes what you want in a player — he’s a great teammate, a talented athlete and a passionate community member. He helped us win a lot of football games, and he had a number of very memorable plays over the years. His 98-yard fumble recovery return in the Wild Card win over Baltimore is one of the most iconic touchdowns in team history. It has been my honor to watch him play his entire NFL career for his hometown team. We thank him for the memories he created as ‘Cincinnati’s Own.’” Hubbard says he plans to pursue business opportunities, as well as continue work with the Sam Hubbard Foundation.

Middletown City Council voted unanimously to name Ashley Combs the new city manager at the end of their regular meeting Tuesday, following a 45 minute executive session. Combs has been serving as acting city manager since January 1st. She succeeds Paul Lolli, who retired last year, then was appointed to city council. Combs has been employed by the city since 2015 when she was hired as a city planner. She rose through the ranks as planning director, development services director, assistant city manager, and acting city manager. Details on the new contract will be worked out before council's next meeting.

Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones says their Task Force One dive team has recovered the body of a  man who fell into Caesar Creek Lake in Warren County when his boat capsized on Friday. With the Ohio Department of Natural Resources using sonar technology, divers were able to locate the body of 27 year old Levi Keifer of Kettering in 30 feet of water around 8:30pm Saturday.