Butler County's third tornado of the spring was confirmed by the National Weather Service. The April 3rd EF-0 twister touched down in Franklin County, Indiana around 12:23am, and traveled nearly 11 miles into Butler County, causing damage to homes, churches, and out buildings, as well as taking down several trees and utility poles in the Reily and Bunker Hill areas. There was also tree damage reported in the Pater Wildlife area. The storm dissipated near US-27 just south of McGonigle.

The Easter Weekend was a deadly one on Butler County roadways, with five people killed in three separate crashes. Police say speed appears to be a factor in a wreck on Bobmeyer Road near the Butler County Regional Airport that killed 18 year old Christo Cortes and 26 year old Juan Cortes Friday afternoon. Their car lost control and slammed into a utility pole. Family members have been on social media asking for donations to have the men buried in their native Mexico. Also on Friday, a crash on Todd Road and Doty Road  in Oxford Township claimed the life of 27 year old Micaylah West. Police say West ran a stop sign, and her Volkswagon Jetta hit a semi truck. The Jetta went off the roadway, hit a guide wire, and flipped, ejecting West from the vehicle. An adult male and three children in the car were taken to McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital. Two people were killed in a Saturday morning crash on Oxford State Road near the Cleveland Cliffs entrance in Middletown. A westbound Nissan Versa driven by 30 year old Dylan McNamara of College Corner veered left of center and hit an eastbound Kia Sportage driven by 55 year old Dawn Cullum of Madison Township head-on. Both McNamara and Cullum were taken to Atrium Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.

 

(AI Art Courtesy: Grok)

A Hamilton native known as the Cross-Country Killer and the Casanova Killer is scheduled to be executed next month for a Florida killing nearly 30 years after the crime. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant for 62 year old Glen Rogers, who was convicted in the November 1995 killing of Tina Marie Cribbs. Rogers is expected to receive a lethal injection on May 15th at 6:00pm, at the state prison in Starke, Florida. Rogers is also under a death sentence for a California murder, and he is suspected in a number of killings across the country. He is also
the main suspect in the murder of 71 year old Mark Peters of Hamilton, who's body was found in a Rogers family property in Kentucky back in 1994.

Fairfield City Council voted this week to replace all ten of the city's weather warning sirens. The current system is 25 years old, and is beginning to malfunction, according to a report issued to council members at their June 14th meeting. The city will pay Mobilcomm, Inc. $431,136 to perform the work. Mayor Mitch Rhodus told council members he is glad they are replacing the sirens because they sounded like they were on their "last breath" during a recent tornado warning.

The first spades of dirt were turned Thursday April 10th on the $1.7 million expansion of the Booker T. Washington Center in Hamilton. The rennovation will add 2,400 feet to the building, including a kitchen, 2 new classrooms, and rentable space for the community. Butler County provided one and a half million dollars of ARPA funding for the project. The rest came from block grant money, and donations. The last major renovation of the building was back in the 1980's.

 

(Image Courtesy of TV Hamilton)

The Butler County OVI Task Force has announced
the location for their checkpoint tonight (Friday April 11th). It will run from 7:00pm-10:00pm on northbound Route 4, 6262 Hamilton-Middletown Road, in front of the Monroe Fire House.

From the National Weather Service:

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT 
TONIGHT TO 9 AM EDT SATURDAY...

* WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low 
as 28 expected.

* WHERE...Portions of east central and 
southeast Indiana, northeast and northern 
Kentucky, and central, south central, 
southwest, and west central Ohio.

* WHEN...From midnight tonight to 
9 AM EDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions 
could kill crops, other sensitive vegetation 
and possibly damage unprotected outdoor
plumbing.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Take steps now to protect tender plants 
from the cold.

Drain in-ground sprinkler systems and cover 
above ground pipes.

A final vote was held Wednesday night April 9th on the proposed Kroger Marketplace at the former Hamilton West Shopping Center site on Brookwood Avenue. Hamilton City Council voted unanimously to approve the 123 thousand square foot store with a fueling center and a Starbucks. The $35 million project is expected to employ 325 associates. No word yet on a construction timeline.

The National Weather Service has confirmed two tornadoes touched down in Butler County Sunday night, both EF-0 storms. The first twister touched down 8:40pm near Hamilton-Eaton Road in the New Miami area, damaging several trailers at the Linda Mobile Home Park. The storm caused tree and structural damage for 6.8 miles, knocking down 8 utility poles along Wayne Madison Road. The second tornado touched down along Tylersville Road and Lady Anne Drive in West Chester around 8:52pm. It left a large tree in the road near the Meijer store, and caused some damage to a home before crossing I-75 and passing through the Voice of America Metropark, where a number of soccer goals were tossed around, and an outbuilding was knocked over. The storm moved into Warren County, and lifted just west of Morrow. It caused damage to the Camp Cedar RV resort near Kings Island.  The second storm traveled 11.7 miles. We could see similar weather Wednesday night, as another wave of severe storms are expected to move through the region. A Flood Watch also goes into effect Wednesday evening, and will last through Sunday. A Wind Advisory is in effect from 10:00am Wednesday through Midnight.

Info: New Miami-Monroe Tornado

Info: West Chester-Warren County Tornado

 

(Photo Courtesy: Butler County Sheriff's Office)

A Middletown man has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he sexually exploited a two year old girl in uploaded Snapchat videos. 32 year old Daveion Wright is facing 25 to 30 years in prison when he is sentenced at a later date. According to prosecutors, Wright uploaded videos involving the girl in sexual situations at least five times in January of 2024. One of the videos showed the naked toddler next to Wright and an adult female while they were having sex. The woman, Tiffany Morningstar, is serving a 17 and a half year sentence on state child endangering and child porn charges.