Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones has announced he is opening up the lobby of the Butler County Sheriff's Office as an emergency warming center during the winter storm this weekend. The lobby opened to the public at 6:00pm Friday, and will stay open until further notice for those who need to come in out of the snow and frigid temperatures. The office is located at 705 Hanover Street in the city of Hamilton. Jones also announced the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be opened and fully operational on Saturday January 24th at 4:00pm. If anybody is experiencing an emergency during the storm, they should call the Butler County Communications Center. Call 9-1-1 for emergencies, and (513) 785-1300 for non-emergency events. He says the Butler County Emergency Response Services team will be dispatched to assist those who need help during the storm.

The National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Warning for Butler County Friday for a massive system that was expected to cause havoc across over 30 states. Models have consistently been forecasting a foot of snow over the region, starting Saturday afternoon, and ending sometime Sunday evening or Monday morning. Road crews may encounter difficulty with snow removal due to the sub-freezing temperatures forecast to stay in the area through next week. Miami University has already decided to cancel classes for Monday, and most area schools will likely follow suit. Keep checking this account, as well as our Operation Snowflake Updates for local school closings.

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Hamilton City School District leaders are getting support from the community after last week's announcement of nearly $10 million in cuts. The City of Hamilton and 17 Strong Neighborhood Coalition are among those who released statements supporting the district's move to head off a financial crisis caused by the lack of state funding for public education. Among the cuts listed were the closing of Hamilton Freshman School (pictured) and Fairwood Elementary, which will become the site of a preschool operated by the Butler County Educational Services Center. There are also job cuts to teachers, administrators, and support staff district wide.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol says nine people were killed in nine separate crashes on Ohio roadways during the New Year’s holiday period.

According to provisional statistics released today, the five-day reporting period ran from midnight December 31st through late Sunday night, January 4th. Troopers say at least one of the fatalities involved a person who was not wearing a seat belt, even though one was available.

Among those killed was a Butler County woman. Authorities say 23-year-old Katie Lorenzo of Liberty Township died following a three-vehicle crash in Forest Park. The crash happened Friday at Winton Road and West Kemper Road. Lorenzo was taken to University Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. She was a career coach at Princeton High School.

During the holiday enforcement period, state troopers made more than 4,400 traffic stops, including 238 arrests for operating a vehicle while impaired, nearly 300 distracted driving citations, and 469 seat belt violations.

Franklin County recorded the highest number of incidents statewide, followed by Lorain, Mahoning, and Medina counties.

The Highway Patrol is reminding drivers to report dangerous or impaired driving by calling #677 and says a full statistical breakdown of holiday enforcement activity is now available.

A man accused of vandalizing Vice President JD Vance’s Cincinnati home is now facing multiple federal charges. Federal prosecutors say 26-year-old William D. DeFoor has been charged with damaging government property, engaging in physical violence on restricted grounds, and assaulting or impeding federal officers.

According to court documents, U.S. Secret Service agents spotted DeFoor around midnight running along the fence line outside the Vice President’s protected residence. Authorities say he crossed onto the property at the driveway and tried to break the window of an unmarked federal law enforcement vehicle while armed with a hammer. Investigators say DeFoor ignored repeated commands to stop and drop the weapon, then used the hammer to smash multiple windows at the residence. The damage included enhanced security equipment owned by the federal government, with losses estimated at more than 28-thousand dollars.

DeFoor allegedly tried to flee on foot but was taken into custody by Secret Service agents and Cincinnati police officers. Federal officials say the charges carry significant prison time, including up to ten years for damaging government property and up to twenty years for assaulting or interfering with federal officers.