The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating a fatal motorcycle crash involving a Middletown man. Troopers from the Springfield Post say the crash happened Saturday at about 2:44 p.m. on the ramp from Interstate 70 eastbound to Interstate 675 southbound in Mad River Township, Clark County. According to investigators, 68-year-old Robert Depew of Middletown was operating a Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide when he failed to negotiate a curve on the ramp. Troopers say the motorcycle traveled off the left side of the roadway and overturned. Depew was taken to Soin Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries. The Ohio State Highway Patrol was assisted at the scene by the Clark County Sheriff’s Department, Mad River Fire and EMS, and Buckeye Towing and Recovery Services.

 

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Construction is officially underway on the long-awaited Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project connecting Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear joined state, local, and federal officials Friday to mark the launch of the project, which includes construction of a new cable-stayed companion bridge alongside the existing Brent Spence Bridge over the Ohio River. The current bridge, opened in 1963, is considered one of the nation’s worst trucking bottlenecks and carries far more traffic than originally intended. “Today, after decades of planning and preparation, we are finally breaking ground on a solution to the traffic headaches and interstate commerce delays caused by the overcrowded Brent Spence Bridge,” DeWine said. The $4.05 billion project will include new approaches to the companion bridge and major improvements to interstate connections in both Ohio and Kentucky. More than 30 overpasses and underpasses in Ohio and about a dozen in Kentucky will also be rebuilt or upgraded. Officials say more than $1 billion in freight moves through the I-71/I-75 corridor every day. The project will also restore emergency shoulders to the existing Brent Spence Bridge, redesign ramps, and add pedestrian and bicycle paths. Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called the groundbreaking a “major step forward” for both states and the nation. Federal officials say the project received $1.63 billion in federal grants, among the largest transportation grants awarded in U.S. history. Construction is expected to create more than 700 jobs, with that number potentially reaching 1,000 workers during peak construction. The new companion bridge is expected to open in 2031, with major approach work completed by 2033.

 

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(Photo Courtesy Governor Mike DeWine.
 

The National Association of Letter Carriers will hold their annual Stamp Out Hunger food drive on Saturday May 9th. If you would like to participate, you should leave boxes or cans of non-perishable food items by your mailbox, and your letter carrier or volunteer will pick it up. Organizers say this is the biggest single day food
drive in the country. K.T. Sills, Community Engagement Manager for the Shared Harvest Food Bank in Fairfield, says the drive couldn't come at a better time for hurting families who are dependent on the organization. Last year, Butler Countians donated more than 13,000 pounds of food for Shared Harvest.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol will conduct statewide OVI checkpoints next week as part of a three-day effort aimed at reducing impaired driving crashes and fatalities. The checkpoints will take place May 14 through May 16, with troopers and more than 100 local law enforcement agencies participating across Ohio. “The goal of these statewide checkpoints is to deter and intercept impaired drivers, ensuring the safety of all motorists on Ohio’s roadways,” said Colonel Charles Jones, superintendent of the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Patrol officials say impaired driving continues to be a leading factor in fatal and serious injury crashes statewide. The announcement also highlighted the story of Thomas Tomasheski of Grafton, whose daughter-in-law and grandson were killed in a 2011 crash involving an impaired driver. His son and granddaughter were seriously injured in the head-on collision. “I have a life sentence,” Tomasheski said. “There is never a day that goes by without my mourning the loss of my family… never.” The Ohio Department of Transportation will assist with traffic control and signage during the checkpoints. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources also plans increased OVI enforcement on both waterways and roadways during the same period. Drivers are encouraged to designate a sober driver, use rideshare services, and report suspected impaired drivers by calling #677, which connects callers directly to the nearest Ohio State Highway Patrol post.

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The Butler County OVI Task Force will conduct a sobriety checkpoint tonight (May 8th) in West Chester Township. The checkpoint is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m. Friday and end no later than 10 p.m. on Tylersville Road near Crosley Boulevard, between Cox Road and Butler-Warren Road. Officials say westbound traffic will be checked. The checkpoint and accompanying saturation patrols are part of an ongoing effort to reduce impaired driving crashes, injuries, and fatalities in Butler County. The Butler County OVI Task Force is funded through the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
 

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Police evacuated the Walmart store in Oxford Thursday morning after a bomb threat was reported. According to the Oxford Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch Center received a call at 10:43 a.m. from an employee at the Walmart on College Corner Pike saying the store had received a phone call claiming a bomb had been placed inside. Oxford Police responded and established a secure perimeter around the store with assistance from Miami University Police. Authorities say Walmart employees had already started evacuating customers and staff before officers arrived. The Oxford Fire Department also responded as a precaution. At 11:01 a.m., a Miami University Police K-9 unit trained in explosive detection searched the store alongside officers. Police say no explosive device was found, and the store reopened at 11:40 a.m. The incident remains under investigation by the Oxford Police Department Criminal Investigations Unit. Anyone with information about the source of the call is asked to contact the Oxford Police crime tip line at 513-524-5268.

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A person is dead following an early morning crash and water rescue attempt in Middletown. Middletown Police say officers responded around 4:13 a.m. Thursday to the 4100 block of Manchester Road on a report of a single-vehicle crash. Investigators say the SUV traveled off the roadway, struck a fence, and ended up in a pond. Officers arriving at the scene immediately attempted to rescue the occupant from the submerged vehicle. Despite those efforts, the occupant was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation by the Middletown Division of Police Traffic Unit. Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Scott Renner at 513-425-1799, Middletown Police Dispatch at 513-425-7701, or by email at scott.renner@cityofmiddletown.org

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Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones is offering a 5-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to arrests in a shots-fired investigation in Liberty Township. Deputies were called May 2nd to the area of Granada Court after reports of a large gathering with loud music and gunfire. Detectives later recovered multiple spent shell casings and bullet fragments from both inside and outside a residence. Investigators say evidence included a bullet fragment lodged in an interior wall, along with additional fragments found throughout the yard. Authorities say several people who attended the after prom gathering have been interviewed, but cooperation has been limited. In a statement, Sheriff Jones called the gunfire “reckless and violent behavior” that put innocent lives at risk and created fear in the neighborhood. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Office or submit an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers.

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More than 45-hundred students are expected to take part in Miami University’s 187th Spring Commencement ceremony May 16th at Yager Stadium in Oxford. The ceremony begins at 10:30 a-m and will be held rain or shine. University officials say no tickets are required, and the event will also be livestreamed online. This year’s keynote speaker will be John Harbaugh, the head coach of the New York Giants and a 1984 graduate of Miami University. Harbaugh played defensive back for the RedHawks and earned a degree in political science. Harbaugh previously led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory in 2013 and was inducted into Miami’s Cradle of Coaches Association the following year. Miami University expects to award more than 45-hundred degrees during commencement ceremonies, including nearly 37-hundred bachelor’s degrees and close to 500 master’s degrees. The most common undergraduate majors among graduates this year include finance, marketing, psychology, biology, kinesiology, and nursing.

University officials say students receiving degrees come from 43 states and Washington, D-C, with about 65 percent of graduates from Ohio. The university will also award honorary doctorate degrees to Harbaugh, attorney Sue Henry, and entrepreneur Dwight Merriman.

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A Waynesville man has been sentenced to 8 to 12 years in prison in a child sexual abuse material case in Warren County. Warren County Prosecutor David Fornshell says 60-year-old Patrick Powers was sentenced Wednesday by Common Pleas Judge Timothy Tepe after previously pleading guilty to a 63-count indictment involving the dissemination, transfer and possession of child sexual abuse material. According to prosecutors, between July and November of 2025, Powers used the KIK messaging app to exchange images and videos depicting children engaged in sexual activity with ten different people. Authorities say investigators recovered an extensive collection of child sexual abuse material from Powers’ cellphone during the execution of a search warrant. Powers will be required to register as a Tier Two sex offender upon his release from prison. In a statement, Prosecutor Fornshell said every exchange of child sexual abuse images and videos causes “real and lasting harm” to victims by continuing their exploitation, adding that the prison sentence represents “a measure of justice.” Fornshell also credited Detectives Brandi Carter and Rick Bens of the Warren County Sheriff’s Office, along with Assistant Prosecutor Kevin Hardman and Legal Assistant Leanne Massingill, for their work on the investigation and prosecution of the case.

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Voters in the Fairfield City School District have defeated a proposed 1-point-25 percent earned income tax levy on the May 5th ballot. Following the defeat, district officials say they will move ahead with about 4-point-5 million dollars in spending reductions before the start of the 2026-2027 school year. District leaders say additional revenue will still be needed to avoid deeper cuts in the future. Officials estimate another 15 million dollars in reductions could be required if a future ballot issue, possibly as soon as November, is not approved. The district says it plans to continue discussions with the Board of Education and the community in the coming months about future funding options and additional cost-cutting measures. Among the proposed Tier One reductions are the elimination of administrative and support staff positions, cuts to instructional specialist jobs and teaching positions through attrition, reductions in English learner tutors and custodial staff, increased extracurricular fees, and the elimination of all school field trips. Other proposed reductions include changes to Chromebook replacement schedules, ending district-paid AP and PSAT testing, and eliminating fee waivers for economically disadvantaged students participating in extracurricular activities. District officials say they remain committed to transparency as they move through the process.

Former Hamilton Vice Mayor Michael Ryan was the overwhelming choice of Republican voters in Tuesday's GOP county commission primary, ousting longtime incumbent Cindy Carpenter. Ryan gained 21,313 votes, compared to Carpenter's 8,446 votes for a 71.62%-28.38% margin. In an interview with WMOH News Director Steve Vaughn after the final results were reported, Ryan said the voters were ready for a change, and are ready to take Butler County to 2050 and beyond. He said as commissioner, he hopes to attract up and coming companies, focusing on technology and innovation. Ryan will face Democrat Mike Miller in November's General Election.

Here are tonight's LIVE Primary Results:

Butler County Board of Elections

Ohio Secretary of State's Office

It's Primary Election Day in Butler County. The polls open at 6:30am and close at 7:30pm. If you still have an absentee ballot, you can turn it in to the Board of Elections before 7:30pm to get it counted. The big race on the ballot today, the Butler County Commission primary between incumbent Cindy Carpenter and party endorsed challenger Michael Ryan, former Vice Mayor of Hamilton. There are a number of issues on the ballot, including an earned income tax levy in the Fairfield City School District. Police and fire levies in Fairfield Township have brought out a large number of early voters. Fire levies are also on the ballot in Ross and Hanover Townships. The Butler County Board of Developmental Disabilities has a 2 mill levy on the ballot. Statewide, Vivek Ramaswamy is running against Casey Putsch in the Republican gubernatorial primary.

The Butler County Prosecutor’s Office says it has concluded a nearly three-year investigation into financial activity at the Middletown Senior Citizen Center, doing business as Central Connections, and a grand jury has declined to pursue any criminal charges. The investigation, which began with the Middletown Police Department and included assistance from an investigator and forensic accountant with the Ohio Auditor’s Office as well as the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, examined allegations of financial misconduct involving the nonprofit organization over an extended period. According to Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser (pictured), investigators interviewed multiple witnesses, subpoenaed records, and reviewed numerous boxes of evidence. Some materials, however, were not discovered until years into the inquiry, and key accounting data was ultimately found to be inaccessible after computers containing financial records were reportedly disposed of before investigators could examine them. The investigation centered on the organization Central Connections and its former Executive Director Diane Rodgers, along with oversight practices by members of its board, including former Board Presidents Rich Hasemeier and Rick Fishbaugh and Treasurer Don Evers.

Prosecutors said the investigation found that Rodgers made approximately $10,000 in personal purchases using organizational credit cards. The office also noted that board members and financial leadership were made aware of the spending concerns but did not implement controls or limits on her authority. Investigators further described a lack of clear financial guardrails during her tenure. The report also cited broader governance concerns, including hiring practices that did not include a nationwide background check and decisions that allegedly contributed to weakened financial oversight. Among those was the disposal of computers containing accounting records in exchange for the forgiveness of IT-related debt, which resulted in the loss of potentially relevant data. Central Connections reportedly received funding from multiple public sources, including the Council on Aging and the City of Middletown. Despite identifying what it described as significant financial and managerial shortcomings, the prosecutor’s office said it could not establish a clear legal standard to support criminal charges. Officials cited disorganized records, missing accounting data, and the use of cash payroll practices as factors that prevented a definitive determination of unlawful conduct. The Butler County Grand Jury ultimately reviewed the evidence and declined to bring formal charges, effectively closing the case.

 

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New investments are coming to Marcum Park as leaders look to build on nearly a decade of the downtown park's impact in Hamilton. The Hamilton Parks Conservancy announced a series of upgrades designed to enhance the park’s appearance, functionality, and long-term sustainability. The improvements include a more sustainable landscape, a new lighting system, irrigation upgrades, and the installation of new benches and trash receptacles. Assistant Parks Director Kevin Noonan says the goal is to continue improving one of the city’s most visible and heavily used public spaces, making sure it remains welcoming year-round. The project is funded through the Marcum Park Maintenance Fund, established by the Marcum family through the Hamilton Community Foundation to support the park’s long-term upkeep. Officials say the upgrades will also allow for customizable lighting for special events and holidays, while reinforcing the park’s role as a central gathering place along the Great Miami River. Marcum Park was created nearly ten years ago on the site of the former Mercy Hospital and has since become a key driver of activity and investment in Hamilton’s urban core.

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Edgewood City Schools has named its next superintendent. The Board of Education has selected Jeff Madden to lead the district starting with the 2026–2027 school year. Madden currently serves as assistant superintendent at Fairborn City Schools and brings experience in student services, curriculum, business operations, and strategic planning. The Edgewood High School graduate called the appointment a “privilege to return home,” saying he’s ready to give back to the community that shaped him. Current Superintendent Curtis Philpot will transition into a new role as director of business operations and facilities, remaining with the district to help ensure a smooth leadership change. District leaders say Madden’s experience and connection to the community make him the right person to lead Edgewood forward.

Flying Pig Marathon weekend turned historic as record crowds and record times highlighted the 2026 races across Cincinnati. A 20-year course record fell Sunday when Zach Kreft of Sunbury won the men’s marathon in 2:17:40—nearly three minutes faster than the previous mark set in 2006. Kreft said he aimed for a steady start before pushing late, crediting the crowd energy for helping carry him to the finish. The women’s title went to Katie Hallahan of Cincinnati, who crossed in 2:48:43. A former runner-up in the race, Hallahan called the local running community “special,” pointing to strong support throughout the course’s  neighborhoods. The event also drew its largest field ever, with more than 45,000 participants across the weekend—surpassing the previous record set in 2018. Other top finishers in the marathon included Emerson Wells of Cincinnati and Garang Madut of Dayton in the men’s division, while Daniella Townsend and Morgan Gaskins rounded out the women’s top three. In the Paycor Half Marathon, Simon Heys of Wilmington won the men’s race, while Amanda Zerhusen of Cincinnati claimed the women’s title. Weekend events also included the Toyota 10K, Queen City Running 5K, and Fifty West Mile, all of which reached full capacity—another sign of the event’s continued growth and popularity. Organizers say the combination of elite performances, community participation, and strong local support made 2026 one of the most memorable Flying Pig weekends in the race’s history.

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(Photo Credit: Flying Pig Marathon)

The Middletown City School District has named its next superintendent. The Board of Education announced Friday that G. Elgin Card will take over the district’s top leadership role, succeeding current superintendent Deborah Houser. Card currently serves as superintendent of Princeton City Schools and will officially begin his new position in Middletown on August First. District leaders say Card brings a wide range of experience, having worked as a teacher, principal, and district administrator throughout his career. In a statement, Card says he’s honored to take on the role and looks forward to working with students, families, and staff to build on the district’s strengths. Board President Dr. Chris Urso praised Card as an experienced and authentic leader, saying his vision and passion for education stood out throughout the selection process. The search included multiple rounds of interviews and input from students, families, staff, and community members. Finalists also participated in a public “Meet the Candidates” event earlier this week. Card will replace Deborah Houser, who has led the district for the past three years. School officials also thanked Houser for her nearly two decades of service to Middletown City Schools.

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The Southwest Local School District is mourning the loss of a longtime Harrison High School teacher. District officials say John Stephen “Steve” Coffman the Second has passed away, leaving behind a legacy of more than two decades in education. Coffman joined the district in 2004 and taught a wide range of math courses at both Harrison Junior School and William Henry Harrison High School, including Algebra, Statistics, and Financial Math.

Before coming to Southwest Local, he spent ten years teaching in Indiana schools. Beyond the classroom, Coffman was deeply involved in student life—serving as an assistant coach in cross country and softball, and as head boys basketball coach at the high school. Colleagues say he was known for his steady presence, patience, and strong commitment to students, building lasting relationships throughout the district. In addition to teaching, Coffman also worked as an investment advisor, helping fellow staff members with financial planning. The district says the loss is deeply impacting students and staff. Classes at Harrison High School and Harrison Junior School are canceled Friday, May First. Both buildings will remain open during normal hours, with grief counselors available from 9 a.m. to noon. Additional support services will also be available when classes resume Monday. District leaders are asking the community to keep Coffman’s family, friends, and colleagues in their thoughts.

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