HAMILTON--The West Side Little League All-Stars returned home Sunday evening after an inspirational run at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Manager Tim Nichting told WMOH the team arrived in town around 8:00pm Sunday. A celebration for the team, which finished 4th in the world and U.S. runners-up, will come at a later date. The west siders lost their first game to eventual U.S. champ Henderson, Nevada, then put together a string of five straight wins in the elimination bracket, earning a spot in the U.S. Championship game Saturday. Nevada run-ruled Hamilton 12-2, and Japan scored three runs in the bottom of the 6th to take Sunday's consolation game 3-2. Sports bars and restaurants were full of fans cheering the team on, and Nichting says they definitely felt the support.

Photo Courtesy: ©Little League Baseball and Softball

HAMILTON, Ohio — The Voices of America Country Music Festival will have a new home beginning in 2027 at the Butler County Fairgrounds, organizers and local officials announced Monday. Festival founder Tyler Wogenstahl said the move keeps the event in Butler County after four years at VOA MetroPark in West Chester Township. “I’m proud to announce in the beginning of 2027, the Voices of America Country Music Fest will have a new home at the Butler County Fairgrounds,” Wogenstahl said. “We are grateful to the West Chester community for welcoming us and helping make our first four years of this festival possible.” He said organizers are applying lessons from previous years to strengthen planning, communication, accountability, and public safety. The fairgrounds site will allow an improved fan experience and camping for the first time, along with new opportunities for local businesses, tourism, and jobs. “This festival is built in Butler County, and its future is in Butler County,” Wogenstahl said. West Chester Township previously confirmed 2026 as the final year for the festival at its current location, citing growing demands, public-safety costs, property restoration, and what officials said was insufficient local economic benefit. Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser called Monday “a great day” for Hamilton, Fairfield Township, and the county. He said hotels filled during past festivals and credited Sheriff Richard K. Jones with surveying possible sites by helicopter and concluding the fairgrounds could work. “It is possible, and as a result of that, it did happen,” Gmoser said. Commissioner Don Dixon said the Fair Board, led by Doug Turner, put the deal together. Dixon said the new revenue stream could help renovate aging fairgrounds buildings over time. “The dollars need to stay in Butler County, and those dollars can be used to renovate the whole area,” Dixon said. Hamilton City Manager Craig Bucheit said the city is excited to welcome thousands of visitors. “We’re confident that those visitors are going to have a significant benefit to our hotels, to our restaurants, to our small businesses,” Bucheit said. “It’s an opportunity for us to showcase to a lot of new faces all the great things that are happening in the city of Hamilton.” Sheriff Jones said negotiations began several days ago and a contract was signed last week. He said neither the county nor the city is putting up money. The Fair Board will receive payment under the contract; exact figures were not released Monday. Jones said no renovations are required to host the festival next year. Parking and traffic will be handled jointly by area departments. He described the first year as “organized chaos” but said fans typically arrive several to a car. Part of the fairgrounds sits in Fairfield Township, and officials there have been notified, Jones said.

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Hamilton’s West Side Little League All-Stars take the field Saturday afternoon for the United States championship at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The 3:30 p.m. game against Paseo Verde Little League of Henderson, Nevada, airs on ABC. The winner advances to Sunday’s World Series championship game. The loser plays in the third-place consolation game. Manager Tim Nichting spoke with WMOH after Thursday’s 7-1 win over Davenport, Iowa — a game that came just hours after West Side eliminated Alabama. “The biggest thing I’m gonna say, my biggest feeling is just pride, just pride,” Nichting said. “Pride in Hamilton, pride in my baseball team, glad I can make all these people in Hamilton happy. Wow, how humbling too that we’re actually in the USA Championship game. I mean, wow, humbling as can be.” West Side is making its sixth trip to Williamsport, more than any other program. Nichting has coached at West Side for 43 years. “A lot of pride in my team in Hamilton,” he said. “Been doing this for 43 years at Westside and, wow, just a crazy feeling that my little league team, our little league team in Hamilton is gonna be playing for the best team in little league in the USA.” The Iowa game followed a short night. Kids were in bed around 11:30 p.m. after the Alabama win and up at 7 a.m. They still scored four runs in the first inning.

Walker Osborne threw a complete-game four-hitter. “Walker threw the game of his life,” Nichting said. “Iowa had two really good hitters at the top of the order. He gave up a double to one of them, but for the most part Walker battled. It’s pretty crazy to get a complete game out of a six-inning game.” West Side has a day off before Saturday. Nichting said pitching should be fine. “We should be alright. We got Josiah Infante. He had a little sore arm last night, that’s why he only threw two, but we’ll have him and Bob Frazier and Leo Feltner. It’ll be three kids, and we like all three and hopefully they can get it done.” If the team reaches Sunday, Boone Treadway is available. Two more wins would make West Side world champions. “Hard to believe, two more wins we’re world champs,” Nichting said. “And we got the pitching to do it. I like the guys going Saturday. … Let’s go Hamilton.” The U.S. championship is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ABC.

 

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Photo Courtesy: ©Little League Baseball and Softball

MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Cleveland-Cliffs announced Friday a $1 billion optimization project at its Middletown Works steel plant, supported by a rescoped $500 million U.S. Department of Energy award. Vice President JD Vance marked the announcement with a noontime speech at the facility in his hometown.

The total investment will be shared equally between Cleveland-Cliffs and the Department of Energy. The multi-year project is expected to begin in the coming weeks and be deployed over the next four years while steel production continues without interruption. Completion of the blast furnace rebuild is planned for the first quarter of 2030. The investment includes state-of-the-art upgrades to the blast furnace, advanced material handling infrastructure, and artificial intelligence-enabled process control technologies. A key component is construction of an advanced cogeneration facility that will capture and utilize blast furnace gas to generate electricity and steam for on-site use. Company officials said the upgrades will improve energy efficiency, reduce reliance on external power, lower operating costs, and boost operational reliability, productivity, and cost competitiveness. Middletown Works is Cleveland-Cliffs’ flagship plant for producing automotive-grade steels, particularly for exposed parts of cars, trucks, and SUVs. It currently produces approximately 3 million tons of raw steel annually. The project will preserve the facility’s steelmaking capacity and 2,300 jobs. At peak construction, more than 1,500 workers—including local union building trades—are expected to be employed. “Cleveland-Cliffs is making a decisive investment in the future of American steelmaking and manufacturing, going above and beyond a standard blast furnace reline, to include the most advanced technology available,” said Lourenco Goncalves, Cliffs’ Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Through our cooperation with President Trump’s Administration and the U.S. Department of Energy, we developed a project reliant on proven technology that improves operational efficiency and competitiveness. The DOE’s support for this project is a testament to the importance of preserving the blast furnace route to produce automotive-exposed grade steels in the U.S., while advancing American energy dominance. We thank President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary Wright for their partnership. This investment strengthens domestic steelmaking, preserves 2,300 jobs and ensures that Middletown Works remains one of the premier steelmaking facilities in North America for decades to come.” Vance, joined by U.S. Secretary of Energy Christopher Wright and other federal and state elected leaders, delivered remarks highlighting the investment and the Trump Administration’s America First economic agenda. The plant holds personal significance for the vice president—his grandfather worked there for nearly 40 years when it was known as Armco Steel, a story Vance detailed in his memoir Hillbilly Elegy.

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(Photo Courtesy: Cleveland-Cliff's Facebook)

The West Side Little League All-Stars lose a heart-breaker to Nevada, falling 6-to-5 on a walk-off single by Hudson Cowley in the bottom of the 6th inning. Hamilton will play New England tomorrow at 3pm in the elimination bracket. Leo Feltner drove in two runs for Hamilton with an RBI single and Sacrifice Fly. Starter Boone Treadway pitched 3 innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits, striking out five batters on 68 pitches. Finn Dykes, Jack McAdams, and Walker Osborne also drove in runs for West Side.

©Photo Courtesy of Little League Baseball and Softball

 

HAMILTON, Ohio — The body of a 47-year-old Dayton man was recovered from the Great Miami River near the dam in Hamilton on Thursday, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and Coroner’s Office. Sheriff Richard K. Jones reported that the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a 911 call at approximately 11:42 a.m. on August 20 from a person who reported seeing what appeared to be a body in the river. Members of the Sheriff’s Office Emergency Response Services (ERS) Team arrived and recovered the deceased individual. The body was turned over to the Butler County Coroner’s Office, who has identified the man as Eric Blakley, 47, of Dayton. The preliminary cause of death is drowning, and the preliminary manner of death is accidental. An autopsy was conducted. The official time of death is listed as 1:11 p.m. Sheriff Jones issued a safety reminder following the recovery: “Never underestimate the power of moving water. The river may look calm on the surface, but strong currents and undertows can quickly pull a person under and make it extremely difficult to recover. If you are going to be in or around the river, always wear a properly fitted life jacket. It can save your life.” The Butler County Sheriff’s Office ERS Team is specially trained for water-related emergencies, including swift-water operations and recovery in strong currents.

 

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(Photo Courtesy: Butler County Sheriff's Office)

 

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa — Hamilton's West Side Little League All-Stars will open play Thursday at the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, carrying both the Great Lakes Regional championship and a record for the most World Series appearances by any team. Manager Tim Nichting’s squad faces the Mountain Region champion at 2 p.m. at Howard J. Lamade Stadium. West Side will make its sixth trip to the World Series, the most in Little League history. Nichting tells WMOH the team arrived early in Williamsport and has already experienced the full whirlwind that comes with the biggest stage in youth baseball. “It’s kinda crazy and hectic the first few days,” Nichting said. “Getting your uniforms, they get all new bats, shoes, batting gloves… and the crazy part that people don’t really know is they all get interviewed and some of them gotta do a commercial. It’s a crazy world up here.”

The players took part in the annual World Series parade Monday night and have been signing small souvenir balls tossed up by young fans, then throwing them back. “My kids are having a ball,” Nichting said. Former major leaguer Steve Garvey served as master of ceremonies at one event. Nichting introduced himself, though he noted most of the 12-year-olds on the roster weren’t around when Garvey was a star. He is also hoping the group runs into Todd Frazier, who has been spotted in the area. After the initial excitement of new gear and media attention, the focus has sharpened. “Everything seemed to get honed in here the last couple days, focused on what’s at hand,” Nichting said. The team got a good night’s sleep and went to bed early ahead of the opener. Nichting likes what he has seen from his pitching staff and expects Boone Treadway to get the start Thursday. “This team, when we watch them, seem to take a lot of strikes, so we think Boone pounds the strike zone better than anybody… and he’s kinda had the hot hand too, so we’ll probably ride that hot hand.” The Mountain Region club looks solid on video, but Nichting said every team in Williamsport is capable. “We think we can compete with anybody here and, let’s hope we throw strikes and we should be alright tomorrow.” Support from the Hamilton area has poured in. Former major leaguers with local ties, including Aaron Cook, Ricky Stone, and other one-time West Side players, have sent messages. Manager Jim Tracy, a Hamilton product, also reached out. “Hamilton has a great history of its own players,” Nichting said. “Just awesome… love it to death, and just wanna thank ’em all for all the love and support.” Security around the complex is tighter than in past years. “They’re just protecting everybody’s kids,” Nichting said. “Sometimes it seems a little much, but the bottom line is they’re protecting everybody’s kids, so you can’t argue that.” The players have been outfitted with new helmets, bats, shoes, batting gloves, gloves, headbands and arm bands. “They’re living large, no doubt about it,” the manager said with a laugh. Nichting closed with a message to the home community: “Thank you to all of Hamilton for all their love and support… we’re proud to represent Hamilton, Ohio.”

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© Photo Courtesy of Little League Baseball

FAIRFIELD — The City of Fairfield has been awarded $40 million in federal funding for a major infrastructure project aimed at improving safety, reducing traffic congestion and strengthening rail transportation through Butler County. U.S. Sen. Jon Husted announced Thursday that he secured the federal funding for Fairfield’s Symmes Road Grade Separation project. The project will eliminate two at-grade railroad crossings at Symmes Road and North Gilmore Road by constructing an overpass that will carry traffic over a major rail corridor used by CSX, Norfolk Southern and Amtrak. The rail line sees nearly 50 trains each day. Symmes Road is a major east-west route through Fairfield, carrying more than 12,000 vehicles daily. City officials say separating vehicle and rail traffic will improve emergency response times, reduce congestion and eliminate the possibility of collisions at the two crossings. Husted said the project also will help support economic growth in the area. “This project is about making Fairfield safer and keeping people, products and the economy moving forward,” Husted said. “Separating road and rail traffic will reduce congestion and the risk of collisions, improve emergency response times and make it more efficient for students, families and workers to get where they need to go.” Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller called the federal award a transformational moment for the city and the region. For decades, the railroad crossings have been viewed as a barrier to safety, mobility and economic development. Miller said the federal funding gives Fairfield the resources needed to finally address the problem. The Butler County Transportation Improvement District has also been pursuing the project for more than three decades. Executive Director Dan Corey said eliminating the crossings will enhance safety and connectivity and benefit the community for generations. The project is also expected to support the area's growing logistics and distribution industry, with millions of square feet of new development currently under construction nearby. In addition to improving roadway traffic, the project is expected to create more than four miles of uninterrupted rail track north of Cincinnati's congested rail terminals. Officials say that will improve the movement of both freight and passenger trains through the region. U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson said the project has long been a priority for Fairfield because the crossings affect daily traffic, emergency response and businesses that depend on the corridor. The $40 million comes through the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program, a federal program supporting major rail infrastructure projects. Husted said he advocated for the Fairfield project in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The project is expected to improve public safety, reduce traffic congestion, strengthen rail operations and support continued economic development in Fairfield and throughout Butler County.

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(Image Courtesy: City of Fairfield)

WHITESTOWN, INDIANA--The West Side Little League All-Stars punched their ticket to the Little League World Series with a 6-0 win over LaGrange, Kentucky in the Great Lakes Regional Final. Boone Treadway pitched a complete game one-hitter, striking out nine batters to pick up the win. Hamilton scored all six runs in the first inning, highlighted by Josiah Infante's two out, two run homer. Hamilton will begin play in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on Thursday August 20, 2:00pm against the Mountain regional champion. 

(Image Credit: Chris Vogt, The Report Ohio)

HAMILTON — The west side Kroger was evacuated yesterday after someone made a comment to a store employee that was percieved as a threat.  Police came with a full response, and found the person who made the statement, which was determined to be misinterpreted, according to Police Chief Trent Chenoweth at the scene. No weapons were found, and no charges have been filed. The store re-opened around 6pm.

HAMILTON — Hamilton-based vertical farming company 80 Acres Farms announced Monday that it is winding down operations after failing to secure the financing needed to continue the business. In a statement, the company said it had made "an exhaustive effort to find a way forward" but ultimately could not obtain the capital required to keep operating. "For a decade, our team has proven that vertical farming can work at scale—building and operating indoor farms that ultimately supplied more than 18,000 retail locations across the U.S.," the company said. "Unfortunately, under current circumstances, we could not secure the capital required to continue that work." 80 Acres Farms has been one of the nation's leading vertical farming companies, producing leafy greens, herbs, microgreens and salad products inside climate-controlled indoor facilities using hydroponic growing systems. The company said its technology uses 100 percent renewable electricity and up to 95 percent less water than traditional farming. The Hamilton-based company expanded rapidly over the past decade, with its products sold in more than 17,000 retail locations nationwide. Just weeks ago, the company highlighted the advantages of indoor farming during a nationwide Cyclospora outbreak, noting that its closed-loop growing system eliminates many of the contamination pathways associated with outdoor agriculture.

The company thanked its employees, retail partners and the communities that supported its growth. "We have seen vertical farming's potential up close, and we still believe that this industry is just getting started, and that we have helped plant the seeds for generations of future harvests," the statement said. The announcement did not specify how many employees will be affected or provide a timeline for winding down operations. The company's headquarters are located at One Renaissance Center in downtown Hamilton.

 

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WEST CHESTER TOWNSHIP — The Voices of America Country Music Festival will not return to VOA MetroPark after its 2026 event, according to West Chester Township officials. The township announced Wednesday that it informed festival organizer Further Concepts and Investors, LLC, doing business as Further Festivals, in early June that it would not renew the license agreement for use of township property beyond next year. Officials said the advance notice gives organizers time to secure a new location for future festivals.

The original agreement included automatic renewals for the 2025 and 2026 festivals, but any events in 2027 or 2028 required mutual agreement between the township and festival organizers. After reviewing the event's continued growth, township leaders determined the current site is no longer the right long-term fit.

Township officials said hosting an event of the festival's size requires significant commitments for public safety, traffic management, operational planning and restoring the property afterward. The release also states the festival "has not produced a measurable local economic benefit sufficient to offset these impacts."

Despite the decision, West Chester thanked festival organizers, first responders and community partners who have helped make the event possible over the years. Township officials said they remain committed to working with Further Festivals and regional partners to ensure the 2026 festival is held safely and in full compliance with the existing license agreement.

The township's announcement does not indicate where the festival may relocate after 2026, and organizers have not announced future plans.

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(Image Courtesy: Voices of America Festival)