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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2008 > September > 17 > Entry
After the storm
Anyone who has been reading our print edition this week and looking at our Web site has experienced drastically different news coverage.
Here’s why: Cox Publishing’s printer in Springboro was knocked out by Sunday’s windstorm, so our Dayton, Springfield, Hamilton and Middletown newspaper were all forced to combine into one paper that is being printed in Columbus for just this week.
I wanted to make sure nothing was lost in the shuffle, so here’s some tidbits that either didn’t make it into the paper, or had an abbreviated version in print:
- First off, Sheriff Richard K. Jones and County Commissioner Donald Dixon issued this harsh appraisal of Butler County Emergency Management Director William Turner’s response to the storm. They called it “woeful” and “adequate at best.”
Why? Well, as the story says, emergency responders were tripping over each other to gas up their vehicles in the storm’s early hours and no one ever asked anything of the state. In short, regional response, which is Turner’s job, fell short.
There was some mischief. This story outlines shoplifting and even dumpster divers trying to sell spoiled food door to door. Quoth Sheriff Jones: “That food is not good.” This one gives the details of as many as 3,000 walnut-wielding Miami University students protesting having to go to the classes they pay thousands of dollars to attend.
But there was also heroism and humor. My favorite line about Melissa Murphy, a registered nurse in Middletown responding to the calamity:
While driving from Carlisle to Middletown after caring for a critically-ill patient, Murphy said the winds were so strong that a blue portable toilet slid by her in the right lane.
- And here is a catch-all story we were updating as news broke yesterday. It includes places to take a shower and services available for the needy.
So tell us about your experience? Did you learn anything from this storm?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Butler County
Comments
By Dick
September 17, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
I’d like to know what police departments ran out of gas, Our didn’t and I’ve heard of know one who did. I think our Sheriff is making one up.
By Mae
September 17, 2008 9:13 PM | Link to this
Maybe you newspaper reports could call a few police departments and see if they ran out of gas. If the county waqs short on fuel why didn’t the sheriff park his little toy heliochopter.
By Ross Resident
September 17, 2008 9:46 PM | Link to this
Let us count the takeovers the Sheriff has undertaken: EMA Dog Catcher New Miami Police Ross Police Hamilton Police City Health Department Custom and Immigration Service AK Steel Duke Energy I’m sure I missed some… Tell me what he can run better that the people who’s job it is to run these agencies.
By James
September 19, 2008 8:38 PM | Link to this
Tell me sheriff, if a well liked and respected township official is a “Goof” what do you think and say about the rest of us rural township folks? I’m sick of the rich politicians from the east side that think they are better than us people in the rural areas. What’s the guys name that is running against Jones? Whatever it is he’s got my vote.