Thumbs up to  I-75 ‘job shuttles’

'Could we afford swimming pools for kids?'
6/24/11
Thumbs up to beautiful homes
6/24/11
Charles Krauthammer: U.S. needs a new way to decide when we’re at war
6/24/11
Treasurer: ‘County finances can be rather complex’
6/24/11
'He's right on target'
6/20/11
> More opinion headlines

10:52 AM Friday, November 6, 2009

Here are this week’s “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” selections:

Ask anyone what they think Ohio’s top issue is and the answer you’re likely to receive is: Jobs. So it was reassuring to see Gov. Ted Strickland in Butler County’s West Chester Twp. earlier this week in support of a $24 million state package to keep Intelligrated Systems Inc.’s operations in southwest Ohio. Kentucky officials had been trying to lure the company south of the Ohio River, but Intelligrated accepted Ohio’s offer and said it’s staying put. Intelligrated — which designs, engineers and installs unit material handling systems for other companies, like Procter & Gamble and Home Depot — has 310 jobs in West Chester Twp. and 215 in nearby Mason, and plans to create 267 more within the next three years. We’re glad Intelligrated is staying and growing in the Buckeye State.

Of course, jobs can go unfilled if prospective employees do not have adequate transportation. That’s why we’re a supporter of efficient mass-transit systems and why this week’s announcement of two “Butler County Job Shuttle” buses, to be operated by the Butler County Regional Transit Authority, was excellent news. BCRTA has been awarded a $409,000 grant for the shuttles, which will provide $5 one-way trips along the Interstate 75 corridor from 6 a.m. to midnight on weekdays. “We are targeting residents of Middletown, Monroe, Trenton, Hamilton and Fairfield,” Carla Lakatos, BCRTA executive director, told staff writer Denise Wilson. “We’re focusing on lower-income, entry-level positions for people who don’t necessarily have a reliable car and need a little help to get to and from work.” If that description fits you, we urge you to look into this new service. For more information, call (513) 785-5237.

Gifted students at Hamilton’s Pierce Elementary School may not be able to go with a Miami University entomologist when he travels to Antarctica in January, but they’ll be doing the next best thing: Following Richard Lee’s expedition via the Internet. As staff writer Richard O Jones reported this week, Lee will be doing research on the Belgica antarctica, an insect that is the largest terrestrial animal on the continent. Teacher Mary Ann Richter said Pierce students will be working on global warming projects and will communicate with Lee during his expedition. When he returns in February, he’ll visit the students and exchange information with them. Thumbs up to this outstanding partnership between Miami and our local schools.

OK, everyone had a chuckle this week at the expense of the young driver who dressed up as a Breathalyzer test for Halloween and then — with an irony that nearly defies belief — failed a real Breathalyzer test in Oxford when stopped by police. May we suggest that James Miller, the 20-year-old Cincinnati man now facing charges related to his high blood-alcohol level last weekend, consider a different costume for next Halloween? Perhaps a pot of coffee?

Share this article