Oxford News

$The recent school shooting massacre at a Texas elementary school has area schools on high alert, say local school leaders. Recent years have seen an escalation of security measures including Butler County Sheriff deputies being directed by the department to make more frequent stops at local schools (pictured) to help deter potential, armed attackers. (File Photo\Journal-News)$

Uvalde, Texas massacre has local schools on high alert, evaluating building security

$Oxford city officials said the Talawanda Middle School is under a "precautionary lockdown" Wednesday morning in responses to a threat. Oxford officials say police are at the school and the situation is under control. (File Photo\Journal-News)$

Student arrested after violence threat lockdown at Oxford school

Miami University President Gregory Crawford has purchased a house outside of Oxford but says the official president's home on campus is his primary residence.

Miami’s president buys house outside Oxford, says required on-campus home still primary...

The death of a hospitalized family member in Ghana, West Africa due to a shortage of nurses both haunted and motivated Effe Addae, who later to come to America to earn a degree in nursing to ensure those suffering will never again lack those who care. Now an American citizen and married mother of four, Addae - shown her helping to instruct a nursing class - will step on to a stage this weekned during commencement at the Goggin Ice Center in Oxford and receive her Bachelor of Science in Nursing diploma earned through classes at Miami University’s Hamilton regional campus. CONTRIBUTED

Relative’s death from nursing shortage spurs mother of four to earn degree from Miami...

Danger on the road. Blue flasher on the police car at night.

Drugs and several firearms found during traffic stop in Oxford

$Attracting new teachers to local school systems – at least for some of area districts – has been a tough sell as schools continue to mirror America’s private industries’ struggles with finding new employees. Among local districts ramping up recruiting is Fairfield Schools. In April a team of Fairfield officials worked the Southwest Ohio Education Career Fair held at Xavier University. Pictured from left to right are: Jennifer Moore, 1st grade teacher at West E;lementary (the 2021 Fairfield Teacher of the Year); Denise Hayes, principal at North Elementary; Ricardo Calles, technology integration specialist; and Katie Myers, director of Human Resources. (Contributed Photo\Journal-News)$

New teacher recruiting getting tougher due to candidate shortages and pandemic, schools...

New Oxford Township Police Chief Patrick Piccioni has his badge pinned on by his wife, Jennifer, following his oath of office for the position. CONTRIBUTED/BOB RATTERMAN

Oxford Twp. officially places Piccioni in police chief role

Picture this: Miami University job seekers love school’s first headshot photo booth

Badin High School is seeking a zone change for its property at 571 New London Road, and two properties on Jerdan Lane it recently acquired to assist with parking and bus access to the school. As part of the rezoning request, the school submitted future possible developments with the land, which includes an athletic complex that features more parking, a new stadium and a practice facility. The zoning change would help with the development of the school's land. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

As Badin proposes campus stadium, area schools tout upsides of new sports facilities

Doug Coffin hands out maps Wednesday, March 30, 2022 as people gather at Prater Wildlife Area on Reily Millville Road to search for Coffin's 26-year-old autistic son, Nathaniel Coffin, who has been missing since March 22. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Man from Oxford missing since last week has been found

The current Talawanda wrestling team is led by Coach Brian Bolton. TALAWANDA ATHLETICS/CONTRIBUTED

Freshman Talawanda wrestlers step up and prove strengths

FILE: Miami University students celebrated their annual Green Beer Day in Oxford on Thursday, March 25, 2021. Because the city of Oxford has ordinances related to mass gatherings and wearing masks, police were monitoring activity throughout the day. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Oxford Police Dept. adds social services liaison to follow up on emergency calls

Lloyd Wendell Ailes, 58, was taken into custody Thursday night in Connersville, Ind. by Ohio law enforcement. He was arraigned Friday morning by Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth, who set bond at $775,000. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Experts: ‘No case is ever cold if the DNA can be traced’

$Liza Skyryzhevska, associate dean of Miami University Regionals and a professor at the school, says communications with family and friends from her homeland includes descriptions of frightened Ukrainians preparing for possible bombardment from invading Russian troops. Skyryzhevska, who is pictured in Ukraine during a Miami student study trip in recent years, says she is told the situation is especially grim for elderly citizens who lack the mobility to evacuate their homes. (Provided photo\Journal-News)$

Miami University professor with family in Ukraine hears of grim scenes

$As COVID-19 rates continue to decline, Miami University officials have announced it’s dropping some of it mask requirements for students and staff. Officials at Miami also cited earlier this week the city of Oxford’s recent relaxation of its mask policy in telling its students on the main campus – and at regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown – of the policy change. (File Photo\Journal-News)$

Miami University loosens mandatory masking for students outside of classrooms, labs

An HVAC unit being cleaned and disinfected over the summer at Cline Elementary. Centerville Schools upgraded their HVAC systems last summer using federal COVID-19 dollars and the districts' own dollars. CONTRIBUTED/CENTERVILLE SCHOOLS

Schools scramble: Millions of dollars spent upgrading air quality during COVID-19

Lloyd Wendell Ailes, 58, is arraigned in Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth, who set bond at $775,000. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

DNA search warrant flawed in 2006 Miami University rape case, defense says

$Liza Skyryzhevska, associate dean of Miami University Regionals, was born in Odessa, Ukraine, a city on the Black Sea and says this week's invasion by Russia into her homeland has her worried about family and friends scattered throughout her homeland. She is pictured here on the outskirts of Ukraine's capital city Kyiv during one of her frequent visits. (Provided Photo\Journal-News)$

Russia’s invasion hits hard for local educators with ties to Ukraine

Students leave Lakota East High School at the end of the school day. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Pandemic’s affects on student mental health are big, costly

People hold signs and chant during a meeting of the North Allegheny School District school board regarding the district's mask policy, Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, at at North Allegheny Senior High School in McCandless, Pa. At the time, a federal judge reinstated a mask mandate after a group of parents filed an injunction to require masks. Previously, the school board voted to overturn the superintendent's decision to require masks, making them optional for everyone. The meeting was postponed because not all in the audience wore masks. (Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette via AP)

Credit: Alexandra Wimley

Survey reveals nearly half of school superintendents plan to leave jobs

$Miami University's nationally acclaimed "Cradle of Coaches" memorial site now has a statue invite pending for Los Angeles Rams Head Football Coach - and former Miami player - Sean McVay. McVay, said Miami officials, would qualify to have a statue among the coaching legends outside of Yager Stadium after the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals to win the world championship. (PHOTO BY NICK GRAHAM\Journal-News)$

Rams coach Sean McVay will join Miami University’s ‘Cradle of Coaches’

Junior Jonah Femiani, left, finished third in the boys’ 100-yard breaststroke at the league meet while sophomore Stephen Mullally was second in the event. CONTRIBUTED

Talawanda swim teams win SWOC championships

A Miami University professor, who travels frequently to the Ukraine, says he is in touch with Afghanistan refugees transported to the country from their homeland when American military forces withdrew from their country. Now housed in a Kiev hotel by the U.S., the Miami professor fears they will be abandoned should Russian forces invade Ukraine. Pictured is a Ukrainian soldier near the front lines in the border region next to Russia. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)

Miami professor befriends Afghani refugees in Ukraine, worries for their safety

$Some of Miami University’s teachers are trying to form a union to engage their employer in collective bargaining. That’s according to a recent announcement made by officials of the Faculty Alliance ofMiami University (FAM), who said their unionizing effort “was prompted by longstanding issues with working conditions, compensation, shared governance, and academic freedom.” (File Photo\Journal-News)$

Miami instructors working to form faculty union in wake of job cuts

$As Butler County is declared a Level 1 Snow Emergency Thursday, area school superintendents say their decisions to evaluate winter storms and call for school closings are among the most serious judgment calls they make. Many of Butler County's more rural school systems have two-lane, country roads like this one pictured during a 2021 snow storm. (File Photo\Journal-News)$

Decision to close schools due to winter storms involves sizing up many variables

$Miami University's nationally acclaimed "Cradle of Coaches" memorial site may or may not have a statue pending for Los Angeles Rams Head Football Coach - and former Miami player - Sean McVay, depending on the Super Bowl game with the Cincinnati Bengals. McVay, say Miami officials, would qualify to have a statue among the coaching legends outside of Yager Stadium if his team defeats the Bengals. (PHOTO BY NICK GRAHAM\Journal-News)$

Miami’s coaching memorial awaits Super Bowl outcome for former player, L.A. Rams coach...

The Talawanda girls’ basketball team celebrated a Southwest Ohio Conference championship after a win at Mount Healthy Jan. 29. CONTRIBUTED

Talawanda girls basketball team takes Southwest Ohio Conference

$Hamilton Schools - and others across the region - are moving on evaluating and implementing new state health officials' guidelines for reducing COVID-19 contact tracing in schools among students and staffers who test positive for the virus. The new rules were released late last week. (File Photo\Journal-News)$

New state COVID-19 contact tracing rules welcomed by local schools

$Recent Miami University graduates Oliver Zak (left) and Selom Agbitor impressed in their high-pressure debut last year on ABC's nationally televised show "Shark Tank." The pair, which created the Mad Rabbit skin care company, got investor Mark Cuban to pony up $500,000 for their start up firm. The two, who just signed a national distribution deal, are shown on stage during the broadcast. (Provided Photo\Journal-News)$

TV ‘Shark Tank’ competitors who are Miami University grads ink multi-million deal