Afternoon catchup: 5 Butler County stories you need to know today

A memorial is growing on Pleasant Avenue in Hamilton's Lindenwald neighborhood where a 6-year-old boy was struck by a car and killed Tuesday night. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

A memorial is growing on Pleasant Avenue in Hamilton's Lindenwald neighborhood where a 6-year-old boy was struck by a car and killed Tuesday night. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Here’s a look at five big Butler County stories today to catch up on the news:


Candlelight memorial planned for Hamilton 6-year-old struck and killed in crash

A memorial is growing on Pleasant Avenue in Hamilton's Lindenwald neighborhood where a 6-year-old boy was struck by a car and killed Tuesday night. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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A memorial of balloons and candles has grown on Pleasant Avenue near the location where a 6-year-old boy was struck by a car and killed Tuesday night.

Community members, after consulting the mother of Nolen Scott Jones, have also organized a candlelight vigil for 7:30 p.m. Saturday across from Minnick’s Drive Thru on Pleasant in Hamilton’s Lindenwald neighborhood.

“I have reached out to some local businesses to see if they could donate any candles for the vigil, but if anyone is able to bring some that would be great,” Ashley Wilson, a Lindenwald resident, posted to social media.

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Skydiver injured, taken to hospital in Middletown

Dan Dickten, who has been serving as manager of the Middletown Regional Airport, is no longer employed by the City of Middletown, according to a release from the city. FILE PHOTO

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

A skydiver was injured Wednesday evening at Hook Field in Middletown.

The incident happened around 5 p.m. at the municipal airport.

Middletown fire Chief Paul Lolli said one skydiver was taken by Middletown paramedics from the airport to Atrium Medical Center with injuries that were not life-threatening.

John Hart, owner of Start Skydiving, said the skydiver suffered an arm injury and was treated and released from the hospital.

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Mason brewery partners with Kings Island to make blue ice cream beer

Sonder Brewery's Blue Ice Cream Ale

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A Mason brewery announced that it has created an ale based on Kings Island’s blue ice cream.

Sonder Brewing said that the Blue Ice Cream Ale will go on sale at eight locations inside the park starting on Saturday, then in draft and packages in its taproom on Monday.

This is the second collaboration the brewery has done with the park, the brewery said in a release – it previously made the Giga Coaster Lager celebrating the park’s new Orion roller coaster last summer.

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Police pursue suspects through 3 cities before making Middletown stop

Robert Harsh

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Police pursued a Middletown man driving an Escape Wednesday night through three communities before the pursuit ended in Middletown.

Franklin police said about 9:22 p.m., officers attempted to stop a black 2005 Ford Escape for traffic violations. Acting Chief Brian Pacifico said the vehicle began to stop then fled from the officers.

Police pursued the vehicle around Franklin, through Carlisle, and into Middletown.

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As opioid court battles continue, Butler County sees ‘unwelcome’ shift in drug use

Middletown paramedics and police officers responded to a drug overdose behind the Midd-Town Carry Out on Central Avenue Monday, June 26 in Middletown. Emergency personnel found a man unconscious, lying between two vehicles across the alley. Paramedics first tried to start an IV, the fastest and most effective way to push Narcan into the mans system, and when that failed, Narcan was administered through the mans nose. Then a second IV was started. The entire time, paramedics bagged the gentleman until his oxygen level returned to normal. Two doses of Narcan, twice the normal amount, were used to revive the man, who was transported to Atrium. In the matter of a few minutes, all 17 emergency personnel working Monday night in the city were on calls and the dispatcher requested mutual aid from the Monroe Fire Department. One of those calls was an overdose. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Butler County is still suffering the effects of the opioid epidemic, which has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, but several lawsuits seeking cash to help solve the drug abuse problem are far from over.

A year ago, just before the pandemic began, Butler County and other jurisdictions signed onto One Ohio, which would allow local governments to share the proceeds of a hoped-for $1 billion settlement.

The state released amounts the various communities might receive if an agreement could be reached with the big pharmaceutical companies. The total for all 24 governmental entities and the county was $47.5 million. The county could get the largest share at $24.4 million, and Jacksonburg would receive the smallest with $2,610. The largest cities, Hamilton and Middletown, where the epidemic has been most devastating, would receive $6.1 million and $5.2 million, respectively.

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AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...

Miami’s weekend of in-person graduation events starts today: What’s planned

Starting this evening(CQ) Miami University will conduct a series of graduations outdoor at Yager Stadium through Sunday evening. As a precaution against the spread of the coronavirus, the university will for the first hold nine separate graduation commencements with limited attendance by family members, social distancing and a mask requirement. (File Photo\Journal-News)

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Starting Thursday night and running through the weekend, thousands of soon-to-be Miami University graduates will take part in limited-size commencement ceremonies outside at Yager Stadium.

They are the first graduating class in Miami’s history since the early 20th century to have attended a full school year – through a combination of in-person and remote online classes – during a global pandemic as the university made sweeping adjustments to remain open.

And the series of commencement services, created in reduced event sizes to adhere to coronavirus prevention protocols, includes many graduates from the spring of 2020 who lost their chances to celebrate graduation due to more strict pandemic guidelines during the first spring of the pandemic.

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