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

Holiday snowflake lights have been placed and illuminated on the light poles along Main Street in Hamilton Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Holiday snowflake lights have been placed and illuminated on the light poles along Main Street in Hamilton Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Here is a look at five big Butler County stories today to catch up on the news.


Safety harness saves Hamilton city worker who was hanging lights

Holiday snowflake lights have been placed and illuminated on the light poles along Main Street in Hamilton Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

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It could have ended in tragedy, but thanks to a safety harness a Hamilton city worker thrown from a bucket while hanging Christmas lights on Monday was not injured.

Jacob Deaton was positioned in a bucket on a city truck hanging lights in a tree at Martin Luther King Boulevard and Court Street about 1:10 p.m. when the arm was hit by a box truck, knocking Deaton out of the bucket, according to the Hamilton police accident report.

Deaton was hanging in mid-air from his safety harness, but was not injured.

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Longtime Monroe police officer dies; was a Korean War veteran

Ralph Maples

Credit: Submitted photo

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Credit: Submitted photo

Ralph Maples lived a life of service, his family said.

He served as a drill sergeant in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, worked with the Monroe Police Department and retired from Miami Carey.

Maples, of Middletown, died Nov. 4. He was 91.

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Hamilton working full steam ahead on Amtrak stops

A preliminary Amtrak route map places stations in Hamilton, Oxford and Sharonville, but not in Middletown. PROVIDED

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With passage of the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill, Hamilton will move forward trying to get stops not only on Amtrak’s Cincinnati-Indianapolis-Chicago rail route, but also a new one connecting Cincinnati-Dayton-Springfield-Columbus-Cleveland, City Council Member Michael Ryan said Wednesday.

The federal bill includes $66.6 billion for expansion of Amtrak services, many of them in Ohio, including the existing but little-used Cardinal line, which links Washington, D.C., with Chicago (Cincinnati and Indianapolis are along that route). The new 3C’s+D route Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Cleveland also is in Amtrak’s plans.

“As you know, Hamilton is on one, and potentially two routes Amtrak would like to see expanded,” Derrick James, a senior manager of government affairs, wrote City Manager Joshua Smith on Saturday, after Congress approved the legislation Friday.

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Student vaccines: Some area schools taking hands-off approach

So far, most area school districts are not publicly urging parents to get their young children the coronavirus vaccination, but county health officials are planning to use some school buildings to offer the injections.

Area clinics and hospitals are seeing large numbers of parents bringing in their children for vaccination, local medical officials report.

A record number of vaccination requests are forcing the abandonment of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s previous walk-in process and those going to the medical center’s Liberty Twp. location now have to schedule an appointment for the shot, said officials.

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Lakota West senior linebacker Aden Miller is ‘what you want in a football player’

Lakota West's Aden Miller carries the ball during their football game against Fairfield Friday, Oct. 1, 2021 at Lakota West High School in West Chester Township. Lakota West won 42-10. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

WEST CHESTER TWP. — Lakota West senior linebacker Aden Miller exemplifies what it means to be a captain for the Firebirds this season.

“I honestly think he’s probably he’s one of the most underrated high school football players here in Cincinnati,” Lakota West coach Tom Bolden said. “He’s a 5-foot-11 mike backer [middle linebacker] that if he was probably two to three inches taller he’d probably have multiple D-I scholarship offers.”

Miller, a three-year starter, has a team-leading 80 tackles (44 solo) for the Firebirds (10-1) who play St. Xavier (10-2) in a Division I regional semifinal Friday night at Princeton.

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

Butler County Veterans Day events set for Thursday

AmVets Post 1983 Joint Honoro Guard presented colors for the Butler County Veterans Service Commission annual Veteran of the Year award ceremony on Veterans Day Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 at Michael J. Cooligan Lodge at Veterans Park in Hamilton. Air Force veteran James Carl Lewis was the recipient this year. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

Veterans Day is a federal holiday in the United States observed annually on Nov. 11, for honoring military veterans, who are people who have served in the United States Armed Forces.

Here is a list of some Butler County Veterans Day events:

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