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

Miranda Perry SUBMITTED

Miranda Perry SUBMITTED

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


Hamilton athletic director resigns, basketball team forfeits all wins after rules violation

Hamilton Schools officials Friday morning announced the resignation of Athletic Director Bill Stewart after state prep sports officials notified the school district of possible violations of transfer eligibility. The boys' varsity basketball team must now forfeit its eight wins, according to a statement released by district officials. (File Photo\Journal-News)

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Hamilton High School’s athletic director has resigned, and the boys basketball team has been ordered to forfeit all wins this season because of a rules violation, school officials said this morning.

A violation of transfer eligibility rules, first investigated by the Ohio High School Athletic Association and then by Hamilton Schools officials, has led to the resignation of Athletic Director Bill Stewart.

“During the investigation, it was discovered the Hamilton High School Athletic Department and Hamilton High School Athletic Director violated the procedure required by the OHSAA regarding the district residency of a student-athlete,” the district said in a statement.

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‘She was taken from us’: Hamilton woman killed in alleged OVI crash remembered as mother, hairstylist

Miranda Perry SUBMITTED

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A Hamilton woman has been charged for allegedly fatally striking a pedestrian Wednesday afternoon on Millville Avenue.

Miranda Perry, 28, was walking in the 1300 block of Millville about 2:20 p.m. was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene, according to Hamilton police. The mother of a 5-year-old daughter was pronounced dead at the scene.

Perry’s husband, Jackie Reese, said she was just 20 feet from their home.

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Hamilton nurse and longtime community volunteer dies from COVID-19 at 43

Melissa Hampton died Jan. 16. She was 43.

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When Melissa Hampton was diagnosed with the coronavirus she was “scared the whole time,” her husband said.

“Afraid she wouldn’t come home (from the hospital),” Bill Hampton said.

Hampton, of Hamilton, was hospitalized for seven days, came home for one day, then went back into Bethesda North Hospital where she died Jan. 16 of COVID-19 complications. She was 43.

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Fairfield City Council lays out process to find next city manager

A city employee tested positive for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. That person will be quarantined until June 25, as well as those employees who they came in contact with. FILE

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It’s been 20 years since the last time the city of Fairfield conducted an exhaustive search to find a city manager.

On Tuesday, the city will for the first time in two decades seek the assistance of a search firm to find the city’s next top administrator. City attorney Steve Wolterman and the city’s personnel department will draft a request for proposal, or RFP, as suggested by City Councilman Mark Scharringhausen.

“I think it would behoove us to issue an RFP to receive some input from some different firms and see what they would propose to do to assist us in this search,” he said. “I think that will serve us well.”

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Hamilton buys two properties hoping to spur development in area of activity

City officials recently closed a request-for-proposals process for sale of the buildings at 244 Main St. & 16 N. D St., at a key Main Street intersection. PROVIDED

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City Council last week approved the purchase of two North D Street properties for a combined $192,500.

A house that looks like it could be a double residence, which recently has been used for offices, plus a parking lot that could hold about two dozen vehicles are on the properties at 24 N. D St. and 30 N. D St. They are located immediately north of two buildings at the northeast corner of Main and D streets that the city recently offered for sale to developers.

It also is located half a block east of where developer Jim Cohen, who built The Marcum apartments and retail development downtown, is planning to build a 50-plus apartment complex. It’s about a block from where the new Billy Yank’s restaurant and bar is being installed.

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

Fairfield’s Jim Miller, gifted financier and community champion, dies at 83

Jim Miller, at left, is pictured with his son, Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller. Jim Miller had privately and publicly contributed time and money to community causes. He died Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021. He was 83. PROVIDED

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Jim Miller was a philanthropist, gifted financier and community champion, but he would be the last one to say so.

Those who knew him best described him as humble and grateful with a witty sense of humor. Miller died Tuesday in his part-time home of Florida after an illness. He was 83.

Fairfield Mayor Steve Miller said his father lived by the biblical philosophy of being charitable and modest about his accomplishments, which included volunteering with Fairfield youth baseball and football and participation in the Hamilton and Fairfield chambers of commerce.

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