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

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


3 victims ID’d in fatal West Chester fire that also injured firefighter

ajc.com

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The Butler County Coroner’s Office has identified three people killed in a fire in West Chester early Tuesday morning.

Thomas Kozee Sr., 80; Carole Kozee, 77; and Jennipher Kozee, 56, died at area hospitals after the fire that happened in a mobile home park. Smoke inhalation was ruled as the preliminary cause of death for each.

A firefighter is also suffering from severe dehydration after the blaze.

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Health official: Butler County isn’t the COVID-19 ‘hot spot’ the CDC said it was

Butler County RTA and the Butler County General Health District have partnered to promote the public to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Since the vaccine has been in circulation, the number of COVID-19 infections have declined, but in recent weeks the number of people getting the shot have also declined. This RTA bus will be used to transport residents around Fairfield High School to the school on Tuesday, June 15, at a pop-up vaccination clinic. PROVIDED

Credit: Provided

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Credit: Provided

Butler County is not the recent “hot spot” for the COVID-19 pandemic that data from the Centers for Disease Control depicted it to be because of a laboratory error involving cases from several months ago, but the coronavirus continues to spread across the county, region and state.

“We’re guardedly optimistic about where we are currently,” said Butler County Health Commissioner Jennifer Bailer. “Our numbers are looking really good, but we know the Delta variant is among us now, and the best protection is to get vaccinated.”

At least one case of the Delta variant, a more contagious and deadly strain of the original COVID-19, has been found in the county, and there likely are more, she said. Current vaccinations are showing good protection against that variant, and she encouraged people to get vaccinated.

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National Night Out returns to Butler County in August: What’s planned

Bethany Harding helps her son Cooper, 1, put a handprint on one of Middletown Division of Police cruisers to show support for the department during Middletown’s National Night Out event Tuesday, Aug. 1. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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National Night Out around Butler County will resume in just a few weeks after a year where most community activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More than 16,000 communities participate in the annual National Night Out, which started 38 years ago. Around 100 Ohio communities celebrate National Night Out, including Fairfield, Hamilton and Middletown in Butler County.

Last year, the annual National Night Out event was not held in any community due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Middletown Division of Police Chief David Birk said that was “extremely difficult” to not have the city’s long-standing tradition.

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Dispatch center debate: Butler County to cover $390,000 this year in new charges

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office dispatch center on Princeton Road in Hamilton. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Several Butler County communities that have their own police departments but use the sheriff’s dispatch services caught a financial break when the county commissioners agreed to cover $390,370 in fees for this year.

Officials balked earlier this year when they were told they would start being billed for using the sheriff’s office to dispatch their police to emergencies. Some said it wasn’t fair, others said they weren’t given enough time to budget funds and some said they just can’t afford it.

The commissioners agreed to use CARES coronavirus relief money to pay the fees for six communities: Fairfield Twp. ($291,637), Ross Twp. ($75,780), Oxford Twp. ($34,650), New Miami ($47,541), Seven Mile ($5,763) and MetroParks ($6,999).

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Man accused of killing 4 in West Chester says he has no money for defense

Gurpreet Singh appears in court with interpreter

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A man accused of killing four family members in a West Chester Twp. apartment in 2019 says he has run out of money for his defense and is asking the court to declare him indigent.

Gurpreet Singh, 39, is charged with four counts of aggravated murder for the April 28, 2019, homicides. With specifications of using a firearm and killing two or more persons, Singh faces the death penalty, if convicted.

The truck driver and father of two is accused of killing his wife, Shalinderjit Kaur, 39; his in-laws, Hakikat Singh Pannag, 59, and Parmjit Kaur, 62; and his aunt by marriage, Amarjit Kaur, 58, at their residence on Wyndtree Drive. All died of gunshot wounds.

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

Q&A: Fairfield native who rose in country music charts returning home for summer concert series

Fairfield-native and country singer Rayne Johnson performs at a recent concert at the Mandolin, based in Indianapolis. PROVIDED

Credit: Provided

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Credit: Provided

Country artist Rayne Johnson, a Fairfield, Ohio native, is set to perform at Fairfield’s Summer Concert Series on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Village Green Amphitheater.

Between working a full-time job on the railroad, and making music, Johnson has been gearing up for the release of his sophomore EP, which is set to release in the fall.

Johnson released his independent, self-titled debut, “Rayne Johnson EP” in 2020 The project achieved success on the Top 10 iTunes Country Album chart, and his debut single, “Front Seat” broke into the Billboard Top 40.

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