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

Local children built snowmen Tuesday at The Woodlands of Hamilton assisted living and memory-care live-in community. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Local children built snowmen Tuesday at The Woodlands of Hamilton assisted living and memory-care live-in community. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

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


Former Trenton police officer indicted on sex charges involving children

Danny L. Green

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A former Trenton police officer has been indicted on multiple sex charges involving a child, including rape.

Danny L. Green, 65, of Pocono Court in Trenton, is charged with two counts of rape involving a victim under the age of 13 and seven counts of gross sexual imposition, according to court records. He was booked into the Butler County Jail on Wednesday night.

Green was a police officer in Trenton from 1978 to January 2008, retiring as a sergeant, according to city officials. He then worked as a part-time corrections officer at the Butler County Sheriff’s Office from October 2008 to August 2009 before being laid off, according to Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer.

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Happy birthday, Middletown! 7 things to know about the city’s history for its 188th birthday

Longtime Middletown Journal Sports Editor Jerry Nardiello hands a state championship trophy to Coach Paul Walker as Wade E. Miller watches. CONTRIBUTED

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Middletown’s incorporation date was Feb. 11, 1833, according to the note in this book about the 42nd General Assembly in Ohio.

On its 188th birthday, here are seven things you should know about Middletown:

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Man admits to shooting his girlfriend last May in Middletown

Daniel Calhoun  MIDDLETOWN DIVISION OF POLICE

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A 19-year-old man has admitted guilt in the shooting of his 17-year-old girlfriend during an argument last May at a Middletown residence.

Daniel Calhoun was taken into custody on June 4 while hiding in the basement of the victim’s house in the 1300 block of Young Street in Middletown. Detectives had been looking for Calhoun since the May 14 shooting incident.

On Tuesday, Calhoun plead guilty in Butler County Common Pleas Court to a reduced charge of attempted felonious assault with a gun specification that adds a year to his sentence. He was charged with two counts of felonious assault under different sections of the law and having a weapons under disability. The remainder of the charges were dismissed.

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‘You are loved’: Hamilton kids build snowmen to support nursing home residents

Local children built snowmen Tuesday at The Woodlands of Hamilton assisted living and memory-care live-in community. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

Snowpeople generally can’t talk, but the ones local children built Tuesday at The Woodlands of Hamilton assisted living and memory-care live-in community told residents there, “We love you.”

One literally had a sign that said, “You are Loved.” Another: “I Hope This Makes You Smile.”

Kt Tunney, the lead concierge there, posted the idea of building snowmen, or snowwomen, on a Facebook page for West Side residents of Hamilton. She was delighted and amazed by the quick response. It also brought smiles to residents like Alice Schwab, a retired nurse who worked at Christ and Fort Hamilton hospitals.

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Fairfield could battle years-long firefighter staffing woes with new staffing grant

Fairfield is considering whether or not to accept a SAFER grant to add six full-time firefighters. FILE

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The Fairfield Fire Department has dealt with staffing issues since at least 2015 as more than 100 part-time firefighters have left for full-time jobs elsewhere.

The department may be able to help address the issue with a Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant. The grant could help fund the nine new full-time positions department officials have wanted to add since 2019.

City Council rejected a SAFER grant in 2019, but this round has new rules, including that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will pay 100 percent of the staffing cost over the three-year grant period. The city would pay for the positions once the grant ends. Previously, fire departments were responsible for part of the staffing costs during that three-year period.

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

PHOTOS: A week’s worth of winter weather in Butler County

Jason Bender and Breanna Bender, 8, sled IN the snow with their dog, Lucy, Tuesday, February 9, 2021 at Harbin Park in Fairfield. NICK GRAHAM  / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

Snow blanketed Butler County causing slick roads and school closings.

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