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

Credit: Provided

Credit: Provided

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


Former Butler County lawmaker staying politically involved with new Patriot America group

Former Ohio Rep. Candice Keller has organized a conservative political group designed to get more involved in local and state politics.

Patriot America, Keller said, is “just a citizen-led movement” and has nothing to do with former President Donald Trump, who has reportedly considered forming a third political party.

“It’s happening all over the country,” said Keller, who represented the 53rd House District in Columbus from November 2016 to December 2020. “We’ve been asked to come to other counties and other states to present the same agenda.”

READ THE FULL STORY


Child sex charges against former Madison Twp. fire chief sent to grand jury

Sex charges against a former Madison Twp. fire chief have been sent to a Butler County grand jury by Middletown Municipal Court Judge James Sherron.

Ronald E. Miller, 69, of Preble County Line Road in Madison Twp., is charged with two counts of rape and four counts of gross sexual imposition involving three girls who were between 5 and 14 years old at the time of the alleged crimes, according to court records.

The rapes allegedly were committed about 30 years ago against one of the victims, according to officials and documents.

READ THE FULL STORY


‘They miss meeting all the kids’: Thousands of Middletown students to return to in-person classes

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Thousands of students in Middletown Schools will soon be scheduled to spend the rest of the school year in live, five-day-a-week classes after action Monday by the district’s board.

When Middletown’s 6,300 students return from spring break on March 22, about 4,900, or 78 percent, of them will resume the first, normal school class schedule since the onset of the coronavirus in March 2020.

About 1,400 students in the city schools, however, will remain remote learners.

READ THE FULL STORY


Federal lawsuit against Butler County prosecutor over, for now

A federal judge has refused to reconsider dropping a lawsuit against Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser filed by a former magistrate and has cleared the way for an appeal.

Kimberly Edelstein filed a $1 million lawsuit against Butler County Common Pleas Judge Greg Stephens, Gmoser and Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dan Ferguson in 2017, claiming Stephens fired her for wanting to take off eight Jewish high holy days and the men talked negatively about her, destroying her career.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Litkovitz issued a 75-page recommendation 18 months ago, finding the claims against Gmoser and Ferguson should be dismissed and determining a jury should hear discrimination accusations against the judge. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Barrett agreed a year ago.

READ THE FULL STORY


Butler County RTA, mass transit groups plan for future after huge ridership drops

The regional mass transit systems serving Butler County have been particularly hard hit by the pandemic with ridership dropping dramatically, but officials are seeing a slow return to normalcy and studying how to face the future.

The Butler County Regional Transit Authority recently announced it will restart the popular West Chester Twp. commuter route to Cincinnati on March 8. The buses that carried an average 9,000 riders a month stopped running last summer. BCRTA pays for the service but the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (Cincinnati Metro) runs the routes.

BCRTA Executive Director Matt Dutkevicz said the ridership for the West Chester route “dropped off a cliff,” about 95% in all. The Oxford routes were strongly affected with a decrease of about 90%, largely because Miami University students were away from campus for long periods.

READ THE FULL STORY


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

5 recent restaurant moves and dining updates in Butler County

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

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

READ THE FULL STORY