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

Credit: ABC

Credit: ABC

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


‘I walked in there with a lot of energy’: Area freshman talks about ‘Shark Tank’ appearance

Credit: ABC

Credit: ABC

A Fenwick High School freshman said he had “a great amount of confidence” during the filming of the ABC hit reality show “Shark Tank” that will air on Friday.

Carson Grill, 15, and his father, Jason, will appear on the Season 12 Premier of “Shark Tank” at 8 p.m.

Two years ago, while doing some touch-up painting in their Liberty Twp. home, Carson and his father found the stored paint was ruined because it was clumpy. There had to be a better way to store paint, they figured.

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Large Butler County early voting crowds cause traffic changes near Board of Elections

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Voters showing up to cast ballots early have clogged traffic in Hamilton, causing officials to reroute drivers and post sheriff’s deputies as traffic cops.

The bottleneck at the intersection of Ohio 129 and Hampshire Drive caused officials to close Hampshire during voting hours and reroute drivers over to Bypass 4 and onto Princeton Road, where the Board of Elections sits.

Butler County Sheriff’s Office Chief Anthony Dwyer said the decision was made to disallow turns onto Hampshire Drive from either direction on Ohio 129 during voting times and send people to the bypass. Drivers can exit the area via Hampshire Drive.

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Middletown to host helmet giveaway in memory of fourth-grader who died in crash

Middletown police and businesses will be giving away bicycle helmets to school-aged children from 9-11 a.m. Saturday while supplies last at the Middletown Municipal Building.

The giveaway is in memoriam of Cain Adkins, a fourth-grader at Miller Ridge Elementary who was killed Sept. 14 in a bicycle accident.

While bike helmet giveaways are usually done in the spring, Police Chief David Birk said he wanted to push bike safety as the Middletown school district is returning to in-person classes next week.

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Butler County nursing home faces $1 million in unexpected coronavirus expenses

The Butler County Care Facility continues to struggle with staffing issues during the coronavirus pandemic with about $1 million in unanticipated costs, and now the administrator has quit.

Administrator Chamika Poole’s last day at the county home will be Monday. She had been on the job barely a year, arriving Sept. 23, 2019. She told the Journal-News she found a “better opportunity” that is closer to home.

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Butler County brewery closes temporarily because of coronavirus exposure

Rivertown Brewery and Barrel House in Monroe will close its dining room and taproom today for two weeks for cleaning and disinfecting because of exposure to the coronavirus, the business said on its Facebook page.

The closure begins today

The business posted: “Update- the barrel house will be closed for the next two weeks starting Friday October 16th to clean, disinfect and allow our staff to quarantine following a confirmed Covid exposure case. This is being done as a precautionary measure to ensure everyone’s safety. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to welcoming everyone back at the end of the month.”

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

Middletown to hold graduation for Class of 2020 on Saturday: What to know

Middletown High School officials are hoping the third time will be the charm to hold a graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020 on Saturday afternoon.

Elizabeth Beadle, Middletown City Schools spokeswoman, said the school district has worked with members of the Class of 2020 who missed having a graduation ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

School officials and class members worked to organize the graduation ceremony now set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Barnitz Stadium.

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