Here’s a look at five big Butler County stories today to catch up on the news:
J.D. Vance event continues big week-plus for Middletown including movie, home runs and fight
What a week-plus it has been for Middletown.
From the bright lights of Hollywood to an undefeated professional fighter to a record-setting home run hitter to an award-winning author possibly entering the political arena, those connected to Middletown are making national headlines.
Recently, parts of a “Bones and All” starring Timothee Chalamet and Taylor Russell and written by Miami University alum David Kajganich, was shot in downtown Middletown; Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, remained undefeated as a professional fighter; Kyle Schwarber, in his first season with the Washington Nationals, set a home run record; and MHS graduate J.D. Vance is expected to announce tonight he’s running for U.S. Senate.
New Hamilton parking meters to start later this month; some drivers seeing warnings
HAMILTON — Hamilton’s original plan was to activate its new downtown parking-meter kiosks in March 2020, but then COVID-19 arrived. With businesses reopening to customers, the city now plans to activate the machines July 12.
In the meantime, people parking near the kiosks on parts of High and Dayton streets and RIverfront Plaza (near The Marcum apartment and retail development) are receiving fliers on their windshields telling them that starting July 12, parking tickets soon will be written.
The parking enforcement is not an effort to make money for the city, said Rich Engle, Hamilton’s director of engineering.
Ross Twp. man who was shot by deputy indicted for child porn, obstructing official business
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
A grand jury has indicted a Ross Twp. man on multiple felony counts of child pornography and charges that resulted in his shooting when Butler County Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at his residence.
Alex Michael Hoskins, 26, of the 4200 block of Jennifer Drive, was shot May 10 by Sheriff’s Detective Ricky Phillips in what the investigation reveals was an attempt to “commit suicide by cop.”
Detectives and officials with Homeland Security were serving the search warrant as part of an online child pornography investigation, when Hoskins allegedly came toward the deputy with a gun, raised it and pointed it. Phillips shot and wounded Hoskins. The injuries were not life-threatening, and Hoskins was booked into jail about 6 p.m. that day.
Trial date set for Middletown man charged with series of rapes
Credit: Butler County Jail
Credit: Butler County Jail
A trial date has been set for a Middletown man accused in a series of sexual assaults of women in 2019 and 2020.
Taranpreet Singh, 31, of Village Drive in Middletown, was arrested Feb. 19 and charged with two counts of rape, aggravated robbery and kidnapping for incidents that allegedly happened in September 2019 and August 2020 in Hamilton.
A week later, Singh was also indicted for a rape and kidnapping that happened on April 2, 2020, in Middletown, according court records and a police report. The indicted charges against Singh are rape, kidnapping and assault for a Sept. 4 to 5, 2019, crime; rape and kidnapping with gun specifications for a Aug 23, 2020 crime; and kidnapping and rape for the April 2, 2020, crime.
Miami University to increase tuition for 2021-22 at different levels
Students headed to Miami University and its regional campuses for the coming school year will find their tuition costing more.
The university’s governing board last week approved a 3% tuition increase for the 2021-22 school year for Oxford campus, in-state students.
Also approved by Miami trustees was a 2% increase for nonresident, continuing students who were attending Miami during the fall of 2020, announced school officials.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
PHOTOS: 20 years ago in Butler County in scenes from July 2001
We went into the Journal-News archives for some of the best images from two decades ago in July 2001.