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:


Police: 2 arrested in connection to Middtown Lounge shooting in Middletown

Middletown police have arrested two people in connection to a Saturday bar shooting that injured two people, including a man charged.

Police arrested Davion Gates, 22, in the 2800 block of Yankee Road, on Wednesday and arrested Jermaine Trammel, 23, in the 2800 block of Wilbraham Road, today for their involvement in a shooting at Middtown Lounge on Clark Street, according to police.

They were charged with felonious assault and discharge of firearm on or near prohibited premises.

The shooting happened at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday. Police were dispatched on a report of shots fired and found a woman suffering from gunshot wound to the head, according to the police report and officials.

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Spooky Nook progress in Hamilton: Hotel area work continues, showers being installed in sports complex

Construction is moving forward at the gigantic indoor sports complex that will be Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill, and the company is pleased with the progress, a spokeswoman said.

“Things are going well,” said Mackenzie Bender. “With any construction project, you kind of cross your fingers during the cold weather of the winter, especially with the state of things in 2020, the supply chain, making sure you can get things on time.”

“But we continue to stay in touch with our construction team and the boots on the ground there, and keep moving every single day. We’re still getting those daily project updates, and we’re happy with the way things are progressing.”

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Butler County has $75 million in federal funds on the way: How to spend it?

Butler County officials say they will focus spending the estimated $75 million windfall from the American Rescue Plan Act on things that can be sustained long-term.

President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan (ARP) into law March 11, and it allocated $350 billion to help local governments with pains caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The county, cities and villages here are penciled in for $147 million but townships were left out of the plan. The county’s share is $74.3 million.

The first round of funding should arrive by mid-May and the commissioners have until 2024 to spend it. Unlike the $18.7 million in CARES Act funding the county received last year, County Administrator Judi Boyko said there appear to be fewer restrictions on this money.

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Fairfield takes on $1 million in new debt for water main project

Credit: Michael D. Pitman

Credit: Michael D. Pitman

Fairfield City Council agreed to borrow $1 million to finance a water main repair along Resor and Winton roads.

In addition to the new bonds for that purpose, the city was also required to renew its existing $4.6 million in bonds from past water and wastewater system improvements in 2017 and 2019. These renewed bonds paid for muliple projects, including the Ohio 4 water main replacement in 2017 and water system improvements for Donald Drive and Mack, Ross and Seward roads.

Both bond issuances are expected to result in the city paying between 0.2 and 1 percent in interest because of its Aa1 bond rating, the second-best rating issued by Moody’s.

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‘It’s horrible’: Dramatic stand by West Chester trustee comes as anti-Asian sentiment grows, officials say

West Chester Twp. Trustee Lee Wong bared his chest during the board meeting Tuesday night‚ revealing a vicious scar from injuries sustained in the U.S. Army and saying he won’t tolerate anyone discriminating against him.

“I have put up with a lot of (expletive) in silence, excuse me the language, too afraid to speak out, fearing more abuse and discrimination,” Wong said.

During the elected officials’ comment section of the meeting, Wong shared his personal history, saying he moved to the U.S. from China when he was 18 and suffered a beating in Chicago because of his race a few years later. He served 20 years in the armed forces and received the scar while he was at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.

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

Pizza chain that operates in Butler County plans expansion at its headquarters

Credit: NICK BLIZZARD/STAFF

Credit: NICK BLIZZARD/STAFF

Cassano’s Pizza King, which operates four locations in Butler County, plans to expand its corporate operations in suburban Dayton, a move its top executive said would help boost local and national distribution.

The business that’s been a mainstay in the area since the early 1950s plans to build an 18,000-square-foot freezer facility at its Kettering base, a project early estimates indicate could be an investment of $4 million or more, company CEO Vic “Chip” Cassano III told the Dayton Daily News Wednesday.

“We’re still crunching numbers, so I don’t know” total costs yet, he said.

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