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

Former Middletown High School basketball player Jerry Lucas speaks to the crowd after having his No. 13 jersey officially retired during half time of the Middletown high school basketball game against Hamilton on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 at Wade E. Miller Gymnasium in Middletown, Ohio. Lucas, 68, is a three-time All-American, and with fellow future Hall of Famer John Havlicek led Ohio State to a 1960 national championship, and to two second-place NCAA finishes. The Buckeyes retired his No. 11 jersey several years ago. Lucas also won an Olympic gold on the 1960 team and played for the 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks. (AP Photo/Middletown Journal, Nick Graham)

Former Middletown High School basketball player Jerry Lucas speaks to the crowd after having his No. 13 jersey officially retired during half time of the Middletown high school basketball game against Hamilton on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2009 at Wade E. Miller Gymnasium in Middletown, Ohio. Lucas, 68, is a three-time All-American, and with fellow future Hall of Famer John Havlicek led Ohio State to a 1960 national championship, and to two second-place NCAA finishes. The Buckeyes retired his No. 11 jersey several years ago. Lucas also won an Olympic gold on the 1960 team and played for the 1973 NBA champion New York Knicks. (AP Photo/Middletown Journal, Nick Graham)

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


New Hamilton restaurant at The Marcum sets opening date

West Side Little League coach Ken Coomer plans to open a new location of Chick’NCone at The Marcum in Hamilton this August. Coomer, who has coached West Side Little League since 1994, said the fork-free chicken-and-waffles restaurant chain is something he discovered after being laid off from his senior business analyst job late last year. CONTRIBUTED

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Chick’nCone has set a date for its grand opening in downtown Hamilton: at noon on Feb. 13.

The restaurant, to be located in The Marcum development of restaurants, a bar, salon and apartments, made the announcement on social media.

“We’re so excited to bring you an insta-worthy experience that you’ll want to share with family & friends!” the restaurant, located at 134 Riverfront Plaza, shared on Facebook. “We’re changing the game with the tastiest air-fried chicken inside a freshly made hand-rolled waffle cone.”

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Glenn Close earns Golden Globe nomination for ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ role

Crews were in Middletown last summer filming scenes for “Hillbilly Elegy.” Directed by Ron Howard, the film’s stars include Amy Adams, Glenn Close (pictured) and Gabriel Basso. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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An actress who was part of the filming of “Hillbilly Elegy” in Middletown during the summer of 2019 has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.

Actress Glenn Close, who portrayed “Mamaw” in the film “Hillbilly Elegy,” was nominated today for best supporting actress in a motion picture.

This is Close’s 14th Golden Globe nomination and has won this award three times in 2005, 2008 and 2019.

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Middletown legend Jerry Lucas recounts 1955-56 basketball season in new book

Jerry Lucas (right) was one of numerous former Middletown basketball players honored before Friday night’s game against visiting Hamilton at Wade E. Miller Gym in Middletown. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

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Middletown’s most accomplished basketball player has written a book that chronicles the school’s storied basketball history and his love of learning.

Jerry Lucas, who led the Middies to back-to-back state championships and a 76-game winning streak before winning Olympic, NCAA and NBA championships, has written “Middie Magic and Mind Magic,” a book he hopes becomes a movie, following in the footsteps of J.D. Vance’s “Hillbilly Elegy.”

“Magic Magic and Mind Magic” reminds Lucas of two sports-related movie blockbusters, “Hoosiers” and “Remember the Titans,” he said.

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Nearly 1,900 Lakota school workers start morning lining up for coronavirus shots

Lakota schools employee Amy Powell gets her Covid-19 vaccine administered by Kroger pharmacist Nancy Adomako Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at Lakota West High School in West Chester Township. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

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Hundreds of Lakota teachers and staffers lined up this morning at a closed high school in the latest in a series of coronavirus vaccinations designed to make schools safer.

About 1,900 school employees from the region’s largest suburban district are scheduled to file through Lakota West High School in West Chester Township today to receive the first of two injections through a partnership with the Kroger Company.

“Hopefully we feel like this is the next step to getting this pandemic and virus pandemic behind us so we can get back some sort of normalcy for our kids and for our families,” said Lakota Superintendent Matt Miller, who joined other district employees at the high school.

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Butler County officials warn tax bills will be late and larger: How that will affect you

Nancy Nix, Butler County Treasurer

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Butler County Treasurer Nancy Nix said some taxpayers will have “sticker shock” in a few weeks when they open their tax bills, which have been delayed for several reasons.

Nix told the Journal-News taxpayers usually receive their property tax bills at the beginning of February, but they are being mailed out beginning on Feb. 15 and will be due by March 18. The delay is caused in part by the fight Auditor Roger Reynolds is waging with the state over property reappraisals.

“People can see their bills already online and there are certain parts of the county that they’re just getting sticker shock, or they are going to when they open their bills,” Nix said. “We just want them to be prepared.”

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

Strangers rebuild cherished Jeep for Air Force veteran with ALS

Bill Hammock, an Air Force veteran diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, was surprised Saturday when his rebuilt 1979 Jeep was delivered. Numerous volunteers spent the last five months doing about $25,000 worth of repairs to the Jeep. SUBMITTED PHOTO

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A project three generations of men couldn’t complete because of health reasons was unveiled last weekend after strangers rebuilt a 1979 Jeep for an Air Force veteran diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease.

On Saturday, five months after the men gathered Jeep parts that were scattered on Bill Hammock’s garage floor, the bright red Jeep was delivered, leaving the owner in tears and speechless, he said.

Then he couldn’t stop talking about seeing the Jeep again.

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