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:


First anger, then understanding, over some cut-down Lindenwald trees in Hamilton

At first, Troy Schwable, one of Hamilton’s top lovers of nature, was very angry to see the large trees that had been cut down on Corwin Avenue.

But after he and others expressed their feelings, and after City Manager Joshua Smith became involved on a vacation day, Schwable was reconciled that the trees probably had to go because of work on sewers and other utilities in the area.

Schwable, who noticed trees on other streets apparently had been marked to be cut down, is hopeful the city will be more careful about leveling trees in the future.

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Butler County’s first Krispy Kreme closer to opening with building finished

Construction of West Chester’s first Kristy Kreme is complete, and the opening of the doughnut business appears to be imminent.

A spokeswoman for the business said no opening day has been announced for the location at the Tylersville Pointe shopping center, 7783 Tylersville Road.

The doughnut shop was built from the ground up on a 30,753 square-foot outlot at the Tylersville Pointe shopping center. FRONTIER Building oversaw the development of the 3,596 square-foot-project that includes a drive-through and 27 parking spaces.

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Termite damage to force demolition of historic log cabin in Hamilton

A historic log cabin that Hamilton officials hoped could be restored to serve as a residence will have to be torn down because of termite damage.

The city earlier this year asked people to submit proposals to redevelop the cabin, which likely dates to the 1800s. But when three city employees took a prospective developer to visit it, 223 and 225 S. C St., in the historic Rossville neighborhood, he city’s top building inspector, Ken Rivera, noticed the termite damage and told his colleagues that the building needed to be demolished because it could collapse.

The log cabin until last year was in the hands of the Butler County Land Bank, which takes over properties that have fallen into disuse or foreclosure. The land bank in 2020 transferred the property, along with others, to Hamilton.

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911 caller: Multiple shots fired during Middletown’s third shooting incident in three weeks

Middletown police received two 911 calls Saturday night about the city’s third shooting incident in three weeks.

One caller on Bonita Drive said he heard about five shots.

“It was bang, bang, bang, bang, bang,” he told the dispatcher.

The man said his back was to the window facing the road so he didn’t see anything.

Another caller reported hearing three shots. The caller went upstairs and looked out the window while on the call.

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Mason superintendent 1 of 3 finalists for large Colorado district job

The leader of Mason Schools is one of three finalists for a superintendent’s job in Colorado.

Superintendent Jonathan Cooper, who was promoted from within the district to head of Mason Schools in 2017, is seeking to be hired for the top position of Poudre School District in Colorado.

Cooper was among the original pool of 28 candidates now narrowed to three, according to a recent story in the Coloradan newspaper, which covers the 52-school district in the Fort Collins area along the northern border of the state.

Cooper grabbed national attention in January for an appearance on CNN TV where he advocated for relaxing coronavirus quarantine rules for students.

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

Middletown native stars in NCAA championship game, helps Baylor to first basketball title

Credit: Darron Cummings

Credit: Darron Cummings

A former Middletown student, whose parents played basketball for the Middies, played a key role in Baylor University’s upset on previously undefeated Gonzaga on Monday night in the NCAA men’s basketball championship game.

MaCio Teague, 23, a senior at Baylor, scored 19 points in the 86-70 win in Indianapolis, the first men’s basketball title in school history.

Teague’s father, Sean, and mother, Barbara (Brooks) Teague, played for the Middies, as did his older brother.

“It was inevitable he would be a good player,” said Kee Edwards, principal at Miller Ridge Elementary and MaCio’s second-grade teacher at Taft Elementary.

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