ICU nurse first in Butler County to receive coronavirus vaccine
West Chester Hospital began administering the novel coronavirus vaccine this morning to its medical staff as the first round of the Pfizer vaccines delivered in the county.
The first person vaccinated at West Chester Hospital today was Kim Murphy, a registered nurse who works in the hospital’s intensive care unit.
“Working in the ICU, I see a lot of death and multiple complications from COVID-19. Taking the vaccination is the best route I can take as a person,” Murphy said. “We need to just stand up and do what we need to do to make our community better. As an RN, I want to model for the community as this is what we should do, and people can see us taking the vaccine, and that we are going to be okay — and so will they.”
Separation agreement adds details to Fairfield city manager’s resignation
Credit: City of Fairfield
Credit: City of Fairfield
The separation agreement and release signed by Fairfield city officials and former city manager Mark Wendling, who resigned abruptly on Friday, “is the resolution of disputed claims and is not an admission of liability,” according to the document.
Any alleged disputed claims are not included in Wendling’s personnel file provided by the city, and neither side is permitted to talk about the issue, per the agreement.
Wendling had until Dec. 31 to sign a separation agreement hand-delivered to him on Wednesday. He signed the agreement on Friday, ending his nearly 10-year tenure with the city. According to the agreement, Wendling will never seek employment with Butler County’s third-largest municipality. He will also not speak against the city, or file any complaints or legal actions.
2 former inmates file lawsuit claiming abuse in the Butler County Jail
A lawsuit filed last week alleges two U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement prisoners were assaulted multiple times by corrections officers in the Butler County Jail.
Bayong Brown Bayong, a refugee from Cameroon, and Admed Adem, a refugee from Somalia, filed the civil rights complaint against the jail and board of commissioners as well as two corrections officers on Dec. 8 in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati.
The men, through their attorneys John Camillus and Amy E. Norris, allege corrections officers have repeatedly beat and threatened them, once so severely the Bayong lost a tooth.
Franklin taps fire chief as new city manager
Fire Chief Jonathan Westendorf will become Franklin’s new city manager.
Mayor Brent Centers announced today that Westendorf will begin the position Jan. 1 to replace Sonny Lewis, who is retiring.
Last week, council interviewed Westendorf and Nathan Cahall, village administrator of Plain City. Westendorf was selected unanimously. He will be formally appointed at council’s Monday meeting.
Miami’s covering of George Washington statue draws national attention
The covering of a statue of George Washington on Miami University’s campus as part of a class project about racism has drawn the attention of a national group spotlighting what it calls political correctness bias at American colleges.
The action on the statue in the rotunda of Miami University’s Alumni Hall with a tarp earlier this fall came at a time when statues of some American historical figures were being vandalized and destroyed in some locations around the country.
Protestors, including Black Lives Matter among other groups, said those monuments were tainted by racism attributed by some to the nation’s past leaders.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
HISTORICAL PHOTOS: Memories of Hamilton celebrating the Christmas holiday
We ventured into the Journal-News archives to find some rare photos of Hamilton celebrating the holiday.