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

Former Bengal Matt Lengel, left, has accepted a top position with Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill. PROVIDED

Former Bengal Matt Lengel, left, has accepted a top position with Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill. PROVIDED

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


WATCH: West Chester trustee shows scars on his chest during board meeting to challenge treatment of Asian-Americans

West Chester Twp. trustee Lee Wong.

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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.

He then calmly took off his tie, unbuttoned his dress shirt, pushed the shirt aside, stood and pulled up his undershirt to show the old wound.

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Spooky Nook makes first two Hamilton hires, including former Bengals player, with many more on the way

Cincinnati Bengals tight end Matt Lengel makes a catch defended by safety Clayton Fejedelem on the first day of mandatory mini camp Tuesday, June 14 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

Spooky Nook Sports Champion Mill has signed former Cincinnati Bengal Matt Lengel and Hamilton native Lisa Disbro to two top positions at what is to be the largest indoor sports complex in North America.

Lengel, a tight end who was signed by the Bengals to their practice squad in 2015 out of Eastern Kentucky University before first playing in an NFL game for the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots in 2016, will be director of facility operations in Hamilton.

Hiring for the great majority of other positions is a ways off, but there now is a way people can sign up to get alerts when job openings happen.

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Old firehouse becoming COVID-19 vaccine site as options grow in Butler County

The soon-to-be-abandoned Liberty Township fire station on Yankee Road will transform into a coronavirus vaccine site under a plan recently approved by township trustees. The trustees agreed to  temporarily lease the station - at no cost - to UC Health and West Chester Hospital for its expanding efforts to reach more in the community with vaccine injections. (NICK GRAHAM\ Journal-News)

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The first-ever transformation of a Butler County fire station into a coronavirus vaccine site will take place in Liberty Twp., and it’s the latest example of local officials using smaller, community sites to reach more people with the potentially lifesaving drugs.

A soon-to-be-abandoned firehouse will be converted to a drive-thru coronavirus inoculation site in the coming weeks after the recent approval of the plan by Liberty Twp. trustees.

The unusual agreement between the township and UC Health/West Chester Hospital reflects county and local health officials increasing efforts to bring vaccines to where people are, rather than have them travel far and enter buildings to get the injections.

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Woman still recovering after being shot in the head inside Middletown bar

Middletown police are investigating a double shooting early Saturday morning at the Middtown Lounge on Clark Street. LAUREN PACK/STAFF

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Two people shot early Saturday morning during a disturbance at a Middletown bar are recovering, and police are continuing to investigate.

The incident happened at about 1:30 a.m. at the Middtown Lounge on Clark Street. Police were dispatched on a report of shots fire and found a woman suffering from gunshot wound to the head, according to the police report and officials.

The victim shot in the head, Amalia Pointer, 19, of Middletown, remains hospitalized and is improving, according to police.

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Former Middletown student showcased in new high-profile Netflix documentary

Dayton native William Christopher Stephens is starring in the latest Netflix documentary "Operation Varsity Blues."

Credit: William Christopher Stephens

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Credit: William Christopher Stephens

Dayton native William Christopher Stephens is showing off his acting chops in the new documentary “Operation Varsity Blues” on Netflix.

The documentary sheds light on the college-admissions scandal that included celebrities such as Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. In the film’s re-enactments, Stephens plays Rudy Meredith, a former women’s soccer coach at Yale University who was accused of taking bribes to admit athletes into the school’s program.

For the past two decades, Stephens has been living out his dream in California, starring in many major films and television shows, including “The Avengers,” “The Strain” and “The Mentalist.” Before he made the move to California, the Dayton native pursued acting and theater at Middletown High School. After appearing in several theater productions there, Stephens joined the Army National Guard.

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

‘Amazing lady’ celebrating 103rd birthday in Hamilton today

Eunice Murphy will celebrate her 103rd birthday today with residents at Bradford Place in Hamilton. She was born just outside Oxford on March 24, 1918. SUBMITTED

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Eunice Murphy has “seen it all,” said Redina Smith, activities director at Bradford Place in Hamilton.

Murphy, who turns 103 today, said she has witnessed plenty of historic moments in her life, but she’ll never forget July 20, 1969 when astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon.

And she can’t figure out smartphones.

“They just amaze me,” she said. “I don’t have one, but I see people talking into them and getting all their information. Never thought I’d see the day.”

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