Butler County commissioners deny giant Land of Illusion expansion
Saying the $190 million expansion of the Land of Illusion amusement park does not fit in well in rural Madison Twp., the Butler County commissioners denied the request to rezone 206 acres on Monday.
Owner Brett Oakley wanted to rezone eight parcels off Thomas Road to a Business Planned Unit Development from the current agriculture, residential and general business classifications. Oakley wanted to make Land of Illusion a year-round facility with additional family activities, camping sites and a hotel.
Commissioners Cindy Carpenter and T.C. Rogers said the plan doesn’t comport with the township’s land use plan and would have a negative impact on neighbors.
Police: Butler County scams targeting elderly likely part of nationwide network
A scam that cost a Fairfield Twp. woman several thousand dollars could be part of a larger network run nationwide, according to police.
Last week, police signed a felony charge for a suspect in the phone crime scheme. The 81-year-old Fairfield Twp. woman is among Butler County residents bilked for a combined $30,000, according to police.
Sgt. Brandon McCroskey told the Journal-News that the department charged Erik Damien Geier Jr. of Lutz, Florida with theft by deception of a protected class, a third-degree felony.
Football scholarship established in memory of 10-year-old Middletown boy killed in bike crash
A $2,500 scholarship has been established in memory of a Middletown boy who was killed while riding his bike, according to the Middletown Community Foundation.
The Cain Adkins Scholarship will be awarded to two graduating Middletown High School football players. The award will be a one-time gift of $2,500, according to the foundation. Scholarship applications open Jan. 1 and close Feb. 14.
MCF officials said the fund has enough money to award scholarships for at least 10 years.
Coronavirus effects cause $1.6 million deficit in next year’s Hamilton budget
Hamilton’s 2021 spending plan “is not structurally balanced,” City Manager Joshua Smith told City Council on Wednesday, informing the panel that has happened for only the third time out of 11 budgets he has proposed.
“Essentially what that means is we have fund balance to cover about $1.6 million that’s budgeted that we don’t believe we’re going to necessarily see in revenues,” he said.
City officials have been building a “rainy-day” budget surplus in recent years that can provide a cushion in what could be a difficult 2021 because of troubled economies caused by the covid-19 coronavirus.
West Chester Twp. trustees buying new emergency dispatch system
West Chester Twp. took a unique approach shopping for a new system for dispatching police and fire calls, shielding prices from reviewers to focus on quality.
The trustees on Tuesday approved purchasing a $748,634 hardware and software public safety package from CentralSquare Technologies, LLC, including almost $80,000 if an optional on-site training is included. If they must rely on remote training the cost is $699,194 plus $82,025 annually for support services, starting in the second year. The support cost increases 5% a year.
Even though reviewers didn’t know the costs, they chose the least expensive option.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
New Gift Local program encourages shopping from Butler County businesses: How to help
The Butler County Visitors Bureau’s new Gift Local program encourages shoppers to shop both in the stores or online to help local businesses.
In partnership with small businesses, BCVB’s Gift Local also provides great suggestions for gifts that make holiday shopping convenient and easy.
“Gift Local is born out of the idea that we want to do all we can to support our local businesses during this time. That’s always important, but particularly so right now, so no matter where you are, whether you are physically located in Hamilton, or one of the other neighboring Butler County communities, or if you are far away but still love home, we want you to feel like you can have a piece of Butler County,” said Tracy Kocher, vice president of marketing and communications at the Butler County Visitors Bureau.