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

Kyle Schwarber, Middletown native and Major League Baseball player, speaks to the crowd before The Middletown Firefighters Association made a donation of over $16,000 to The Middie Way Baseball, an organization focused on helping area youth learn the game of baseball, during a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 at the Middletown Division of Fire headquarters. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Kyle Schwarber, Middletown native and Major League Baseball player, speaks to the crowd before The Middletown Firefighters Association made a donation of over $16,000 to The Middie Way Baseball, an organization focused on helping area youth learn the game of baseball, during a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 at the Middletown Division of Fire headquarters. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

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


McCrabb: Kyle Schwarber ‘truly a champion’

The Middletown Firefighters Association made a donation of over $16,000 to The Middie Way Baseball represented by Kyle Schwarber, an organization focused on helping area youth learn the game of baseball, during a ceremony Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021 at the Middletown Division of Fire headquarters. NICK GRAHAM / STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

icon to expand image

Credit: Nick Graham

We’ve all laughed watching some kids play baseball. You know the ones.

Those more interested in picking dandelions than picking up a ground ball.

More interested in watching planes fly overhead than catching a fly ball.

That was Kyle Joseph Schwarber nearly 25 years ago when he was introduced to baseball at Smith Park, once a youth baseball hotbed in Middletown.

READ THE FULL STORY


Hamilton man dies in Fairfield bar shooting; suspect charged

A man has died after a shooting early Sunday morning at LugNutz Bar & Grill in Fairfield. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

icon to expand image

A Hamilton man has died after a bar shooting in Fairfield this weekend, and another man is facing a murder charge, according to officials.

Robert C. Strong, 44, of Hamilton, was shot at LugNutz Bar & Grill on Sunday morning. He was flown to University Hospital in Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment where he was pronounced dead, the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office has confirmed.

Strong was one of three people shot at the bar. Hailey Vierling, 21, of Hamilton and Jerome Golston, 30, of Lima, were also hit by gunfire and suffered non life-threatening injuries.

READ THE FULL STORY


Middletown woman accused of killing sister pleads insanity

Monica Pennington appeared in Butler County Common Pleas Court Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2021 for arraignment on indicted charges in the shooting death of her sister, Pamela Pennington, in Middletown. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

icon to expand image

Credit: Nick Graham

A Middletown woman accused of shooting and killing her sister last month at their Lafayette Avenue residence has entered an insanity plea.

Monica Ann Pennington, 48, of 1607 Lafayette Ave., is charged with murder and felonious assault for the death of her sister Pamela Pennington. The 52-year-old woman was found dead in the living room of the house after Monica called 911, according to Middletown police.

During pretrial hearing last week in Butler County Common Pleas Court, defense attorney David Brewer entered a not guilty reason of insanity plea for Pennington.

READ THE FULL STORY


COVID vax for kids in high demand, causing procedure changes

A record number of vaccinations is forcing changes at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. Those who go to the Liberty Twp. location now will need to schedule an appointment first.

Nurses administered 538 vaccines to children in the newly approved 5-to-11 age group at a clinic on Saturday, Nov. 6. That’s the highest one-day total since the Pfizer vaccine was approved last week.

Some families waited as long as four hours at the main campus in Avondale to get their child vaccinated. The demand is leading the hospital to streamline to process to avoid long waits.

READ THE FULL STORY


Middletown Community Foundation names new leader

Sarah Nathan has been named the executive director of the Middletown Community Foundation.

Credit: Submitted Photo

icon to expand image

Credit: Submitted Photo

Extensive knowledge in philanthropy and fundraising allowed a Middletown Community Foundation executive director candidate to “quickly rise to the top” of others, said Board President John Kiser.

This week the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Sarah Nathan as executive director. She will replace Executive Director Traci Barnett, who earlier announced her retirement at year’s end.

Kiser said the board conducted a nationwide search. Nathan will join the MCF on Dec. 6 and work with Barnett the rest of the year.

READ THE FULL STORY


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

PHOTOS: 20 years ago in Butler County in scenes from November 2001

Greg Lynch/Journal-News
John Hansbauer, Dave Storck, and Shawn Pater of Hamilton's Fire Station #4, wash their firetruck on "Truck Day", Thursday.  Though the truck is cleaned daily, once a week a more extensive cleaning is performed.

icon to expand image

Photos from November 2001.

SEE ALL OF THE PHOTOS