2 adults, 2 teens displaced after Hamilton fire
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Hamilton firefighters have extinguished a fire in the 600 block of Ludlow Street at a two-story residence.
Crews were dispatched earlier this afternoon, according to Butler County Dispatch. They report four people, two adults and two teenagers, have been displaced as a result of the fire.
The first of the responding Hamilton firefighters reported heavy smoke and visible flames from the home at 611 Ludlow St., according to the IAFF Local 20.
Ohio and Kentucky governors announce $2B plan for companion span, improvements to Brent Spence Bridge
Credit: Staff photo by Kareem Elgazzar
Credit: Staff photo by Kareem Elgazzar
The governors of Ohio and Kentucky announced on Monday a plan to pay for improvements and an expansion to the congested double-decker Brent Spence Bridge, which carries traffic from Interstates 71 and 75 between Cincinnati and Covington.
They are seeking $2 billion in federal grants to pay for a companion span to the bridge. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said the funds are needed to make improvements to the current structure, provide more space for traffic and to make improvements to roads on both sides of the bridge.
“This is a happy day,” DeWine said as he opened the news conference. He also thanked Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear for hosting.
Cleveland-Cliffs to demolish stack Tuesday; Middletown residents may feel ground vibration
An out-of-commission stack at Cleveland-Cliffs in Middletown will be demolished Tuesday morning and residents may feel “a very short ground vibration” during the one-minute event, according to a post on the police department’s Facebook page.
Residents may also hear loud noises during the implosion conducted by Dem Tech.
Oxford State Road will be closed during the demolition. There will be detours.
Hamilton man charged in child sex crimes is now in jail; bond set
A Hamilton man indicted on multiple child sex charges, including rape, is now in the Butler County Jail.
Thomas Edward Philpot, 63, was indicted by a grand jury Feb. 3 on five counts of rape, nine counts of gross sexual imposition — all felonies — and one count of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, a misdemeanor.
According to the indictment, the alleged crimes occurred between December 2012 and March 2017. The rape charges allege the victim was under the age of 10.
Liberty trustee wants Auditor Roger Reynolds’ civil suit postponed
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
A Liberty Twp. trustee caught up in the Butler County Auditor Roger Reynolds’ legal troubles also asked the judge in the civil lawsuit to pause the case as Reynolds fights a possible criminal conviction.
Liberty Twp. Trustee Tom Farrell, who is a party in the civil lawsuit filed against Reynolds by an elderly West Chester Twp. man, filed a motion Thursday asking the visiting judge to pause the proceedings. Reynolds is in the midst of defending himself against three felony and two misdemeanor charges of bribery and using his public office for personal gain. He pleaded not guilty on Thursday and his trial is set for Aug. 15.
“Unfortunately, the recent indictment of Roger Reynolds threatens to obscure the truth — that there was no bribery or collusion amongst Farrell and Reynolds — by creating a cloud of silence over the discovery process,” the motion reads.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
Hamilton’s internship program for minorities earns top state honors
It didn’t take long for the Citywide Hamilton Internship Program to be recognized by the state as one of the best.
Commonly referenced as CHIPs, the internship program recently won the Ohio Economic Development Association’s Excellence in Workforce Development. Jeanne Pope, a co-founder of the CHIPs program said they applied for the award because it is “a very unique product that’s yielding some great results.”
She said it takes a different approach from other workforce development projects, such as the after program care, which Pope and her co-founder Chamina Curtis call the “glam squad.”