Father faces felony after 5-year-old child shoots self while playing with gun
A father is facing a felony charge and a 5-year-old child is recovering from a gunshot wound after an accidental shooting Wednesday night at Middletown residence, according to police.
Middletown officers were called to a residence in the 800 block of 10th Avenue about 7:11 p.m. for a report of a gunshot wound. They found a boy who had a gunshot wound to the leg, according to Sgt. Earl Nelson. The child was taken to the Atrium Medical Center for further treatment and later flow to an area children’s hospital.
The investigation determined the boy was playing with a gun that he had found in his father’s bedroom and he accidentally shot himself in the leg.
Motorcyclist in Fairfield crash identified, is in critical condition
Credit: NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
Credit: NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
The driver of a motorcycle involved in a serious crash in Fairfield on Wednesday has been identified.
Brandon Whitehead, 29, was flown from the crash scene to University Hospital in Cincinnati.
He was hit by a silver Toyota. The driver of that vehicle fled, but has since been located.
Spring Finds on the Farm Craft Show includes more than 50 craft vendors
LIBERTY TWP. — The Niederman family is bringing back the Spring Finds on the Farm Craft Show just in time for Mother’s Day shopping. This is a free, outdoor shopping experience on the farm.
“We found the last couple of years, setting up vendors out in our open area, in our lot, was so popular and so well received that we just started to work with some of our neighbors, friends, family, and crafters that were in the area that still had crafts to sell, and we had great success doing this outside. It was a lot of fun,” said Bethann Niederman, who serves as the director of fun at Niederman Family Farm.
Spring Finds on the Farm Craft Show is in its third year at the Liberty Twp. farm and will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
New sheriff’s union deals cost up to $1.1M over three years
The Butler County sheriff has come to terms with four unions, cementing new three-year contracts that could cost up to $1.17 million in new money depending on retirements and other factors.
The new agreements are between the county and 196 members of the Wage and Benefit Committee representing corrections officers and their supervisors, dispatchers and clerical specialists. Depending how many people retire or take the new sick leave buyout program additional costs for wages ranges from $990,000 to $1.17 million.
Negotiating union contracts used to be painful and contentious but Major Mike Craft said the last several have been a breeze, “we were able to strike a fair, happy medium for everybody, everybody concedes, nobody gets everything they want.”
As Badin proposes campus stadium, area schools tout upsides of new sports facilities
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Adding a sports stadium and track to a Butler County high school may still be years off but other area high schools who have done the same tout the move as a positive transformation of their campuses.
Badin High School in Hamilton has launched the preliminary zoning change process to build the school’s first athletic stadium in its more than half-century history.
Last week saw the first steps toward zoning approval for the proposed 2,600 seat athletic complex was included in a school proposal to expand parking for its growing student enrollment.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
Middletown may join other cities in getting license plate reading cameras
Advanced technology that uses license plate reading cameras could be coming to Middletown soon. Police say the goal is to find people being sought through investigations and who are linked to acts of violence.
This week, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine awarded more than $3.7 million to 21 local law enforcement agencies to help them strategically combat violence in their communities.
The Middletown Division of Police was awarded a $33,000 to develop a new hot spot policing strategic plan that will employ the use of of the technology that will also aid in the investigation of homicides and other violent crimes.