Top local news for Thursday, April 7, 2022

Here is a look at five big Butler County stories today to catch up on the news.


Middletown sex trafficking survivor freed by DeWine returns to prison

MIDDLETOWN — Two years after she was freed from prison by Governor Mike DeWine, Alexis Martin has been sent back to prison after her commutation was revoked for a parole violation, according to Middletown police.

Martin was 15 at the time of her arrest for planning the murder of Angelo Kierney, who had forced her into prostitution, and 17 when she received a sentence of 21 years to life in prison. Ohio’s Supreme Court chief justice acknowledged Tierney had kept Martin as “a forced sex slave,” but Martin was nonetheless tried as an adult for her role in his death.

According to Associated Press reporting and court documents, Martin and a female friend enlisted two men to rob Tierney and his brother at gunpoint. The would-be robbers entered the home while Martin and her friend were being raped; in the ensuing confrontation, Tierney and his brother were both shot.

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Critical Race Theory clash at Lakota: Two board members say leadership could be affected

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Two Lakota school board members are concerned a highly public rift between a board colleague, who has repeatedly clashed with district leader Matt Miller, “could result in Lakota losing a superintendent.”

Lakota Board of Education member Kelley Casper told the Journal-News of her concerns over the ongoing clash between member Darbi Boddy and Miller over the topic of Critical Race Theory and other issues raised by Boddy.

Email records show accusations from Boddy against Miller for an alleged lack of response regarding her requests for information and Miller’s opinions on CRT.

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Block of Main Street in Hamilton to close for utility work

Credit: Nick Graham

Credit: Nick Graham

Businesses and motorists will need to put up with a block of Main Street closing for a few days as utility work begins 8 a.m. Friday.

The closure of Main Street between D and E streets is only expected to last until 8 p.m. Tuesday, but it could be extended if weather impacts the installation of several utilities for the Rossville Flats project, said Hamilton Director of Engineering Rich Engle.

“I know we’re going to impact motorists and we’re going to impact the businesses. We don’t like to do that, but in this case, we have no other choice,” he said. “The utilities are too deep in order to open up at the end of the day and plate it. It just wouldn’t work, it would be unsafe for the motorists.”

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‘Vision for the city’ presented to Middletown City Council

Middletown City Council heard the first reading of the Comprehensive Plan, what a consultant called the “vision for the city,” during Tuesday’s two-hour meeting.

After Greg Dale, from Cincinnati-based consultants McBride Dale Clarion, made his presentation, Jennifer Chen, a Middletown resident with a master’s degree in planning, questioned why the Comprehensive Plan lacked significant data and demographics to assist in decision making.

In 2005, the last time the city completed a Comprehensive Plan, she said it included six pages of data.

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Safari, Sky Ride, Vortex and more: Multiple Kings Island owners brought new visions

Credit: Greg Lynch

Credit: Greg Lynch

Like most everything in our world since 1972, Kings Island has gone through many transformations and additions.

But the other things in our lives haven’t been witnessed and experienced by millions as the well-attended Kings Island has been for the last 50 years.

The first version of Kings Island was carved out of farmland and woods in Warren County, only to set a stage for decades of coming additions to the popular amusement park.

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

Dot Dash 5K raises funds for Family Promise of Butler County

Early registration has started for the 4th Annual Family Promise of Butler County Dot Dash 5K.

The event will take place in Hamilton’s Marcum Park, Saturday, June 11 and will include a timed run, recreational walk/run, kids’ fun run and a sleep in.

The mission of Family Promise of Butler County is “To help alleviate the needs of children and their families who are experiencing homelessness in Butler County by providing shelter, meals, diversion, and comprehensive support services.”

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