Top local news for Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022

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


Middletown Schools leader finalist for Cincinnati superintendent’s job

The leader of Middletown Schools is a finalist for the top job at Cincinnati Public Schools.

Marlon Styles Jr., who has led the 6,300-student Middletown Schools since being hired as superintendent in 2017, is a finalist for the superintendent’s job for the 36,000-student Cincinnati school system — the third largest district in Ohio.

Middletown school officials confirmed Styles candidacy for the job.

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Bond set for former New Miami softball coach indicted on felony sex charges

A Hamilton woman and former New Miami coach is facing multiple felonies alleging she engaged in sexual conduct with a teen student while she was a coach.

Ashley Ra-Nae Rison, 30, was indicted Wednesday by a grand jury on eight counts of sexual battery and tampering with evidence, all felonies, and one count of furnishing alcohol to a minor, a misdemeanor.

Rison was arraigned Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court where Judge Dan Haughey set bond at $10,000 with a 10 percent rule, meaning $1,000 for her release from the county jail. If bond is posted, Haughey ordered Rion be placed on a GPS monitor and have no contact with the victim.

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‘Go Bengals, Who Dey, and Amen’: Hamilton City Council shows support for NFL team

Who Dey gonna root hardest for those Cincinnati Bengals this weekend? Among Hamilton City Council, the odds-on favorite is Vice Mayor Michael Ryan, although Councilman Eric Pohlman may have one-upped Ryan at Wednesday’s council meeting by praying for the team.

“Heavenly Father,” Pohlman began his opening prayer, “we come to you today asking you for your guidance, wisdom and support as we begin this meeting. Lord, as always, we ask you to watch over our firefighters, police officers and all first responders, that they may return home safely after each day.”

“We ask you, Lord, to watch over all our athletes this weekend,” Pohlman continued. “Keep them healthy, and let them show sportsmanship. Go Bengals, Who Dey, and Amen.”

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Hamilton-based 80 Acres Farms planning new facility in N. Kentucky

Hamilton-based 80 Acres Farms, the company creating entirely indoor farms that allow high-output farming throughout the year without need for pesticides or herbicides, plans to build a new facility in eastern Boone County, Ky.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced 80 Acres Farms will create 125 well-paying jobs with a $74 million investment in an existing 200,000-square-foot building located on 22-plus acres. It should open in the third quarter of this year and will grow, harvest, package and distribute leafy greens, microgreens, berries and tomatoes for markets in the surrounding area.

“Agritech growth is a major part of our effort to create a sustainable economy that works for all Kentuckians, and I am very pleased to welcome 80 Acres Farms to the commonwealth,” Beshear said. “These well-paying jobs will create quality opportunities for our workforce. I want to thank the company’s leaders for locating in Kentucky and I can’t wait to see the facility up and running this year.”

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Middletown Schools extends mandatory COVID-19 masks for students and staff

Officials overseeing Middletown Schools have extended the district’s mandatory mask orders for students and staffers into next month.

Earlier this week the Middletown Board of Education approved continuing the mandatory mask requirement to further protection from spreading COVID-19 in the 6,300-student district and its 10 school buildings, they said.

Masks will be required at least until Feb. 14, said school officials, when the board will re-visit the issue after evaluating the district’s data on student and staff infections and quarantines near that date.

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

Man found incompetent to stand trial in Hamilton beating death

A man charged with murder for the September 2021 beating death of a Hamilton man has been ruled incompetent to stand trial, according to court records.

Kahreem G. Brown, 24, who has been living with family in the area, but is from Florida, was indicted by a Butler County grand jury last fall for murder and felonious assault in the death of Larry C. Ingram.

Ingram, 58, of the 400 block of Knightsbridge, was fatally assaulted at about 10:50 p.m. Sept. 29 allegedly by Brown who called 911 for help, but didn’t know where he was.

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