Top local news for Thursday, June 2, 2022

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


New dessert shop featuring cobbler expected to open in July: ‘Everything felt like home’

The Peach Cobbler Factory is expected to open its first Dayton-area location in mid-July at the Tylersville Farm Shopping Center in West Chester.

Credit: Submitted Photo

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Credit: Submitted Photo

A new dessert shop specializing in old fashioned cobblers, cinnamon rolls and banana puddings is expected to open mid-July in West Chester.

The Peach Cobbler Factory will open its first location in the region in the Tylersville Farm Shopping Center at 7736 Dudley Drive.

Deneen Glenn, the franchise owner of the West Chester location, told Dayton.com the company began offering franchise opportunities about nine months ago.

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Deadly Walmart shooting: Butler County grand jury returns indictments

Police investigate a fatal shooting at Walmart on Princeton Road in Fairfield Township Thursday, May 26, 2022. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

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Credit: Nick Graham

FAIRFIELD TWP. — A Butler County grand jury has indicted a man accused of shooting two people, killing a customer who tried to stop the man, last week inside the Walmart on Princeton Road.

Anthony F. Brown, 32, was indicted today for aggravated murder, murder, aggravated robbery, felonious assault and having weapons under disability. The case is assigned to Butler County Common Pleas Judge Dan Haughey, but an arraignment date has not yet been set.

Brown, of Hensley Avenue in Hamilton, was taken into custody by a SWAT team at Fairfield Inn in Middletown several hours after the May 26 shooting. Police said he was wearing dark clothing and a health safety mask when he ran from the Walmart on Princeton Road after the shooting.

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‘Baby box’ to be installed at Lebanon fire station later this summer

Second newborn left in baby box at Indiana firehouse

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Lebanon will be one of the latest cities in Ohio with a “baby box” at its fire station to allow parents in crisis to safely, securely and anonymously surrender their newborn if they are unable to provide care.

The baby boxes are utilized under the state’s Safe Haven Law to help the parents and the newborns from possible harm.

City Manager Scott Brunka said the city’s safety device is in production and could be installed and operable in the next several weeks. He said it would be installed at the city’s new fire station on North Broadway.

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Settlement reached in annexation lawsuit between St. Clair Twp. and Hamilton

Ohio Supreme Court

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The annexation lawsuit between tiny St. Clair Twp. and the city of Hamilton has been “settled in principle” after years of wrangling over how much the township is owed because of faulty annexation procedures.

The township sued Hamilton in December 2019 and after protracted litigation and complex calculations now claims the city owes at least $10 million including interest for lost property taxes due to annexations. The city has maintained it owes nothing.

Court records indicate a settlement has been reached in the case. Curt Hartman, outside counsel for St. Clair Twp., told the Journal-News they have reached a “settlement in principle” but he can’t discuss the details until it is finalized.

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‘Just a bump in the road’: $1.1B Tri-County Mall redevelopment seeks new architect firm

Tri-County Mall will evolve into an amenity-rich apartment community in the next 10 years. CONTRIBUTED/WCPO/BHDP

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SPRINGDALE, Ohio — One of the Tri-State’s largest developments could soon have a new architect at the helm.

Project leaders for the $1.1 billion redevelopment of the Tri-County Mall said Wednesday they’re looking to hire a local firm to keep costs down while maintaining speed and quality.

BHDP Architects, the architectural firm that designed a second floor for the mall when it expanded in 1990, was initially hired for the redevelopment.

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

Mason Middle School student becomes Scripps National Spelling Bee finalist

Mason Middle School student Sahana Srikanth is a finalist at the Scripps National Spelling Bee. Photo by: Glenn & Malinda Hartong/the Hartongs

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Elated — e-l-a-t-e-d. That’s how Mason Middle School student Sahana Srikanth must be feeling after becoming a finalist at the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Srikanth was one of two Tri-State girls who won their regional bee and traveled to the D.C. area in hopes of hoisting the Scripps Cup. Tara Rakesh of Kentucky made it to the third round of competition, finishing tied for 89th place out of 234 spellers.

Eighth-grader Srikanth was able to spell words like bursiculate, surfeit and balaam to make it to the finals Thursday. Srikanth spoke about her dad’s unconventional techniques to prepare for the Bee.

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