News
Learn about Warren County through ambassador program
The Warren County Area Progress Council and Warren County Board of Realtors have jointly created an ambassadors program to familiarize realtors and others to the assets and amenities of Warren County.
The two-part program runs from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., March 13 and 20, at the Lebanon Conference and Banquet Center, 105 S. Broadway.
Participants may attend one or both half-day sessions. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with a free continental breakfast for attendees.
There will be staffed booths set up by the county’s chambers of commerce, lenders, business groups and others. Representatives from each booth will be available before, after, and during breaks to talk with those attending the ambassadors program.
Topics that will be covered include the history of the county, economic development, commerce, culture and recreation.
Participants will be entered into a drawing for door prizes that will be awarded following class at each session.
Cost is $20 for one day, or $30 for both. Registration deadline is March 7.
Information/registration: 513-404-8954wcbrealtors.com or ambassador@wcbrealtor.com
Topics covered March 13 and presenters are:
- History, John Zimkus
- Chamber Alliance, Christye Leasure
- Sheriff’s office, Larry Sims
- Economic development, Martin Russell
- Interstates 71, 75 corridor development, Pat South and Matt Obringer
Topics and presenters, March 20:
- Parks, Benjamin Yoder
- Convention and visitor bureau, Bridget Kochersperger
- Quality of life, Dustin Baily
- Museum, Bill duning
- YMCA, Debra Phillips
- Camps Joy and Kern, Amy Thompson
- Workforce Development, Margaret Hess and Scott Markland
- Fort Ancient, Jack Blosser
- Emergency management, Jim Bolen
Beck to Enquirer: I’m staying
State Rep. Peter Beck, R-Mason, plans to serve his full term and run for re-election this spring, despite facing 69 felony counts for his alleged role in defrauding investors in a West Chester startup.
“Yes and yes. Yes, ma’am,” Beck said in response to an Enquirer reporter’s questions about his plans, as he rushed into an Ohio House committee meeting. He spread his arms, as if to say, “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Beck was first indicted on 16 counts last summer. That number expanded to 69 after fellow Republicans Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters on Thursday filed new charges of corruption, fraud and perjury against Beck. He has refused to resign in spite of calls for his resignation from Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges and Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder, R-Medina.
Beck is accused of helping to bilk investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars as chief financial officer of an insolvent West Chester software startup owned by the late Cincinnati money manager Thomas M. Lysaght. The charges say Beck also took some of the money intended for the startup, called Christopher Technologies, and diverted it to his campaign fund.
Much of the money from the fraud also went to Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, a secretive Linwood church investigated by The Enquirer in September, according to the indictment issued Thursday. So the church and Pastor Janet Combs, who is Lysaght’s widow, also face felony charges for corruption, money laundering and receiving stolen property.
Beck has maintained his innocence. His attorneys have characterized him as a victim in the fraud, not a conspirator.
With the latest indictment, Beck agreed to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which handles taxes. Rep. Jeff McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, will chair the committee instead.
Speaker Batchelder said he also believed Beck should resign his House seat. Beck’s current two-year term expires in December.
“While I do not have the sole authority to remove any member of House, it is still my belief that it is in the best interest of Representative Beck, his family, and the constituents of the 54th House District for him to resign,” Batchelder said Thursday in a statement. “While there is always a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, it is my belief that these very serious allegations could cause a distraction to the good work of the Ohio House of Representatives.”
Batchelder had also called for Beck’s resignation last summer. When it became clear that Beck would not resign, the speaker said he had just been making a suggestion.
Beck’s trial currently is scheduled to start a month before the May 6 primary, but that could be postponed. He will face two other accountants, Mary Jo Kubicki, R-Deerfield Township, and Paul Zeltwanger, R-Mason, in the primary.
Kubicki has already far outraised Beck. At the end of 2013, Kubicki had $58,000 in her campaign account, while Beck had just $5,500. Zeltwanger said he had not started fundraising by the end of 2013 and did not file a financial report for that period. He declined to say how much money he has on hand, saying only that he’d have enough to run a successful campaign.
Kubicki has said Beck should resign, while Zeltwanger stopped short of calling for Beck’s resignation.
Beck is facing charges in part for allegedly convincing people to invest money in Christopher Technologies, or CTech, without telling them it was insolvent. Beck did so using his position as then-vice mayor of Mason and also stole money from his Milford accounting firm, then known as Donahoo, Cupp and Beck, Thursday’s indictment said.
Also named in the indictment is TML Consulting – a “shell company,” the charges say, run by Lysaght and Combs. A Mount Lookout mansion called “Crusade Castle,” owned by the church for Combs’ use, is eligible for forfeiture under the charges.
no comments yetPalmera Apts. on ‘Designing Spaces’ Thursday
Lifetime Television will air the “Designing Spaces” episode produced at the Palmera Apartments in Deerfield Township on Thursday.
Officials from Blue Ash-based Hills Properties and the National Apartment Association are featured in the episode talking about rental housing trends.
Hills completed construction on the $36 million, 360-unit apartment community in September 2012. In June, the National Apartment Association named the upscale development the Apartment Community of the Year.
Palmera has one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with high-end finishes. Other amenities include a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse, swimming pool, health and wellness center, tennis courts, walking trails and an outdoor fireplace and lounge area.
National Apartment Association President and Chief Executive Doug Culkin will be joined by Jordanna Paciorek, asset manager for Edward Rose & Sons and Tessa Braun, property manager for the Palmera Apartments.
no comments yetMason wins gymnastics competition
Mason won its sixth consecutive Cincinnati City Championship Saturday at Cincinnati Country Day. The Comets scored a season-best 137.625, according to Mason coach Kelly Wones. Mason junior Gabby Sora nearly swept the meet, winning the All Around competition (35.825), vault (9.0), beam (9.2) and floor (9.1).
no comments yet
Tennis tournaments’ move to Mason may be approved in April
The likely move of the state boys and girls tennis tournaments to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in fall 2015 is a scenario that has been discussed for the past couple of years between the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The OHSAA announced in late January the verbal agreement was in place for the tennis tournaments – currently held at Ohio State University’s Stickney Tennis Center – to move to Mason. The move will likely be approved at the OHSAA Board of Directors meeting in April.
“It’s a beautiful facility,” OHSAA commissioner Dr. Dan Ross told The Enquirer in January. “They are very tickled to have us there.”
How long of an agreement for the tournament to be there in Mason is still being discussed. What impact it will have financially to the Mason area each fall and spring is also still being evaluated, said Ben Huffman, director of sports marketing at the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
“The Lindner Center is we feel is the best tennis center in the state of Ohio,” Huffman said.
One aspect which helped the Mason site was three potential indoor tennis partners in The Club at Harper’s Point, Five Seasons and Queen City Racquet Club.
The OHSAA had been concerned in the past about the availability of indoor facilities in Greater Cincinnati.
The girls tennis tournament has been moved indoors because of rain the past three years in Columbus.
“The ATP (previous name) should be a great site for the state (tournament),” St. Xavier coach Russ King said. “…I have been selling the ATP for years.”
King said the annual state coaches’ association team tennis tournaments, which are unsanctioned by the OHSAA, are still expected to be held in Columbus for a few years.
no comments yetHome Depot seeks 600 local workers
Home Depot is hiring 600 people in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, gearing up for the busy spring gardening season.
The home improvement retailer says it will match veterans and reservists with skills learned in the military with those needed in the stores. Students and retirees also are invited to apply.
Home Depot has 14 stores in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, including retails locations in Mason, West Chester Twp. and Lebanon.
Job seekers can apply online at http://careers.homedepot.com.
no comments yetMason’s Volpenhein doubles her excitement
Mason’s Maureen Sullivan at the start of the girls 100 yard freestyle at the girls southwest ohio D1 meet at Mason, Feb. 9,2013. (Tony Tribble)
By Tom Ramstetter, Enquirer contributor
Mason freshman Ashley Volpenhein crashed the party, so to speak, Saturday night at the girls’ Division I Southwest District meet by winning both the 50 freestyle and the 100 freestyle events at Miami University’s Corwin M. Nixon Natatorium as Mason won its second straight district team title.
Mason won with 380.5 points and defending state champion Ursuline was second with 304. The top two finishers in each event automatically qualify for next week’s state meet in Canton.
Volpenhein edged Ursuline senior Temarie Tomley in each of her wins by very narrow margins. The freshman sent a look of disbelief toward the crowd after coming off the podium with her second first-place medal. She had no idea how well the night would work out for her.
“Not at all,” the freshman said. “I was not expecting even one. The fact that I got two, it’s just indescribable how excited I am. I’m so glad that this season ended the way it did. I have state (still) but this is all I could ask for and more.”
Volpenhein won the 50 freestyle in 23.28, just ahead of Tomley’s 23.34.
“I was really excited going into it, so I think it was adrenaline the whole time,” Volpenhein said. “I usually take two breathes on the way back, but I just put my head down and was like whatever happens happens. I was lucky enough to get first and I’m super excited about it.”
The 100 was even closer. Volpenhein beat Tomley by one one-hundredth of a second, 50.39 to 50.40. Ursuline senior Alisabeth Marsteller was third at 50.47.
“I knew they were by me and I did not expect to be ahead of them,” Volpenhein said. “When I saw I was, I just gave it all had. I put my head down and screamed when I finished.”
Senior Zoe Thatcher was the other individual winner for Mason with a win in the 500 freestyle. Her time of 4:48.20 was just ahead of Ursuline junior Sydney Lofquist’s second-place time of 4:50.21.
Mason and Ursuline each had four first-place finishes. The Lions also had four second-place finishes and Mason was second three times. Mason and Ursuline were first and second in each of the three relays.
Ursuline won the 200 medley relay in 1:45.20, just ahead of Mason in 1:45.64. The Ursuline team was anchored by freshmen Rollie Grinder in the third leg and Julia Moran in the fourth leg. Senior Emily Slabe started the race with Lofquist in the second leg. The Mason team included Ashley Volpenhein and her junior sister, Julia, senior Maureen Sullivan, and sophomore Jordan Decker.
Both Volpenheins were part of the Mason 200 free relay team that won with a meet record time of 1:34.81, just ahead of Ursuline at 1:35.31. Ursuline’s previous mark of 1:35.69 was set last season and beaten by both teams Saturday.
Julia and Ashley Volpenhein joined sophomore Abbey Esler and Sullivan on the 200 free relay team.
“It’s cool,” Julia Volpenhein said of teaming with her sister. “Especially since I’m right after her in the medley. And we get to do it next year too.”
Ursuline broke its own meet record during the final event of the night – the 400 freestyle relay – in 3:26.12. The team of Lofquist, Slabe, Tomley and Marsteller bested the Lions’ 2013 mark of 2:28.08. Mason was second in 3:29.83 with junior Elizabeth Troy, Thatcher, Esler and Decker.
Marsteller set a new meet record in the 200 freestyle in 1:47.46 during her first season swimming the event.
“I was a little nervous because this is the first year that I’ve done the 200 free,” Marsteller said. “I felt like I was just going to go out there and go out fast and try to ride that feeling the rest of the way. I was happy with how it turned out.”
Marsteller bested Thatcher’s record of 1:47.59 set last season. Thatcher was second this year and got the second automatic state qualifier.
“It feels good because I don’t really get records,” Marsteller said. “I’m a senior and I have my name on the paper until whoever comes and breaks it. So it feels good to leave my mark as a senior.”
Lofquist, in her first season swimming for Ursuline, won the 200 individual medley by more than three seconds in 2:00.49.
“My worst stroke is backstroke so that’s mainly what I’ve been trying to work on,” Lofquist said. “My breaststroke is also not one of my best. Besides that, I really just go for it. I build the fly and then the rest is a sprint.”
Other winnersIn between Ashley Volpenhein’s wins, Kings freshman Megan Sichterman won the 100 butterfly in 55.21.
Sichterman was nearly speechless after besting Sycamore junior Cara Norris’s second-place time of 55.65. The Kings freshman set her personal best time, easily surpassing her previous mark of 56.10.
“I had a lot of adrenaline and I was really nervous,” Sichterman managed. “It’s cool to be here for my first time.
“I dropped a lot (on my time).”
Springboro sophomore Hannah Whiteley won the 100 backstroke for a second-straight season, this time in 53.84, just slower than her meet record of 53.74 last year. Her teammate, sophomore Marianna Kahmann, was second at 54.66.
Lakota West senior Casey Frazier won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.73, beating Walnut Hills junior Brookley Garry’s second-place time of 1:06.41.
Extra Point: Mason coach Mark Sullivan was voted Division I Coach of the Year in the Southwest District.
no comments yetMason senior wins state service award
So it seemed natural for the Mason High School student to organize a 5K race to benefit research for a disease his younger sister was showing symptoms of.
That race the last two years raised more than $8,000 for the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research. Lund’s efforts in organizing and running the race allowed him to be named one of two students in Ohio to receive the 2014 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards for youth volunteerism.
Both he and co-winner Sydney Copeland, of Beavercreek, received a $1,000 award, an engraved medallion and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington D.C. May 3-6. There, two winners from each state and the District of Columbia will be honored, and learn whether they are a national winner.
“I was very surprised,’’ said Lund, now 17 and a senior. “This is pretty important to me.”
Lund’s efforts started when a younger sister began exhibiting symptoms of the genetic disease, including sleep apnea and poor coordination.
“She’s not been diagnosed with the disease but has many symptoms,” Lund said. “I run cross country and track for my school and I run a lot of 5Ks. I am pretty big into the running community so I decided to organize this.”
The Hungry for a Cure 5K made its debut in November 2012, with 150 participants. The second race last November drew a larger crowd.
“I am really grateful to everyone who (helped) me including my sponsors, my parents and my friends who volunteered to make the race a great success,’’ Lund said.
Lund was nominated for both the 2013 and 2014 award by Mason High School Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart.
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“He is very active in the school community. For him to dedicate the time to the race on behalf of his sister is so inspiring,’’ said McCarty-Stewart. “That touches my heart.”
The contest is a partnership between Prudential Financial and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. It was open to middle and senior high school students.
One middle, and one senior high school student, along with distinguished finalists, is selected from each state by an independent judging panel. Criteria included personal initiative, effort, impact, and growth.
In Washington, five middle and five senior high school students will be selected national winners. Those students will receive a $5,000 award, gold medallions, crystal trophies and a charity of their choice will receive a $5,000 grant from the Prudential Foundation.
no comments yetEntire region now under winter storm warning; 3-6 inches expected
City of Newport worker Clell Gabbard pours beet juice into their salt pile for mixing. The juice is used as an additive to the salt so that it can be effective at lower temperatures. Once it’s mixed, the salt is brown in color and is often mistaken for sand. Newport, like many municipalities across the region, is experiencing a salt shortage. / The Enquirer/Carrie Cochran
Jennifer Edwards Baker and Adam Kiefaber report:
A winter storm warning has been issued for the entire region by the National Weather Service.
The warning, which will be in effect until 2 a.m. Saturday, means anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected to fall across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, starting this afternoon and lasting through late tonight.
Previous forecasts predicted more snow to fall in Northern Kentucky and less would fall in areas north of the Ohio River. Morning forecasts called for 3 to 5 inches in Union, Ky., 2 to 4 inches in Downtown Cincinnati and 1 to 2 inches in Mason.
Recent forecasts are predicting that the heaviest snowfall will occur between 4 and 7 p.m. or just in time for the evening commute. In total, areas south of the river could get between 4 to 6 inches, areas in Hamilton County should expect around 4 to 5 inches and the northern suburbs in Butler and Warren counties will get 3 to 4 inches.
Timeline today
Andy Latto, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said snow could start falling around 1 or 1:30 p.m. His snowfall timeline:
- Snow will begin falling around 1 or 1:30 p.m. Friday
- First snowfall could come by way of a 20-minute snow burst
- Snowfall then become lighter until around 2:30 p.m.
- After 2:30 p.m. snowfall could become heavy at times
- The heaviest snowfall is expected to occur between 4 and 7 p.m.
- Snow could begin tapering off around 7 p.m.
- Light snow could linger tonight, but it should be east of the area by 10 p.m.
- 3-to-5 inches expected north of the Ohio River
- • 4-to-6 inches expected south of the Ohio River
Temperatures will hover in the mid- to low 30s today.
Some schools are dismissing students early or closing altogether.
Mount Healthy City Schools are ending classes two hours early this afternoon. Boone and Campbell schools are among several closed today in Northern Kentucky.
More early dismissals and closings are likely.
no comments yetValentine’s Day means independence for basket makers
Rachel Rice works on assembling a custom-made candy bouquet as part of a non-profit business called Candy Bouquet DesignsThe Enquirer/ Amanda Rossmann
In a brightly lit workshop in Lebanon, Rachel Rice carefully glues candy confections onto a bamboo skewer. She looks up, her face breaking into an easy smile as she proudly shows off her work.
Around her, a dozen others with disabilities chat as they fashion pink and red cellophane into flower-shaped “poofs” and artfully arrange skewers of chocolates in ruffled candy containers exploding with red and pink crinkle paper and ribbons.
- Photos: Candy Bouquet Designs
They’re not Cupid’s assistants, but paid employees of a nonprofit business venture that hires and trains people with developmental disabilities.
For the employees of Candy Bouquet Designs, Valentine’s Day is about more than love and romance; it’s about gaining independence and a sense of accomplishment.
“This is our own self-started microenterprise,” said Kathy Frantz, an adult services provider with the Warren County Board of Developmental Disabilities. “Our goal here is to provide an opportunity for the people here to earn a paycheck.”
The operation launched five years ago as a program of Production Services Unlimited, a nonprofit organization that partners with the WCBDD to provide job opportunities to people with disabilities.
“The economy went down and a lot of our people were coming in from our other (work areas) because they were losing their jobs. We were trying to find other work they could do,” Frantz said.
Candy Bouquet Designs employs about 15 people with a range of disabilities who create custom-made gift baskets. Employees are paid minimum wage or on a piece rate, which varies with the assembly or package, Frantz said.
Last year, workers filled nearly $20,000 in orders. Most of those were for their signature candy gift baskets, which range from $6 to $75, but baskets containing energy and breakfast bars, beef jerky and trail mix, snack cakes and even jewelry and personal care items are also popular.
The nonprofit business is just one of many employment initiatives PSU offers to the 140 people on its payroll.
On a recent weekday, the warehouse floor at the organization’s Columbus Avenue location was bustling with workers assembling and packaging materials ranging from garage door kits to medical specimen bags.
Mark Strother, a procurement agent, said misconceptions about the contributions disabled people can make limit their options, but the work produced at PSU is top-notch.
“There’s nothing we can’t give them that they can’t do, nothing,” he said. “If we didn’t do the great work that we do now, we wouldn’t have this floor so busy.”
The idea, he said, is to offer people with disabilities the chance to lead active independent lives and build a sense of self-worth.
“Each of our people have some ability to do some kind of work,” Frantz said. “If we knock on enough doors, we can get the majority of our people placed somewhere where they can earn a paycheck.”
For Rice, who’s mildly disabled, the job at Candy Bouquet Designs is her first real work experience.
The 34-year-old Franklin resident said she tried to find work through several agencies but was told she tested too low-functioning for the positions offered. She began working on PSU’s production floor in August and moved into the candy room last fall.
“I go home and when my family asks, ‘How was your day?’ I can say, ‘It’s been great,’ ” she said. “I’ve never been able to say that to my parents or my sister.”
Paychecks for warehouse workers range from $2 to $200, Strother said.
“It’s more than just a paycheck,” he said. “It gives them a sense of worth and that’s huge.”
How to order
Candy Bouquet Designs ships orders locally and internationally year-round. To order, call 513-695-9231 or email Kathy.Frantz@warrencountydd.org. Baskets may also be purchased by cash or check between 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday at PSU Inc., 575
Columbus Ave., Lebanon.
Love endures through three breast cancer battles
Patty Stump and Mike Shroder of Mason have been married for 26 years. They were both diagnosed with breast cancer but are now cancer-free. Mike had breast cancer first, then Patty. Patty had a recurrence in 2011. /The Enquirer
Cliff Radel reports:
This is a love story about breast cancer.
Patty Stump and Mike Shroder are lovebirds.
Married for 26 years, the Mason couple share many things. They work long hours together at their restaurant, Westshore Pizza, where they will be celebrating Valentine’s Day by serving heart-shaped pizzas to their customers.
Their togetherness also extends to beating breast cancer. Not once. Not twice. But three times.
Mike, 74, went first in 2006.
One year and one week after he had a mastectomy of his left breast, Patty, 58, received the same diagnosis about her right breast.
“It’s my turn,” was all she could tell her husband after she got the news by phone following a routine checkup. A lumpectomy and radiation treatments followed.
“I couldn’t even say the word ‘cancer.’ I was a mess. I still have trouble talking about it,” she said, wiping tears from eyes. “Through it all Mike was my rock. He knew exactly what I was going through.”
He dismissed the importance of his help with a wave of his hand. “It was just payback,” he explained. Mike nearly died from a botched colon operation in 2003.
“Patty was there every day for me,” he recalled, “bringing treats, patting me, fighting for me. I just paid her back.”
He had another payback opportunity in 2011 when her cancer returned.
“I was so close to the all-clear, five-year mark,” Patty said. “I could almost see the finish line.” Her treatment called for another lumpectomy and another round of radiation.
She had a scare last year. A mass was discovered, again, in her right breast. A biopsy was performed. This time the tissue proved to be benign.
Through their ordeals, Patty and Mike have felt their love grow stronger. They do not recommend couples follow their lead just to improve the love in their life.
They are, however, glad to give advice, about having regular medical checkups and about love.
“Checkups saved our lives,” Mike said.
“Our love,” Patty said, “was strong to begin with.”
She sat on the sofa in the living room of their Mason home. She cuddled next to Mike. His left arm automatically draped itself around her. His left hand patted her left shoulder. They made sweet eye contact while they took turns speaking.
No wonder their surgical oncologist, Dr. Beth Shaughnessy, of the University of Cincinnati’s Cancer Institute’s Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center, calls them “an ideal couple. They tend to sit close to each other. They hold hands. They are totally appropriate for each other.”
They are also the only couple she has treated for the same cancer in her 16 years of practice. Mike is only the sixth male breast cancer patient Shaughnessy has had in her career. That small number is not surprising considering men account for only 1 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States.
When they started dating after previous marriages ended in divorce, Mike realized Patty was “the one.” He calls her “the one I was always meant to be with forever.” She feels the same way.
“You just know when you are with ‘the one,’ ” she said. “With Mike, everything feels right, everything feels normal.”
That’s why they willingly shared their tips about how to grow love stronger.
“Make sure every day counts,” Patty said. “You never know how many days you have.”
Mike chimed in: “Say ‘I love you,’ as often as you can.”
“Laugh at everything,” Patty added. “Laughter is a great cure for a lot of troubles.”
She looked at Mike and stroked his arm. “Touching is important,” she said, “not just in the tactile sense, but it also touches your heart.”
Mike looked at Patty.
“One more thing,” he said. Turning to face his wife, he added: “Every day, as often as you can, make sure you kiss the one you love.”
He and Patty puckered up and did just that.
no comments yetState school officials delay annual testing
Michael D. Clark reports:
The pileup of school closures brought on by winter’s arctic cold and record snowfall has also buried the usual annual student testing dates for the spring.
The Ohio Achievement Assessment testing period for grades three to eight will be postponed a week to April 21-May 16, said officials at the Ohio Department of Education.
Annual testing dates for the Ohio Graduation Test, however, remain in place, said officials.
“Because of the extreme winter Ohio is experiencing and the large number of calamity days that have been observed, the department of education has decided to expand by a week the testing window for the Ohio Achievement Assessments,” said John Charlton, spokesman for the state education department.
“We want to provide those same leaders with some flexibility regarding the assessments so they have the ability to give teachers and students more time to prepare.”
The ratings are the most public and significant measures of Ohio’s 613 school districts. They can affect everything from school levy campaigns to residential and commercial real estate values and student enrollment levels, which are also tied to a district’s state funding.
From the first day of each school year, school schedules and curricula are meticulously planned in large measure to prepare students for the state-mandated tests.
“Due to inclement weather, district and school leaders have faced unprecedented challenges as they have made the safety of our boys and girls their top priority,” Richard Ross, education department superintendent, said in a statement.
“However, they have expressed concern about missed instructional time and the need to prepare students for the assessments. We feel it is important to provide educational leaders with flexibility.”
The first three weeks of the new schedule will be student test weeks, with the remaining time used for makeup testing for students who missed the earlier rounds of exams.
Calamity day bill roils statehouse
Think your school might get out of making up some of its snow days?
Not so fast.
Ohio schools can cancel up to five days of class for a “calamity,” such as bad weather, without having to make up the days – many schools, in fact, have already exceeded the limit this winter.
That’s where the Statehouse comes in: A bill likely to get a vote in the Ohio House next week would give schools four additional make-up-free days.
But lawmakers are divided. One reason: Schools are already required to include five make-up days in their calendars to allow for cancellations beyond the five-day calamity limit. Up to three of those days can be waived through additional work, such as “blizzard bags.”
If the bill passes the House, the Senate would likely change it to require schools to use those five additional make-up days before taking extra calamity days.
Another reason for the divide: It’s expensive. Nine calamity days are expected to cost $700 million.
But the bill might not pass the House in the first place. Lawmakers are concerned that the state would still have to pay for nine days of teachers’ salaries without any additional educational benefit.
“A lot of members of this body, they don’t like this bill at all. There’s a lot of anxiety about spending $700 million of taxpayer money and getting nothing in return,” said Rep. Gerald Stebelton, R-Lancaster, who chairs the House’s education committee.
Chrissie Thompson contributed.
no comments yetKings, Hoxworth, team up for blood drive
Kings High School is partnering with the Hoxworth Blood Center to host a blood drive March 3.
Appointments are available every 15 minutes from 10:15 a.m. to noon; and from 1:30-4:15 p.m., in the junior high multipurpose room, 5620 Columbia Road.
Donors should be at least 17 years old, or 16, with parental consent. They must weigh a minimum of 110 pounds and should bring photo identification.
Participants are asked to eat a good mean within four hours before donating along with drinking plenty of water or juice before and after donating.
Appointments can be scheduled at www.hoxworth.org/groups/kings
Information: 513-398-8050 or jgonzalez@kingslocal.net
no comments yetMason, Sycamore divers qualify for state
Last year, Sycamore’s Andrianna DiMasso finished 12th place at state. / Enquirer file photo
Jeff Wallner reports:
OXFORD – A few months ago, Sycamore Aviators senior Andrianna DiMasso added a reverse one and a half to her diving repretoire. On Wednesday night in the Division I district championships at Miami University, she finally executed the dive to perfection.
“I had never nailed it, at least not as well as that one,” said DiMasso. “I feel like I finally figured it out.”
Her next chance to showcase the reverse one and a half will be on Feb. 22 at the state diving championships in Canton, Ohio. DiMasso finished fifth in Wednesday’s district competition with 416.25 points at Miami’s Corwin M. Nixon Aquatic Center.
The top six divers at Wednesday’s districts qualified for the Division I girls state diving championships which will be held on Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. in Branin Natatorium in Canton.
“Coaching her has been such a joy,” said Aviators coach Jack Phipps of DiMasso, who’s making her second trip to Canton. “She’s put in a lot of effort. Everything you can ask for as a coach. State has always been one of her goals.”
Last year, DiMasso finished 12th place at state. She also reached state as a sophomore. DiMasso has earned Greater Miami Conference honorable mention twice.
Joining her at state will be Mason Comets senior Sydney Carr.
The quietly confident Carr rolled into Canton following her second-place district finish Wednesday with 444.45 points, just behind Centerville Elks junior standout Katie Polk.
“She’s developing some self-confidence and that’s been key for her,” said Mason coach Lori Carr. “She’s always been a great athlete.”
Carr’s best dive is her inward one and a half. “My bread and butter,” she says.
And, after finishing 13th last year at state, Carr feels better prepared for the atmosphere and level of competition at Canton.
“It was a little intimidating last year,” she said. “I feel like I got my feet wet. I’ve improved so much over the past year.”
The Mason Comets qualified four divers to districts, tied with Centerville for the most qualifiers competing at Miami University. It was the first time the Comets had four divers at district all of whom finished in the top 16, another first.
“It says a lot about our program,” said Rapp.
Mason nearly had a second state qualifier as junior Aubrey Rose finished seventh, a little more than one point shy of finishing among the top six. Miamisburg’s Katherine Evans edged Rose, 391.30 to 390.00.
Colerain senior Kayley Tepe, the lone diver on the Cardinals’ swim team, qualified for districts for the fourth straight year. The Florida International signee performed well on Wednesday, finishing eighth with 344.60 points.
Walnut Hills junior Jessica Doughman finished 10th with 332.60 points.
The future of Mason diving was on display Wednesday at Miami with freshman Ashley Singleton finishing 12th (324.90) and sophomore Nicole Wendlen placing 16th. (269.90).
Loveland senior Lindsey Miller finished 13th (299.40).
St. Ursula freshmen Kate Bachman (292.30) and Audrey Capannari (291.95) finished 14th and 15th respectively.
no comments yetBeck indicted on 53 more felony counts
State Rep. Peter Beck, of Mason / Jason Hoffman/The Community Pres
Chrissie Thompson reports:
Editor’s note: Previous versions of this story incorrectly characterized the charges facing Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry. They are state charges.
State Rep. Peter Beck, R-Mason, now faces 53 additional felony counts, as pressure mounts for him to resign his General Assembly seat.
Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, a secretive Linwood church investigated by The Enquirer in September, also faces state felony charges: nine counts of corruption, money laundering and receiving stolen property. The church’s pastor, Janet Combs, faces the same nine felony counts. Officials from the church did not return a call requesting comment. Also named in the indictment is TML Consulting, run by Combs’ late husband, Cincinnati money manager Thomas M. Lysaght.
The new charges against Beck include securities fraud, perjury, corruption and money laundering. In all, Beck has been charged on 69 felony counts for his alleged role in fraudulent business dealings at a West Chester software startup called Christopher Technologies. He was indicted last summer on 16 felony counts, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Beck and partner John Fussner were charged with selling ownership in CTech, even though they knew it was insolvent.
With the latest indictment, Beck has stepped down as chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which handles taxes, after a discussion with Speaker Bill Batchelder, R-Medina. Batchelder also believes Beck should resign his House seat, but the two did not discuss his resignation, a caucus spokesman said.
“While I do not have the sole authority to remove any member of House, it is still my belief that it is in the best interest of Representative Beck, his family, and the constituents of the 54th House District for him to resign,” Batchelder said in a statement. “While there is always a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, it is my belief that these very serious allegations could cause a distraction to the good work of the Ohio House of Representatives.”
Beck did not respond to multiple requests for comment. His attorneys said both sets of federal charges are based on false allegations, but did not respond to multiple questions about whether Beck would resign his seat or cancel his re-election bid.
“Mr. Beck steadfastly maintains his innocence,” said Ralph Kohnen and Chad Ziepfel, attorneys with Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, in a statement. “Mr. Beck looks forward to the trial starting on April 7, and is confident that once the facts are presented in a court of law, he will be found not guilty of all charges.”
Beck has been running for re-election and has stayed in office despite calls for his resignation. His trial is currently scheduled to start a month before the primary election. Attorney General Mike DeWine does not expect any plea bargains in the case, spokesman Dan Tierney said Thursday.
Political activist Mary Jo Kubicki, R-Deerfield Township, is taking him on, with endorsements that already include state Rep. Ron Maag, R-Salem Township, several Warren County elected officials and a few local mayors.
Kubicki called for Beck to resign.
“I hope he does what’s best for him and his family, and what’s best for the constituents of the 54th District and the state of Ohio – and that would be to resign,” Kubicki told The Enquirer.
Batchelder had called for Beck to resign when he was charged last summer. But when Beck declined, Batchelder backed off, saying he had just been making a suggestion.
Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges had also called for Beck to resign. Borges stands by those comments, a spokesman said on Thursday.
Last month, an Enquirer reporter asked Beck how his campaign would handle the indictment.
“I think you all have already addressed it,” he said, referring to media coverage of the felony charges.
As a Republican running for re-election, he’ll theoretically have the support of campaign operatives and finances from the Ohio House Republican caucus’ re-election organization.
But just how much support Beck actually receives from the caucus remains to be seen. Caucuses’ investments in each race differ, as leaders determine how much they’re willing to spend to save each member. After Batchelder’s second statement that Beck should resign, the caucus presumably will invest little, if any at all, in Beck’s re-election bid.
As a well-connected Republican, Kubicki would likely be embraced by the caucus were she to defeat Beck. Kubicki is the niece of developer and GOP donor Chuck Kubicki and cousin of Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Charles Kubicki Jr. She was eCampaign coordinator for Kasich’s 2010 campaign and Warren County co-chairwoman for 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney. She has also served as co-chairwoman of the Ohio Young Republicans.
Kubicki has already far outraised Beck. At the end of 2013, Kubicki had $58,000 on hand, while Beck had just $5,500. He received only one donation in the second half of 2013 – $1,000 from Dublin pharmaceutical and biotechnology firm Cardinal Health.
Beck, 63, is a former Mason mayor and city council member.
The new counts include:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
- Three counts of aggravated theft, a felony of the third degree
- Seven counts of theft, a felony of the fourth degree
- Ten counts of perjury, a felony of the third degree
- One count of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the second degree
- Four counts of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the a felony of the third degree
- One count of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
- Two counts of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- Two counts of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
- Two counts of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- Two counts of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
- Two counts of sale of a security by an insolvent issuer, a felony of the first degree
- Two counts of sale of a security by an insolvent issuer, a felony of the second degree
- Two counts of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- Two counts of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
- Three counts of unlicensed sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- One count of unlicensed sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
- Two counts of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the first degree
- Two counts of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the second degree
- Two counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree
Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, of Linwood, was indicted on nine counts:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
- Four counts of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
- Four counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree
The church’s pastor, Janet Combs, was indicted on nine counts:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
- Four counts of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree
- Four counts of money laundering, a felony of the third degree
TML Consulting, of Cincinnati, was indicted on eight counts. Combs is now listed with the Ohio secretary of state as the company’s statutory agent:
- One count of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity, a felony of the first degree
- One count of telecommunications fraud, a felony of the second degree
- One count of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- One count of false representation in the sale of a security, a felony of the second degree
- One count of unregistered sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- One count of fraudulent sale of a security, a felony of the first degree
- One count of a prohibited securities act, a felony of the first degree
Secretive church has history of legal trouble
Thursday’s indictment isn’t the only legal action facing the Ark by the River church and its principals, the subject of a September investigation by The Enquirer.
Founded in 1996, the Ark by the River is on a road spotted with churches off Columbia Parkway in Linwood near Linwood Park. It’s in a quaint, ivy-covered building with a hand-painted sign that announces to passers-by its Sunday services and Tuesday prayer gatherings.
The church has little online footprint – no website beyond a spare Facebook page that has just three “fans.” It’s registered with the IRS as a 501(c)(3), meaning it’s tax exempt, and because it’s listed as a church, it hasn’t been required to file an annual public tax return.
The church was co-founded by Thomas Lysaght, who died in November 2010. Lysaght’s estate is now embroiled in both civil and criminal cases filed on behalf of investors who say they were bilked of at least $1 million. The suit filed in 2011 was placed on hold while Ohio securities officials investigated.
It’s not the only legal action pending. Lysaght’s widow, Janet Combs, who was named in Thursday’s indictment, also is named as a defendant in a January 2013 civil suit filed on behalf of 14 investors who say they were defrauded. Also targeted in the suit is Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry – the church that Lysaght and Combs founded that, according to documents, appears to have directly benefited from investments meant for Lysaght’s various companies.
For example, one day after a $500,000 check from Michael Farms, which is Scott Michael’s company, was made to TML Consulting, Lysaght’s firm, Combs, an authorized signer for TML, wrote a check from its account to Ark by the River for $100,000. TML, which is named in Thursday’s indictment, also funneled $15,700 to Beck’s 2010 campaign committee, the civil suit alleges.
About the same time, Lysaght wrote a check for $58,300 to Jeff Hauck, a Christopher Technologies investor and church member who, according to the indictment, is the only investor ever repaid. Hauck is also Lysaght’s nephew, according to an obituary that appeared on the website for Geo. H. Rohde & Son Funeral Home in the days after Lysaght’s Nov. 15, 2010, death – meaning that the only repaid investor was apparently a relative.
Lysaght was the church’s president; Combs, its pastor. But the church was intimately intertwined with their personal affairs, even owning the couple’s $1 million home on Shattuc Avenue, a historically significant building known as the Crusade Castle, whose history in scenic Mount Lookout dates to the 1850s.
County records show that the home and property at 5100 Shattuc has changed ownership at no cost repeatedly since 2000, when Lysaght first bought it. It has switched hands from Lysaght to the church to Combs and back to the church again. The property has been mortgaged multiple times, sometimes resulting in lawsuits over nonpayment that at least once threatened to end in a sheriff’s sale of its religious-themed belongings.
Ark by the River has been listed as a co-defendant in several lawsuits over the years. In one, Provident Bank sued the church and Lysaght in 2003 for failure to repay a $50,000 mortgage on the Shattuc property. Fifth Third Bank filed suit over an unpaid $505,500 mortgage the church pulled out in September 2000. A mechanic’s lien in 2004 alleged that the church owed Loveland Excavating nearly $200,000 for work done in the Shattuc area.
Eventually, each suit was resolved with the amount requested paid off in full.
In 2006, R.D. Zande & Associates sued for about $33,000 after the firm – hired to work on a church-owned development project named Castle Bella – claimed it was stiffed. That development has sparked its own set of civil lawsuits.
-Mark Wert, Enquirer reporters Brenna Kelly, Sheila McLaughlin, Mark Wert and Amber Hunt contributed to this report.
no comments yetMason’s Clark named Gatorade Ohio player of the year
Mason senior forward Jack Clark was named the Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year early Thursday morning.
Clark, who signed with the University of Cincinnati earlier this month, is the first Gatorade Ohio Boys Soccer Player of the Year from Mason High School, according to a news release.
Clark, The Enquirer Division I player of the year this past season, was the Ohio Scholastic Soccer Coaches Association Division I state player of the year. He had 31 goals and eight assists for the Comets (22-0-1) this past season.
Mason won its first Division I state boys’ soccer title in 2013. Clark scored the goal in the Comets’ 1-0 win over Mentor in the state final at Crew Stadium in Columbus.
Clark was the Greater Miami Conference co-player of the year. he was the Southwest Ohio Coaches’ Association Division I Player of the Year.
“Jack is one of the top attacking players in Ohio and was someone we targeted early in the process,” UC soccer coach Hylton Dayes told the UC website on National Signing Day Feb. 5.
“He is a very quick and technical player with the ability to beat players 1v1 and either serve quality crosses or create scoring opportunities for himself. He has had tremendous success at the club and high school levels and brings a winning mentality to our program.”
According to the UC website, Clark is the Mason record holder in career goals (73), goals in a season (31), goals in a game (four) and career assists (24). In his three years as a letterwinner, Mason had a 54-7-4 record.
Clark played club for the Cincinnati United Premier Gold team and won state championships from 2008-13 and finished as the U.S. Youth Soccer national runner-up in 2013.
“What a year Jack has had as a club and high school player,” said Clark’s club coach and CUP Director of Coaching Bobby Puppione. “Jack is a top player and has proven it at every level he has competed. We look forward to seeing him continue to excel during his future career at UC.”
Clark was rated a four-star recruit (out of five) on TopDrawerSoccer.com at the time of his signing with UC.
no comments yet
The most conservative member of the House? From right here
Carl Weiser reports:
National Journal, a nonpartisan magazine covering Congress, has come out with its ideological rankings of Congress members.
Turns out the most conservative member of the House is none other than Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Westwood.
The rating is based on 111 votes taken in 2013. Chabot was happy to tout his ranking in a blog post, noting “there’s not a lot of room to my right!”.
The 111 votes in the House were broken down into three categories: economic, foreign, and social issues. 62 of the 111 votes scored were economic; 29 were foreign issues; and 20 were considered social issues.
Also noteworthy was the fact that I had the most conservative voting record in all three categories. (There’s not a lot of room to my right!) You can see the description of each of the 111 votes by clicking here.
Also noted in the rankings: Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, was the 13th most liberal senator.
So Cincinnatians, how do you feel about having the most conservative member of the House?
no comments yetGas leak sends Columbia students to Kings Junior High
Fifth and sixth graders at Columbia Elementary School will return to their school by noon after being evacuated to the junior high after a gas leak was discovered earlier this morning.
A school janitor smelled gas around 9 a.m. today, said Dawn Gould, district spokeswomen. Duke Energy officials were contacted and students were transported to Kings Junior High by bus.
Duke crews repaired the leak by 10 a.m. and firefighters cleared the building of any fumes, allowing the students to return to classes.
Gould said the elementary school students will eat lunch at the junior high and should be back in their Columbia classrooms by noon.
no comments yetWarm up is here; snow coming Friday
Rising sun’s rays cast a golden hue over the snow in Burlington on Thursday morning. / Carrie Cochran / The Enquirer
Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:
Cue the confetti!
Thermometers across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky finally hit the freezing mark Wednesday for the first time in nearly a week and will make it there once again today.
Wednesday’s high temperature of 35 degrees was recorded at 4:07 p.m. at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.
The mercury today should make it up to 36 degrees. It’s 15 with a wind chill of 3. The warm-up comes after a string of days with subzero morning lows and wind chills, as daytime highs struggled to reach the single digits and teens.
And, while we’ll enjoy plenty of sunshine today, a wintry mix of freezing drizzle should arrive pre-dawn for Valentine’s Day on Friday.
The rain will switch to snow around lunchtime Friday, dumping 1 to 3 inches of snow across the region by 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Downtown Cincinnati could see 2 inches.
Temperatures will range from 24 degrees to 31 degrees. More snow could fall by 7 p.m. Friday. The overnight low will plunge to 11 with wind chills as low as 0.
Saturday will be mostly sunny, but cold with a high of 25. Another round of snow could fall between 10 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. Sunday. An inch or less is expected at this point, according to the weather service.
The low will bottom out around 22. Sunday should be mostly sunny with a high of 32.
Looking ahead to next week, we’ll make a big jump on the thermometer to a high of 48 degrees on President’s Day Monday.
There will be a 50 percent chance for rain. Otherwise, it will be mostly cloudy. More rain, mixed with a little snow, could continue Monday night. The low will be 31.
The sun will come out to stay for a few days on Tuesday. Highs will hover in the low- to mid 40s. Overnight lows will still be in the 20s.
no comments yetMason Idol winner performing with Cincinnati Brass Band
A Mason Idol winner will be performing with the Cincinnati Brass Band when it brings its winter concert to a West Chester Township church next month to raise funds for the Freestore Foodbank.
From Bach to Rock is the theme of the March 8 concert. It will be held at 7 p.m., March 8, at Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Road.
Vocalist Claire Northcut – who won the 2011 Mason Idol winner – is joining the 35-member band for its concert. Among the songs she will be singing are Moon River and Don’t Rain on My Parade.
The band will play classical selections included Toccata in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach along with a medley of works by Antonin Dvorak.
Among the rock songs the band will perform are an Elvis Presley Medley, the Beatles’ When I’m 64 and Led Zeppelin’s Stairway to heaven.
The all-volunteer group is under the direction of conductor Anita Cocker Hunt.
This is the fifth year the group has done a performance to benefit the Freestore Foodbank. The group distributes more than 12 million pounds of food each year through 325 member agencies.
Proceeds over the last four years have exceeded $10,000, said Tony Yocco, president of the band.
Tickets are $10 each. Patrons are also asked to bring at least one can or non-perishable item for the foodbank.
Tickets are available at any Buddy Rogers music store or at the door.
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