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Jenny Haynes, a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary, and Tim Shaffer, assistant principal at Lakota West High School, each received the Lakota Educator of Excellence Award this April. Photo provided by ElitePhotography.com.

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday.

Lakota educators honored – The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty recently honored two educators awarding each of them its Lakota Educator of Excellence Award. Jenny Haynes, a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary, and Tim Shaffer, assistant principal at Lakota West High School, received the awards and were selected from nominations received from peers, parents and students in the community.

• Video: Lakota Educator of Excellence Jenny Haynes
• Video: Lakota Educator of Excellence Tim Shaffer

AK Steel posts $11.8 million first-quarter loss – West-Chester based AK Steel posted an $11.8 million first-quarter loss last Tuesday with lower shipments cutting into sales. The loss amounted to 11 cents per share. During the same period last year, the company had a profit of $8.7 million, or 8 cents per share. The company said that it expects to post a profit for the second quarter, but didn’t release specifics.

Butler County judge faces sexual harassment complaint – A court reporter has filed a complaint against a Butler County common pleas judge saying he retaliated against her after their 9-year extra-marital affair ended when his wife found out in December, according to The Enquirer’s Sheila McLaughlin. Jennifer Olivier said Judge Michael Sage, who has been on the bench since 1991, “abused his judicial authority” by directing his staff and others at the courthouse to treat her harshly and intimidate her, according to a complaint she filed with Court Administrator Gary Yates this April.

Jack in the Box breaks ground and names second location – A spokesperson with Jack in the Box said that it has started construction on its first Ohio location last week. Furthermore, the spokesperson also announced a second Cincinnati location for the fast food chain. Brian Luscomb of Jack in the Box said the company began construction in West Chester at 7425 Tylersville Road, which is off I-75 in an old gas station lot that is directly next to a Long John Silver’s.

Kyle Meadows thinking FSU – Lakota West offensive tackle Kyle Meadows has more than 15 offers and is leaning towards going to Florida State to continue his football career. The junior suffered an injury this fall, but has worked hard to get healthy and has been awarded with a lot of attention from college football coaches.

West Chester announces dates for nature programs – West Chester Township recently announced the dates for 2012 sessions of its Nature Basket and the WOLF programs. Each program is geared to teaching children about nature and the environment. All nature programs are offered free to the community, but class size may be limited.

Posted in: Business, Crime, Events, Fall sports, News, School events, Sports |

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The Lakota West High School Chorale will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Elijah at Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Dayton Road in West Chester, at 7:30 p.m. next Friday, May 11.

The choir group will be joined by Michael Young, baritone, who will be singing the role of Elijah; Alexandra Kassouf, soprano; Andrea Spencer, mezzo soprano; and Andrew Jones, tenor. All of the special guests are present or former graduate students from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Robert Nims, professor of music emeritus at Ohio Wesleyan University, will accompany the work on the piano.

The 80-voice Lakota West Chorale consistently earns superior ratings at the AA level at Ohio Music Education Association adjudicated events, has twice been invited to perform at the CCM Feast of Carols, has performed with the Cincinnati Brass Band and has presented concerts at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, N.J.

Tickets to performance of Elijah are $5 and will be available at the door.

For more information, visit LakotaWestChoirs.org.

Posted in: Events, School events, Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Crestview Church, Crestview Church West Chester, Crestview Presbyterian Church, Crestview Presbyterian Church West Chester, Crestview West Chester, Lakota West, Lakota West choir, Lakota West Choral director Anthony Nims, Lakota West chorale, Lakota West High School

Last June, the Lakota community lost a loved one when longtime teacher Karen Moeller passed away.

Just less than a year later, members of the community will honor the elementary school teacher by participating in the Karen Moeller Scholarship Fun Run/Walk at Voice of America Park at 9 a.m. Saturday, May 26.

Karen Moeller, who taught 17 years at Adena Elementary, passed away June 18, 2011 at her Liberty Township home. Photo provided.

The event will benefit the Karen Moeller Scholarship Fund, which awards two scholarships each year to high school students based on academics and contributions to Lakota and to his or her community.

The distance of the run/walk is 1 ¼ miles. Prizes and awards will also be given out.

If participants register before May 18, the cost is $10 for elementary/junior high students, $15 for high school students/adults and $30 for families. The cost per participant on the day of the event is $20. Those walk-ups are encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes before the event begins.

Moeller taught first and second grades at Adena Elementary for 17 years before being transferred to Shawnee Elementary. In November of 2007, Moeller was diagnosed with brain cancer and fought the disease for more than 3 ½ years.

For more information about the event, visit westfirebirds.com.

Posted in: Events, News, School events |

Tags: Tags: Adena Elementary, Adena Elementary School, basketball, brain cancer, death, funeral, Karen Moeller, Karen Moeller Scholarship Fun Run/Walk, Karen Moeller Scholarship Fund, Lakota Local Schools, Voice of America Park

Jenny Haynes, a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary, and Tim Shaffer, assistant principal at Lakota West High School, each received the Lakota Educator of Excellence Award April 19, 2012. Photo provided by ElitePhotography.com.

The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty honored two educators Thursday awarding each of them its Lakota Educator of Excellence Award.

Jenny Haynes, a second grade teacher at Woodland Elementary, and Tim Shaffer, assistant principal at Lakota West High School, received the awards and were selected from nominations received from peers, parents and students in the community.

In addition to the recognition, the educators received a $2,000 grant award to be used for a special project within their school.

Posted in: Events, News, School events |

Tags: Tags: Community Foundation WCL, Community Foundation West Chester/Liberty, Lakota Educator of Excellence Award, Lakota Local Schools, WCL Community Foundation

Lakota officials are expected to provide an update on the school district’s budget reductions, as well as information about the possible restructuring of its athletic department at its school board meeting at 7 p.m. Monday.

In addition to those items on the agenda, Lon Stettler, former assistant superintendent, will be making a presentation about the new state education standards and Lakota’s vision for the future.

• Lakota will ask students for their input on budget cuts
• With millions in cuts, parents worry about Lakota’s future
• Lakota schools’ budget ax falls – district to cut 144 jobs

Information on all planned budget reductions can be seen at www.lakotaonline.com/budget.

The meeting will be held in the Thunderbird Room at the Lakota Central Office, 5572 Princeton Road in Liberty Township.

Posted in: Events, News, School events |

Tags: Tags: Lakota, Lakota cuts, Lakota East, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota West, reductions, school levy

Connect 4, an exhibition of the work of four female artists who live and work in Southwest Ohio, will open with a public reception from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.

The featured artists, who share a passion for printmaking, are Mia Knight, Barb Weinert-McBee, Sherraid Scott and Kim Vito.

This event has taken place every other year for the past ten years through the Dayton Printmaker’s Cooperative and the Gen Studio in Kyoto, Japan. The most recent exhibition for the project was at the Springfield Museum of Art, which presented the theme “House/Home.”

This local exhibition is a joint presentation by the Learning Center and The Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, and is part of Miami University’s Year of the Arts.

The artwork will be on display at the venue through June 15 and may be viewed Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.

Posted in: Events, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, Miami University, Miami University Regional Campuses, Miami University Voice of America Learning Center, Miami University’s Year of the Arts, Miami’s Regional Campuses, The Arts Council of West Chester & Liberty, The Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, Voice of America, Voice of America Learning Center

The Jazz ‘n Cakes pancake breakfast and Market Street fundraising event will take place Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon at Lakota West High School. The breakfast is one of the most important band fundraisers of the year.

The event itself will feature live music by all five Lakota West jazz bands, as well as the 7th grade jazz bands from Lakota Plains and Lakota Ridge Junior Schools.

In addition, the Jazz ‘n Cakes Market Street event will host more than 25 merchants and crafters, more than 50 baskets for the basket raffle and silent auction and an opportunity to test drive a 2012 Dodge to further raise funds for the Lakota West band program.

Tickets for the breakfast are $5 each.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit lakotawestbands.org.

Posted in: Events, School events |

Tags: Tags: Jazz 'n Cakes, jazz band, jazz ensemble, Jazz n' Cakes Pancake Breakfast, Lakota West, Lakota West jazz band

The Lakota East Athletic Department will be sponsoring its second annual Relay for Life event, benefiting the American Cancer Society, May 25-26, at the high school.

According to the press release, Relay for Life is a life-changing event that gives everyone in the community a chance to celebrate lives of close friends and family members, who have battled cancer, remember our lost ones and fight back against the disease by raising money.

The relay is an 18-hour walk or run around the track of the football stadium all throughout the night and into the morning. The relay will begin at 4 p.m. May 25 and conclude at 10 a.m. May 26.

Teams will set up campsites with a tent, which will serve as the home base of their team.

The event will also include games, activities, music and more.

So far, the event has 166 signed-up participants and has raised more than $3,400. Last year, the event at Lakota East High School raised more than $23,000.

To register a team, contact Associate Athletic Director Craig Ulland at craig.ulland@lakotaonline.com.

Team registration is open to students of Lakota East High School (9-12), staff and family members only.

For more information, visit www.relayforlife.org/lakotaeast.

Posted in: Events, School events |

Tags: Tags: Lakota East, Lakota East Sports, Relay for Life, Relay for Life Lakota East

Connect 4, an exhibition of the work of four female artists who live and work in Southwest Ohio, will open with a public reception Sunday, April 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Miami University Voice of America Learning Center in West Chester.

The featured artists, who share a passion for printmaking, are Mia Knight, Barb Weinert-McBee, Sherraid Scott and Kim Vito.

This event has taken place every other year for the past ten years through the Dayton Printmaker’s Cooperative and the Gen Studio in Kyoto, Japan. The most recent exhibition for the project was at the Springfield Museum of Art, which presented the theme “House/Home.”

This local exhibition is a joint presentation by the Learning Center and The Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, and is part of Miami University’s Year of the Arts.

The artwork will be on display at the venue through June 15 and may be viewed Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center is located at 7847 VOA Park Drive, at the corner of Cox Road and VOA Park Drive in West Chester. For more information visit www.muohio.edu/voalc or call the Learning Center at 513-895-8862.

Posted in: Events, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, Miami University, Miami University Regional Campuses, Miami University Voice of America Learning Center, Miami University’s Year of the Arts, Miami’s Regional Campuses, The Arts Council of West Chester & Liberty, The Arts Council of West Chester and Liberty, Voice of America, Voice of America Learning Center

A previous Mother's Exchange Sale and Vendor Event at Lakota West High School. Photo provided.

The West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club will have their Spring Tag Sale this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Lakota East High School. Meanwhile, at Lakota West High School, the Mother’s Exchange Spring Sale and Vendor Event will also take place from 8 a.m. until noon. Saturday.

A previous West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club Tag Sale at Lakota East High School. Photo provided.

The Mothers of Twins & More Club sale will feature spring and summer clothes (including Easter attire) and shoes, books, toys, electronics, baby gear, baby and kids furniture and more.

Admission is $1 per adult and all sales are cash only.

More than 70 club members – all of whom have twins or higher order multiples – will be selling their items with proceeds benefiting the West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club.

For more information regarding the sale or about the club in general, please visit www.wcmultiples.org.

Typically, during the Mother’s Exchange Spring Sale and Vendor Event, there are approximiately 100 local moms who sell their gently used children’s clothing, furniture, equipment, toys, books, sports equipment, computer and video games, nursery items and more.

Like the event at Lakota East, admission into the exchange sale is $1. All sales are also cash only.

For both events, it is recommend to bring a laundry bag for easier shopping.

Posted in: Events, News, Recreational events, School events |

Tags: Tags: Lakota West, Mother's exchange sale, Mother's Exchange Spring Sale, West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club, West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club Spring Sale, West Chester Mothers of Twins & More Club SpringTag Sale, West Chester shopping