WestChesterBuzz.com

DV8 will kick off the 2012 season of the First Financial Bank After-Hours on The Square concert series in West Chester May 24. The band will perform from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Square at Union Centre.

The concert series will take place every Thursday night through Aug. 23.

The Square at Union Centre is located at 9285 Centre Pointe Drive, adjacent to the West Chester Library. No alcohol is permitted on The Square unless purchased at the event. Beer sales also help support the event.

Below is the 2012 After-Hours on The Square schedule:

• May 24 – DV8
• May 31 – Parti Gras
• June 7 – My Sister Sarah
• June 14 – Swimsuit Models
• June 21 – Cover Model
• June 28 – Naked Karate Girls
• July 5 – Frankly Speaking
• July 12 – Off the Hook
• July 19 – My Girl Friday
• July 26 – Stays in Vegas
• Aug. 2 – Naked Karate Girls
• Aug. 9 – Swimsuit Models
• Aug. 16 – Stays in Vegas
• Aug. 23 – Lt. Dan’s New Legs

Visit WestChesterOH.org and follow West Chester on Twitter for weekly reminders and special promotions.

Photo galleries will be posted on West Chester Facebook page every Friday.

Posted in: Business, Events, News |

Tags: Tags: After-Hours on the Square, After-Hours on The Square at Union Centre, concert, concerts, Cover Model, DV8, Frankly Speaking, Janszen & Sullivan, Lt. Dan's New Legs, My Girl Friday, My Sister Sarah, Naked Karate Girls, Off the Hook, Parti Gras, Square at Union Centre, Stays in Vegas, the Swimsuit Models

Shauna Steigerwald reports

Mojo Running, the West Chester running specialty store, is itself on the move. The shop is relocating from its current space at 9318 Union Center Blvd in the U.S. Bank Plaza to a more visible space two miles away, at 8777 Cincinnati Dayton Road in Olde West Chester, near the Post Office, owner Paul Heintz said.

Heintz, who opened his West Chester store five years ago, said he’ll will reopen by Tuesday (May 1) so that runners can come in for their last-minute Flying Pig needs. Throughout this week, he’ll offer raffles and giveaways to celebrate the opening.

At the new store, Heintz will continue to carry predominantly running shoes, which salespeople fit to the individual runner’s feet and running needs. He also stocks running apparel and accessories, and he offers free running groups from the store.

“I’ve always been passionate about running,” he said of his decision to open the store five years ago, after working 24 years in the corporate world. “A lot of camaraderie and friendships have been made” through owning the store, he added.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday through Saturday; and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

For more information, call 513-942-5005 or visit www.runmojo.com.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, business news, Mojo Running, Mojo Running West Chester, Olde West Chester business news, running stores Cincinnati, running stores West Chester, West Chester business news

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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A spokesperson with Jack in the Box said that it has started construction on its first Ohio location this 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.

Luscomb also said that the company is developing a second location in Cincinnati to be located at 5234 Ridge Ave., near I-71.

Both stores will be filling approximately 200 positions, ranging from team members to team leaders to managers. Interested applicants should call 866-290-JACK (5225) or apply online at www.jackinthebox.com/careers.

Currently, the target date for the opening of the West Chester location is around mid-July. The date could be altered due to weather.

According to Luscomb, Jack in the Box has targeted Cincinnati and plans on adding more locations based on the belief that local consumers are already aware of the fast-food chain.

“We have been very diligent expanding into new markets,” Luscomb said. “We want to make sure that it is the right market and that it has a high level of brand awareness where people know what Jack in Box is and what it is all about.”

For those who are not familiar, Jack in the Box is a hamburger chain based out of San Diego that features a diverse menu.

“We feature hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, French fries, ice cream shakes and some of the core products that are typical of a fast-food hamburger restaurant,” Luscomb said. “But we also offer choices like teriyaki chicken bowls, chicken fajita pitas, salads, stuffed jalapenos, egg rolls – items that you don’t typically find or are not offered at major chains.”

Also unlike other fast-food chains, Jack in the Box offers its full menu, all day, so customers can order breakfast at night or a burger in the morning. The chain is also known for its inexpensive tacos, which are two for $1.

Cincinnati is the latest market in the Midwest for Jack in the Box, which has 70 locations in the St. Louis area and opened a location this past January in Indianapolis.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, jack in the box, Jack in the Box Cincinnati, Jack in the Box midwest, Jack in the Box Ohio, Jack in the Box West Chester, jobs, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

The West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance will host its 2012 Business Expo at Skatetown USA in West Chester from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 8.

Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor will speak at the West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance luncheon, which will take place just prior to the Business Expo. Photo provided.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature more than 80 booths from businesses in West Chester and Liberty Township, as well as from surrounding areas.

Prior to the Expo, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the Chamber will host its monthly luncheon offering members and guests the opportunity to network and enjoy a “Taste of West Chester and Liberty.”

The luncheon speaker is Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, who will be speaking on the “Common Sense Initiative.” According to the website of Ohio Governor John Kaisch, the initiative will review Ohio’s regulatory system to eliminate excessive and duplicative rules that stand in the way of job creation. Taylor is also expected to speak about the federal health care laws and how they affect Ohio insurance rates.

The cost to attend the luncheon is $32 for members of West Chester ▪ Liberty Chamber Alliance, who RSVP by this Friday, April 27. The price will increase to $40 after that date. The cost to attend for non-members is $50.

To make reservations, please call the chamber at 513-777-3600 or visit www.TheChamberAlliance.com.

Statetown USA is located at 8730 North Pavilion Drive, which is near the intersection of Union Centre Blvd. and 747.

Posted in: Business, Events, News |

Tags: Tags: Business Expo, Chamber, Liberty Township business news, Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor, luncheon, Mary Taylor, West Chester business, West Chester business expo, West Chester business news, West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance, West Chester Liberty Chamber Alliance luncheon, West Chester Liberty Chamber Business Expo

The Associated Press

West-Chester based AK Steel posted an $11.8 million first-quarter loss 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.

Revenue fell 4.6 percent to $1.51 billion as steel shipmentsdropped 6.8 percent to 1.3 million tons. Also on Tuesday, U.S. Steel said shipments fell by 3 percent in the quarter because of weakness in Europe, where mounting government debts have stalled economic growth in many nations.

While AK’s quarterly results matched Wall Street expectations, the domestic steel sector traded lower Tuesday and AK shares slipped 2 percent, or 15 cents to $7.19.

The company said its average selling price rose 2.6 percent to $1,138 per ton, boosted by an improved mix of products, an increase in contract sales and higher prices for come products.

AK Steel Holding Corp. said market conditions improved slowly, but steadily improved during the quarter. The company added that it expects to post a profit for the second quarter, but didn’t release specifics.

Analysts polled by FactSet expect a second-quarter profit of 21 cents per share.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: AK Steel, AK Steel financial results, AK Steel financials, AK Steel West Chester, West Chester business news

Cincinnati sports legends Pete Rose and Ken Anderson will both host autograph sessions this Saturday afternoon at rival sports memorabilia shops.

The Rose signing session will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Sports Gallery, 7967 Cincinnati-Dayton Road in West Chester, while Anderson will be hosting his autograph session from 2 to 4 p.m. at Advanced Sports Marketing. 7043 Yankee Road in Liberty Township.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson stands behind the center before receiving the ball against the San Diego Chargers in the AFC playoffs in Cincinnati on Jan. 10, 1982 (Freezer Bowl). AP photo.

Tickets are currently available for both events. To purchase tickets or for information about the Sports Gallery event, call 513-759-4256. For the ASM event, call 513-763-9373.

Rose will sign mini-helmets, baseballs or any flat item for $55 and will sign bats, jerseys, equipment or seatbacks for $75. There will also be the opportunity to have Rose personally sign a baseball with the message, “I’m sorry I bet on baseball.” The cost is $75 and includes a free Major League Baseball.

The Sports Gallery will also have baseballs, bats, photos, cards, helmets and other Reds collectibles available for purchase during the event.

Meanwhile, tickets for Anderson’s signature start at $20 and go up to $65 (jerseys and helmets). Anderson will personalize each signature at no extra cost. Inscriptions, however, will be an extra $10. Anderson will also be available for photos.

In May, the Sports Gallery will be hosting autograph sessions for current members of the Cincinnati Reds rotation.

On Thursday, May 10, starting pitcher Mat Latos will be signing autographs and greeting fans from 6:30 to 8 p.m. That Saturday, May 12, Johnny Cueto will be at the Sports Gallery from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Mail order items signed by either player can also be ordered through the shop.

In person, Latos will sign any item for $30, while Cueto will sign all items for $35. Tickets are currently available for each event.

Posted in: Business, Events, News, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Advanced Sports Marketing, Advanced Sports Marketing Liberty Township, Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Bengals player signings, Cincinnati Reds player signings, Johnny Cueto, Johnny Cueto Cincinnati Reds, Johnny Cueto signing, Ken Anderson, Ken Anderson Cincinnati Bengals, Ken Anderson signing, Pete Rose, Pete Rose Cincinnati Reds, Pete Rose signing, Sports Gallery, Sports Gallery West Chester

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.

Construction starts on Millikin Road – Beginning last Monday, Millikin Road in Liberty Township closed between the north and south legs of LeSourdsville West Chester Road for an improvement project. During the construction, local access to the closed portion of Millikin Road will be maintained for residents living within this section only. All other motorists and thru traffic will be required to use the posted detour. The road is tentatively scheduled to reopen the week of June 4, 2012.

Lakota West softball coach wins 300th game – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that longtime Lakota West softball coach, Keith Castner, won his 300 game that past Saturday. He became the 31st softball coach to accomplish the feat in the state of Ohio, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.

Conrad breaks Lakota strikeout record – WestChesterBuzz.com reported last Monday that Lakota East ace Michael Conrad broke the Lakota school district career strikeout record. The previous record had been held since 1980. Conrad, who The Cincinnati Enquirer baseball player of the year and the Greater Miami Conference baseball player of the year last spring, has signed on to play ball at the University of Cincinnati.

Former county auditor begins paying off $4M penalty – Sheila McLaughlin reported last week that former Butler County Auditor Kay Rogers has to shell out $58,967.74 from her savings to start paying off a $4 million tab in a fiberoptics scandal that landed her in federal prison. Federal authorities wanted to garnish all of the money — $250,000 — from Rogers’ retirement accounts. But Rogers had argued that her children needed something to live on and pay the mortgage while she was in prison for two years.

Mellow Mushroom to open location in West Chester – Mellow Mushroom, a pizza restaurant and pub chain with a bit of a hippie vibe, will open an outpost in West Chester this summer. Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, is shooting for a mid-July opening at the former Rafferty’s, 9238 Floer Drive and Union Center Boulevard.

Townships announce policy on weather warning sirens – It was announced last week that West Chester and Liberty Townships have negotiated an intergovernmental agreement and policy for the activation of its outdoor weather warning sirens. Under the proposed policy, sirens will be activated under slightly different parameters in each jurisdiction.

Lakota West volleyball team off to best start in school history – The Lakota West volleyball team broke its record for best start to a season and most consecutive wins. The team had won 12 straight before losing abbreviated matches last weekend. The team’s coach, Christy Switzer, also passed the 100-win mark for her career at Lakota West.

Fox’s Pizza Den to open in May – Fox’s Pizza Den, a pizza chain started in Pittsburgh in 1971, will have a Cincinnati location this spring when it opens at the Bridgewater Falls shopping complex in Fairfield Township. Vaughn Lewis, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den, is aiming to open the location by the end of May.

Lakota East defeats rival to take top spot in GMC – Lakota East snapped a four-game losing streak against Lakota West and moved into sole possession of first place in the Greater Miami Conference after a 3-1 victory at the Hawks Nest Thursday. Only a game separates the two rivals in the GMC standings.

Posted in: Business, Crime, News, Sports, Spring sports |

Tags: Tags: Bridgewater Falls, Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center, Butler County Engineer's Office, Christy Switzer, cincinnati restaurant opening, Fox’s Pizza Den, Fox’s Pizza Den Bridgewater Falls, Fox’s Pizza Den Cincinnati, Kay Rogers, Keith Castner, Keith Castner Lakota West, Lakota East, Lakota East baseball, Lakota East softball, Lakota East Sports, Lakota strikeout record, Lakota West, Lakota West boys' volleyball, Lakota West softball, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Liberty Township construction, Liberty Township road closures, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, Michael Conrad, Michael Conrad Cincinnati, Michael Conrad Lakota East, Mike Conrad, Millikin Road, Millikin Road closure, Millikin Road in Liberty Township, Millikin Road in Liberty Township road closure, Taylor Fair, Taylor Fair Lakota East, Weather warning sirens Butler County, Weather warning sirens Liberty Township, Weather warning sirens West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester construction, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester road closures

Behaven Kids, a specialized day program for children 18 months to 8 years of age, will celebrate its grand opening Thursday night. It is the first Behaven Kids childcare center to open in Ohio.

The childcare center operates like a typical preschool, according to its president Sheree Lynch, but is staffed with licensed mental health providers who specialize in child behavior.

Children attend the school Monday through Friday, all day. The average length of stay is 10-to-12 weeks, after which students are transitioned back into their “home” preschool or grade school.

Parents are also involved in the program, planning their child’s treatment. Parents will attend weekly family therapy sessions to go over the treatment and to work on a manageable plan for when the child is at home.

For more about the childcare center, visit behavenkids.com or call 513-777-2428.

The childcare center is located 7140 Office Park Drive.

Posted in: Business, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Behaven Kids, Behaven Kids Butler, Behaven Kids Butler County, Behaven Kids Cincinnati, Behaven Kids president Sheree Lynch, Behaven Kids West Chester, president Sheree Lynch

Fox’s Pizza Den, a pizza chain started in Pittsburgh in 1971, will have its first Cincinnati location this spring when it opens at the Bridgewater Falls shopping complex in Fairfield Township.

Vaughn Lewis, owner of Fox’s Pizza Den, is aiming to open the location by the end of May.

Bridgewater Falls. Photo provided.

“It has been my top choice of locations with their high traffic counts and great demographics,” Lewis said of the shopping complex, located just outside of Liberty Township. “It’s also the perfect location to get involved with the community and be a good corporate neighbor.”

Like other pizza chains, Fox’s Pizza Den offers pizza, hoagies, salads, bread sticks, buffalo wings and wedge fries. However, unlike other local chains, the restaurant also offers stromboli and wedgies (like a sandwich, but served on a pizza crust instead of a bun).

“We are excited to be part of the first Cincinnati area Fox’s Pizza Den,” said David Roth, leasing representative for Phillips Edison & Company, owner of Bridgewater Falls. “Their delicious pizza topped with fresh, quality ingredients; diverse menu options and a commitment to community involvement will be an excellent addition to Bridgewater Falls’ great neighborhood shopping experience.”

Fox’s Pizza Den has more than 300 locations across the country, including 15 in Ohio. For more information, visit www.foxspizza.com.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: Bridgewater Falls, Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center, Fox’s Pizza Den, Fox’s Pizza Den Bridgewater Falls, Fox’s Pizza Den Cincinnati