WestChesterBuzz.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.

Student not seriously injured after being struck by car - As many parents were on their way to pick up their children from Cherokee Elementary School last Wednesday, a car struck a student just a half-mile from the school at around 4 p.m. The female student was on her bicycle crossing from the south side of Kyles Station Road to Aspen Trails Boulevard when an Acura SUV hit her, according to Ohio Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Bost.

Junior Eric Eichler helped Lakota East earns its first-ever trip to the postseason when he ran for a touchdown and threw for another in a 33-21 win at Lakota West Oct. 26, 2012. Photo taken by Joseph Fuqua II.

Lakota East spoils Lakota West’s season with upset -Lakota East spoiled Lakota West’s season with a 33-21 upset win at Lakota West High School Friday night. The win knocked rival Lakota West out of the postseason and qualified Lakota East for the postseason for the first time in school history.

Lakota West wins second straight district title in soccer - For the second straight season, the Lakota West boys’ soccer team is making a postseason run. Last Thursday, the Firebirds won their second straight district title with a 2-0 win against Xenia at Lebanon High School. The Firebirds (16-1-2 overall) will now face Wayne (13-4-2 overall) in a regional semifinal matchup scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m. at Sycamore Junior High.

Lakota East and Lakota West win district titles in volleyball - Lakota East and Lakota West clinched Division I district girls’ volleyball championships Saturday at Lebanon and punched their tickets to respective regional semifinals. Shannon Russell was there for The Cincinnati Enquirer.

Community wins in clash of the Lakotas - Michael D. Clark of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported on the real impact of Lakota East/Lakota West football week.

The Speedway at Cincinnati-Dayton Road near I-75 was selling unleaded gas for $2.97 a gallon last week. Photo taken by Adam Kiefaber Oct. 26, 2012.

Time to fill up? Gas prices fall under $3 – Gas prices in West Chester fell under $3 last Wednesday and remained there through the weekend, causing long lines at the pump. For more gas prices or to search for the cheapest gas near you, visit Cincygasprices.com.

Liberty Township coat drive begins - All three Liberty Township fire stations started to serve as collection sites for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s annual coat drive last week. The goal, organizers say, is to collect 4,000 new or gently used coats by Dec. 1. Coats are need for all age groups from infants through adults. Coats can also be dropped off at 11 Gold Star Chili locations in Butler County.

Liberty Township administrator named Indian Hill manager – Administrator Dina Minneci is poised to leave Liberty Township in November to become the city manager of Indian Hill, Sue Kiesewetter reported last week for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Minneci was selected from a field of 45 applicants.

Democratic candidate Jodi Billerman is running for the open Butler County commission seat. The Enquirer/ Joseph Fuqua II.

Butler County race features fresh faces, strong ideas – Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week on the Butler County commissioners race: Three political newbies are vying for a seat on the board of commissioners in Butler County, where spending is the resounding theme in a community that is steeped in debt and faces $900,000 in cuts to get through the end of the year.

Lakota Local Schools still faces financial hole - Michael D. Clark of The Cincinnati Enquirer: Lakota Schools have slowed but not stopped its financial bleeding, officials said during Monday evening’s school board meeting. The school system – impacted by three tax levy defeats in the last two years all resulting in historically deep personnel and program cuts – still faces insolvency in 2014, officials said.

Homearama 2013 in Liberty Twp. to break ground Nov. 8 – The Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati (HBA) recently announced that it would hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its Homearama 2013 location, Carriage Hill in Liberty Township, on Nov. 8 at 1:30 p.m. The homes featured in the showcase will be priced between $700,000 to $1.2 million. Of the eight homes in the show, two have already been sold.

West Chester taking submissions for annual holiday parade - West Chester Township is now taking submissions from local individuals, businesses and organizations interested in participating in the annual holiday parade on Saturday, Nov. 17. The parade, and the tree lighting to follow, is held in conjunction with the Olde West Chester Christmas Walk, sponsored by the Merchants of Olde West Chester.

Posted in: Events, News, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Administrator Dina Minneci, Butler County Commissioners, Butler County Election 2012, Cherokee Elementary, Dina Minneci, gas prices, Homearama, Homearama 2013, Homearama Cincinnati, Homearama Cincinnati 2013, Homearama Liberty Township, Homearama Liberty Township 2013, Lakota East, Lakota East football, Lakota East Sports, Lakota East volleyball, Lakota West, Lakota West football, Lakota West soccer, Lakota West sports, Lakota West volleyball, Liberty Township Administrator Dina Minneci, Ohio gas prices, student struck by car Cherokee Elementary, West Chester Ohio gas prices

As many parents were on their way to pick up their children from Cherokee Elementary School Wednesday, a car struck a student just a half-mile from the school at around 4 p.m.

The female student was on her bicycle crossing from the south side of Kyles Station Road to Aspen Trails Boulevard when an Acura SUV hit her, according to Ohio Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Bost.

The incident took place only one-tenth of a mile before the school zone starts.

The speed limit on Kyles Station in the Cherokee Elementary school zone is 45 mph during non-school hours and 20 mph when school is in session. According to Bost and the driver, the car was traveling at 30 mph when it struck the girl.

While the investigation is still ongoing, it doesn’t appear that charges will be filed against the driver. The lone witness at the scene told Bost that “there wasn’t anything that could have been done” and that “the girl just darted out in front of the car.”

Furthermore, after the incident took place, Bost said the girl admitted that she wasn’t sure if she checked that side of the street before crossing.

Bost also described the girl to be coherent and was sitting up after the being hit. Bost later went to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Liberty Campus to visit the student and was “almost positive” that she would be released that night.

On Thursday, Cherokee Elementary School principal Paulette Grady confirmed in an email sent out to parents that the injuries to the student were not serious.

“The safety of our Cherokee Cheetahs is our number one priority. Together, we can ensure their safety by frequently reminding our children, to walk, ride their bikes, or scooters directly home after school, always to look both ways before crossing the street, and to be mindful of their surroundings. Our diligence and daily safety reminders are very important. Our students do hear us. Even though we take every precaution, accidents do happen.

Yesterday, one of our students was struck by a car. This accident occurred as many parents were on their way to Cherokee to pick up their children. We have been advised that the injuries to this student were not serious. The Cherokee staff and parents came together to assist in any way they could.

I would like to thank all of our families for following our safety procedures at arrival and dismissal. Our Cherokee community is awesome in every way.”

After Lakota cut busing back to state minimum levels, Cherokee parents complained at the start of the 2011-2012 school year about the safety of students without the aid of a crosswalk or crossing guards. (more…)

Posted in: Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, busing cuts, Butler County Sheriff's Office, car accident, Cherokee Elementary, Cherokee Elementary School, Craig Schmidt, levy cuts, student struck by car, student struck by car Cherokee Elementary, teacher, teacher struck by car

A car stuck a child Wednesday afternoon not far from Cherokee Elementary School, according to a report by the Pulse Journal.

The Journal cited Butler County Sheriff’s dispatchers when reporting that a car on Kyles Station Road at Aspen Trails Boulevard hit a female juvenile at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Furthermore, the girl was reported to be on a bicycle crossing Kyles Station when an Acura SUV struck her.

The Journal also reported that the child was taken to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Liberty Campus with non-life threatening injuries.

• Pulse Journal: Child struck on bike near school

This is the second incident reported by the media involving a person being struck by a car near Cherokee Elementary since the Lakota school district decided to cut busing to the state minimum level.

On Sept. 15, 2011, a Cherokee Elementary teacher was struck by car while directing morning traffic. He was not taken to the hospital and the driver Craig Schmidt, 41, of Liberty Township drove off after striking the teacher with his car. Witnesses, however, were able to provide an accurate description of the vehicle to Butler County deputies.

Schmidt was later stopped near the intersection of State Route 747 and Hamilton-Mason Road, which is about four miles south of the school. He was later charged with reckless operation and negligent assault.

Less than a month prior to that incident, on the first day of school Aug. 26, Cherokee Elementary unveiled a new drop-off system. That morning, parents complained about the safety of students crossing the street since there wasn’t a crosswalk.

The latest incident on Wednesday, the Pulse reported that there wasn’t a crosswalk. According to the Pulse, the incident took place less than a mile west of the school.

Posted in: Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, busing cuts, Butler County Sheriff's Office, car accident, Cherokee Elementary, Cherokee Elementary School, Craig Schmidt, levy cuts, teacher, teacher struck by car

The Lakota school district posted a release on its website Tuesday, vowing that it is taking additional steps to make it even safer and more orderly for students who get to school in private vehicles or on foot or bicycles.

In the release, the school district said that is working with West Chester and Liberty townships as well as Butler County on the following initiatives:

• Training and expanding the number of crossing guards.

• Developing recommended routes to each school – with safety in mind — for students who ride bicycles or walk.

• Increasing and improving traffic signs and signals near schools.

• Training students to be safe as they walk or bike to school.

• Releasing students who walk home from school after students who are picked up in cars.

• Placing speed-detection signs in areas in Liberty Township with heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic to increase drivers’ awareness of their speed.

• Arranging for police and sheriff’s deputies to direct traffic near eight schools, instead of school staff doing so. In West Chester, the schools are Adena Elementary, Freedom Elementary, Endeavor Elementary, Union Elementary and Heritage Elementary. In Liberty, the schools are East High School, Independence Elementary and Woodland Elementary.

On Friday, district officials discussed those measures with officials from the township administrations, the West Chester Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office and the Butler County Engineer’s Office.

According to the district, the meeting had been scheduled before a parent hit a Cherokee Elementary School teacher with his car Thursday. (more…)

Posted in: Board of Education, Levy news, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, busing cuts, Butler County Engineer's Office, Butler County Sheriff's Office, Butler County Sheriff’s Office, car accident, Cherokee Elementary, Cherokee Elementary School, Craig Schmidt, levy cuts, teacher, teacher struck by car, West Chester Police Department

A 58-year-old male teacher at Cherokee Elementary was treated for minor injuries after being struck by a vehicle in the school’s parking lot this morning around 9:15 a.m. The teacher, who was helping to direct cars, children and parents, was treated at the scene by Liberty Township Squad members and did not require to be transported to the hospital.

The car also bumped into a custodian, who was not hurt.

“The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and safety protocols on the school grounds, especially as children and all visitors are entering and exiting, will be enforced,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said.

The driver of the vehicle, Craig Schmidt, 41, of Liberty Township drove off after striking the teacher with his car. Witnesses, however, were able to provide an accurate description of the vehicle to Butler County deputies.

Schmidt was later stopped near the intersection of State Route 747 and Hamilton-Mason Road, which is about four miles south of the school. The driver has been cited to Butler County Area II Court in Hamilton and has been charged with reckless operation and negligent assault.

“Our main concern is for the safety of our children and parents as well as the safety of our staff who are directing the traffic in our parking lot,” wrote Cherokee Principal Jennifer Forren and Assistant Principal Paulette Grady.

After having its levy fail last November, the Lakota school district decided to cut busing to the state minimum level. The busing cuts will save the district approximately $2.8 million this school year.

Those cuts affect more than 7,800 students and have caused long traffic lines during the morning and afternoon drop-off times. According to a release from the school district, more than 800 pupils enter and exit Cherokee each day. Furthermore, about 18 staff members are involved in the drop-off and pick-up process.

It is unclear, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, if Lakota officials will be able to restore any of the busing should the new operating levy be approved Nov. 8. If passed, the 4.75-mill tax levy would bring in $12.6 million annually to the district and will increase taxes approximately $147 annually on a $100,000 house.

On the first day of school, Aug. 26, Cherokee Elementary unveiled a new drop-off system. That morning, parents complained about the safety of students crossing the street. The school still doesn’t have a crosswalk or crossing guards.

Posted in: Board of Education, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, busing cuts, Butler County Sheriff's Office, car accident, Cherokee Elementary, Cherokee Elementary School, Craig Schmidt, levy cuts, teacher, teacher struck by car

For the 10th consecutive year, the Lakota school district will receive a rating of Excellent or better from the state. According to a release from the school district, Lakota students met 26 out of the 26 indicators for testing as well as improved its performance index from last year’s 104.2 to 105.9.

“This is no small achievement. I understand and recognize what this means in our team’s daily work and what these results mean for advancing student learning,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said in a release.

“Our team recognizes that continuing excellence means that we are always improving and always working to bring our students the best teaching to help them succeed in their world.”

According to Cincinnati.com, Lakota is the seventh largest district in Ohio and the biggest in the state to earn the top academic ranking (Excellent with Distinction).

Individually, every school within the district received a rating of Excellent or better.

Schools receiving the Excellent with Distinction rating include Adena Elementary, Freedom Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Hopewell Elementary, Independence Elementary, Lakota Plains Junior, Lakota Ridge Junior, Liberty Junior, Union Elementary and VanGorden Elementary.

Meanwhile, both high schools (Lakota East and Lakota West) and two elementary schools (Cherokee and Woodland) received Excellent ratings.

Overall, the district showed improvement. Seven of the 10 Lakota schools, which received the Excellent with Distinction rating in 2011, had an Excellent rating in 2010. None of the schools in the district fell in rating.

Posted in: Board of Education, News, Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Adena Elementary, Cherokee Elementary, Excellent, Excellent with Distinction, Freedom Elementary, Heritage Elementary, Hopewell Elementary, Independence Elementary, Lakota, Lakota East, Lakota Plains Junior, Lakota Ridge Junior, Lakota schools, Lakota West, Liberty Junior, school rating, Union Elementary, VanGorden Elemenatry School, Woodland Elementary

On Dec. 15, 2010, Cherokee Elementary lost one of its teachers, Jill Szul, who passed away due to complications related to Cystic Fibrosis. In honor of Szul, the school, which nicknames itself the Cheetahs, will be involved in a series of fundraisers that will support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).

Recently, students at the school were given ticket forms, which are also available online, for tickets to a Cincinnati Reds game on August 8. The Reds are offering $15 tickets for only $10 to Cherokee Elementary School family for its game against the Colorado Rockies and will donate $5 from every ticket to CFF.

Other organizations will also be participating in the Reds’ event and the group that sells the most tickets will get to pick a representative to throw out the first pitch. If Cherokee receives the honor, Mrs. Szul’s sixth grade son will throw the pitch.

Furthermore, the school will host an event called Cheetah Walk to Stomp Out CF May 13. All proceeds from the walk will benefit CFF. In addition, the school has also formed a team to participate in the CFF Great Strides Walk at Sawyer Point May 21.

Cherokee Elementary will not make any money on any of the fundraisers and is solely participating to support CFF.

For more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

Posted in: Events, News, School events |

Tags: Tags: charity, Cheetah Walk, Cherokee Elementary, Cincinnati Reds, Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, death, Jill Szul

On Dec. 15, 2010, Cherokee Elementary lost one of its teachers, Jill Szul, who passed away due to complications related to Cystic Fibrosis. In honor of Szul, the school, which nicknames itself the Cheetahs, will be involved in a series of fundraisers that will support the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF).

Last Friday, March 18, the school started its Bashful Bliss Tile Necklace Sale. This fundraiser, in conjunction with Bashful Bliss, a company that sells tile necklaces, will donate 48 percent of the sales of the necklaces to CFF.

Bashful Bliss has created three custom tiles for Cherokee – one is a “Fearless” tile and the two others are Cherokee tiles. The necklaces, which come with, a key chain, ribbon, or a leather-like braided cord, sell for $15. The sale will end April 6.

The second fundraiser will deal with the Cincinnati Reds. On August 8th, the Reds will offer $15 tickets for only $10 for its game against the Colorado Rockies. The Reds will also donate $5 from every ticket to CFF. Ticket forms will be available this April.

Other organizations will also be participating in the Reds’ event and the group that sells the most tickets will get to pick a representative to throw out the first pitch. If Cherokee receives the honor, Mrs. Szul’s sixth grade son will throw the pitch.

Furthermore, the school will host an event called Cheetah Walk to Stomp Out CF May 13. All proceeds from the walk will benefit CFF. In addition, the school has also formed a team to participate in the CFF Great Strides Walk at Sawyer Point May 21.

Cherokee Elementary will not make any money on any of the fundraisers and is solely participated to support CFF.

For more information about the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, visit www.cff.org.

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

Tags: Tags: Bashful Bliss Tile Necklace Sale, charity, Cheetah Walk, Cherokee Elementary, Cincinnati Reds, Cystic Fibrosis, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, death, Jill Szul

In an e-mail sent out to parents, Cherokee Elementary Principal Jennifer Forren notified the community Thursday, Dec. 16, that one of the school’s teachers, Jill Szul, ‘passed away unexpectedly last night,’ Dec. 15, at the age of 47.

In the e-mail Forren writes:

It is with such a heavy heart that I write this email to you. I wanted you to know that one of our beloved teachers, Mrs. Jill Szul, passed away unexpectedly last night. Mrs. Szul has been a Cheetah for 17 years…she helped to open Cherokee. She has touched the lives of countless students, parents and teachers over the years. She was such a phenomenal person…the kind of person who celebrated life each and every day. She had an amazingly positive outlook on life — just one of those people you wanted to be around. My life has been blessed for having known Jill.

Due to a winter storm that hit West Chester and Liberty Township last night, Lakota Local Schools were closed today. With school expected tomorrow, Forren has arranged grief counselors to be at Cherokee Elementary on Friday, Dec. 17. The counselors will be there to help both students and faculty with the tragedy.

Forren also wrote:

Please let your child know that there will be someone they can talk to if they become sad during the day. We will also have resources here at the school should you want help talking to your child about this. This is such a tough time. But, what I do know for sure is this…Jill loved life, her family, her friends and her students. She would wish for all of us to choose to celebrate her life and celebrate the season.

Updated Dec. 17, 5:47 p.m.

Cherokee Elementary Principal Jennifer Forren e-mailed parents at 5:47 p.m. today, Dec. 17, with funeral arrangements for Jill Szul.

She wrote:

I wanted to share the funeral arrangements for Mrs. Szul with you. Although it was a tough day here, having our Cheetahs fill our halls with joy and laughter reminded us to enjoy the day and the season.

Visitation at Mueller Parker Funeral Home, 6791 Tylersville Road in Mason on Sunday, Dec. 19 from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. A celebration of her life will be held Monday, Dec. 20, at Cornerstone United Methodist Church, 7600 Princeton Glendale Road in West Chester at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, friends may wish to make a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 4420 Carver Woods Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45242 or the Fundaninos at www.orphanresources.org. For details or to send a condolence, visit www.muellerparker.com.

Photo (click to enlarge) provided by Mueller Park Funeral Home.

Posted in: News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Cherokee Elementary, death, Jennifer Forren, Jill Szul