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.

Voice of America Museum Board gets key go ahead – The “last piece” to make West Chester Township’s Voice of America Bethany Relay Station a museum may finally be in place. During its Tuesday night meeting, township trustees unanimously agreed to enter a five-year lease with the Board of the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, which will put the museum’s board in charge of maintaining the landmark and will allow them to raise funds as a non-profit corporation.

Contest: Design the official 2013 Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt – For the first time in the history of the Shamrock Shuffle, the Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty is hosting a t-shirt design contest for annual event that attracts approximately 4,000 runners every March. The Shamrock Shuffle, which is now in its seventh year, raised around $10,000 for approximately 50 local charities or causes this spring.

Township approves ‘No Parking Zones’ near local schools – The West Chester Board of Trustees approved last week the establishment of “No Parking Zones” near several of the community’s schools on Tuesday. The schools affected by the new “No Parking Zones” are Hopewell Junior and Hopewell Elementary, as well as Endeavor Elementary and Adena Elementary.

Lakota East’s Spark magazine wins Pacemaker award – Spark Magazine announced last week that it won its 10th national Pacemaker award at the National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association Fall National Convention in San Antonio, Texas, Nov. 15-18. The magazine has been run by students at Lakota East High School for the past 21 years.

Representing Endeavor at the Nov. 12 awards presentation for its SOAR Award in Columbus were Endeavor Principal Joanna Sears and Assistant Principal Gail Allshouse; Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann; and Lakota School Board member Julie Shaffer. Photo provided.

Endeavor recognized with SOAR Award – WestChestBuzz.com shared last week that Endeavor Elementary was honored recently by receiving the 2012 SOAR Award for High Progress in the school category. The annual award acknowledges Ohio schools and districts participating in SOAR, Battelle for Kids’ school improvement collaborative, for their academic progress in multiple grade levels and subjects in the 2011-2012 school year.

Wish List: West Chester mom wants to hear books – Dorothy Jones of West Chester is a mother of three who lost her vision in 2001 following an operation to reduce pressure on her brain. This was life-altering for Dorothy, her husband and children, who were infants and toddlers at the time, Leigh Taylor reported last week.

Tri-County Heating and Cooling sponsoring local coat drive – West Chester’s Tri-County Heating and Cooling is sponsoring the Spread the Warmth campaign to benefit Reach Out Lakota. The company is collecting new and gently-used coats and winter accessories for Reach Out Lakota from through Dec. 15. The company will donate $20 for each coat collected and $10 for each hat, scarf and pair of gloves collected, up to a maximum of $2,000.

Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, Lakota West’s first and only head coach for girls soccer, recently announced her retirement.

Lakota West announces coaching changes- The Lakota West athletic department recently announced a few coaching changes. Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, Lakota West’s first and only head coach for girls soccer, announced her retirement, while current fall coaches added spring coaching gigs.

MetroParks announces new motor vehicle permit plan – MetroParks motor vehicle permit hang tags will again be available free to all Butler County residents beginning Dec. 15. MetroParks began giving free permits to county residents after narrowly passing a levy in November of 2010.

Ex-Butler auditor Kay Rogers wants out of prison – Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last Tuesday that a federal judge refused to let former Butler County Auditor Mary “Kay” Rogers out of prison early. Rogers, who is serving a two-year sentence for wire and mail fraud, asked Monday to serve the remaining five months of her sentence on home incarceration.

For collector of razors, thrill is the hunt – Reporter Rachel Richardson wrote a feature story on West Chester resident Jerry Rosenthal’s unique collection of 600 safety razors (photos below). Rosenthal told Richardson that he likes to think of himself of a treasure-hunter.

Posted in: Business, Events, Government, News, Recreational events |

Tags: Tags: Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, Jerry Rosenthal, Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East Spark Magazine, Lakota Local Schools, National VOA Museum of Broadcasting, National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, razor collecting, razor collections, Shamrock Shuffle, Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt, Shamrock Shuffle t-shirt design, Shamrock Shuffle West Chester, SOAR, SOAR Awards, Tara Schafer-Kalkhoff, VOA Museum, VOA Museum of Broadcasting, Voice of America Museum

The West Chester Board of Trustees approved the establishment of “No Parking Zones” near several of the community’s schools on Tuesday. The schools affected by the new “No Parking Zones” are Hopewell Junior and Hopewell Elementary, as well as Endeavor Elementary and Adena Elementary.

The West Chester Police Department, Community Services, Lakota Local Schools and the Butler County Engineer’s Office recommended the zones be identified due to safety issues with student drop-off and pick-up.

Vehicles stopping within the school zone and/or on neighboring streets to drop off or pick up children from school created obstructions for pedestrians and vehicular traffic traveling near the schools.

A “No Parking Zone” was approved near Endeavor Elementary on Smith Road prohibiting parking, standing or stopping of vehicles in the school zone on school days between the hours of 8 to 9 a.m. and from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Additionally, no parking will be allowed anytime on R.E. Smith Drive between Smith Road and Misty Shore Drive, and no parking anytime on Bar Harbor Way between Smith Road and South Port Drive.

Also approved is no parking, standing or stopping of vehicles in the school zone between Heritage Drive and Adena Hills Court between the hours of 8 to 9 a.m. and from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on school days.

A “No Parking Zone” will also be enacted for Manor Drive near Hopewell junior and elementary schools. This would prohibit parking, standing or stopping of vehicles on Manor Drive on school days from 7 to 9 a.m. and from 2 to 4 p.m. on the north side of Manor Drive between Candlelight Terrace and Rickhaven Court and on the south side of Manor Drive between the west property line of 7849 Manor Drive and the east property line of 7879 Manor Drive.

The “No Parking Zones” will be marked and become effective on Jan. 4, 2013.

Posted in: Government, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Adena Elementary, Adena Elementary School, Butler County Engineer's Office, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, Hopewell Elementary, Hopewell Junior, Lakota Local Schools, No parking, no parking zones, no parking zones Lakota schools, No parking zones West Chester, West Chester Police Department

Endeavor Elementary was honored recently by receiving the 2012 SOAR Award for High Progress in the school category.

Representing Endeavor at the Nov. 12 awards presentation for its SOAR Award in Columbus were Endeavor Principal Joanna Sears and Assistant Principal Gail Allshouse; Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann; and Lakota School Board member Julie Shaffer. Photo provided.

The annual award acknowledges Ohio schools and districts participating in SOAR, Battelle for Kids’ school improvement collaborative, for their academic progress in multiple grade levels and subjects in the 2011-2012 school year.

Endeavor was recognized among the top 15 schools out of 830 participating SOAR schools statewide making exceptional growth with their students.

“Endeavor’s inclusion in this year’s SOAR awards is a testament to our staff’s continuous commitment to educational progress. We are so proud of Endeavor for representing Lakota so well, especially among so many other high achieving schools throughout the state,” Lakota Assistant Superintendent Robb Vogelmann said.

According to SOAR’s award criteria, the recipients of the High Progress Award (grades 4-8) must be among the top schools of all participating SOAR schools, based on school composite index. Grades 4-8 math and reading data is included in this analysis, and grades 5 and 8 science data must show average or above average growth.

Posted in: Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: Battelle for Kids, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, Lakota Local Schools, SOAR, SOAR Awards

A total of 18 Lakota educators were recognized in late June for teaching excellence at the Ohio Educators Connect for Success Conference in Columbus.

Battelle for Kids honored the local educators as part of its “Celebrate Teaching” initiative that is used to find out what makes a teacher highly effective and how to best learn from their practices.

Teachers were selected for the recognition based on surveys and evaluations from their principals and students, as well as achieving consistent gains in student performance.

As part of the initiative, Battelle for Kids celebrated 83 educators in Ohio. Receiving the honor from the Lakota school district includes teachers Beverly Gfroerer, Mary Jo Cooper and Tina Cramer of Adena Elementary; Julie Gunderson of Endeavor Elementary; Donna Martin and Lori Vanover of Heritage Elementary; Nadine Gallam of Hopewell Elementary; Joseph Schorr of Hopewell Junior; Laura Brown and Teresa Dempsey of Independence Elementary; Marianne Sample, Marilyn Adams, Aaron Nunley, Scott Slomsky and Heather Blaylock of Lakota Plains Junior; Susie Green of Lakota Ridge Junior; Debbie Turner of Liberty Junior; and Laura Murphy of VanGorden Elementary.

“This award is particularly noteworthy because the focus is on how these teachers consistently make a difference in their students’ academic growth,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia said. “Nothing is more important to us academically than student growth.”

For more information, visit www.celebrateteaching.org.

Posted in: News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Aaron Nunley, Adena Elementary, Battelle for Kids, Beverly Gfroerer, Debbie Turner, Donna Martin, Endeavor Elementary, Heather Blaylock, Hopewell Elementary, Independence Elementary, Joseph Schorr, Julie Gunderson, Lakota Plains Junior, Laura Brown, Laura Murphy, Lori Vanover, Marianne Sample, Marilyn Adam, Mary Jo Cooper, Nadine Gallam, Ohio Educators Connect for Success Conference, Scott Slomsky, Teresa Dempsey, Tina Cramer, VanGorden Elementary

Paul McKibben and Dan Horn report

A federal judge on Tuesday sentenced a former Lakota school district teacher to 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes.

Ryan Fahrenkamp, who had worked in the Lakota school district for 14 years and previously taught at Shawnee Elementary and, most recently, Endeavor Elementary, received 15 years in prison for child pornography crimes. Picture provided by the Butler County Jail.

Ryan Brant Fahrenkamp, 43, of Mason, pleaded guilty last August in U.S. District Court to one count of transportation of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted he kept sexual images of children on his school-issued laptop computer and he used the computer to access pornographic websites.

Fahrenkamp said in court documents he took inappropriate photos of a boy during an out-of-state trip. The boy is a former student, according to court documents.

Fahrenkamp most recently taught fifth grade at Endeavor Elementary School in West Chester Township, working 14 years in the Lakota district.

Lakota officials contacted West Chester Township Police in May 2010 about an internal investigation of Fahrenkamp. A parent had complained to school officials about Fahrenkamp texting her sixth-grade child without her permission, according to court documents. Previously, the school reprimanded him for inappropriately communicating with a student. The texts weren’t sexual in nature.

Fahrenkamp’s school laptop had images of what appeared to be shirtless underage males, some of whom previously attended the school where he taught.

Police searched a motel where Fahrenkamp was residing. Police found a digital camera. The laptop computer and the camera’s storage card had more than 600 images and a video of child pornography.

Fahrenkamp has been in custody since his January 2011 arrest.

Judge Herman Weber sentenced Fahrenkamp to 15 years for transportation of child pornography and 10 years for possession of child pornography. The sentences will run concurrently.

After being released from prison, Fahrenkamp will have to register as a sex offender. He cannot access a computer or have contact with minors, either online or physically while under lifetime court supervision.

“Fahrenkamp is not the typical child pornographer this court has dealt with previously,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Muncy wrote in a pre-sentencing memorandum filed with the court. “Fahrenkamp was a trusted educator in his community. He violated that trust by subjecting former pupils to sexual abuse.”

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: child porn charges, crim, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, FBI, Lakota Local Schools, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman, Ryan Fahrenkamp, Shawnee Elementary, Stephanie Bowman, West Chester Police Department

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

Three Lakota schools will have new principals when students return to school after summer break.

Two are familiar faces in the district.

Melissa Alexander moves from assistant principal at VanGorden and Heritage elementary schools to the principal’s office at Heritage. She has been serving as interim principal since March when longtime principal Marco Pangallo retired.

Alexander has been with the Lakota Schools since 1999 when she was hired to teach at Liberty Elementary. Since 2004 she has been an assistant principal at Shawnee, Heritage and VanGorden. Prior to that, she was a middle school teacher for the Middletown schools.

Benjamin Brown will replace Union Elementary School Principal Robert Winterberger, who is retiring Jan. 31. Brown is currently serving as the assistant principal for both Union and Independence elementary schools.

Since coming to Lakota in 2005, Brown has been an assistant principal at Adena, Union, and Independence elementary schools. He previously worked in the Princeton schools as an elementary school teacher and assistant to the principal.

North College Hill Middle School principal Joanna Sears was named principal of Endeavor Elementary School, effective Aug. 1. She is replacing Timothy Weber who is leaving the district to become principal of Madeira Elementary School.

For the past 10 years Sears worked in the North College Hill district where she taught at two elementary schools before becoming principal of two elementary schools and then the middle school.

Sears also coached at several schools including varsity basketball at North College Hill and Wyoming high schools.

All three principals received two-year contracts with a base salary of $89,500 annually.

Posted in: Board of Education, Schools |

Tags: Tags: benjamin brown, Endeavor Elementary, Heritage, joanna sears, Lakota schools, Liberty Elementary, marca pangallo, melissa alexander, principals, robert winterberger, timothy weber, Union Elementary, vangorden

Ryan Fahrenkamp, a former West Chester Township elementary school teacher, could face up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to child pornography charges, according to Cincinnati.com.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Dan Horn covered the story:

Fahrenkamp entered the plea Wednesday in U.S. District Court and admitted that he kept sexual images of children on his school-issued laptop computer and that he used the computer to access pornographic websites.

He also acknowledged in court documents that he took inappropriate photos of a boy during an out-of-state trip. Court records describe the boy as a former student.

Fahrenkamp, 42, had worked in the Lakota school system for 14 years and most recently taught fifth grade at Endeavor Elementary School in West Chester Township.

Fahrenkamp is scheduled for sentencing Dec. 1 before Judge Herman Weber. His plea deal states that he could face between five and 20 years in prison.

For the entire story, visit Cincinnati.com’s post “Ex-Lakota teacher pleads guilty in pornography case.”

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: child porn charges, crim, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, FBI, Lakota Local Schools, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman, Ryan Fahrenkamp, Shawnee Elementary, Stephanie Bowman, West Chester Police Department

Ryan Fahrenkamp, a former Lakota teacher, appeared briefly in court today, Jan. 13, for a preliminary hearing on federal child pornography charges and agreed to waive “speedy trial” rules that would have required a trial within two months.

Richard Skelton, Fahrenkamp’s attorney, told Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman that his client needed more time to prepare his case, according to a report on Cincinnati.com.

The Cincinnati.com article also reported that FBI agents searched two storage units in connection to the case this weekend.

Fahrenkamp, who was arrested by FBI agents at his Mason home Jan. 3, is currently being held at the Butler County Jail after federal prosecutors portrayed him as a troubled man who sought jobs involving children. Due to this portrayal, which was given during his detention hearing Jan. 6, Bowman decided to keep the former teacher locked up.

The investigation of Fahrenkamp began in May of 2010 when a parent brought concerns of inappropriate texting to the Lakota administration. Fahrenkamp was placed on administrative leave May 20, 2010, and then resigned, effective Aug. 31, 2010.

After resigning from Endeavor Elementary, Fahrenkamp took jobs at King’s Island and Blockbuster. Both jobs, prosecutors pointed out, put him in regular contact with children.

Prior to the detention hearing, according to a press release from the FBI, agents found Fahrenkamp’s school-issued laptop to have been used to access pornographic websites. In addition the laptop contained images of young males without their shirts on. Some of these individuals were identified to be former Endeavor students.

The FBI also seized a camera from Fahrenkamp’s hotel room that had a video file, which depicted a naked pre-pubescent male, according to the release.

Fahrenkamp had worked in the Lakota school district for 14 years and previously taught at Shawnee Elementary and, most recently, Endeavor Elementary.

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: child porn charges, crim, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, FBI, Lakota Local Schools, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman, Ryan Fahrenkamp, Shawnee Elementary, Stephanie Bowman, West Chester Police Department

Ryan Fahrenkamp, who had worked in the Lakota school district for 14 years and previously taught at Shawnee Elementary and, most recently, Endeavor Elementary, is scheduled to appear in court tomorrow, Jan. 13, for a preliminary hearing on federal child pornography charges.

Last Thursday, Fahrenkamp appeared in court for a detention hearing. During that hearing federal prosecutors portrayed Fahrenkamp as a troubled man who sought jobs involving kids, browsed child porn websites and, in at least one case, took inappropriate photos of a boy after getting him drunk, according Cincinnati.com reporter Dan Horn.

Due to the evidence against Fahrenkamp, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman decided to keep the former elementary teacher locked up.

Fahrenkamp is currently being held at the Butler County Jail without bond.

In May of 2010, Lakota Local Schools officials contacted the West Chester Police Department after receiving a complaint from a parent that Fahrenkamp was sending text messages to a student.

In a press release, the FBI said that Fahrenkamp’s school-issued laptop computer revealed that it had been used to access pornographic websites. In addition the laptop contained images of young males without their shirts on. Some of these individuals were identified as former Endeavor students.

For more information on the story, visit Cincinnati.com’s story titled Ex-teacher remains jailed in porn case.

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: child porn charges, crime, Dan Horn, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, FBI, Lakota Local Schools, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman, Ryan Fahrenkamp, Shawnee Elementary, Stephanie Bowman, West Chester Police Department

Ryan Fahrenkamp, who had worked in the Lakota school district for 14 years and previously taught at Shawnee Elementary and, most recently, Endeavor Elementary, appeared in court this afternoon, Jan. 6, for a detention hearing due to federal child pornography charges.

According to Cincinnati.com reporter Dan Horn, federal prosecutors portrayed Fahrenkamp as a troubled man who sought jobs involving kids, browsed child porn web sites and, in at least one case, took inappropriate photos of a boy after getting him drunk.

Due to the evidence against Fahrenkamp, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman decided to keep the former elementary teacher locked up.

The Cincinnati.com article went into further detail about today’s proceedings:

(An assistant U.S. Attorney Christy) Muncy said Fahrenkamp, 42, has been on out-of-state trips with children at least five times in the past two years, including a trip to South Carolina involving a teenaged boy. During that trip, Muncy said, Fahrenkamp gave the boy alcohol and then photographed his genitals when he passed out.

She said FBI agents also found that Fahrenkamp accessed sexually explicit images of an 11-year-old boy via the Internet, and that he frequently communicated with minors by e-mail and social networking sites.

“There is nothing about this case that should compel you to release him into the community, and there is nothing about this man that should make you think it is safe to release him,” Muncy told the judge.

(Fahrenkamp’s lawyer Richard) Skelton said the evidence was not convincing and his client’s history shows he has been a law-abiding citizen. Aside from the photo that prosecutors claim Fahrenkamp took, he said, nothing suggests a direct link to a child.

In May of 2010, Lakota Local Schools officials contacted the West Chester Police Department after receiving a complaint from a parent that Fahrenkamp was sending text messages to a student.

In a press release, the FBI said that Fahrenkamp’s school-issued laptop computer revealed that it had been used to access pornographic websites. In addition the laptop contained images of young males without their shirts on. Some of these individuals were identified as former Endeavor students.

A preliminary hearing in Fahrenkamp’s case is set for Thursday.

For more information on the story, visit Cincinnati.com’s story titled Ex-teacher remains jailed in porn case.

Posted in: Crime, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: child porn charges, Christy Muncy, crime, Dan Horn, Endeavor Elementary, Endeavor Elementary School, FBI, Lakota Local Schools, Magistrate Judge Stephanie Bowman, Richard Skelton, Ryan Fahrenkamp, Shawnee Elementary, Stephanie Bowman, West Chester Police Department