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. This week, we have decided to list all the top stories from April.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page last week. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

Lakota East makes lip dub – Lakota East High School is one step closer to having the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. On April 18, the school and all of its 2,700 students filmed a “lip dub” video to raise awareness and funds for the Center for Spina Bifida Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In the video, students performed as lip singers to five popular songs from artists, including Black Eyed Peas, One Direction and Smash Mouth. Once edited they hope to get the attention of Ellen DeGeneres, who they hope can bring their efforts to raise awareness for Spina Bifida to the national stage.

Nerf Wars have everyone talking – Local television reporters and radio talk show hosts were all talking about Lakota high schools in April. It wasn’t because of anything that was taking place at school, but rather after. A spring tradition of Nerf Wars is now underway and it involves possible reckless driving and nudity.

West Chester Hospital tax status case watched closely – Butler County and the cash-strapped Lakota Local School District stand to lose a combined $43 million over the next 18 years if West Chester Hospital’s charitable tax status is upheld, Sheila McLaughlin of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported. County commissioners are appealing the case to the Ohio Board of Tax Appeals, saying the county failed to receive a hearing on the matter. School officials are keeping an eye on it.

Liberty Township retail project has new look – A Columbus developer returned to Butler County in late April with a slightly revised plan for the $300 million shopping destination spot it wants to build in Liberty Township, Sheila McLaughlin reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Yaromir Steiner, founder and chief executive officer of Steiner + Associates, is counting on $35 million from the county and township to make improvements around the 100-acre site, at Liberty Way west of Interstate 75.

Katelyn Markham’s body found – During the past 20 months, any time an unidentified body surfaced in Ohio, Indiana or Kentucky, Fairfield investigators probed whether the remains were Katelyn Markham’s, said Fairfield Police Chief Mike Dickey. But the investigation shifts into new territory, Dickey said, now that Indiana State Police have verified that the remains found along a Franklin County creek belong to the Markham, who vanished in August 2011. She would have been 23 years old today.

Summer’s Homearama being delayed until July – The director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati confirmed in late April that due to unforeseen construction delays, that this summer’s Homearama at Carriage Hill in Liberty Township is being pushed back to July. It will be the latest summer Homearama, which will now take place July 13-28, in the 50-year history of the home showcase, according HBA executive director Dan Dressman. The event was previously scheduled to take place June 8-23.

Bridgewater Falls is back on the block – Fairfield Township’s upscale shopping center, Bridgewater Falls, is for sale. And this time it’s for a positive reason, Cindi Andrews reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Blue Ash-based Phillips Edison bought Bridgewater Falls out of foreclosure in 2010. It boosted occupancy to 97 percent and is now testing the possibility of cashing in on its investment.

Local runner shares what happened at Boston Marathon – Just before the first explosion went off, Maureen Heintz of West Chester was only a few hundreds away from the finish line, having her picture taken and enjoying her first Boston Marathon. “She was probably just 200 yards from the blast when the first one went off. She said could feel the concussion of it and the buses were shaking where she was standing,” her husband, Paul Heintz said. After returning to their West Chester home at 2 a.m. Tuesday, Paul Heintz spoke about what it was like to be in Boston on Monday. See below for first part of audio interview. For the second and third parts of the interview, click on the link above.

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

Tags: Tags: Amelia Murphy, Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Marathon bombs, Boston Marathon Cincinnati runners, Boston Marathon local runners, Boston Marathon West Chester runners, Caroline McKinney, Ellen, Ellen DeGeneres, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Lakota East lib dub, Ellen DeGeneres Show, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East, Ellen DeGeneres Show Lakota East lip dub, Ellen Lakota East, Ellen Lakota East lip dub, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, John Boehner, John Boehner Boston Marathon, Lakota East, Lakota East lip dub, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, Mojo Running, Mojo Running Olde West Chester, Mojo Running West Chester, National Honor Society, National Honor Society Lakota East, Steiner + Associates

VIDEO: FIRST PART OF INTERVIEW WITH PAUL HEINTZ

Just before the first explosion went off, Maureen Heintz of West Chester was only a few hundreds away from the finish line, having her picture taken and enjoying her first Boston Marathon.

“She was probably just 200 yards from the blast when the first one went off. She said could feel the concussion of it and the buses were shaking where she was standing,” her husband, Paul Heintz said.

• Second part of interview with Paul Heintz
• Third part of interview with Paul Heintz

When Paul heard about the explosions, he was already back at the hotel, roughly two miles from the finish line. He immediately did the math in his head and knew that his wife had to be just finishing the race.

He went for his cell phone and tried to call her cell, but it wouldn’t go through. He then planned to go back, but received a text just before he left the hotel.

“I’m fine. Very scared, but don’t come down here. They are sending us all away. Sit tight,” the message from his wife read.

“They” were the police. Just moments after the first explosion, an officer looked at Maureen and told her and everyone around her, “get your stuff and move. That way (away from the explosion).”

Then the second explosion went off. That was when things got very chaotic and hectic, Paul said.

Runners then raced to the buses, which held their gear and clothes.

Marathon volunteers remained on duty instead of fleeing, throwing bags out the windows of the buses. Runners helped each other find their bags and escape the area.

“They were pushing the people out because they needed to immediately have the ambulances (there). The response was pretty tremendous, she said, in terms of how quickly help was on the scene,” her husband said.

With it still fresh in her mind, Maureen wasn’t able to talk about the experience to The Enquirer or WestChestBuzz. After getting back to West Chester at 2 a.m., she was back at work this morning. Maureen is principal of Colerain High School.

“I think work is what she needs right now, just to keep her mind occupied because she was very shaken up. Several times throughout the evening, she just broke down crying,” her husband said. “She was very visibly shaken, but she is tough.”

Maureen and Paul, who owns Mojo Running in Olde West Chester, went to the marathon with other local runners Jill Cummins, Robin Delnoce, both of West Chester; Susan Vogt of Loveland; Dan Rebella of Cincinnati; Lecia Holley, Lisa Wilber, both of Loveland; and Heather Fenton of Fairfield. All of the runners in the group were uninjured. Cummins, Vogt and Maureen Heintz all crossed the finish line just minutes before the first explosion.

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

Tags: Tags: Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Marathon bombs, Boston Marathon Cincinnati runners, Boston Marathon local runners, Boston Marathon West Chester runners, John Boehner, John Boehner Boston Marathon, Mojo Running, Mojo Running Olde West Chester, Mojo Running West Chester

At least 134 runners from Greater Cincinnati and four from West Chester were listed as entrants in Monday’s Boston Marathon. Many have been reported safe, as friends and family continue trying to reach others.

According to the Associated Press on Tuesday morning, the bombs took the lives of three, including an 8-year-old boy, and wounded more than 140 others.

House Speaker John Boehner of West Chester issued the following statement Monday evening after ordering flags over the U.S. Capitol to be lowered to half-staff out of respect for the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy.

“Words cannot begin to express our sorrow for the families who are grieving so suddenly right now,” Boehner said in a statement. “The House of Representatives offers its prayers to the victims and the city of Boston. We also give thanks for the professionals and good Samaritans who prevented further loss of life. This is a terrible day for all Americans, but we will carry on in the American spirit, and come together with grace and strength.”

Tony Delnoce of West Chester said that his wife, Robin and three West Chester residents – Paul and Maureen Heintz and J. Jill Cummins – were all safe. Paul Heintz is the owner of Mojo Running in Olde West Chester.

• Cincinnati residents share firsthand experiences of the tragedy
• Feds seek suspects, motive in Boston bombings

The first bomb went off within 20 minutes of Robin Delnoce crossing the finish line. She was walking back to her hotel room at the Marriott Copley when she heard the explosion.

“She was unintelligible. She was very rattled, shaken by the whole experience,” Tony Delnoce said of reaching his wife by cell phone.

Delnoce said he has attended the marathon twice to route his wife on but didn’t go this year. She has participated in five Boston Marathons, he said.

Understanding how the families are lined up along the route there and understanding the explosion came from a building alongside I’d be willing to bet the bulk of the runners are OK and the runners families took the brunt of the injuries,” he said.

Boston police and marathon organizers have a strong presence at the event, he said.

“I can’t begrudge the City of Boston or the marathon organizers. They do a good job,” Delnoce said.

“If a bomb goes off in a hotel next to the finish line where nobody can get in to a hotel room to check it out, I can see where that can be a problem.

The couple’s 13-year-old daughter, Abby, said she talked to her mom by phone after she heard the news of the explosions from her father.

“Whenever she answered, she was crying,” Abby said. “I said, ‘I wish I was with you,’ and she said, ‘No, I wish I was with you.’”

Sheila McLaughlin and Associated Press contributed to this report

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

Tags: Tags: Boston Marathon, Boston Marathon bombing, Boston Marathon bombs, Boston Marathon Cincinnati runners, Boston Marathon local runners, Boston Marathon West Chester runners, John Boehner, John Boehner Boston Marathon, Mojo Running, Mojo Running Olde West Chester, Mojo Running West Chester

Lisa Cornwell of the Associated Press reports:

U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday that he wants a coherent plan and more specifics from the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs on what is being done to reduce the growing backlog of veterans’ disability claims.

Boehner on Tuesday sent his second letter in a little over a month to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. The speaker wasn’t satisfied with Shinseki’s response to his first letter and wants him to “quickly provide specific information” on the VA’s efforts to address the backlog and to improve accuracy in rating claims.

With thousands of veterans waiting on claims decisions and an estimated 1 million service members expected to become veterans in the next five years, “the time for the VA to fix this problem is now,” Boehner said in a statement Tuesday.

The VA says 4.7 million claims must be adjudicated in the next 32 months to meet Shinseki’s goals, and Boehner says he is concerned that appropriate short-term benchmarks haven’t been set for reaching the long-term goals.

The speaker’s latest letter follows one he sent in February asking Shinseki to explain what is being done to fix a broken system. Boehner had asked for information including timing for completing the VA’s conversion of old paper files to digital ones and what the VA has done to reduce the time veterans are waiting to have claims reviewed and re-adjudicated and to improve accuracy.

The VA did not immediately return a call for comment Tuesday.

But Shinseki wrote in his March 27 response to Boehner’s first letter that he shares the speaker’s “impatience” with the VA’s “current shortfall in delivering timely benefits decisions.”

“We currently are not meeting the standards of service we desire, and the growing inventory of claims and lengthy delays that many of our veterans are experiencing are unacceptable,” Shinseki wrote.

About 600,000 claims for illness or injury received in active military service have been pending more than 125 days, and that number has nearly quadrupled in recent years. Part of that spike starting in 2010 is attributed to Shinseki making it easier for veterans exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to get benefits. (more…)

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boeher West Chester Ohio, John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner Ohio, John Boehner West Chester

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boeher West Chester Ohio, John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner Ohio, John Boehner video, John Boehner West Chester

There is one West Chester resident who finds himself in the national spotlight each week. With that being said, it is only fitting that WestChesterBuzz highlights what the House Speaker said last week.

Boehner “can’t imagine” he would ever support same-sex marriage – House Speaker John Boehner told ABC News he “can’t imagine” he would ever support same-sex marriage – even if one of his children were gay and wanted to get married. That’s the situation Ohio Sen. Rob Portman found himself in, and why he became the first sitting Republican U.S. Senator last week to back same-sex marriage. Boehner, however, told ABC News that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Boehner on the pope – It is the second time in as many weeks, we have seen a release from the John Boehner camp about Pope Francis. This time Boehner, released a video message. POLITICO reported, along with other media outlets, Boehner, who is Catholic, got the invite to Pope Francis’s swearing in, but turned it down to stay in Washington last week.

Boehner on keeping government open – Boehner released the following statement Thursday after the House approved legislation that avoided a possible federal shutdown and keeps the government open through Sept. 30. The Senate approved the same measure on Wednesday. “Our goal is to cut spending and balance the budget to help our economy grow. Passing this measure allows us to keep our focus where it belongs: replacing the president’s sequester with smarter cuts that help balance the budget, fixing our broken tax code to create jobs and increase wages, protecting priorities like Medicare, and expanding opportunity for all Americans.”

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boeher West Chester Ohio, John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner Ohio, John Boehner video, John Boehner West Chester

Carl Weiser reports:

House Speaker John Boehner told ABC News he “can’t imagine” he would ever support same-sex marriage – even if one of his children were gay and wanted to get married.

That’s the situation Ohio Sen. Rob Portman found himself in, and why he became the first sitting Republican U.S. Senator last week to back same-sex marriage. His son Will had come out, and Portman told the Enquirer he wanted to make sure he could enjoy the same kind of loving marriage Portman had.

Boehner, however, told ABC News that marriage is between a man and a woman.

“It’s what I grew up with. It’s what I believe. It’s what my church teaches me,” the West Chester Republican said. “And I can’t imagine that position would ever change.”

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner gay marriage, John Boehner video, John Boehner West Chester

Boehner calls out President Obama after “productive” meeting with Republican leaders

There is one West Chester resident who finds himself in the national spotlight each week. With that being said, it is only fitting that WestChesterBuzz highlights what the House Speaker said in the previous week.

Doesn’t agree with Portman on gay marriage – Another local politician, Rob Portman, who played a big role in Mitt Romney’s campaign for presidency, made national news this week by changing his stance on gay marriage. In an announcement on Thursday, Portman, who has a gay son, said, “I have come to believe that, if two people are prepared to make a lifetime commitment to love and care for each other in good times and in bad, the government shouldn’t deny them the opportunity to get married.” The following day, POLITICO reported that Boehner, through a spokesperson, called Portman a “friend and ally … but the speaker continues to believe that marriage is between a man and a woman.”

Boehner’s column on the sequester – Also on Friday, Boehner released a column titled “The President’s sequester still needs to be replaced.” “For two weeks now, President Obama’s sequester has been in place. And for two weeks, the White House has rightly faced criticism for its implementation of the sequester’s across-the-board cuts. From shutting down White House tours to spreading fear of long lines at airports, I’m disappointed in the way that the administration has chosen to respond to the sequester. In the House of Representatives, we’re keeping the U.S. Capitol open to the American people by cutting elsewhere in our operating accounts.” For the entire column, view it on the speaker’s website.

Boehner on the new Pope – “Thanks be to God for our new pope, Francis I. American Catholics rejoice over this news, and offer our prayers and blessings to His Holiness with confidence that he will fill the Chair of St. Peter with grace. Even more special is that our church will be led for the first time by a Holy Father from the Americas, marking a new milestone in the history of a faith that has endured for millennia. For me, it is truly inspiring that our new pope has taken the name of Francis, the saint who lived a simple life of humility and charity, setting an example for how to make God’s love visible to all, especially those in despair or pain.”

Boehner on Obama’s visit – See video above – House Speaker John Boehner made a statement following President Barack Obama’s visit to the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. Boehner thanked the President for the meeting and called it “productive,” but then said: “We know, however, that there are some very real differences between our two parties like issues jobs, balancing the budget and what do we do to get our economy moving again. Republicans want to balance the budget. The president doesn’t. Republicans want to solve our long-term debt problem. The president doesn’t. We want to unlock our energy resources to put more Americans back to work. The president doesn’t.”

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner video, John Boehner West Chester

This motion graphics video consists of data from The National Journal. It shows how conservative House Speaker John Boehner of West Chester is on economics, social, and foreign policy issues from 1993-2010.

The video was produced by Enquirer graphic artist Mike Nyerges.

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner video, John Boehner West Chester

Speaker calls ex-congressman’s accusations in book baseless, false

Deirdre Shesgreen reports:

After spending 17 months in prison on corruption charges, ex-Rep. Bob Ney is out with a new book that delves into his downfall and casts House Speaker John Boehner, among other Republicans, as complicit in Washington’s pay-to-play culture.

Ney, a Republican who represented southeastern Ohio, was back in Washington on Wednesday schmoozing and glad-handing with political insiders at one of Capitol Hill’s swanky restaurants.

This time, Ney was here to condemn this city’s pay-to-play culture – not partake in it – as he worked the room of Hill staffers, political reporters and curious onlookers who came to see him at a signing for his new book: “Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men on Capitol Hill.”

The former Ohio Republican and powerful House committee chairman’s book delves into his downfall in the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal. In 2006, Ney pleaded guilty to two felony counts of trading legislative favors for a string of gifts, including an Abramoff-financed golf trip to Scotland and more than $50,000 in poker chips.

But Ney also uses his book to takes swipes at others – specifically House Speaker John Boehner, R-West Chester, whom Ney portrays as complicit in Washington’s fundraising-obsessed, lobbyist-greased culture.

He describes Boehner as someone who was “more interested in the high life – golf, women, cigarettes, fun, and alcohol” than in serious policy debates.

“If the Justice Department were ever to make John produce receipts for his addiction to golf just for the years from 1995 to 2004, he would be hard-pressed to comply,” Ney wrote. “John got away with more than any other Member on the Hill.”

Ney, who moved back to Newark after being released from prison, also writes that Boehner offered to help Ney land a cushy private-sector job and to raise money to cover his legal fees, in exchange for dropping his House re-election bid.

“If you resign the next day, I will personally guarantee you a job comparable to what you are making, and raise legal defense money for you that should bury all this Justice Department problem for you,” Ney quotes Boehner as saying. (more…)

Posted in: Government, News |

Tags: Tags: ex-Rep. Bob Ney, John Boehner, John Boehner Cincinnati, John Boehner State of the Union, John Boehner videos, John Boehner West Chester, sequester