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.

Mellow Mushroom. Provided.

Mellow Mushroom in West Chester to open on Labor Day – The Mellow Mushroom in West Chester opened on Labor Day in the former Rafferty’s location, 9238 Floer Drive, off Union Centre Boulevard. The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m Friday through Saturday.

Music retailer opens at Bridgewater Falls – A music retailer featuring guitars, amps, drums, keyboards, microphones and more opened Monday morning in the Bridgewater Falls Lifestyle Shopping Center. The store, Play on This!, specializes in music wares and wearables and is an authorized retailer for Two Old Hippies merchandise.

Frisch’s. Provided.

New Frisch’s Big Boy opens in Liberty Township – A new Frisch’s Big Boy restaurant opened in Liberty Township last Monday. Located at 7075 Yankee Road, the second Frisch’s outpost in Liberty Township offers drive-through and eat-in dining. The restaurant is located near the Kroger Marketplace and Lakota East High School.

Lakota school district finalizes 2012-2013 academic calendar – The Lakota school district finalized its 2012-2013 academic calendar last Monday after the Ohio Department of Education approved Nov. 5 and Nov. 6 as professional development days for all teaching staff. School wraps up in late May, with a one-hour early releases on May 30 and May 31, which is the last day for students.

Gabby Blados.

Lakota athletes commit to Division I schools – Two Lakota West juniors and a Lakota East senior have recently made verbal commitments to play their respected sport in college. Jr. Lauren Heger (soccer) picked Cincinnati, Jr. Gabby Blados (volleyball) picked Clemson and Sr. Jarrett Rindfleisch (baseball) will attend Ball State.

Lakota West holds No. 2 Urusline to scoreless tie – Both Lakota West and Ursuline had reasons to win last Tuesday, but neither team could find a way to get it past the other’s goalkeeper in what ended in a 0-0 tie at Steve Cummins Soccer Park in West Chester Township.

New texting ban rules take effect – Shauna Steigerwald of The Cincinnati Enquirer reported last week on Ohio’s new law banning texting while driving – and prohibiting teens from using wireless communications devices in any way while driving.

Posted in: Business, Fall sports, Government, News, Schools, Sports |

Tags: Tags: Bridgewater Falls, Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center, Frisch's Big Boy, Frisch's Big Boy Liberty Township, Liberty Township business news, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, Play on This, Play on This Bridgewater Falls, restaurant opening, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location confirmed that his West Chester location will open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

In late July, the owner of the Mellow Mushroom in West Chester said that he was planning to open the restaurant on Labor Day. This week, Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., confirmed that it will open as expected on Monday.

The Enquirer’s Shauna Steigerwald recently wrote about the new West Chester location on her “New in Town” blog on Cincinnati.com.

Like the Wilder location, the restaurant, 9238 Floer Drive (facing Union Center Blvd.) will serve handcrafted pizzas, hoagies, salads, calzones and appetizers, with vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free and chidren’s options, plus a full bar, with 24 craft beers on draft, a rotating bottled beer selection, wine and cocktails.

The interior of the new Mellow Mushroom in West Chester will have a vintage amusement park theme. Photo provided.

All of the locations feature artwork; the West Chester restaurant will pay homage to vintage-era theme parks with its art: A streetside fair Ferris wheel sign, tie dye awnings, chasing LED-illuminated roller coaster artwork, a vending cart hostess stand, a pizza cutter toss carnival game, a claw retail display and Zoltar fortune teller with a glowing crystal ball.There are private party sun rooms, and there’s a seasonal covered patio. Trivia nights, family nights, beer tastings and special events will be offered.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom itself is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive, which is off Union Centre Boulevard.

The restaurant will be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m Friday through Saturday.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

The Mellow Mushroom in West Chester, which is expected to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, will have a job fair this Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day.

The job fair will take place at the Cincinnati Marriott North, 6189 Mulhauser Road, in West Chester. During the event, the restaurant will be looking servers, cooks (prep cooks, dough tossers), bartenders, dishwashers and hostesses.

Overall, the business is looking to hire more than 100 employees.

Once hired, employees are scheduled to start training Aug. 22.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom is near the hotel on the other side of Union Centre Boulevard, in the former Rafferty’s location, 9238 Floer Drive.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open on Labor Day, Sept. 3, 2012.

The owner of the Mellow Mushroom in West Chester said that his restaurant is looking to hire more than 100 employees and is targeting Labor Day, Sept. 3, as its opening date.

Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., said on Tuesday that the restaurant will hold a job fair next week, Aug. 8-9, and then start training Aug. 22.

The job fair will be taking place at the Cincinnati Marriott North, 6189 Mulhauser Road, in West Chester from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. next Wednesday and Thursday. During the job fair, the restaurant will be looking servers, cooks (prep cooks, dough tossers), bartenders, dishwashers and hostesses.

The location of the Mellow Mushroom itself is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

Molony also said that the West Chester location is going to be “totally unique” and will feature an amusement park theme. The restaurant will feature a mushroom tree and ticket counter hostess stand, an arcade-type retail display, a $10,000 liquor display, a roller coaster car suspended from the ceiling, a lighted Zoltar art piece, the world’s largest marble and an open kitchen design where visitors can watch pizza dough being thrown.

Applications are available on the Mellow Mushroom website and can be scanned to mellowevents@zoomtown.com or mailed to 1014 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: jobs, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

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.

Jack in the Box looking to hire 200 local workers – A spokesperson with Jack in the Box announced last Wednesday that the company has hired its management teams for its soon-to-open Cincinnati area restaurants and is now focused on filling about 200 team member positions. The West Chester location, which is expected to open in mid-September, will be the first Jack in the Box restaurant to open in the state of Ohio.

Butler County tourism generates $900 million in 2011 – The Butler County Visitors Bureau (BCVB) cited a statewide study when it recently announced that the county’s tourism industry generated $900 million in sales for local businesses in 2011. The research study was organized by the Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Tourism Ohio and conducted by Longwoods International and Tourism Economics, according BCVB officials.

Voice of America Chorus recognized at World Choir Games – The Voice of America Chorus shared with WestChesterBuzz last week that it earned a Silver Certificate at the 2012 World Choir Games. The local group was honored for their performance in the open barbershop competition July 12.

Graeter’s to unveil second ‘mystery flavor’ Aug. 1 – Local Graeter’s stores will feature a new “mystery flavor” beginning next Wednesday, Aug. 1. The announcement will be made on the company’s Facebook page at 11 a.m. that day. Once the new flavor is announced, it will be available by the scoop and by the pint through September (or while supplies last) at Graeter’s ice cream store locations in Cincinnati, Columbus and Dayton.

Video: Olympic wrestler talks about journey to Games – Former Lakota East and Princeton wrestler Khetag Pliev sat down for an interview this spring at his family’s West Chester home to talk about his unique journey to the 2012 Olympic Games in London. WestChesterBuzz posted the video interview for the first time last Friday.

AK Steel reports loss, suspends dividend – AK Steel on Tuesday reported a net loss of $724.2 million for the second quarter, or $6.55 a share, and announced that it will suspend its dividend, which it says will save $22 million a year. The results were impacted by a non-cash charge of $736 million for a valuation allowance for the company’s deferred tax assets, the company said.

Liberty Twp. tax budget shows few changes for 2013 – Liberty Township’s 2013 budget is going to look a lot like this year’s officials say, Sue Kiesewetter reported for The Cincinnati Enquirer last week. The budget shows a projected beginning balance Jan. 1 of $17.6 million. Revenues from property taxes are estimated at $8.3 million and from other sources at $11.4 million. Appropriations for 2013 are projected at $20.9 million, with an ending balance on Dec. 31 estimated at $16.6 million.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: 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

A spokesperson with Jack in the Box announced Wednesday that the company has hired its management teams for its soon-to-open Cincinnati area restaurants and is now focused on filling about 200 team member positions.

Brian Luscomb of Jack in the Box said the positions are for workers with strong customer service skills who may or may not have a lot of work experience. The company is also offering benefits, such as medical, dental, vision, vacation time and flexible scheduling.

Even though the company is now targeting a mid-September opening date for its West Chester location and an October opening for the location in Pleasant Ridge, it is still hoping to fill the bulk of open positions in the next few weeks.

To apply for one of the positions or to find out more, call 866-290-5225 (option 6).

The West Chester location will be the first Jack in the Box restaurant to open in the state of Ohio. It is currently under construction at 7425 Tylersville Road, which is off I-75 in an old gas station lot that is directly next to Long John Silver’s.

Meanwhile, the Pleasant Ridge location is at 5234 Ridge Ave. across the street from Burlington Coat Factory.

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.”

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

Collin McCord moves a calzone to the oven during lunch hour at the Mellow Mushroom Pizza in Wilder, Ky. Photo taken by Will Velarde. The owner of the Wilder location expects his West Chester location to open in late August of 2012.

According to people close to the new Mellow Mushroom and Jack in the Box locations currently being constructed in West Chester, the two anticipated chains may not open until late summer.

Kevin Molony, who also owns the Mellow Mushroom in Wilder, Ky., said on Friday that the opening for his West Chester restaurant will take place in late August. The location is in the former Rafferty’s at 9238 Floer Drive and Union Centre Boulevard.

Molony also said that the West Chester location is going to be “totally unique” and will feature an amusement park theme. The restaurant will feature a mushroom tree and ticket counter hostess stand, an arcade-type retail display, a $10,000 liquor display, a roller coaster car suspended from the ceiling, a lighted Zoltar art piece, the world’s largest marble and an open kitchen design where visitors can watch pizza dough being thrown.

Mellow Mushroom will also be hiring approximately 100 employees. Applications are available on the Mellow Mushroom website and can be scanned to mellowevents@zoomtown.com or mailed to 1014 Town Dr. Wilder, KY 41076.

For more information, go to www.mellowmushroom.com or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Meanwhile, Jack in the Box spokesman Brian Luscomb said on Monday that the company is still targeting a summer grand opening for the West Chester location. It appears that the opening could occur in early September.

Luscomb also said than the company’s second location in Cincinnati, 5234 Ridge Ave. near I-71, is on schedule to open in October.

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.

The West Chester location will be the first Jack in the Box restaurant to open in the state of Ohio. Jack in the Box has its corporate offices in San Diego, Calif.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, cincinnati restaurant opening, 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, Kevin Molony, Mellow Mushroom, Mellow Mushroom West Chester, West Chester business, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants

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 |

Tags: Tags: AK Steel, AK Steel financial results, AK Steel financials, AK Steel West Chester, brian luscomb, brian luscomb Jack in the Box, Butler County common pleas, Butler County Common Pleas Court, Community Foundation WCL, Community Foundation West Chester/Liberty, Deer Shelter at Keehner Park, 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, Judge Michael Sage, Keehner Park, Keehner Park log cabin, Keehner Park owl shelter, Keehner Park West Chester, Kyle Meadows, Kyle Meadows Florida State, Kyle Meadows football recruiting, Kyle Meadows Lakota West, Lakota Educator of Excellence Award, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota West football, Lakota West sports, Michael Sage, Nature Basket, Station Road Schoolhouse, WCL Community Foundation, West Chester business news, West Chester jobs, West Chester Nature Basket program, West Chester restaurant opening, West Chester restaurants, WOLF, WOLF program

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

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 |

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