Hamilton Journal News
Amazon offers $5M to townships for annexation
Amazon has offered $5 million each to Madison and St. Clair townships if they will allow the controversial 600-acre annexation by Trenton for the massive data center development to go through without objection. The trustees have until Wednesday, Aug....
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VP Vance touts $500M federal investment in steel
Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.’s modernization project in Middletown will be supported by a $500 million U.S. Department of Energy grant. The grant’s original purpose was to support the conversion of the Middletown Works’ energy source to hydrogen. The revised...
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SNAP benefits can be used at some farmers markets
As farmers market season continues, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reminds families receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that they can use their Ohio Direction Card to purchase food at participating...
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Middletown development director resigns from role
Middletown’s director of community and economic development has resigned after about five months on the job. Tom Smith, who joined the city in March, recently resigned from the position. The exact date of his departure was not immediately available...
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Iran dismisses Trump’s economic threats
Iran on Thursday, Aug. 20, dismissed U. S. President Donald Trump’s threats of economic pain and isolation, while the U.K and other nations condemned Israel over a controversial settlement project. In Gaza City, a mass funeral was held for 50 people...
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For West Side team, ‘This is a dream come true’
Josiah Infante admits he doesn’t know much about Williamsport. He knows what it took to get there, though. And for a 12-year-old who has spent the summer helping Hamilton West Side Little League navigate a path traveled by generations before him,...
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Ship attacked during Strait of Hormuz transit
A projectile hit a ship as it sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday, according to the British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations center, and an Iranian official said the waterway would not be reopened until the United States meets...
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Fairfield overpass project gets boost from grant
Fairfield’s Symmes Road overpass project received a big boost with the announcement of a $40 million federal grant. The Federal Railroad Administration awarded the grant through its Federal-State Partnership for Inter City Passenger Rail Grant...
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How Ohio keeps emerging professionals from leaving
Ohio businesses and universities are working to keep college students who are emerging professionals from leaving the state for job opportunities. While Ohio is a dominant figure in the higher education space, containing the sixth most universities in...
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Ohio AG, DeWine defend Flock cameras amid public scrutiny
Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson and Gov. Mike DeWine recently defended the use of Flock cameras by local governments amid growing public scrutiny around the surveillance company’s contracts with law enforcement agencies across the country. Both...
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Students return to facility changes, new leaders
Thousands of K-12 public and private Butler County school students began returning to classrooms this week, and more will continue through August, marking the start of a new school year as major changes and potential challenges await them. And soon...
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West Side Little League to return to World Series
WHITESTOWN, Ind. — Boone Treadway stood on the mound with six runs behind him and an entire city waiting back home. The West Side Little League right- hander made sure there would be no suspense about where Hamilton was headed next. Treadway f ired a...
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Hamilton City Schools open year amid overhaul
Hamilton City Schools opens the school year this week with a major restructuring, consolidating campuses, reassigning students and shifting services to BCESC partnerships. The overhaul cut costs, reorganized leadership and facilities, and preserved...
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Hundreds rally at site where Haitians required to check in
Hundreds of people gathered outside a federal immigration office Sunday morning, Aug. 9, to show support for Haitian immigrants from Springfield who were called to report for immigration check-ins. The rally, organized by Ignite Peace in partnership...
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Buc-ee’s vs. Beaver’s: What’s in a trademark?
Within four months of entering the Dayton market, a Texas-based chain of mega travel centers has sued a local small business for trademark infringement over its beaver mascot. Buc-ee’s brought its brand to Ohio when it opened its largest-ever store...
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Strait of Hormuz deal may require Trump compromise
WASHINGTON — To reach a deal with Iran that reopens the economically vital Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump may need to do something out of character — compromise. Any concession would be tough for the Republican president, who has insisted...
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DeWine, lawmakers react to Buc-ee’s lawsuit
Gov. Mike DeWine and state lawmakers are joining criticism of Buc- ee’s after the Texas gas station megachain filed a federal trademark lawsuit against Beaver’s Mini Mart, a small Beavercreek convenience store that has had a beaver logo for years. “It...
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Council rejects petition to ban data centers
Trenton City Council voted Monday, Aug. 3, to reject a citizen-led charter amendment petition that sought to ban future large-scale data centers within city limits. Supporters of the petition immediately vowed to challenge the decision. “We’ll have...
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80 Acres Farms, produce grower in Hamilton, to close
One of Hamilton’s most high- profile companies plans to close its doors. 80 Acres Farms, a Hamilton- based pioneer in vertical farming, is “winding down operations” following “an exhaustive effort to find a way forward,” according to CEO and...
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Officer found guilty, will be sentenced later this month
A Middletown police officer was found guilty Thursday, July 30, in Middletown Municipal Court. Jamie Patterson was indicted earlier this year on two counts of dereliction of duty stemming from a Jan. 3 incident in which she allowed and encouraged the...
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Battle to win union voters in Ohio governor race
In this year’s race for Ohio governor, Democrat Dr. Amy Acton will hope to curb — and Vivek Ramaswamy will hope to extend — a political trend that has seen a significant share of union voters shift from Democrat to Republican. That “stark change” in...
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Kings Island: No plans to demolish Son of Beast ride station at this time
Last month, Warren County amusement park Kings Island was granted a permit to condemn the ride station of its former Son of Beast attraction, leading some to wonder if the park would soon demolish one of the few remaining fragments of the controversial...
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Ramsey talks inspiration that led her to be trustee
Hanover Twp. Trustee Diana Ramsey’s start in politics was shaped by a decade on the community’s park committee and a lifelong connection to the township. Ramsey, who was elected last November and became the township’s first female trustee earlier this...
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State grant, donations to fund fairground upgrades
Butler County Fairgrounds will see major upgrades over the next year, with state funding and local donations driving projects to modernize decades‑old barns for safety and future use, and to replace grandstand seating for comfort. The Butler County...
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Fairfield Schools to have tax request on fall ballot
For the second time in six months, voters in the Fairfield school system will be asked to decide on a proposed school tax hike after the district’s governing board voted Monday evening, July 27, to add to the fall ballot. Members of the Fairfield...
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Young competitors stand out at Butler County Fair
Nine-year-old Emagene Otto, of Hamilton, had a little help hoisting 36-pound turkey Bob into the air Monday, July 27, at the Butler County Fair’s Junior Fair Poultry Show, but no issue holding the massive fowl aloft following multiple escape...
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Mediators see progress in efforts to halt war
CAIRO — Mediators have achieved progress in efforts to get the United States and Iran back to negotiations and avert an all-out war in the Middle East, two regional officials said Monday, with a pause in attacks coming after a period of rapidly...
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Middletown bus route overhaul put on hold
The Butler County Regional Transit Authority has postponed the launch of a planned redesign of its Middletown bus routes after hearing concerns from riders and community members about how the changes could affect access to service. As the planned...
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Back-to-school sales tax holiday just 3 days this year,
Volume 105, Number 207
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Drones hit Iraq city where U.S. forces are based
IRBIL, Iraq — Drones carrying explosives targeted a city in northern Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, July 24, hours after the American military said it finished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The...
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Trenton woman accused of stealing more than $2M
A Trenton woman is accused of stealing more than $ 2 million from a Middletown business where she worked as a bookkeeper, according to Warren County prosecutors. Alisha R. King, 3 9, h a s b e e n indicted on 10 felony counts in Warren County Common...
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$9M project to create 28 jobs at Hamilton facility
An international manufac‑ turer has secured local incen‑ tives to support a $9 million ver‑ tical expansion project that will create more than two dozen new jobs with approx‑ imately $ 2.7 mil‑ lion in local pay‑ roll while retain‑ ing nearly 100...
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Problem Middletown bar to reopen, forgo alcohol sales
A Middletown bar that has been the site of multiple shootings and hundreds of police calls in recent years could soon reopen under a new concept aimed at ending the violence that has troubled the neighborhood. Nate Williams, the new manager of the...
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Doctors struggle to get reimbursed by insurers
In her office off South Main Street in Centerville, clinical psychologist Dr. Kathy Platoni held a file more than an inch thick of copies of emails, forms, and other correspondence she’s had with one health insurance company since the start of this...
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New rest areas along I-75 in Butler County open
Drivers traveling along Interstate 75 through Butler County just got some relief. The two rest areas in Liberty Twp. that have been closed for two years are open, according to a state transportation official. The rest areas just south of the Ohio 63...
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Specialty license plates help nonpro ts advertise, fundraise
For decades, Ohio drivers have been able to show their support for certain causes on their license plates. The revenue earned through specialty plates is a major factor in income and advertising for many nonproffts. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles...
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Cat overpopulation being tackled by multiple groups
Butler County’s animal shelters may be the public face of animal welfare, but they aren’t waging the battle against cat overpopulation by themselves. Shelters increasingly rely on volunteer cat rescue individuals and organizations to trap, neuter and...
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ICE contract gives sheri ’s budget boost
The Butler County sheriff has submitted a $ 68 million early spending plan for next year that estimates a 28% revenue hike for housing illegal immigrants and other inmates from outside the county. Sheriff Richard Jones has submitted a preliminary,...
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‘It’s exciting to see’: Company adding 100 jobs
Hamilton-based thyssenkrupp BILSTEIN of America, Inc. is set to expand its operations in the city with a major hiring initiative and facility investment. The automotive technology ffirm announced plans Monday, July 13, to hire around 100 new employees...
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Middletown OKs gravel removal at Paperboard site
Marva Gaston sees a future where she can sit outside again without worrying about dust blowing through her neighborhood. After repeatedly raising concerns for a year to the city of Middletown about a massive gravel pile left by an abandoned paper...
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Butler County tax budget skewed by 27th pay period
The Butler County commissioners are mulling a $138.6 million structurally balanced general fund tax budget for next year that looks large but is skewed by a rare extra pay period and other anomalies. The annual tax budget is a rough draft of the...
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Residents weigh in on Cleveland-Cli s proposal
Residents, labor leaders, business oficials and environmental advocates packed Middletown council chambers Thursday, July 9, for an Ohio Environmental Protection Agency public hearing on a proposed Cleveland-Cliffs project. Supporters say the project...
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County has seven cases of ‘explosive’ diarrhea illness
A foodborne, parasitic illness that can cause “watery, and sometimes explosive, diarrhea,” according to the Ohio Department of Health, is spreading throughout Ohio with about a dozen local cases. ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderho is urging Ohioans to...
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Meteorologists: Heat dome to last at least a week
Most of America’s Lower 48 states are about to swelter under an unusually large, strong and long-lasting heat dome that will spike temperatures in a way that the National Weather Service calls “signifficant and dangerous.” The heat wave will start...
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Company to renovate former paper mill
A Swiss manufacturing company plans to invest $150 million to renovate and expand a historic former paper mill in Middletown, creating 56 full- time jobs by the end of 2028. Weidmann, a family- owned company that manufactures paper insulation...
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Property tax reform delays tax bills in area
A package of property tax relief measures that will save taxpayers roughly $3.8 billion over several years has been a challenge for county auditors to implement and delayed second half tax bills. Trying to correctly implement the patchwork tax credits...
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Miami at Middletown to end sports program
For generations, Miami University Middletown gave local student-athletes a chance to continue competing while earning a college degree close to home, building a tradition that stretched across decades and left an enduring mark on the regional...
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Trump takes defense spending ght to Turkey
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump got what he wanted from NATO at last year’s summit: an alliance whose members had largely acceded to his demands to step up their defense spending. This week when he meets leaders in Turkey, his mission is to...
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America’s 250th marked by fanfare, severe weather
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump mixed partisan politics with patriotic appeals on Saturday as he commemorated the 250th anniversary of American independence, a moment he declared “one of the most joyous and glorious milestones of all...
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2 companies OK’d to frack 15 acres of Ohio public land,
Volume 105, Number 186
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Ex-Paperboard site sees progress amid cleanup
The former Paperboard site in Middletown is getting a new look. Fencing has been removed, remediation work is underway and, little by little, the gravel pile on the site is getting smaller. Middletown spokesperson Ken Brown said O’Rourke Wrecking...
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Are backyard fireworks legal? It depends
As I n d e p e n d e n c e Da y approaches, Ohio residents stocking up on ffreworks may be wondering whether it’s legal to set them offi in their backyards. The answer depends not only on state law, but also where they live. Since 2022, Ohio law has...
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Cohen building project stalled but still in process
Although demolition at the for‑ mer Cohen Recycling site hasn’t kicked off this week as estimated earlier this year, Hamilton offi‑ cials maintain the delay stems from a missed brownfield grant, not from any slowdown in the $50‑million‑per‑phase...
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County appeals decision on market zoning status
Butler County has filed an appeal seeking to overturn a March decision that allowed Garver Family Farm Market in Lemon Twp. to operate under agricultural zoning standards. The appeal, filed in Butler County Common Pleas Court, argues the Board of...
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Fairfield Schools closer to proposed tax on ballot
Voters in the Fairffeld school system could see one of three diffierent, new tax options on the fall ballot, said oficials during a recent school board meeting. In the wake of a May ballot defeat of a proposed earned income tax, Fairfield officials...
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Organizations join forces to tackle housing shortage
Half of Ohio renters are paying more than they can afiord, leaving little for necessities and even less for a down payment on a home, said Sarah Reynolds of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati. Even if they could save, starter homes are...
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F
OR 250 YEARS, America’s story has been created by ordinary people doing extraordinary things — and few places embody that spirit more than southwest Ohio. Locally, invention wasn’t an abstract idea; it was a way of life. From bicycle shops that...
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Hundreds rally for Haitians after TPS ruling
Hundreds of people gathered on the Springfield City Hall Plaza in a massive show of support for the Haitian community Thursday, June 25, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier in the day cleared the way for the Trump administration to end...
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Group aims to set world record for retiring flags
A local nonprofft is aiming to set what it calls a world record this Fourth of July by retiring thousands of American ffiags in a single ceremony. The Old Glory Retirement Foundation, based in Franklin, plans to conduct the large-scale ffiag...
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Kroger breaks ground for Hamilton store
A replacement for the aging Kroger on Hamilton’s west side is ffnally moving forward. Kroger leaders and city officials recently broke ground on a massive new Marketplace store, saying it will ofier the full range of services the current location can...
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Trenton proposes data center tax incentives
The city of Trenton has introduced a proposed tax abatement and compensation agreement for a planned data center known as Project Mila. The project, led by developer Prologis, calls for a 250-megawatt data center spanning 893,034 square feet across...
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Ex-New Miami o cer sentenced to 36 months
A former New Miami auxiliary police offcer has been sentenced to 36 months in prison after being convicted on six felony counts related to tampering with evidence and records. Casey Gilpin, 48, was found guilty in mid- May following a two-day trial...
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Ohio suspends payments to more Medicaid providers
The Ohio Department of Medicaid has suspended payments to eight newly identiffed high-risk providers, the department stated in a press release. Each of those providers were connected to at least one of the 49 providers suspended earlier this month...
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Friction between Trump, GOP senators is growing
WASHINGTON — The relationship between President Donald Trump and Senate Republicans neared a breaking point this week as he upended their efforts to speedily conffirm one of his own nominees and said he would not sign the renewal of a key surveillance...
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U.S., Iran sign initial deal; talks continue
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives U.S.-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in...
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Study identifies region’s infrastructure issues
Data center growth in the Cincinnati-Dayton corridor will depend less on water supply and more on energy infrastructure, where the region lags far behind Columbus, a new study shows. The study, released June 8 by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research...
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Hamilton’s new ventures are local shops, big builds
Hamilton continues to see a broad wave of commercial, residential, hospitality and industrial development. That trend is supported by a steady pipeline of projects at various stages, from ffnancing to pre‑construction to active building, while the...
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State eyes changes for math standards
Ohio schools have new standards to help students perform better in math under a bill headed to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk. Among the new provisions in Senate Bill 19, Ohio schools must provide evidence- based academic intervention services to students...
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Lakota Schools votes to put tax issue on fall ballot
cuss the district’s school buildings’ needs in coming years and how to fund those changes. School officials have contended the facility shortfalls of the 17,000-student district — the largest suburban school system in
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SHOPPING UNDER SURVEILLANCE
Agrowing number of businesses are installing Flock cameras and other types of automated license plate readers outside their stores, including some of the largest retail chains in the country. Stores and shopping centers say they use the technology for...
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Trump raises expectations of winding down war
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has long been looking for this weekend to be a big one for his presidency. The World Cup returned to the U.S. on Friday, June 12, for the ffrst time in 32 years after Trump threw himself into winning the bid to...
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Investigators reenter Hamilton sewer where man’s remains found
Author i t i e s onc e a g a in descended into the sewer pipes beneath Hamilton’s Market Street as the investigation into the death of William Lee Campbell continued, drawing multiple agencies to the area Wednesday, June 10. Those authorities include...
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Hamilton’s downtown visitor center to close
Visit Hamilton, Ohio, formerly the Hamilton Welcome Center, will shut down its offce at the corner of High and Second streets on June 30. The decision was made by the center’s board at its most recent meeting May 27, according to Mark Motz, who joined...
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Property tax elimination won’t be on fall ballot
Entities that rely on roughly $24 billion in property taxes to provide vital services to their residents can heave a sigh of relief knowing the effiort to eliminate their main revenue source won’t be on the November ballot. Brian Massie, co- founder...
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LOCAL SOCCER FANS LOOK FORWARD TO WORLD CUP
he World Cup’s return to the United States is stirring memories of 1994 while kicking ofi a new wave of excitement across southwest Ohio. Local fans, coaches and longtime supporters say the tournament’s arrival, with 104 matches across 16 cities across...
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