Need knives or golf clubs? Middletown selling dozens of items purged from police property room
Middletown is the latest Butler County jurisdiction to take advantage of auctioning off unneeded items in bulk through a website used for buying government surplus.
The auction site GovDeals listed 40 items last week from Middletown including old gaming systems, weapons and even a group of flashy belt buckles and bobbles for auction. The site has made sales of more than $2.6 billion for 14,000 sellers since it started operation, it said.
The city has been selling surplus items, unclaimed property and even used vehicles on the site since 2005, and the most recent lot came from the ongoing organization of the property room.
Pro wrestlers spearhead Hamilton fundraiser for animals, shelter
Professional wrestlers from Hamilton’s Future Great Wrestling will battle Friday to help local animals and a no-kill shelter.
“We did this event a couple of years ago for the Animal Adoption Foundation,” said Brian LeVick of the wrestling organization and Future Great Comics, which now is based in Oxford. “It’s a great no-kill animal shelter right here in Hamilton.”
The wrestlers visited one Sunday in late June and “met some incredible dogs with great personalities,” LeVick said. “It was great to get them out of their kennels and get a little more socialization, and give them a break from their everyday norm.”
5 things to enjoy at the Ohio Challenge balloon festival that returns this week in Middletown
Thousands of spectators will return to Middletown for The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival at Smith Park/Middletown Regional Airport this weekend. Festival hours Friday and Saturday are 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. There will be no festival activities on Sunday.
“I’m looking forward to seeing people out, having fun. People can get outside, enjoy the weather, and the balloons,” said Kathy Stites, event manager, The Ohio Challenge Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Balloon enthusiasts will enjoy evening balloon glows, fireworks, skydiving demonstrations, and a car show Saturday. Spectators can visit 30-40 food and craft vendors. There will also be rides for kids.
What’s next for COVID-19 vaccine incentives in Ohio? Some continue in Butler County
The Vax-a-Million incentive encouraging Ohioans to get the COVID-19 vaccine in exchange for the possibility to win either $1 million or a full ride to a four-year public university worked, according to Gov. Mike DeWine’s office.
After the Vax-a-Million program was announced in mid-May, state officials reviewed the data of those who either started the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or the single shot of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. Spokesman Dan Tierney said there was an overall increase of 44% from the week before the announcement to the week of the announcement. That does not include the 12-to-15-year-olds who were eligible to take the Pfizer vaccine for the first time.
“As the governor said at the time, that well exceeded his expectations,” Tierney said.
Mural move: Empty lot’s development means Civil Rights art changing places in Oxford
A mural depicting Civil Rights work in Oxford is being moved to the east wall of the Municipal Building to give it better visibility in the community.
The first piece of public art, entitled “Changemakers of Oxford,” is being moved from an adjacent building because the empty lot – the former BP station – to the west of where the mural has been for two years is now being developed and would conceal the mural from public view.
The mural was conceived by Ella Cope who took the idea to the Public Arts Commission of Oxford, which gave its support.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
Miami standout on being drafted top 10, joining Trout, Ohtani on Angels: ‘It’s surreal’
OXFORD – Red balloons decorated the sidewalks outside of Miami University’s Goggin Ice Center. RedHawk cheerleaders welcomed visitors as they stepped through the arena’s main entrance and graciously offered directions to Sunday night’s main event. Bowls filled commemorative baseballs with “Sam Bachman All-American” on one side and “June 11, 2021 Draft Day, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio” sat on window sills.
Caps for every one of the 30 Major League Baseball teams lined shelves of a coffee table underneath a pulldown movie screen hooked up to a laptop.
Close to 150 people, including about 70 members of Miami baseball right-handed pitcher Sam Bachman’s family, were on hand at the arena’s Club Lounge to watch MLB’s annual first-year player draft. They were anticipating that the Fishers, Ind., native would become the baseball program’s first-ever first-round draft pick and the 73rd Miami player to be picked since the first draft was conducted in 1965.