Preferred Puppies owner dies; business closed after 35 years
Credit: Greg Lynch
Credit: Greg Lynch
HAMILTON — Cheryl Dalton loved dogs so much, she told her son she considered continuing to work at her Preferred Puppies shop to be her retirement.
Dalton, who first operated Noah’s Ark Pet Shop and later Cheri’s Preferred Puppies, which later became simply Preferred Puppies, died Dec. 24 from complications of COVID-19. She had been battling breast cancer that spread to other organs, said her son, Tony Pombo, of Beavercreek. She was 76.
Pombo said Dalton operated pet shops almost 35 years, including at its most recent location, 105 Main St., and years ago in the Hamilton West Shopping Center.
Keller may seek lieutenant governor seat
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
Former two-term state Rep. Candice Keller may run for lieutenant governor on a ticket with fellow former state Rep. Ron Hood.
The two are collecting signatures on a petition to add them to the Republican Party primary ballot, Keller said via text message.
“Our petitions state that Ron is the gubernatorial candidate and I am the lieutenant governor candidate,” Keller said in a text message. She said they have not made a final decision about filing a formal petition to run.
Ross Twp. man shot during search of house goes to prison for child porn
A Ross Twp. man who admitted to child pornography charges and was shot by Butler County Sheriff’s deputies during the investigation was sentenced to prison Monday.
Alex Michael Hoskins, 26, of the 4200 block of Jennifer Drive, was shot May 10, 2021 by Sheriff’s Detective Ricky Phillips in what the investigation revealed was an attempt to “commit suicide by cop.”
Detectives and officials with Homeland Security were serving the search warrant as part of an online child pornography investigation, when Hoskins allegedly came toward the deputy with a gun, raised it and pointed it. Phillips shot and wounded Hoskins.
Trial date set for Middletown man convicted of sex crimes against patients
Credit: Warren County Jail
Credit: Warren County Jail
A Butler County trial date has been set for a Middletown man already convicted in Warren County of having sexual contact with assisted living patients who is facing more charges here.
Godbless Uwadiegwu, 59, of Bonita Drive, who was a nurses aide, was indicted in November by a Butler County grand jury for rape and sexual battery, for crimes allegedly committed between Sept. 1 and Sept. 5, 2018, and two counts of gross sexual imposition and unlawful restraint for crimes allegedly committed on Dec. 26, 2013, according to court records.
Uwadiegwu appeared in Butler County Common Pleas Court on Monday where Judge Michael Oster Jr. set trial for April 25. He is scheduled to be back in court on Jan. 31 for a pretrial hearing. Oster set bond at $75,000.
Light Up Middletown and Middletown Whopla enjoyed success this holiday season
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
Middletown’s two biggest holiday events enjoyed tremendous success this year and organizers are already planning for 2022.
More than 100,000 people attended Light Up Middletown, a drive-through holiday lights display that was open from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Eve at Smith Park, said Bill Becker, one of the members of the Grandpa Gang, the volunteers who install and remove the lights.
He said about 30,000 vehicles entered Smith Park and each vehicle had an average of four people. Those numbers were higher than 2019, but lower than 2020 when people were looking for holiday events due to COVID-19.
AND, for an extra sixth story of the day ...
Local youth socks drive also focused on need for clothes, toiletries
Credit: Nick Graham
Credit: Nick Graham
HAMILTON —Monique Runzer didn’t meet her original goal of gathering 2,000 socks for Hamilton children this year. But that was because she shifted her focus to collecting other things that The Caring Closet needed at least as much.
Runzer’s third annual “Socks for Hamilton OH Youth” sock drive helped The Caring Closet, which distributes clothing and other needed items to children in the city. She changed her plans from focusing on socks after asking the charity what else was needed and learning other items, including soap and toothpaste, would be helpful.
This year’s sock collection reaped “close to 1,500 pairs of socks” from contributors, including about 500 pairs of “really nice socks” from Hype Socks in Columbus, which manufactures sports footwear.