Two lanes are blocked along south I-71 in Columbia Township

NEWS. SHEREE: POLICE PUT AN EAST END SCHOOL ON LOCKDOWN FOR HOURS WHILE THE SWAT TEAM WAS SWEEPING CLASSROOMS FOR A POSSIBLE GUN. THANKS FOR JOINING US AT 5:00. I’M SHEREE PAOLELLO. MIKE: AND I’M MIKE DARDIS. POLICE RECEIVED A REPORT THAT A FIGHT AMONG RIVERVIEW EAST STUDENTS MIGHT HAVE INVOLVED A GUN AT SOME WLWT NEWS 5’S POINT. COURTIS FULLER IS LIVE AT THE SCHOOL, WITH THE TERRIFYING WAIT FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND PARENTS. COURTIS: THAT IS A GOOD WAY TO DESCRIBE IT. TERRIFYING FOR ALL INVOLVED. I SHOULD TELL YOU RIGHT OFF THE BAT THAT NO STUDENTS TO THE BEST OF OUR KNOWLEDGE WERE INJURED. THAT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, THAT NOBODY WAS HURT. DOZENS OF POLICE OFFICERS CONVERGED ON THE AREA. YOU KNEW THAT BASED ON THEIR PRESENCE THAT THEY TOOK THIS SERIOUSLY, NOT TAKING ANY CHANCES ABOUT WHAT POTENTIALLY COULD HAVE HAPPENED. POLICE SAID THIS ALL DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF A CONFLICT WITH STUDENTS YESTERDAY. SUNDAY, A THREAT WAS POSTED ONLINE ABOUT SHOOTING UP THE SCHOOL. SOME PARENTS SAY THEY DID NOT EVEN SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL ON MONDAY BECAUSE OF THE THREAT. POLICE DO NOT BELIEVE THE TWO SITUATIONS ARE RELATED. >> I WOULD NOT SAY BECAUSE OF THE THREAT WE WERE ON HIGHER ALERT, I WOULD SAY BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS IN THIS COUNTRY AROUND SCHOOL SAFETY, WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE HIGHEST OF ALERT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CHILDREN’S IN OUR SCHOOLS. COURTIS: CLEARLY, POLICE WERE HERE. THEY TOOK THIS VERY SERIOUSLY. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THEY SAY THAT PEOPLE THEY WERE LOOKING FOR HAD ALREADY LEFT CAMPUS. THE SWAT SEARCHED THIS BUILDING SEVERAL TIMES. THE CHIEF TELLING US HER OFFICERS DID LOCATE TWO PEOPLE OFF-SITE. SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO SAY WHETHER THEY FOUND A GUN. THEY COULD NEVER VERIFY THAT A GUN WAS ACTUALLY ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS. SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO TELL US AT THE TIME WHETHER OR NOT THE TWO PEOPLE THEY LOCATED HAD A GUN ON THEM AT THAT TIME. OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE MORE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION. REPORTING LIVE, I AM COURTIS FULLER, WLWT NEWS 5. MIKE: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THE HAMILTON POLICE DEPARTMENT TOOK AN ARMED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT INTO CUSTODY YESTERDAY. THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER INVESTIGATED AFTER A STAFF MEMBER GOT A REPORT OF A STUDENT WITH A GUN ON THE MAIN CAMPUS. THE PRINCIPAL SEARCHED THE 16-YEAR-OLD BOY AND FOUND A LOADED, SEMI-AUTOMATIC HANDGUN. POLICE HAVE CHARGED THE TEENAGER WITH TWO FELONY WEAPONS COUNTS. SHEREE: ALSO BREAKING RIGHT NOW. THIS ONE COULD HAVE IMPACTED ALL OF THE GIFTS YOU HAVE BEEN ORDERING ONLINE. THE SENATE JUST PASSED A BILL TO PREVENT A RAIL STRIKE. IT WOULD BIND RAIL COMPANIES AND WORKERS TO A PROPOSED SETTLEMENT. SOME OF THE 12 UNIONS INVOLVED HAD REJECTED THIS SETTLEMENT OVER PAID LEAVE POLICIES AFTER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BROKERED IT IN SEPTEMBER. THE STRIKE COULD HAVE STARTED AS SOON AS NEXT FRIDAY, AND COST UP TO $2 BILLION A DAY. MIKE: GUILTY AS CHARGED IN OHIO’S MOST COMPLICATED MURDER CASE OF ALL TIME. 24 HOURS AGO, THE JURY’S VERDICT IN GEORGE WAGNER IV’S MURDER TRIAL WAS BREAKING NEWS. SHEREE: NOW, IT’S A FACT OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE WHO CALL PIKE COUNTY HOME. WLWT NEWS 5’S TODD DYKES HAS REACTION FROM RESIDENTS OF WAVERLY. TODD: FEELINGS OF RELIEF AND RESPECT FOR THE RULE OF LAW ARE ABUNDANT IN AND AROUND WAVERLY, GIVEN WHAT WAS AT STAKE IN THIS MURDER TRIAL THAT PUT THIS COMMUNITY UNDER THE MICROSCOPE. MOMENTS BEFORE GEORGE WAGNER WAS FOUND GUILTY ON THE FIRST OF 22 CRIMINAL CHARGES HE FACED, TRIAL-WATCHERS LIKE CHIP WALDER WAITED ANXIOUSLY. WHAT DID YOU THINK MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT HAPPEN? >> THERE WAS A LOT OF APPREHENSION. AND I THOUGHT FROM THE GET-GO, FROM THE EARLY STAGES, THAT IT WOULD BE A GUILTY. TODD: THE NINE WOMEN AND THREE MEN ON THE JURY WHO LISTENED TO MORE THAN 40 DAYS OF TESTIMONY DECIDED WAGNER WAS GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS FOR THE ROLE HE PLAYED IN THE PIKE COUNTY MASSACRE. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF ALL THIS MADNESS? >> YOU SAID THE WORD. TODD: MADNESS. TONY RHODEN COMMENTED AFTER THE VERDICTS WERE READ ALOUD IN COURT. RHODEN LOST HIS BROTHERS, CHRIS RHODEN SENIOR AND KENNETH RHODEN, AND SIX OTHER LOVED ONES WHEN INVESTIGATORS SAY GEORGE, HIS BROTHER, JAKE WAGNER, AND THEIR PARENTS BILLY AND ANGELA WAGNER EXECUTED A MURDEROUS PLAN ON A SINGLE NIGHT IN APRIL 2016. WHAT DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU HEARD THE FIRST GUILTY VERDICT? >> I FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. TODD: THAT TONY RHODEN EXPRESSED EMPATHY FOR GEORGE WAGNER, WITHOUT EXCUSING WAGNER’S ROLE IN THE CRIMES AGAINST HIS FAMILY, SPEAKS VOLUMES TO CHIP WALDER, A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF PIKE COUNTY. >> HIS COMPORTMENT, HIS GRACIOUSNESS I MEAN, WHAT DID , YOU MAKE OF THAT? HE COULD EASILY HAVE BEEN RAGING AND UPSET. >> I WAS SURPRISED. I WAS SURPRISED. AND WHEN HE SAID I FEEL SORRY, I FEEL SORRY FOR HIM, I MEAN, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE’S, PEOPLE HAVE HEART. PEOPLE HAVE HEART. AND I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT TONY SAID. >> I JUST THINK EVERYTHING WORKED OUT THE WAY IT WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK OUT AND SHOULD WORK OUT. TODD: NOW A CONVICTED KILLER, , GEORGE WAGNER STILL HAS TO FIND OUT HOW LONG HE WILL SPEND IN PRISON. THAT DECISION WILL LIKELY COME IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. THE DEATH PENALTY IS OFF THE TABLE BECAUSE JAKE TESTIFIED AGAINST HIM PART OF A DEAL JAKE , WAGNER MADE WITH PROSECUTORS.

Two lanes are blocked along south I-71 in Columbia Township

Updated: 6:41 PM EST Dec 1, 2022

A crash is blocking lanes along the interstate in Columbia Township, Thursday evening. Click the video player above to watch other evening headlines from WLWT News 5According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the two left lanes along southbound Interstate 71 at Red Bank Road are blocked due to a crash. Stop-and-go traffic is backed up to Stewart Road. Authorities advise motorists to expect minor delays. For live traffic updates, click here.This story was curated by Hearst's WLWT Alert Desk.Do you have photos or video of this incident? If so, upload them to https://www.wlwt.com/upload. Be sure to include your name and any additional details so we can give you proper credit online and on TV.

CINCINNATI —

A crash is blocking lanes along the interstate in Columbia Township, Thursday evening.

Click the video player above to watch other evening headlines from WLWT News 5

According to the Ohio Department of Transportation, the two left lanes along southbound Interstate 71 at Red Bank Road are blocked due to a crash.

Stop-and-go traffic is backed up to Stewart Road.

Authorities advise motorists to expect minor delays.

For live traffic updates, click here.

This story was curated by Hearst's WLWT Alert Desk.
Do you have photos or video of this incident? If so, upload them to https://www.wlwt.com/upload. Be sure to include your name and any additional details so we can give you proper credit online and on TV.