CLERMONT COUNTY, Ohio —

Clermont County officials have issued a statewide Missing Adult Alert for Thomas Mills, a 71-year-old man.

Pierce Township police Chief Paul Broxterman said a neighbor was the last person to see Mills around 8 a.m. on Tuesday in the Amelia Court Apartment's parking lot at 1381 W. Ohio Pike.

Broxterman said when Clermont County County Senior Services arrived to pick up Mills, he was nowhere to be found.

"They checked inside. He wasn't there. So, they called the nephew who called us."
Broxterman said.

Police said Mills is 4 feet, 11 inches tall, weighs 115 pounds, and has grey hair and blue eyes. He was last seen wearing a black jacket.

"He only walks around this immediate area. He's lived here for two years, and he has a very distinctive ... he has trouble walking. So, we're hoping someone in the area sees him and gives us a call," Broxterman said.

The apartment complex is next to Kroger on Ohio Pike.

"We're checking the cameras of Kroger. We pinged his phone, and, you know, we got a hit about 300 meters around this area, which is 1,200 feet. We've had the sheriff's department come with the dog to do a search. We had a drone up. We have the search and rescue team coming to help us," Broxterman said.

According to officials, Mills is autistic and suffers from "a delayed mental capacity."

There are two search teams leading the efforts to find Mills, Cincinnati Search and Recovery and Ohio LandSAR Search and Rescue.

"We're worried about the weather cause he's going to have hypothermia. He wasn't dressed to be out in the rain," said Cincinnati Search and Recovery Chief Jeff Shari. "We come out here and all of us are volunteers. We don't get paid. We're in it because of our heart. We want to find him so we're going to stay here until we find him."

Shari said the fact that Mills is autistic changes the dynamic of the search.

"We do a calculation on age, mental capacity and how far of a distance he could have gone since he went missing. They're usually attracted to water, lights, he lives right next to Kroger so obviously we check Kroger first. We have a K9 out checking the retention ponds in the area," Shari said. "We will then hit is common routes."

Search crews ask anyone who lives in the area to check their property and backyards, especially places Mills may have gone to get warm. Anyone who sees Mills is asked to call 911 or 1-888-637-1113.

CINCINNATI, Ohio — Olympic and Paralympic athletes across the globe faced massive disappointment in 2020, when the pandemic postponed the Tokyo games. And while it may have stalled the dreams of many, it didn’t make them fade away.

“I won silver in London. I won Gold in Mexico City and Berlin, Germany,” said Lawrence Sapp.

Sapp is a world champion swimmer. Like most world class athletes, he's been honing his craft nearly his whole life.

“I’ve been started swimming since I was four, competing since I was 11 and 12,” he said.

But unlike most athletes, he hasn’t had a traditional path.

“My coach, to learn how to swim, like a doggy paddle,” said Sapp.

When Sapp was two years old, he was diagnosed with a developmental delay. That was later determined to be autism.

Now, he’s finishing his freshman year at the University of Cincinnati, but in all likelihood, his workload will get a lot heavier this summer. It’s almost a certainty he’s headed to Tokyo for the Paralympic games.

“It was coronavirus, got hit. We all had to go home, keep it safe to stay healthy. It’s really disappointing they moved the 2020 to 2021 for this year,” said Sapp.

But now Sapp is back in the pool, working hard as he aims to bring home gold in Tokyo.

“He always shows up ready to work hard and get better,” said one of his student coaches, Sheridan Ave.

His hard work shows. It’s something his university is proud of, proud to support him in and out of the pool.

“He’s an outstanding student. He’s a great addition to the university and has a passion and gift for swimming,” said Jan Goings, who runs the Transition and Access Program (TAP).

“We are a four-year college program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” said Goings.

Sapp is one of about 40 students enrolled in TAP.

He hopes to make his classmates proud when he competes in Tokyo.

“Just swim really hard, good break outs, and good starts,” said Sapp.

Goings has worked in this field for a long time.

“It has changed dramatically. The fact that universities have opened themselves to say, 'we’re here to educate all students.' So, all does mean all,” said Goings.

Institutions like the University of Cincinnati and competitions like the Paralympic games are making sure that all have a chance to show their best.

Sapp plans to show his.

“Just got to get on, be ready to race in a different country. I’ll be ready bring it on for Tokyo,” he said.