CINCINNATI — A new convention headquarters hotel in downtown Cincinnati could be open by late 2025, but it's not a guarantee. 3CDC laid out a possible new timeline for the hotel and told county commissioners about the need for renovations to the existing convention center on Tuesday.

The hotel - recommended to be about 800 rooms with a national brand - is "critical" to Cincinnati's ongoing FIFA World Cup bid for matches in summer 2026, according to the bid committee.

"Are you saying the convention hotel will be guaranteed under your [plan], we can get it up? Or are we not guaranteed?" asked Hamilton County commissioner Alicia Reece.

"I can't guarantee anything. I don't control everything," said Steve Leeper, 3CDC president and CEO. "I can tell you that we have a track record of getting things done and we do so in a timely fashion and we're going to work very hard on it. But for me to sit here and tell you I can guarantee something, that would be intellectually dishonest on my part."

3CDC was appointed to manage the development of a new "convention center district" around the Duke Energy Convention Center earlier this year. That includes plans for a new convention headquarters hotel near the convention center.

Leeper told commissioners Tuesday the plan would place the new hotel on the site of a surface parking lot owned by The Port just to the south of the convention center, instead of on the site of the former MIllennium Hotel to the east across Elm Street. The Millennium Hotel was demolished earlier this year.

"I am confident that we are going to get interest in this," Leeper said.

He told commissioners the goal is to have a developer and agreement for the hotel by the end of the year, with construction starting in the first half of 2023. That would put the hotel on track to open in third quarter of 2025.

Convention Update 5/17/2022 by WCPO 9 News on Scribd

Leeper also told commissioners 3CDC has hired two firms to research and make recommendations for possible changes and improvements to the current Duke Energy Convention Center.

Moody Nolan and TVS Architects have been interviewing people and groups who use the center, Leeper said. The firms have worked together on some large projects, like New York City's Javits Center and Nashville's Music City Center.

"I can tell you that this one ranks pretty low down compared to our peer cities," he said. "I'm not gonna kid you, it's not gonna be cheap."

Leeper told commissioners he expects the recommended improvements to cost more than $100 million. Options to pay for those are limited, citing the current 10.5% lodging tax as being one of the highest in Ohio. But Leeper said 3CDC is looking at ways to use that revenue more efficiently.

"They both feed off each other," he said. "The hotel will do better with the convention center upgraded and the convention center will certainly do better with a convention center hotel. They're both important and we need to get them both done if we can."

Commissioners expressed concern over the new hotel timeline and paying improvements, especially on the heels of nearly $500 million in recommended improvements to Paul Brown Stadium.

"We have very limited taxpayer money and the taxpayers are saying 'Hold on, we can't keep funding all this,'" said commissioner Reece. "So to come in and say we need a new convention center, I'm just putting it out there, it's going to be very tough."

When it comes to the current convention center and the lodging tax, the City of Cincinnati has a stake and vested interest as well. Leeper said he will make a similar presentation to City Council soon.

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CINCINNATI — The towering former Queensgate Correctional Facility was built to house more than 800 inmates. In its next chapter, it will be able to house more than 100 small businesses.

"We're looking for this to be economical, affordable space for artists and entrepreneurs," said Andrew Bandy of Arrand Real Estate, which is helping convert the space into more than 120 blank spaces available for all sorts of creative businesses.

Right now, Bandy and his business partner Thomas Gold are focused on building out three of the building's floors. The spaces will be between about 300 and 800 square feet, leasing for about $1 per square foot monthly.

They purchased the building in November 2022 and estimate the project will cost about $5 million once it is complete.

"For our model to work, we have to do everything economically," said Gold. "Which means it is a slower, more careful process."

The pair has a history of success with that model in Milwaukee. Hide House Creative and Lincoln Warehouse are old industrial buildings re-purposed as artist and creative lofts.

Andrew Bandy

"We have at the moment three microbreweries. We have a distiller. We have a gluten-free baker. We have a guy who runs a rage room," Gold said. "We have chocolatiers, cheerleading studios and it's a great ecology."

The process to turn inmate bunks and communal bathrooms into clean, functional, adaptable spaces has taken time. And there are still projects to finish before tenants are allowed to move in sometime in late fall.

One room on the building's first floor holds piles of jail toilets removed during renovations.

Each floor will have new restrooms. Each leased space will have new lighting features, new centrally-controlled HVAC, and added insulation to limit noise.

Paul Weeden

"The bones of this place are just great," Gold said. "It's built like solid as a rock."

Some original building features will stay — including an old elevator lift engine on the fourth floor and exposed brick walls throughout.

New east-facing windows are being installed to take advantage of the light, and an incredible view.

Paul Weeden

"Where are you going to find a building like this with that kind of a view?" Gold said. "We understand that the basic asset that we have is light."

The only wall that won't have windows is the north-facing wall, which Gold said will ultimately feature a major exterior mural. The building can be seen from I-75 and parts of downtown.

Later phases will include renovation of the lower floors, old office spaces, and the old jail's intake and visitation areas. Right now, booths with telephones and glass dividers still exist. A lawyer's long left-behind business card sat on a counter. On the lowest level, the former intake area remains almost untouched. The badge painted on the wall between holding cells features former sheriff Simon Leis's name.

Paul Weeden

The county closed the jail in 2008 amid budget cuts. The Maslow's Army organization used the second floor as a day shelter for those experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic winter.

Gold and Bandy said it was the first building they looked at when scouting locations to expand into Cincinnati. They kept coming back to not only the building's potential, but the opportunity in the surrounding area.

Paul Weeden

"I think that Queensgate has the reputation that it has and maybe it takes an out of town to not maybe understand the history and maybe look beyond it," Gold said. "We think Queensgate is a great place and great opportunity to turn it and this into something terrific."

Anyone with interest in leasing space can email TheLinnCinnati@arrandre.com or call 513-937-5466.

CINCINNATI — Juvenile Judge Kari Bloom has added new responsibilities to her role. She took over as administrative judge for Hamilton County Juvenile Court earlier this year, when Melissa Powers was appointed county prosecutor.

In her office, on a high floor in the old Times-Star building at 800 Broadway, she's been juggling a caseload and adjudicating cases dating to 2020, while also trying to make changes to the juvenile justice system in the county. Some days, her young daughter occupies a pack 'n play in the corner.

As administrative judge, she is now responsible for things outside that building, too.

"We have hundreds of employees, we run the detention center, and then we have lots of contractual obligations and we get things back in contracts like for placements with kids," Judge Bloom said.

Bloom will also be responsible for navigating through an increase in kids facing gun and murder charges, a staffing shortage and a review of the entire juvenile justice system.

After two years of double digit amounts of kids in custody for murder, there is one youth charged with that crime so far in 2023 — there were 16 in 2021 and 11 last year. Judge Bloom said in 2021 she's "never seen" so many kids charged with murder.

Bloom said the court had 66 juvenile corrections officers over three shifts, when full staff is 88. Bloom said 100 officers is the goal. And those aren't the only jobs open.

"We need JCOs, we need probation officers, we need more clerks," Bloom said. "We need those people who have backgrounds that are different or unique. We need the people who care about kids and we need the people who want to be here."

In 2021, the court joined an initiative with the Council of State Governments Justice Center to review the juvenile justice system and come up with ways to improve outcomes for kids while improving public safety.

The center wrote an assessment, noting a 19% decrease in admissions to the detention center and an increase in diversion rate over the prior five years. But it raised concerns over public safety and recidivism rates.

A chart shows 47% of white youths and 50% of non-white youths re-offend in 12 months. The 24 month numbers are more staggering: 57% of white youths re-offend while 82% of non-white youths re-offend.

"Why? Why is that OK? Why has that continued through our court in the past? Why, when that report came out, did we not immediately stop what we were doing and fix it?" Bloom said. "I don't know the answer to that, but that's what we did here."

Maddy Schmidt

Bloom brought the center for a two-day site visit in February and has created an "overarching" committee as well as committees focused on diversion, detention, probation, violence prevention, operations and communications. A community-based commission will come eventually.

"We had them tell us the factors that lead to higher recidivism, that we didn't know before," she said. "We had probation, we had detention, we had our community partners get the information and then we're going to push it out even further, as to 'here's what kids need, here's how we keep kids out of the system, here's some diversion tools to keep them out in the first place, and here's how we support families to make sure they keep kids safe at home.'"

An area of concern for the court — and noted in the assessment — is the number of kids charged with gun offenses.

"It's different kids with guns," Bloom said. "It's not kids that are already maybe court-involved and they get to know somebody else and they get themselves in a group and they all get a gun. It's kids who are walking to school with a gun because they're afraid and then they put the gun outside the school, go to school all day, come back out, pick up their gun, and walk home with the gun. Because they're afraid. And that is not a child who is looking to shoot anyone or rob anyone or do anything dangerous to others with the gun. That person, that child, wants to be safe."

That situational risk is something Bloom said she hopes to better understand and to let drive her decision-making.

"What types of cases would we keep kids in [detention]? We think about kids with guns, shootings, murder, felonious assault and a lot of times we think about rape," she said. Absolutely those are very, very serious offenses; what we have to do at juvenile court is look at each kid first and then the charge. That is what the law requires us to do."

Aside from the immediate need to address recidivism rates, the assessment calls for a strategy to identify and address high risk behaviors in the community.

The assessment started under then-Juvenile Administrative Judge Powers. The former colleagues now find themselves in a unique position on opposite sides of the bench, at times.

And that's led to public disagreements.

On a social media post, now-prosecutor Powers highlighted a decision by Bloom to release a juvenile from custody after he was adjudicated for trying to steal a rifle from a Delhi police cruiser.

Powers' office said there were other concerns for the juvenile and magistrates worked to get a psychological evaluation and threat assessment done. Judge Bloom released him against prosecutors' objections.

"The judge was made aware that the defendant had been searching the internet for firearms, the square footage of his high school, and teachers’ home addresses prior to trying to steal the police rifle," Powers wrote in a statement to WCPO. "There were serious concerns about the safety of the community if this child were to be released.  The psychological evaluation and risk assessment had not yet even been completed.  And yet, Judge Bloom released him over our objections. And it turns out those concerns were justified."

Two weeks after his release, the juvenile was charged with raping a 7-year-old.

Judge Bloom stands by the decision to release him on electronic monitoring.

"As a judge sitting there looking at it, I'm trusting the prosecutors' decision to evaluate that case and choose what they dismiss or not," she said. "This is his very first time being in court ever, super supportive family, support from the school, support to get his education and we don't always have that, right? So I thought 'This is right to do.'"

Powers' office said the juvenile pleaded to the highest charge, adding "this plea did not, in any way, restrict or tie the hands of the judge."

"That is a horrendous example of a really bad situation," Bloom added. "That case and that family is something that I have to sleep with at night. I have to accept the responsibility that that happened."

Bloom said she and Powers don't talk, one-on-one.

"Politics has a time and a place and I think every politician will tell you, 'I hate politics,'" she said. "I certainly do and I would like to tell you that it stops at the front door of this building, but it doesn't. I am still navigating partnerships, and having other people sort of helps me with that relationship."

Powers wrote in a statement: “Our relationship has always been professional and respectful — that hasn’t changed since I left the bench, and I don’t see that changing in the future.”

Powers isn't the first to question Bloom's decision-making. Her predecessor, now-Ohio Supreme Court Justice Joe Deters, publicly questioned Bloom's decision to allow a 14-year-old rape suspect to remain with family under electronic monitoring.

Judge Bloom said she focuses on circumstances — and statistics showing kids often have better outcomes at home. The assessment calls for ensuring detention is only used for kids deemed public safety risks.

"We've been told by the Supreme Court, by the feds, by Ohio laws, holding kids should be the last resort and so, even though that might feel hard — and it is, it's really hard — and it might not feel good because you might be sending them to a family you don't know enough about, that's what we're charged with doing," she said. "Detention plays the role of the last resort, holding kids that are such a danger to the rest of us."

"My top priority is to bring a sense of safety to our community," she said. "What I am doing is building a court that people can rely on to do the right thing for kids and families."

Bloom credits her years as a public defender for driving some of her philosophy and motivation. Not the time in the courts, but the time visiting clients in their homes and communities.

"When I say kids and families, I mean kids and families who are victimized too — not just the ones who come through as defendants, because so often a kid might be in the defendant chair this week and might be victimized next week," Bloom said. "And we don't talk about that enough. We don't talk about restoring our communities and restorative justice."

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio —

Countywide guidance for who and when officers initiate pursuits is complete.

The Hamilton County Association of Chiefs of Police spent 18 months working on the joint guidance, which culminated in a 14-page document and also changes Cincinnati and Hamilton County's pursuit communications plan within the dispatch centers.

The guidance will lead to changes, some major and slight and dozens of the county's 43 police departments. It's an attempt to get all the agencies on the same page when it comes to pursuits that can be dangerous and deadly.

"Some people think we should chase everybody, and then there's people that don't think we should chase anybody," Blue Ash police Chief Scott Noel said.

The group, now headed by Montgomery Police Chief John Crowell, spent months researching, consulting with legal experts and weighing input from thousands of community members.

The purpose is uniformity maximizing "effectiveness, efficiency and concern for public and personnel safety" during pursuits and to "minimize the potential for pursuit-related collisions."

The guidance states a pursuit can only be initiated when "the officer is attempting to apprehend a suspect in a serious offense of violence" or if there is a "risk of serious physical harm to others or the officer."

Pursuits are to be terminated when the risk of continuing appears to outweigh the risk of the suspect's escape. They are only permitted with lights and sirens. Dash cameras are to be turned on if the cruiser has them.

The supervisor bears the final responsibility for decision-making. Pursuit interventions like pit maneuvers, ramming or stop sticks require supervisor approval.

Cincinnati police revised its pursuit policy late February. It is in line with the county guidance but more restrictive, only allowing chases for violent felony offenses or exceptions like wrong way drivers on major roads. Plainclothes officers or officers in unmarked cars are no longer allowed to initiate pursuits.

WLWT reached out to several departments Thursday to see which ones plan to adopt the guidance for the Hamilton County Association of Chiefs of Police. WLWT heard back from 15 departments so far. Here is where they stand.

Departments confirming they will adopt the policy, possibly with modifications:

Amberley Village

Blue Ash

Delhi Township

Greenhills

Montgomery

Newtown

Norwood

Springdale

Woodlawn

The Mt. Healthy police department chief said its policy is already more restrictive than the guidance decided upon. Several other departments echoed those sentiments.

Departments still deciding but "likely to adopt" the guidance:

Cheviot

Golf Manor

Elmwood Place

Indian Hill

CINCINNATI — The Springdale Police Department has issued arrest warrants for Bryce Camille Foster. The warrants are for involuntary manslaughter (a first-degree felony) and endangering children (a third-degree felony).

The charges are related to the July 2021 death of 5-year-old Kaysen Blackshear, Foster's daughter.

In a press release from Springdale police, the department said Foster failed to provide adequate and timely medical care for Blackshear after recognizing she was in medical distress.

Provided: Springdale PD

"Rather than calling 911, Foster attempted multiple home remedies, including reportedly providing CPR for several hours prior to taking (Blackshear) to Liberty Children's Hospital by private transport," the release said. "(Blackshear) arrived at the hospital in full cardiac arrest and died a few days later."

The release said findings from the coroner's office reported the death of Blackshear was caused by a delay in providing medical care. Blackshear had other injuries to her face and back and also had a chipped tooth, but it's not believed those injuries played a role in her death.

The department is asking for help locating Foster. Anyone with information should call the Springdale Police Department at 513-346-5760 or Crimestoppers at 513-352-3040.

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CINCINNATI — A former Hamilton County deputy fired for "excessive force" against an inmate in June 2020, was found not guilty Friday of assaulting the same prisoner.

Judge Bernie Bouchard acquitted Jesse Franklin, 39, of misdemeanor assault following a brief bench trial in Hamilton County Municipal Court.

"He had a use-of-force that the judge found was lawful," Franklin's defense attorney Mike Allen said. "He kicked him to take away the threat."

Nick Ballanchino was being processed by then-Sgt. Franklin at the Hamilton County Justice Center June 9, 2020, after being arrested for disorderly conduct while intoxicated and obstructing official business.

Jail video shows deputies struggling to get the hand-cuffed Ballanchino under control. Deputies took Ballanchino to the floor where Franklin said the prisoner bit down on Franklin's boot. In response, Franklin kicked Ballanchino in the head, resulting in a hospitalization where the inmate received five stitches, according to a release from Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters' office.

Sheriff Jim Neil said Franklin was fired in July 2020 “after an investigation revealed that he used excessive force.” Ballanchino filed a lawsuit against Franklin and the Sheriff's Office, saying he still gets headaches and dizziness from the incident.

Allen said he expects Franklin to try to get his job back.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio —

Who will represent you in the U.S. Congress is now being decided, in part, by Ohio's Supreme Court.

The justices heard arguments Tuesday over Ohio's recently approved Congressional districts.

Hamilton County is at the center of this debate and whether it being split into three voting districts is constitutional.

Democrats argue splitting up Hamilton County into three slices illegally dices up votes from the black population.

Republicans say it had to be done because of population rules for Congressional districts.

Now, the Ohio Supreme Court will decide if the map drawn by Republicans is gerrymandering.

"Hamilton County, of course, a chunk of it is carved out and attached to Warren County. It's notable because under the constitution a provision was passed that Cincinnati would be kept whole," said attorney Robert D. Fram.

Hamilton County's population is just over what a district can hold.

"Hamilton County was split the way it was because there was an attempt to join it with a whole county. There's a provision in article 19 that specifies where you can, every district should have a whole county," said attorney Phillip J. Strach who is representing Republican legislative leaders.

Democrats argue the GOP intentionally broke up largely-democratic Cincinnati and piece it out with a Republican stronghold like Warren County.

"Non-compact districts were created for the goal of partisan gain," Fram said.

"Minorities in Hamilton County have been afforded all the rights under federal law to which they are entitled in the drawing of these districts," Strach said.

Strach said this map creates more competitive districts and 7 district could go either way come election time.

Opponents argue that's not the case.

"If Ohio State every year has to spot Michigan a two touchdown lead, it might make the game more competitive, the rules are set up to favor one team over the other and that's exactly what they've done here with their supposedly competitive districts," said attorney Ben Stafford.

No decision from the court at this time.

Justices will eventually issue a written ruling.

SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP — A Springfield Township police officer was injured in a crash late Friday night.

Police at the scene said the officer was helping handle a disabled vehicle at the intersection of Hamilton Avenue and Springdale Road when a car slammed into the back of the police cruiser.

Both the officer and the driver were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries.

No one was in the back of the police cruiser, police said.

According to police, impairment does not appear to be a factor.

Police are investigating whether the weather or slick roads played a role in the crash.

The officer's identity has not been released. We've reached out for an update on the officer's condition but have not heard back.

LOCKLAND — Two suspects robbed a bank Saturday morning in the Village of Lockland.

Information is limited, but police at the scene said two men robbed U.S. Bank around 9:45 a.m. and took a large amount of cash.

Police said the suspects split up and hit two different teller windows at the same time. According to police, the suspects robbed an unknown amount of cash.

No weapons were involved during the robbery, according to police.

This is a developing story and will be updated when more information becomes available.

CINCINNATI — Cincinnati Police are investigating an alleged threat made outside a polling place in North Fairmount on Election Day.

According to a police report, the incident happened in the parking lot of 1769 Carll Street just after 9 a.m. Tuesday. The police report said someone drove past a woman in a black pickup truck, yelled an obscenity directed at Democrats and pointed a gun at her before continuing east on Carll Street.

The address is listed as the Carll Street Family Center, a polling location for Hamilton County voters. Ohio law states anyone who commits voter intimidation is guilty of a felony in the fifth degree.

Police have not released information on any suspects or arrests.

ELECTION 2021:

WHITEWATER TOWNSHIP, Ohio — A head-on crash in Whitewater Township left a man dead and another injured Friday morning, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office.

Police said Frederick J. Strothman, 66, was driving a Ford Focus traveling eastbound on Harrison Avenue at approximately 9:10 a.m. He lost control as he exited a curve, causing his vehicle to travel left of center.

Strothman’s vehicle struck a GMC Yukon XL in the opposite lane, police said. Both vehicles overturned off the roadway.

Police said Strothman, who was not wearing a seatbelt, died of his injuries. The driver of the Yukon was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation by the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Traffic Safety Unit.

HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio —

A man is expected in Hamilton County court after allegedly giving his 16-year-old son a handgun to use for protection, according to court documents.

The incident happened on Oct. 13 when court documents say Terry Shermon, 52, gave his 16-year-old a handgun to use for protection.

The incident was caught on city cameras, court documents said. Court documents did not state where exactly this took place.

In an interview with police, the son helped confirm the handgun was not for hunting, gun safety or marksmanship practice, court documents said.

Shermon has been charged with improperly furnishing firearms to minor.

In a time when teen violence has the city on edge police chief Eliot Isaac sent a strong message during a recent press briefing.

“When we're talking about juveniles that starts at home. Parents need to be responsible for their kids. If you have 14 and 15-year-olds who are out here committing violent crime that begins at home. There's no way to sugarcoat that,” Isaac said.

Rufus Johnson is a gun instructor and a gun safety advocate who teaches gun safety to children in a classroom at a local school, right in the classroom.

Johnson said a lot of young people say they need guns for protection. He said it never makes sense because someone could end up in jail or dead or both.

“He may have felt his life was in danger or he was bullied (but) a parent should not, I’ll repeat, a parent should not give a child a firearm,” Johnson said.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled a new way of looking at the coronavirus pandemic Thursday afternoon called the Public Health Advisory Alert System. The idea of the project is to help local health departments and Ohio residents get a better idea of where the virus is spreading.

The system is color-coded and shows which counties are doing better than others in containing the spread of COVID-19. Currently, Hamilton County is coded as red.

“It might be a surprise for people in that community,” DeWine said. “To say, ‘Okay, we’re red.’”

Colors are coordinated based on seven indicators, including hospitalizations and new cases of COVID-19, among others.

“It informs us, not just to put orders on where we restrict something,” DeWine said. “It informs us to be able to surge in for more resources, to try to turn the tide."

So what do the different color codes mean to residents?

Level 1: Yellow – Spread of the virus is limited. Typically, many rural counties are coded yellow.
Level 2: Orange – There’s an increased risk or exposure or spread. Orange counties have shown an increase in COVID-19 cases in the past two weeks.
Level 3: Red – People should limit activities as much as possible, and the governor asks that you wear a mask when in proximity to others.
Level 4: Purple - No Ohio counties are yet in level four, or purple, which suggests people should only leave home for supplies and services.

Hamilton and Butler Counties are currently coded as red.

“It indicates we can do better,” Hamilton County Medical Director Dr. Steve Feagins said. “We can use more masks. We can be cognizant of social distancing.”

Feagins said that, while Hamilton County is at the red level, residents should know, they’re on the low end of that scale.

“While we’re increasing at a bit of a faster rate, we’re still at a lower level of hospitals,” Feagins said.

DeWine said the new data will be used more effectively at the local level.

“It’s giving mayors and community members more information,” he said. “So they can make decisions. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not engaged. It doesn’t mean that I won’t in the future will make decisions,

He said people can use the map as a reference – to know in what parts of the state they should use more caution.

“We’re not going to be Florida,” DeWine said. “We’re not going to be Texas. We’re not going to be Italy. We’re not going to let this happen. This is a long battle. We won round one, maybe round two, but this is a 15-round heavyweight championship, and we have to stay in there and stay punching.”

WCPO 9 News presented a look at Tri-State schools and their plans to reopen -- or keep students home -- during the coronavirus pandemic.

You can watch each segment of the WCPO special in the video players below. You can also find more information and important updates on back-to-school plans for each district on our Back to School tab.

Schools moving class starts online

Schools moving start of school online

Parents express childcare concerns at CPS virtual town halls

Parents express childcare worries at CPS virtual town hall

Tracking students who fall behind in online learning

Tracking students who may have fallen off

Wyoming Fine Arts Center using learning pods

Wyoming Fine Arts Center using learning pods

Tri-State schools preparing for socially-distanced learning

Tri-State schools preparing for socially-distanced learning

Pleasant Ridge parent volunteers make learning tools for families

Acts of Kindness: Parent volunteers make learning tools for families

CINCINNATI — Construction of the Banks riverside music venue resumed Friday after a two-week pause caused by a property-rights dispute between the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Jean-Francois Flechet, who owns the Taste of Belgium restaurant chain and anticipates an uptick in Banks-area business when the venue opens, was happy to hear it.

“It’s in everybody’s interest to get that moving on,” he said.

City-county disagreements have dogged the venue’s construction from the start, leading to delays and intergovernmental standoffs over parking lots, parking garages and the role of the Bengals in shaping riverfront development.

Taxpayers aren’t on the hook for the cost of building the venue itself — it’s privately funded. However, taxpayers do cover the estimated $36 million cost of public infrastructure around it.

Delays contribute to that cost, City Council member David Mann said Friday.

“We've saved some tax dollars by reaching an agreement,” he said. “If we continued with disagreements, construction would have been delayed, and that would have cost more money."

The city and county have each blamed the other for various delays. The work-stoppage and eventual restart this time hinged on the city co-signing a construction contract — one that county representatives said they’d been waiting for city officials to sign since April.

Flechet said he was excited to see the project move one step closer to completion. When the music venue is finished — and when it’s safe for people to attend concerts — people in the Banks area expect it to deliver a new shot of energy and commerce to their neighborhood.

“We just don’t know how long it’s going to take before we can see people come to the music venue because of COVID,” Flechet said. “But in the long run, it’s a great thing, and the sooner it gets built, the better.”

The indoor portion of the venue will be completed by December. Officials hope to complete the outdoor portion by May 2021, just in time for concert season.

CINCINNATI — At least six people, including four firefighters, were taken to the hospital early Sunday morning following a fire in Kenwood.

They were sent to the hospital primarily for issues of smoke inhalation and exhaustion.

At least seven fire departments responded to the fire around 1:20 a.m.

Fire officials say the fire started in one of the condo units and spread to three others.

At least 10 people were displaced by the fire.

One woman who spoke to us said she only woke up to evacuate because her neighbor was banging on the door.

Sycamore Township Fire Chief Rob Penny said it is too early to say what caused the fire, but a lot of factors complicated fighting the fire.

"Where these two apartment buildings connect, there's an above apartment that's an overhang where you can walk under it. It's like a walkway type of thing, but people live in it, so it made it tougher to get into that. And the fire was up in the back corner of the building and we had a natural gas line that broke and the natural gas line was feeding the fire, so we couldn't put it out right away until we got the gas shut off, which didn't happen until Duke came out to shut the gas off," Penny said.

While the fire is out, the damage is significant — potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Eight separate fire departments helped battled the blaze.

The American Red Cross is helping those displaced by the fire.

A 2-year-old toddler is in the hospital with extensive burns after being caught in an apartment fire Saturday night in Hamilton County.

Springfield Township Fire Department says they responded to the fire in Galbraith Pointe Apartments. They say they found the 2-year-old boy on the second floor in the apartment where the fire first started.

Officials say other children were on the scene too but were not hurt. They say the child was first taken to Children's Hospital but is now being airlifted to a burn unit in Columbus because of the severity of his burns.

The fire department is investigating the cause of the fire.

CINCINNATI — Valerie Lane is running out of time.

A ceiling in her Westwood apartment has collapsed, and rain has soaked much of her clothing, furniture and other belongings. The landlord has told all the building’s tenants they must move by Sept. 30.

Lane has been packing and searching for a new apartment. But despite months of looking, she said she hasn’t been able to find anything.

“I’m stuck here because I don’t have nowhere else to go,” Lane said. “The water is running up under my furniture and going into the closet. So it’s gonna mess up more stuff of mine.”

The situation is more complicated than it appears, said T. Renáe Banks, the owner of Bankable Properties LLC.

Banks is managing the Westwood apartment building for her father, Dion Parker, who owns the property. She said Parker is away getting treatment for problems stemming from mental health issues.

Eric Clajus | WCPO

Banks said her father has been trying to make repairs that the building needs. But the federal government stopped paying Parker full rent for his Section 8 tenants because of the property’s maintenance problems, she said, which made it even more difficult for Parker to afford the repairs.

“We haven’t had a payment from Section 8 in almost three months,” Banks said. “During this pandemic, there was no assistance for him.”

A letter dated Sept. 7, 2021, informed tenants they would have to move by Sept. 30, Banks said, because of unsafe conditions in the building.

The letter told tenants they would not be required to pay September rent and suggested they use that money to find a new place.

Lane, who is 64, has a housing choice voucher, she said, the federal housing subsidy more commonly known as Section 8. The voucher was set to expire earlier this year, but she got an extension. Now she is running out of time on the extension, too, she said.

From Cincinnati City Hall to the White House

“I done called everybody, all the way up to tried to get the White House,” she said. “But nobody’s helping.”

A letter from the city of Cincinnati offered to help with relocation expenses, Lane said, but it requires her to provide records of her bills. She packed those papers in boxes before she got the city letter, she said, and isn’t sure she can find the records in time.

Banks said she has offered to help Lane get into a homeless shelter, but Lane has refused that help.

Lane said she doesn’t think she should have to move into a shelter – she wants a home instead.

“My nephew said if push come to shove and I’d be out on the street, I could come there,” Lane said. “But ain’t nobody else saying nothing.”

Banks said her father lived in the same building where Lane lives, and he has tried throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to keep it maintained. But Banks said his mental health issues, problems with employment and a lack of rent money have interfered.

“The pandemic definitely has a huge role to play,” she said. “I don’t want it to seem like there’s no helping hand being given.”

Lane has a week to find someplace to live, and she said she doesn’t know where else to turn.

“I done went everywhere,” she said. “I don’t know where to go now.”

Eric Clajus | WCPO

Lucy May writes about the people, places and issues that define our region – to celebrate what makes the Tri-State great and shine a spotlight on problems we need to address. Poverty is an important focus for Lucy and for WCPO 9. To reach Lucy, email lucy.may@wcpo.com. Follow her on Twitter @LucyMayCincy.

CINCINNATI — Longtime resident John Back knows all too well about the serious need for greater access to parking in Over-the-Rhine, particularly near Findlay Market. Despite having access to a lot, he said he can still get stuck without a space to park. It’s even tougher to make space for guests at his home.

“It's challenging, you know. People who don't have a parking spot, sometimes they'll take yours because they don't know whose it is. Sometimes your parking spot gets blocked.”

He, like a number of other residents and community stakeholders, welcome Hamilton County’s idea to build a parking garage in the area to meet the need. The garage is expected to include spaces for the public, especially Findlay Market patrons, soccer fans from TQL Stadium, in addition to spots for local developers like The Model Group and Urban Sites.

However, Back is one of a number of people deeply invested in Over-the-Rhine and historic preservation who take issue with how Hamilton County wants to execute the plan. Organizers of the project intend to shut down part of Logan Street between Elder and Findlay Street, and build over the current street to create the new parking structure. They are also looking to create a new access street behind the garage that will connect to Central Parkway.

Tomorrow, the city’s planning commission is scheduled to review Hamilton County’s application for a portion of Logan Street in Over-the-Rhine to be vacated and sold in order to paving the way for the garage. In addition to taking issues with the city planning for the project, critics argue Hamilton County did not adequately seek out community input before taking this to the commission.

Residents say passing through Logan street is important for their commutes. Building the garage with this design will disrupt the historic neighborhood grid, making it more congested and degrading residents' quality of life.

"I'm in favor of it,” Back said. “But the main issue here is that there's a street called Logan street that people use, every day." Back happens to be a developer, and has flipped a number of properties in the area. He also works for a real estate company and is an architect by trade. Yet he said his concern about this effort is rooted in his professional background, but his love and passion for Over-the-Rhine as a neighborhood.

"I can't think of anything more obtrusive than erasing an entire street and cutting off access to people."

Jennifer LeMasters, also a longtime resident and architect, shares Back’s concerns. LeMasters is the co-chair of the infill committee at the Over-the-Rhine Foundation. She senses that those who have been given sufficient information and engagement in the project have been affluent corporate professionals who are tapped into Over-the-Rhine’s business community. More than that, she and other critics argue that those who have been been consistently corresponding with Hamilton County about the new garage are those who stand to benefit the most from the structure.

Meanwhile, ordinary, marginalized residents that are disconnected from city bureaucracy and Cincinnati’s business scene are out of the loop, according to LeMasters. She feels the county and project organizers should have done a better job of reaching out to more residents who will be affected so they would have had a better chance to provide input.

“There's meaningful engagement, and then there's just check the box engagement. And I do think they've checked the box on this engagement to 80%, 70% maybe, but, but have they had meaningful engagement here? No."

But Phil Beck, Hamilton County’s construction executive, objects to this criticism.

“I can say categorically that that is not the case.” Beck, the head of the garage project, shuts down the idea that Hamilton County did not make a concerted and forceful effort to inform and dialogue with various residents as well as prominent institutions. He said Hamilton County led about twenty meetings with people in the community in recent months.

Joe Hansbauer, the president and CEO of Findlay Market, stands by county officials in the face of the criticism. Hansbauer said he's never seen more community outreach on a project in his 10 years at Findlay Market.

“Ultimately, I think they have selected a design that maximizes the community input. Does it mean that they have hit 100% of all the concerns? Of course not. It's not possible, right? But they recognize where, you know, that there were concerns that they were not able to meet. And I think that's what it's all about."

Bobby Maly of The Model Group also challenged criticisms that the garage disproportionately skews to the needs of private businesses by giving them the bulk of spots. He said much of those spots will double as parking for workers during the day, and public parking on nights and weekends.

Still, critics like LeMasters and Back take issue with the county for not formally engaging Over-the-Rhine’s community council before approaching the city's planning commission to vacate and sell the Logan Street land plots.

"I hope that the planning commission will realize that this is against the comprehensive plan," Back said. "This is against the values that we have adopted as a city."

The planning commission is scheduled to address the vacation and sale of Logan Street at 9 AM on Friday, Sept. 17. Those interested in following the discussion can watch a live stream here on the city’s website.

Monique John covers gentrification for WCPO 9. She is part of our Report For America donor-supported journalism program. Read more about RFA here.

If there are stories about gentrification in the Greater Cincinnati area that you think we should cover, let us know. Send us your tips at moveupcincinnati@wcpo.com.

CINCINNATI — Karen and Tobias Thompson have a love story that’s been years in the making.

The two Taft High School graduates dated as teenagers but ended up marrying other people and raising families with their spouses. When those marriages ended, Karen and Tobias got back together and married each other in 2014.

Their love didn’t stop there, though. Four years ago, the couple took in Karen’s niece and nephew, twins who are now eighth-graders at Taft. When they found out the children’s younger twin sisters were in the child welfare system, Tobias suggested the little girls should live with them, too.

That’s how it came to be that on Thursday morning, the Thompsons' blended family grew by four when the couple adopted both sets of twins in Hamilton County Probate Court.

“No sense splittin’ ‘em up. Keep ‘em all together,” Tobias Thompson said after the adoption was finalized. “Show ‘em a lot of love. That’s all they need. Love.”

Of course, two sets of twins need other things, too: A safe home, food, clothing and plenty of support. Hamilton County Judge Ralph Winkler said his review of the Thompsons’ case files showed they are more than capable of providing it all.

“You’re a great example of what parents should be,” Winkler said.

The Thompsons sat in Winkler’s courtroom Thursday morning flanked by both sets of twins with family and friends in the jury box behind them.

Amber Sawyer, the couple’s Hamilton County Job & Family Services adoption caseworker, spoke on the Thompsons’ behalf.

“One of the things that stuck out to me is how much family is important to them,” Sawyer said during the proceeding. “You can just feel the love and the bond in their home.”

Lucy May | WCPO

Winkler noted that several important superheroes were adopted – Superman by farmers in Kansas, Batman by his butler, Alfred, after his parents were killed, and Spiderman by his aunt and uncle.

“You guys are more like Spiderman than anything,” Winkler told the children.

But love was the superpower on display Thursday. And the Thompsons, both 55, said they have plenty of it for their adoptive kids, William, Wilmya, who are both 14 now, and Sharnia and Sharleathea, who are 9-year-old fourth-graders at Westwood Elementary School.

“It’s not easy,” Karen Thompson said. “But it’s not hard either. And if you’re got a lot of love, go ahead and give it to the children.”

The newly adopted kids said they love the Thompsons, too, whom they call Gigi and Papa.

The first thing her Papa told Wilmya when she and her brother moved in four years ago, she said, was “I don’t have to be scared, and I don’t have to worry about nothing because he’s going to take care of me. And I’m safe.”

“I love my Gigi so much,” Sharnia said, “that I’ve been wanting to live with her since we got to her house.”

And when asked to describe the best part of getting adopted by the Thompsons, William said: “Living with them. It’s best to live with them. I love living with them.”

There was no discussion in the courtroom about how both sets of twins became available for adoption.

Sawyer said simply, “the kids have been through a lot. They’ve made a lot of progress in this home.”

Now, the Thompsons said, they have four more children to add to the seven adult children from their previous marriages, not to mention their 27 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

“It keeps you young because you always busy. You always busy. There’s always something for them to do,” Karen Thompson said. “It’s just a revolving door just trying to do what’s right by keeping everybody together.”

Dwayne Slavey | WCPO

Winkler said he hopes the Thompsons’ story will inspire other families.

“Hopefully you’ll be encouraging people to adopt and take care of your family,” the judge said. “No matter how it’s built, it’s still your family.”

For the Thompsons, Thursday’s adoption marks another chapter in their love story.

“They family, and I feel like we should keep our family together,” Karen Thompson said. “We should try to, anyway.”

More information about adoption in Hamilton County is available online.

Lucy May writes about the people, places and issues that define our region – to celebrate what makes the Tri-State great and shine a spotlight on issues we need to address. To reach Lucy, email lucy.may@wcpo.com. Follow her on Twitter @LucyMayCincy.

CINCINNATI — Hamilton County has suspended petit jury trials until at least March 8 after the county went "purple" on Ohio's coronavirus advisory map last week.

According to a notice from the courts Wednesday, officials are monitoring "this fluid situation" and will resume petit jury trials when conditions improve. Grand jury proceedings will continue.

"In light of these developments in local conditions, and in consultation with criminal justice stakeholders, the Courts will suspend jury trials (petit jury service) until at least March 8, 2021 to facilitate the recommended public health emergency guidelines," read the notice from the courts.

Instructions for petit jurors can be found here or by calling the juror hotline at (513) 946-5879.

Hamilton County was the Ohio only county to receive a "purple" designation on the state's Public Health Advisory System last Thursday, indicating "severe exposure and spread" of coronavirus. Residents are advised to isolate at home except to get essential supplies and services.

Read the full notice below:

Juries on Hold by WCPO Web Team on Scribd

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Cincinnati police made their first-ever drone-assisted arrest Friday, using eyes in the sky to locate a suspect who had eluded police on foot.

Officers were looking for Sashay Walton, a man with multiple felony warrants for his arrest. They knew he was in a Peete Street building in Over-the-Rhine, but their search had been fruitless until Sgt. Eric Franz flew a drone six stories into the air.

Walton was on the roof, lying down to avoid being spotted from the street.

"Someone on the ground was talking to him on the cell phone and said, ‘Look behind you,’” Franz said. “He turned around and saw the drone. Got up, lit a cigarette up and gave us the one-second sign.”

He was booked into the Hamilton County Justice Center that afternoon.

Franz said drone technology has become another tool police use to monitor traffic, get a birds-eye view of SWAT incidents and monitor crowds at large outdoor events. It’s a smaller, more maneuverable answer to the traditional police helicopter.

Franz added that he wants the focus to be clear: Police are not using them to violate privacy rights or peek in random windows.

"We're not looking for people jaywalking or running red lights,” he said. “We're using this technology to find violent criminals and apprehend them."

Local cybersecurity expert David Hatter said he hopes police departments across the country, including in Cincinnati, will be transparent with video collected from drones as the technology becomes increasingly popular.

“I think it’s the future,” he said. “I think we’ll see more of this as the cost goes down and the capabilities go up.”

Franz said Cincinnati police will get another few drones in September, opening the box to a new generation of law enforcement

“In my lifetime, we'll see (gunfire tracking system) Shot Spotter go off, and we'll see a drone fly, leave a little garage, fly to where the shots were fired, start recording everything and anything on the ground,” he said.

Between the COVID-19 vaccines' two required doses, the clock is ticking.

Food and Drug Administration guidance indicates the vaccine's second dose should be administered three to four weeks after the initial dose, but Tri-State health officials and experts said there is no guarantee there will be enough supply to meet that timetable for the thousands who have already received their first dose.

"You're going to have a little competition for that seat," said Dr. O'Dell Owens, CEO of Interact for Health.

According to the FDA, an individual is 95% protected from contracting the disease if the Pfizer vaccine's second dose comes 21 days after the first; for the Moderna vaccine, that time period is 28 days. But with demand outpacing supply, clinics aren't giving vaccine recipients guarantees about when they can get the second dose.

Hamilton County Health Commissioner Greg Kesterman said there is some wiggle room.

"If you can't get your dose for a week later or even a couple weeks later, it is acceptable still to get your second dose," he told WCPO.

But he also added there is still uncertainty swirling around the vaccine.

"Unfortunately, all of the vaccine that's currently available has not been studied long enough to know all of the ins and outs of how the vaccine works," he said.

For people like Dorothy Darden, who feel hesitant about getting the vaccine, Kesterman said they have options.

"I really want to discuss it with my doctor more before I would even determine that I would to get it," Darden said.

Kesterman said, for now, the county is capable of administering second doses to county taxpayers who might have received their first dose elsewhere, but they have to register to do so.

Researchers expect vaccine supply to spike as soon as next month when a third vaccine, under development by Johnson & Johnson gets approval and begins distribution.

CINCINNATI — On Tuesday, a Hamilton County judge vacated his four-week-old court order requiring a man to get the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of his probation.

The defendant, Brandon Rutherford, said he's not going to get vaccinated and that it was a violation of his rights to face the threat of being jailed for not getting the vaccine within 60 days.

"I'm certainly not going to make a martyr out of you by incarcerating you" for not getting vaccinated, Judge Christopher Wagner told Rutherford Tuesday during a court hearing.

Rutherford's attorney, Carl Lewis, argued in court that Wagner didn't have the authority to order anyone to get the vaccine, especially as a condition of community control, another term for probation.

"Your authority, Your Honor, is not unlimited," Lewis told Wagner. "The community control condition must reasonably relate to doing justice, rehabilitating the offender and ensuring good behavior. Mr. Rutherford's argument is this honorable court does not have the power, the authority or the discretion to order him to be vaccinated."

On Tuesday, Wagner continued questioning why Rutherford refused to get vaccinated and implied Rutherford showed poor judgment sharing his concerns about Wagner's court order with the WCPO 9 I-Team and other news media.

"Quite frankly, Mr. Rutherford, as I said, it's (the court order) not to make an example out of anybody," Wagner told Rutherford. "Certainly it's not to put the scarlet letter on anybody either, but you kind of did this one on your own."

Rutherford, who is on probation for felony drug possession, insisted that he will take advantage of opportunities to find work and not violate the conditions of his community control.

"I'm happy now," Rutherford told the I-Team Tuesday after his court hearing. "I don't have to live with that over my back or in fear anymore."