CINCINNATI —

Mason teacher and Sycamore School District coach John Benham is running 50 miles in one day, but it's for a good cause.

With the month of May being Mental Health Awareness month, Benham is raising awareness and help break down stigmas surrounding mental health by running.

On Saturday, Bigger Than The Trail, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, is hosting an in-person and virtual race to help raise funds for mental health counseling.

Benham has decided to run 50 miles and is asking for donations and pledges to help reach his goal of $5,000. All of the proceeds will directly supply mental health counseling for those in need.

If he can reach his goal, Bigger Than The Trail will be able to offer a full year of counseling for 2 to 3 people. Benham says the counseling is $180 a month and approximately $4,300 to $6,500 is needed to achieve this. The counseling can also be split between multiple individuals in need.

Benham will be running back and forth on Mason-Montgomery Road until he reaches his goal of 50 miles (10 times back and forth on a 5 mile route).

Benham says he's named this event 'R250' because it signifies his run to 50 as well as his 50th birthday, as Saturday is his birthday!

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If you would like to donate to help Benham reach his goal, you can do so here.

LEBANON, Ohio —

A Deerfield Township man accused of sexually assaulting children had his bond set at $300,000 Thursday.

John "Ben" Reynolds, 53, is charged with one count of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition. Detectives with the Warren County Sheriff's Office said they've identified three victims who were known to Reynolds.

According to court documents obtained by WLWT, the children are currently between 13 and 14 years old. Two are girls and one is a boy. Documents state the sexual assaults started in 2016 and took place at multiple locations including Liberty Center, the KOA campground in Lebanon, a local YMCA and Reynolds' home.

The children told social workers who interviewed them that Reynolds would buy them items such as jewelry, clothes, stuffed animals, toys and candy, according to court documents.

The investigation into the assaults began after the mother of a child reported Reynolds to Butler County Children Services in April.

During Reynolds' arraignment Thursday, his attorney, Edward Perry, said his client was a family man.

"He is married, judge. He's been married for 29 years, and he's got three grown children," Perry said.

Perry said his client moved to Warren County after graduating from Southern Illinois University in 1992.

"He came to Warren County and made Warren County his home, and he's been here ever since. He was married here. He purchased and bought a home in Mason, Ohio. Him, his wife and his family have been in that house in Mason for the last 22 years," Perry said.

Perry said Reynolds has been employed as a software developer, most recently by the Cincinnati Financial Corporation.

"He suspects that, because of his arrest, that job is no longer available to him," Perry said.

Detectives said Reynolds was involved with a Boy Scout troop out of Mason, but they say the children are not associated with the scouts.

Reynolds is scheduled to be back in Lebanon Municipal Court on June 2 for a preliminary hearing.

DAYTON, Ohio —

More than four years after a family from Mason was killed in a wrong-way crash on Interstate 75, the woman accused of killing them is on trial.

Abby Michaels, 25, of Xenia, faces six counts of murder and three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. Last Friday, three additional counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and an OVI charge were dismissed.

On March 17, 2019, prosecutors said Michaels intentionally drove the wrong way on the interstate and crashed into another car killing Timmy Thompson, 51, his wife Karen Thompson, 50 and their 10-year-old daughter Tessa.

The Thompsons were on their way home to Mason after visiting family when they were hit head-on.

"By nightfall, that living family was no longer alive," assistant Montgomery County prosecutor Bryan Moore said in his opening statement.

Prosecutors said other drivers saw Michaels' car drive through an emergency turn-around and head north in the southbound lanes.

"And they watch in horror as that vehicle collides with the Thompson vehicle. That vehicle is being driven, controlled by Abby Michaels," Moore said.

Defense attorney Jay Adams called what happened tragic but said there is more to the story.

"This issue is whether or not Abby Michaels acted knowingly. That's the whole case," Adams said.

Adams said Michaels had suffered for years from a seizure disorder.

"At the end of this, Abby Michaels was involved in a tragic event with the Thompson family. That is very sad, but she didn't murder anybody. She suffered from a medical condition," Adams said.

One of the first people to testify Monday was Michaels' husband at the time of the crash, Kyle Pastorelle. He had filed for divorce two days prior and was not with Michaels that night.

Prosecutors showed surveillance footage of Michaels wearing a festive, green and white St. Patrick's Day hat at Ron's Pizza in Miamisburg.

Prosecutors pointed her out in the video leaving the restaurant at 7:43 p.m. that night.

Eleven minutes later, Pastorelle said Michaels called him asking to come over.

"I was pretty adamant on 'No, we're not doing this. It's not going to happen,' and that's when she told me that — she was driving at the time — and that's when she told me she was going to drive backwards on 75," Pastorelle said.

Pastorelle said Michaels sent him a text message a few minutes later and said, "Goodbye. I love you. I'm dying now."

By 8:10 p.m., Moraine police were dispatched to the deadly crash.

During cross-examination, Pastorelle testified to Michaels' medical issues.

"You were asked about seizures and whether you've actually seen any in the seven years. You know she's had them, correct?" Adams asked.

Pastorelle said, "Yeah."

Adams asked, "You know she's been hospitalized for them, correct?"

"Yes," Pastorelle answered.

The bench trial is expected to last most of the week.

MASON, Ohio —

At least three people are accused of so-called 'Zoombombing' on a panel held by the Mason High School Black Student Union on Friday prompting a police investigation.

Mason City Schools' public information officer sent a letter out to families explaining what happened during the panel. She said while a panel was being held on the Black experience in Mason, a hateful Zoombombing event happened where people intruded on the Zoom meeting and are accused of using profanity, gory video images and a racist slur.

Black Student Union leader ended the Zoom session quickly and sent out a new link to the panel's participants.

"It's disturbing and it should be disturbing to all of us," said Superintendent Jonathan Cooper. "This was an event that was an attack on the values that we hold up here. It was a racist act and it was something that attacked our students."

After the incident, the public information officers worked with the Southwest Ohio Computer Association to learn more. They said the attack was coordinated by at least three people.

The public information officer said the IP addresses of the unknown participants who were likely the Zoombombers were from other parts of the country and included several international addresses.

Dr. Littisha Bates who moderated the panel and has three children in the district said the district's initial response was not adequate. The district initially issued a brief statement calling the incident "disturbing" and asking anyone with information to come forward.

"I've talked to students. I've talked to other parents, and we all sort of had the same feeling," said Bates. "That we didn't matter enough for you to issue a strong enough statement."

On a virtual call Monday, Cooper acknowledged the district's initial response should have been better.

"We were trying to move quickly, and sometimes when you're moving quickly, you don't have the perfect response and that's something I apologized to the students and families today about," he said. "At the end of the day we do stand up against racism, we do support our students and stand with them and we do not tolerate acts of hate in our district."

Students who were a part of the Black Student Union were connected with support to process Friday evening's attack.

"Our heart breaks that an important forum intended as a safe space for members of our Black community to share their experiences was compromised. Moving forward, all school-sponsored virtual events will require an online registration in order to try to prevent something like this from happening in the future," the release from the public resource officer said.

"We can talk to you all day about the experiences that we have of racism and discrimination, but what better evidence then to have the Zoom panel talking about our experiences as Black folks in Mason be racially bombed," Bates said.

Authorities are still investigating.

MASON, Ohio —

A Mason sixth grader is going to the Super Bowl after being surprised with tickets while in class.

Isaac Mecum got the surprise of a lifetime when Reliable Transportation Solutions came to his class and gifted tickets for him and his dad.

RELATED: Get apparel for the Super Bowl-bound Cincinnati Bengals

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Along with tickets, Mecum, and the rest of his class, were gifted Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase shirts.

The announcement came during math class right before a test.

As you might expect, the test was postponed.

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Mecum's mom, Missy, attempted to get tickets through Colts owner Jim Irsay's Twitter giveaway, but they did not win.

RTS then saw the tweet and sent a direct message to Missy to make Mecum's dream a reality.

Planning a trip to see the Bengals in the Super Bowl? Here's how much it'll cost you

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MASON, Ohio — Big Moe is back.

The Moeller High School football team defeated Lakota West 21-17 in a Division I, Region 4 final Friday in front of 4,300 at Atrium Stadium.

Moeller (11-3) advances to play Springfield (12-1) in a state semifinal Nov. 26 at a neutral location to be announced Sunday. This is Moeller's first regional title since 2014 and 17th trip to the state semifinals in the storied history of the program.

"It means the world to those kids," Moeller coach Mark Elder said.

Moeller, the winner of nine state titles, put recent adversity in the rearview mirror. The Crusaders had a 3-6 record in 2020 and 2-8 record in 2019, but the 2021 Crusaders are different. Moeller was the No. 1 seed in Region 4 and defeated four consecutive Greater Miami Conference opponents to reach the state Final Four.

Dyer: Moeller defies odds as regional champs

RELATED: Coverage of local high school football quarterfinal action

"It's crazy," Moeller senior quarterback Noah Geselbracht said. "Nobody expected us to be in this spot. You look at the beginning of the season and everyone predicted us to be 5-5, 4-6, maybe second round of the playoffs and that's it. This group of seniors, we've been doing this since we were freshmen. This is what we've been working for. It feels great."

The Crusaders were confident this past summer in Elder's second season as head coach at Moeller.

"You know at Moeller there is a lot of high expectations and that senior class before this year won five games in two years," Elder said. "It's hard to walk the hallways when there is an expectation level like that. They believed in themselves and they believed in each other. Worked their tails all offseason, all preseason. I couldn't be more proud of a group of young men than these guys."

Moeller proved to be one of the state's elite teams with a rugged regular-season schedule that included back-to-back overtime wins over Cleveland St. Ignatius and Lakewood St. Edward in October.

"That just prepared us," said Geselbracht, who was 14-of-20 passing for two touchdowns. "We were ready for big moments like this."

The Crusaders were led by several players Friday night including sophomore running back Jordan Marshall who rushed for 123 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown that helped Moeller rally from a three-point deficit.

Marshall also caught a touchdown pass. Senior wide receiver Brandon White had two receptions for 63 yards.

Lakota West (11-2) completed its season as a regional runner-up for a second straight year.

"It's a tough one," Lakota West coach Tom Bolden said. "I feel for these kids. I feel for the seniors. Great group of kids. Special group."

RELATED: Lakota West senior linebacker Aden Miller is 'what you want in a football player'

MASON, Ohio —

The community is coming together to try to help a local hero heal.

Veterans Day is Thursday and there is a push to finish a fundraiser for Marine Cpl. Kelsee Lainhart with a big boost.

Lainhart was badly hurt in an attack during the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan in August.

Family members said there is hope as she progresses in her recovery.

Lainhart's uncle, Kevin Ingram, said she is determined to walk again.

Right now, he said she cannot feel below her waist.

In the meantime, the community is rallying around her.

"She's always wanted to be in the Marine Corps. She started basic military training when she was 17 years old, got injured when she was 19. She's now 20," Ingram said.

He reflected on his niece's journey and her resilience.

Ingram also remembered the punch in the gut, when he learned a young woman he considered practically a daughter was hurt in the attack at the Kabul Airport in August.

"It's devastating. I knew where she was. I knew that she had worked the Abbey Gate," Ingram said.

Lainhart, 20, graduated from East Central High School in Dearborn County in 2019.

Her family and fellow Marines have seen her grit and her strength as she recovers in Chicago at the Shirley Ryan facility.

Her uncle said it is not a VA Hospital, so there will be additional costs.

Ingram said she cannot walk, at least now, but that's no deterrent.

"Kelsee is a warrior. She is a Marine. She's got a positive attitude. She is going to walk again. She tells me that every time I talk to her. She's working very hard. They have all kinds of different treatments they're doing," Ingram said.

People have rallied around her.

Basco Shower Enclosures, where Ingram works, launched a fundraiser to help her, too.

It ends on Veterans Day with the company putting a percentage toward each donation.

"We don't look at this, it's not this week, it's the next 40, 50, 60 years that we're looking at. If you think about, if Kelsee doesn't fully recover and walk again, you know, you're going to have to have adaptive housing situations, you're going to have cars that are adaptive," Ingram said.

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Many in Lainhart's family have served in the military, including Ingram.

Now, the community is saying thank you.

"We'd like to just kind of get as much support as we can now and push this thing forward through the finish line," he said.

Ingram said they will still gladly take donations after Veterans Day.

He also wanted to honor the Marine Corps birthday on Wednesday.

Ingram told WLWT Lainhart still wants to chase her dream of going to college and being an FBI agent.

Basco Shower Enclosures has raised more than $20,000 so far.

There are several ways you can make a donation, including by Venmo.

There's more information on the Basco Shower Enclosures website here.

LEBANON, Ohio —

The trial continued Tuesday for a former youth sports coach on trial for sex crimes involving children.

Eric Schmidt is charged with one count of rape, two counts of gross sexual imposition and two counts of public indecency.

Tuesday's testimony centered around text messages one of the accusers sent to friends the night she claims she was molested.

That accuser is 19 years old, but she was 12 in 2015 — the year prosecutors say crimes against her were committed.

The teenager said she was friends with Schmidt's daughter and was at their house for a sleepover in April 2015.

During her testimony, she read text messages she sent to friends that night from Schmidt's home in Mason.

"I said, 'I really don't understand why you find that funny. No, seriously, it's a remarried man trying to rape a freaking 12-year-old kid," the accuser said.

She said Schmidt exposed himself and touched her inappropriately in the theatre room of the house after his daughter fell asleep.

Assistant prosecutor Travis Vieux asked her, "Did the defendant touch your hand?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your arm?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he rub up your arm?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your shoulder?"

"Yes," she said.

Vieux asked, "Did he touch your breast?"

"Yes," she said.

While prosecutors are trying to use the accuser's texts as proof that Schmidt is guilty of gross sexual imposition and public indecency, defense attorneys tried using the messages to their advantage.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Bill Gallagher asked, "Eric is trying to touch you?"

"Yes," she said.

Gallagher asked, "You don't yell, right?"

"No," she said.

Gallagher asked, "You said you just sort of froze?"

"Yes," she said."

Gallagher questioned how could she be frozen at the same time she carried on text message conversations with multiple friends.

"Does it shock you at all, in all of your text messaging in here, there's not a single spelling mistake, but you're stressed out and trying to figure out what to do?" Gallagher said.

"It's called autocorrect," the accuser said.

Mason Detective Jeff Wyss also took the stand Tuesday. He said he began to investigate the 2015 allegations, but the case was closed when the accuser's family decided not to pursue charges.

That case was reopened in 2019 after a second accuser, also 12 at the time, made allegations against Schmidt.

He's been charged with rape in that case.

Prosecutors said that accuser was sexually assaulted at a party for football families in the Kings and Mason area.

Schmidt had coached youth football, baseball and softball.

That girl is 14 years old now and is expected to testify Wednesday.

Before calling her to the stand, prosecutors called a relative of Schmidt's to testify about what she said she witnessed in January 2015 when she was temporarily staying with the family.

She was 19 years old at the time.

She said she was alone with Schmidt watching Vampire Diaries when he suggested they watch the show downstairs.

She said they relocated to the theater room and continued watching Netflix.

Vieux asked her to describe what Schmidt did that she thought to be sexually inappropriate.

"When we were watching Netflix, after some time, the notice on the Netflix screen says 'Do you wish to continue? Click yes or no.' That had popped up. I looked to my right to see if the remote was near me to click yes. It wasn't there. I had turned to my left and Mr. Schmidt was sitting there with his genitals out," the relative said.

Schmidt has not been charged with any crime in connection to that incident.

Schmidt maintains his innocence. Gallagher previously said Schmidt passed a polygraph test.

MASON, Ohio —

Whether singing to a crowd or jammin' at home, 9-year-old JJ Day was an entertainer.

"Whenever we had our friends over, he would always play along with us. He would always be making poses for the camera. He would always make us laugh," his sister, Morgan Day said.

JJ's older sister, Madison said, "Potty humor, that was his favorite. He made jokes constantly ... He told me a few of his new year's resolutions, and one was to have more friends."

The Mason third-grader, who wanted to be Mickey Mouse at Disney World one day, knew how to dominate a room.

"His personality, it was explosive. It was so big," said his mother, Kristen Day. "He was our source of huge laughter."

JJ's presence was always filled with love.

"He made sure that each of us knew that he loved us, and we loved him," Kristen Day said.

JJ Day unexpectedly last Saturday. While his family still doesn't have answers about how he died, their focus is on how he lived. The term "Love like JJ" has spread through the community and on social media.

"I mean, he's everywhere," said his father, Jon Day. "He would want to be everywhere. He would want to be in everyone's face."

Stories of JJ can fill a room with laughter, but words can't describe the pain in his family's hearts.

The Days said they've found strength in their community and every person who has reached out to say they will try and love like JJ.

"We hear you. We see you and we feel you," Jon Day said.

"We feel the prayers. We feel the support. We absolutely feel it. I know my girls feel it too," Kristen Day said.

The Days said they believe JJ was destined to change the world, and now, they will help him do so.

A foundation, https://www.lovelikejj.org/ has been set up in his name.

Services for JJ will be held Saturday. More information can be found here:

https://www.muellerfunerals.com/obituary/jonathan-day?fbclid=IwAR3O4pWvceUTktN_0LfqJCr09vS9WeibptxuOQuief0fb4DtfrQdfWyKdbw

MASON, Ohio —

Masks are now a big debate happening in school districts across Greater Cincinnati as the new school year quickly approaches.

Some parents in Mason, and even doctors, are pushing the district to require them.

A mother we talked with said mask-wearing is a collective effort.

She said that means everyone should be wearing masks in Mason City Schools this year.

"Everyone, K-12 in the building, should be wearing masks," parent, Joy Bennett, said.

That's the standard Bennett wants to see in Mason City Schools.

Two of her children will return to the classroom soon, but she fears COVID-19 could make it rough, especially for young students who can't get a shot.

"How do we reduce excessive and prolonged quarantines? How do we keep our kids healthy and able to attend? That's why I think that masking needs to be one of our layers," Bennett said.

The mask debate prompted 108 physicians who live in the Mason School District to pen a letter urging leaders to require masks for children and staff.

"There's a lot of things that we agree upon and that is the importance of safety for our kids. We agree that the masks help us with that and that's why we're strongly recommending that to all of our families," Mason City Schools Superintendent Jonathan Cooper said.

Cooper said they are following data and science and not requiring masks now.

"We are looking at how many cases do we have? Just like we did last year. We are looking at the transmission rates around here. How quick is it passing through our community?" Cooper said.

He also said distancing, barriers, handwashing and cleaning will continue.

On the flip side, some parents have started petitions to keep masks optional.

We found one for Forest Hills Schools.

Districts including Lakota Local Schools and Hamilton City Schools are not requiring masks, leaving it up to families.

Bennett said the schools have the power.

She wants to see them take action.

"It's really uncomfortable to have to wear something on your face, but I would just ask people to consider that we are a community," Bennett said.

Mason City School officials said more than 95 percent of its staff have been vaccinated.

The superintendent also said any changes are possible with compelling data.

School is set to start in the district next Thursday.

At a special public meeting on Wednesday at 5 p.m., Cincinnati Public School board members are also expected to discuss its policy on mask-wearing in the district.

MASON, Ohio —

Following recent severe weather and storms, homeowners in Greater Cincinnati are looking to install lightning rods to ensure their homes stay safe from lightning strikes.

Lightning rods intercept strikes, guiding the electrical energy into the ground rather than on the structure itself. It prevents fires from sparking and thousands of dollars in damage.

Stephanie and Bob Stark were all set to move into their new home in Mason before a lightning bolt sparked a fire. First responders rushed to the scene.

"We were very lucky that a neighbor heard and saw and called 911 almost immediately," Stephanie Stark said.

The couple now plans on installing lightning rods for their safety.

Tony Riley owns Ohio Valley Lightning Protection. He said he's getting tons of calls about lightning rod and surge protection following the recent storms.

"What the lightning rod system does is protect the structure, and then we suggest everybody do surge protection, whether you can afford a lightning rod system or not, everybody should have surge protection on their electrical panels," Riley said.

About 5 to 10 points are usually placed per home.

According to the Ohio Valley Lightning Protection website, a properly installed lightning protection system is over 99 percent effective in preventing lightning damage.

The cost is usually between $2,000 and $4,000.

MASON, Ohio — Kings Island, which on Wednesday announced it would limit its hours due to a shortage of workers, will increase pay for some jobs as it attempts to hire 900 seasonal employees.

Food and beverage service workers, lifeguards and security staff can expect an hourly wage of $18, the part announced in a news release Friday. Kings Island previously raised hourly wages for all employees earlier in May.

Park employees are also now eligible to earn up to $3,000 in bonuses as part of a new program, according to the release. Details about that program were not disclosed.

CINCINNATI —

As COVID-19 restrictions get lifted, more communities are making plans to make summer more fun.

Outdoor events are slowly returning including many concerts.

"We're ready. We're excited. We think it's time," said Jim Miller, lead singer of Dangerous Jim and the Slims.

Miller said he already booked concerts in Greenhills, Lawrenceburg and Hamilton.

"Rockin' the Roebling, we'll be doing that," Miller said. "I'm sure that people will be booking as much outside stuff as possible."

Party on the purple returns on Wednesdays starting next week.

In West Chester, Takeover at the Square and Keehner Park concerts will be returning late June.

Music in Mason will also be bringing back tunes to the Mason plaza.

"That was actually a very big generator of business for us. So, to see those things being brought back in a safe manner, I think is going to be great for us," said Matt Imm, owner of Quatman Cafe' in Mason.

The city of Hamilton has a jam-packed schedule of outdoor events starting this Saturday with a Main Street spring shop hop. Alive After 5, concerts at RiversEdge and many other activities are also on the calendar.

After taking a year off, one of the largest food truck rallies in the region is headed back to West Chester.

"We have about 40 food trucks and other vendors that will be here ready to get our grub on," said Kerry Hendel, vice president of the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association. "We also bring in people from northern Kentucky, from over in Indiana as well. So, people who have seen our township before get to experience it for the first time."

Depending on where the event is, who is hosting it and the number of people attending, some restrictions could be in place.

Since state and federal guidelines can change day by day, so can the guidelines for different events.

MASON, Ohio — Kings Island closed 30 minutes early Saturday evening due to "unruly behavior and altercations" involving teenagers, park officials confirmed Sunday morning.

The Mason Police Department said officers responded to reports of "unruly guests primarily juveniles" inside the park and in the parking lot. No arrests were made Saturday, police said.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol also responded to the scene, and an OSHP spokesperson confirmed to WCPO there were multiple fights inside the park before a bigger altercation in the parking lot Saturday evening.

“The safety of our guests and associates is always our top priority," read a statement from Kings Island sent to WCPO Sunday morning. "On Saturday, the decision was made to close the park 30 minutes early due to unruly behavior and altercations involving a number of teenagers. This behavior did not align with our park’s values, and was not the experience we want any guest to have while visiting Kings Island."

Shan Powell posted a video of one of the fights inside the park that has more than 3,000 shares.
"It is an injustice that the staff is required to babysit some of these children," Powell told WCPO. "They're dropped off at the drop off right in front of the park and then left for hours at a time unsupervised."

Powell said it's going to take the community as a whole to fix the problem, not new park rules.

"I think the park should very much remain open, especially after the pandemic, for all ages," he said. "I'm not a big person for new rules, but I am a person of unity and unified responsibility. It's not going to fall on the staff alone to remedy this -- this is a community place."

MASON, Ohio —

Kings Island chaos was caught on camera Saturday.

Police were called to the amusement park to break up large groups of teens fighting.

People who were there said it was traumatic not only in the park, but outside in the parking lot.

We learned a police officer was assaulted while trying to help someone else who was assaulted.

Mason police said that officer was attacked with a "chemical spray" but added that it was not his mace.

They said that officer is fine.

But people we talked with said the whole scene was scary.

"It became a mob. Mosh pit-style fighting," witness Shan Powell said.

Powell captured video that might get your heart racing.

Families and people including Powell who went to Kings Island for an escape on Saturday, found themselves trapped in tension.

"There was a lot of yelling. Ice, sodas being thrown at the officers, at each other, but it was just pretty much chaos," Powell said.

Powell said he was eating at Coney Bar-B-Que when he said a big group of teens filled the area and a fight broke out at about 7:30 p.m.

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"The whole day, there had been quite a bit of people living without consequences, line-jumping, stealing Coke products, and it was just a really weird feeling throughout the whole day," he said.

Powell saw security, Mason police, Warren County Sheriff's deputies and Ohio state troopers arrive quickly.

The park said it closed 30 minutes early due to the bad behavior.

But people said the fighting only continued in the parking lot.

"We really just got to work together. This is a community issue. It's not going to be just Kings Island to fix it. It's not going to be just Mason police that fixes it. It's not going to be just the parents that fix it. It's going to be a unified effort," Powell said.

So what is the fix?

Powell thinks more staffing, maybe new rules and perhaps a hard look in the mirror.

"They were terrorizing that park last night and you've just got to decide: Is that who you want to be? Is that the image that you want to portray? And then, just make the choice and stick with it and if some of your friends don't follow you, that's OK. But just make the right choices," Powell said.

A spokesman for Kings Island released this statement to WLWT initially:

"The safety of our guests and associates is always our top priority. On Saturday, the decision was made to close the park 30 minutes early due to unruly behavior and altercations involving a number of teenagers. This behavior did not align with our park's values, and was not the experience we want any guest to have while visiting Kings Island."

He then released a second statement to us when we circled back, asking about concerns from passholders who are considering dropping their membership if the fights become a trend:

"Yesterday's event was not a normal occurrence at King Island. Unruly behavior has no place at our park. The altercations on display last night do not align with our park's values, and were not the experience we want any guest to have while visiting Kings Island. We are taking immediate steps to address the situation so that our guests enjoy their future visits."

Investigators said they have made no arrests, but also said charges could still be filed if they are able to positively identify people involved.

They're also still unsure if anyone was hurt during the fighting because they said everyone scattered and ran from the area.

MASON, Ohio — Kings Island kicked off its 2021 season Saturday at 11 a.m., and there are a few changes you'll see compared to last year's shortened season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Visitors over age 10 will be required to wear masks indoors, though you won't have to wear one if you are actively eating in one of the park's restaurants. You also won't need to wear a mask if you are walking around outdoors or more than 6 feet of other guests.

Masks will be recommended on rides but not required as they were in 2020. The park is also dropping ride limits, so all rows will be filled on coasters and rides.

When visitors arrive, they won't be greeted by the big white screening tents at the entrance seen last season. The park no longer requires temperature checks at the gates or mobile app pre-screening. Instead, the health questionnaire will be conducted by park associates at the front gate.

Reservations were mandatory last year but will only be required for the Soak City water park this year.

Find more information on tickets, Soak City reservations and COVID-19 protocols here.

MASON, Ohio —

Travel insurance! Maybe you've never considered it before. After hearing the story of a local couple and their nightmare vacation, you might just change your mind.

Sissy Ralston of Mason, Ohio, and her husband Larry took off for Cancun, Mexico, in March.

A day and a half into the trip, they found themselves in an emergency situation.

Sissy Ralston describes her husband's condition, "He was delirious in a room and I kept walking back. What are we going to do? "

Sissy Ralston recounts the trip that could have ended with her planning a funeral for her husband of 40 years. She and Larry were on day one of their March trip to Cancun, Mexico. Larry started feeling pain in his midsection. Then he got sick. They got in touch with the on-call doctor at their resort.

Larry recalls the conversation, “He came in and checked me and decided it was gall bladder and it was very large, so I had to get rushed to the hospital for emergency.”

Here in the Cincinnati area, Larry has owned a lawn care business for many years. He's in his 60s, healthy, very active and always outside. But now, almost 3,000 miles away from home, he found himself outside his comfort zone -- in a foreign county, suffering through a medical episode getting worse by the minute.

"The stones had been blocking my gall bladder. It was twice the size. Could have burst at any time, which would have been very serious. Could have led to death," he said.

The clock was ticking. Larry was lying on a gurney in the hospital and he needed help and he needed it fast. Then came the news we never think about when we go on vacation. The doctors wouldn't do the life-saving procedure until the Ralstons came up with the money.

The hospital needed close to$35,000 upfront, otherwise Larry was out of luck.

Sissy was nervous.

"Your adrenaline is going and you don't want to think about it, but it's in the back of your mind and what do I do if I lose him over something like this?" she said.

Their story takes a drastic turn in the right direction. They were able to put together $19,000. Friends and family helped collect the rest.

Larry got his procedure.

And there was one simple decision made that could someday be a game changer for you as well. Before the trip, concerned about COVID-19 and how it could either cancel their fun or cut it short, for the first time ever, they got trip insurance.

Lisa Vermaak from Blu Skyy Travel was their agent.

"There's so many policies for so many different things and it's really trip specific," Vermaak said.

Trip insurance. Something 90% of us never think about. For $125 per person, Larry and Sissy got a $50,000 policy. Instead of taking a devastating financial hit, the Ralston's will recover the money lost.

Lisa is glad they were covered.

"It was one of those moments that you thank God, they made that choice and went ahead and got the insurance because if they wouldn't have, they'd be sitting with $35,000 that they wouldn't get back," Vermaak said.

Vermaak says $50,000 worth of coverage is what most clients go with, but there's really not a one size fits all policy. If you are going on vacation, especially overseas where often our medical insurance isn't exactly in network, she says do your homework online to find a policy you're comfy with or talk with a local travel agent you trust so you can feel the same way she did after her advice to the Ralstons saved heir savings.

"Amazing... amazing... it makes me feel like I've done my job," Vermaak said.

Larry couldn't agree more.

"It was only $250 and when you think about that small amount up against what we had to pay, there's no reason why I would think twice again," he said.

A New Hampshire woman heroically rescued a hawk from her swimming pool, but once the bird was out, she had a tough time getting it to move on.

When Cortnie Langley first spotted the hawk, she told WMUR that she didn’t know what to do. She first tried using sticks to get it out of the water, but they weren’t strong enough, so she used her hands.

After she got it out, the bird decided to stick around for nearly 20 minutes on her arm and Langley documented the incredible moment with her phone.

She tried politely asking him to fly away.

"I'm not quite sure where to go from here. You're out and you're safe. You're good. Please fly away," Langley said in her video.

Langley also tried putting the hawk on a rock, but that didn’t budge him either.

It appeared the hawk felt right at home on the woman’s arm. She says there may have been a special connection, because she’s eight months pregnant.

And seemingly out of nowhere, the bird decided to take flight and soared away nearly a half hour later.

WMUR reports Langley is a scientist and her family just opened a farm in Mason, so she considers herself an animal lover. Even though the situation was the “wildest thing” she’s ever done, she told the TV station that she would do it all again.

MASON, Ohio — Cintas Corp. has announced several cost-cutting measures due to “lower work volume” required by its customers in the COVID-19 crisis. The cuts include staff reductions, but Cintas won’t say how many.

The Mason-based company provides uniforms, restroom supplies, welcome mats and carpet/tile cleaning services to factories, office buildings and other corporate facilities that have cleared out in the last month as more employees work from home. Cintas declined to answer questions beyond a prepared statement, so it’s unclear what impact the coronavirus is having on company revenue.

“Cintas has made the difficult decision to reduce our workforce in Cincinnati,” the statement said. “This decision was not made lightly and is in addition to other steps taken including a reduction in executive compensation and eliminating all non-essential spending.”

Braulio Benitez joined Cintas in Chicago four years ago and relocated to Mason to be a product development manager in 2017, designing floor mats with company logos. He’s disappointed by the downsizing but appreciates the severance offered by the company.

“They’re handling it the best they can,” he said. “Luckily the experience that I have is somewhat unique, so I could stay within the industry. I’ve made some good connections with suppliers, so I’m taking some time right now to think about my next move.”

Benitez said employees were told of the cuts last Friday. He doesn’t know how many employees were let go.

The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has not received any information about the layoffs from Cintas, spokesman Bret Crow said. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act requires companies laying off more than 50 employees in a single location to issue a public notice at least 60 days before the layoffs take place. The U.S. Labor Department can make exceptions to the rule when “layoffs occur due to unforeseeable business circumstances, faltering companies and natural disasters,” according to the department’s web site.

Cintas said it will “provide severance and other resources for individuals who were let go in this process. Furloughed employee-partners will continue to be eligible to receive Cintas health and wellness benefits and we look forward to bringing them back as non-essential businesses re-open and our business volumes return to normal levels. Cintas continues to be an essential business as we are an important supplier to many of those who are the front lines of this crisis, and we’ll continue to do all that we can to take care of both our customers and our employee-partners.”