THE GERMAN TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A NEW CHIEF. MICHAEL STITZEL OFFICIALLY ASSUMED THAT POSITION ON JANUARY 1ST, REPLACING CHIEF BILL DICKERSON WHO RETIRED FROM THE DEPARTMENT AFTER 43 YEARS OF SERVICE. DICKERSON WILL CONTINUE AS AN AUXILIARY OFFICER DURING HIS RETIREMENT. CHIEF STITZEL HAS WORKED AS A POLICE OFFICER FOR 19 YEARS, 9 WITH THE GERMAN TOWNSHIP POLICE. HE SAID HIS PRIORITIES INCLUDE MORE COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND BEING MORE PROACTIVE IN THE SCHOOLS.
TROTWOOD POLICE ARE GRIEVING AFTER THE DEATH OF A FELLOW OFFICER. OFFICER DAVID YANEY DIED WEDNESDAY MORNING AFTER HIS PICKUP TRUCK WENT OFF TAYWOOD ROAD IN ENGLEWOOD AND INTO A CREEK. YANEY’S DAUGHTER, SARAH, IS A POLICE OFFICER WITH THE NEW LEBANON POLICE DEPARTMENT. ENGLEWOOD POLICE SGT. MIKE LANG SAID IF A WITNESS HAD NOT SEEN THE ACCIDENT THE TRUCK MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FOUND FOR HOURS BECAUSE IT SUBMERGED COMPLETELY INTO BUTTERMILK FALLS CREEK. DIVERS WERE CALLED IN FROM PIQUA AND WEST MILTON FIRE DEPARTMENTS. EMERGENCY CREWS WORKED UNTIL NEARLY 10AM WEDNESDAY TO GET THE TRUCK OUT OF THE WATER. THE INVESTIGATION IS CONTINUING INTO WHY OFFICER YANEY LOST CONTROL OF THE TRUCK.
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR RACHEL IANNI, THE CATHOLIC CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL AND WITTENBERG GRADUATE WHO DIED NEW YEAR’S DAY AFTER FALLING IN PERU DURING A HIKE WITH HER BOYFRIEND ZACHARY TAYLOR. THE FAMILY WILL RECEIVE FRIENDS FROM 2-7 PM AT CONTROY FUNERAL HOME ON FRIDAY. A MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL WILL BE HELD AT 12:30PM ON SATURDAY AT ST. TERESA CATHOLIC CHURCH IN SPRINGFIELD. IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, THE FAMILY ASKS THAT MEMORIAL DONATIONS BE MADE TO THE RACHEL IANNI MEMORIAL FOR GRADUATE INTERNSHIPS IN BIOLOGY, NSU FOUNDATION. DONATIONS CAN BE SENT TO CATHOLIC CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL. BESIDES HER BOYFRIEND, RACHEL LEAVES PARENTS JULIANN AND TONY IANNI AND SIBLINGS ALLISON AND JAMES.
A 17 YEAR OLD SPRINGFIELD TEEN, DANIELLE GREEN, WAS SERIOUSLY INJURED LAST NIGHT WHEN SHE DROVE OFF SOUTH CHARLESTON PIKE, ROLLED AND ENDED UP IN A FIELD. GREENE WAS EJECTED ACCORDING TO THE STATE HIGHWAY PATROL. CAREFLIGHT TRANSPORTED HER TO MIAMI VALLEY HOSPITAL WHERE SHE WAS LISTED IN FAIR CONDITION EARLY THIS MORNING.
BLACK ICE IS SAID TO BE THE CAUSE OF TWO ACCIDENTS IN GERMAN TOWNSHIP THIS MORNING. ONE PERSON WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH MINOR INJURIES WHEN THEIR VEHICLE SLID ON BLACK ICE AND WENT DOWN AN EMBANKMENT ON OXFORD ROAD. ANOTHER VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND STRUCK A TREE, BUT THAT DRIVER WAS NOT INJURED ACCORDING TO THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS. OFFICIALS SAID BOTH VEHICLES WERE EASTBOUND ON OXFORD ROAD WHEN THEY HIT THE BLACK ICE WHEN ROUNDING A CURVE.
THE HUBER HEIGHTS BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED A $6.4 MILLION COST REDUCTION PLAN THAT ELIMINATES 108 STAFF POSITIONS THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR IF THE MAY LEVY FAILS. ATHLETICS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES WILL SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN PAY-TO-PARTICIPATE FEES. HUBER HEIGHTS SCHOOLS FACED THE POSSIBILITY OF STATE FISCAL OVERSIGHT BECAUSE OF A PROJECTED $2.7 MILLION DEFICIT BY JUNE 30, 2014. THE BUDGET CUTS, COMBINED WITH THE LEVY, WILL MEET THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION’S REQUEST TO TURN IN A PLAN TO EFFECTIVELY REDUCE COSTS AND GENERATE REVENUE. THE HIGH SCHOOL’S JROTC PROGRAM WAS ELIMINATED THOUGH BECAUSE IT IS CONSIDERED INSTRUCTIONAL AND FEES CANNOT BE CHARGED. ATHLETIC FEES THAT ARE NOW $225 WILL JUMP TO $750 PER STUDENT, PER SPORT STARTING NEXT FALL ACCORDING TO SUPERINTENDENT SUE GUNNELL. OTHER EXTRACURRICULARS SUCH AS BAND, CHEERLEADING AND CLUBS WILL PAY LESSER FEES. GUNNELL SAID IF THE MAY LEVY PASSES, THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO BRING BACK UP TO $2.9 MILLION WORTH OF PROGRAMS SO FEES COULD BE REDUCED. VOTERS IN THE HUBER HEIGHTS DISTRICT HAVE NOT APPROVED NEW OPERATING DOLLARS SINCE 2005.
CHAMINADE JULIENNE CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL WILL START CONSTRUCTION NEXT WEEK ON A NEARLY $4 MILLION RENOVATION THAT WILL TURN ELEVEN SECOND-FLOOR CLASSROOMS INTO A NEW STEMM CENTER THAT SHOULD OPEN IN AUGUST ACCORDING TO THE DAYTON DAILY NEWS. STEMM STANDS FOR SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH AND MEDICINE EDUCATION. THERE IS A GROWING EMPHASIS ON STEMM EDUCATION IN THE DAYTON AREA AND ACROSS OHIO.
THERE IS AN 80 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF RAIN SHOWERS TONIGHT GOING UP TO 90 PERCENT FOR FRIDAY. HIGHS ON FRIDAY WILL PEAK AT 59 DEGREES, WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS FRIDAY NIGHT AT 50. SATURDAY HIGHS WILL GO UP TO 61 DEGREES WITH A 50 PERCENT POSSIBILITY OF PRECIPITATION DURING THE DAY AND AN 80 PERCENT CHANCE FOR RAIN SATURDAY NIGHT. WE HAVE A 90 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF RAIN CONTINUING ON SUNDAY AND HIGHS WILL BE AT 50 DEGREES WITH LOWS SUNDAY NIGHT TO DROP TO 31 DEGREES. TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY WILL ONLY RISE TO 34 DEGREES AND WE MIGHT SEE SNOW!
