Butler County Dog Lincenses

Each year, Butler County licenses about 36,000 dogs. Dog licenses are required by law and can be the key to a safe return home when your dog is lost or runs away. If you've lost your dog's tag or are not sure how to get one, you'll find all the information you need below.

Obtaining a License
If you have a new dog and haven't yet licensed him or her, you'll want to visit Butlercountyauditor.org and print out the application. You can mail the application and fee to the following address:

Butler County Auditor
130 High Street, 4th Floor
Hamilton, Ohio 45011

Lost Tags
In the event your dog's tag is lost, you can purchase another tag for a quarter through the auditor's office. Simply make a copy of your original receipt, tape the quarter to the copy and send it along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above. You can also visit the auditor's office in person to get replacement tag.

License Transfers
Should you give your dog away or sell him or her, your dog's license can be transferred to the new owner. Visit Butlercountyauditor.org for the license transfer application and send the application, along with a quarter, to the address listed above.

Death of a Pet
In the event your dog dies, you'll need to contact the office so you will not be expected to renew your pet's license. The phone number is 513-887-3160.

Moving
If you move to a new home, you'll also want to contact the auditor's office to correct your information. In the event your dog is lost and found, it will be returned to the address listed on file and you will want that information to be as up-to-date as possible.

Kennel Licenses
If you want to obtain a kennel license, you'll need to make sure you meet the following requirements: you must be zoned A-1 Agricultural, you must have at least five acres of land, and the kennel must be at least 200 feet from all property lines. A letter from your local zoning board is also required. If your license is renewed by January 31, the cost is $70, however after January 31, you will be forced to pay a $70 penalty. The fee includes five dog licenses and up to five more can purchased for $1 each.

For more information on dog licenses, contact the Butler County Auditor's Office at 513-887-3160.

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Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Summer Fun in Middletown

Summer may be half-way over, but there is still tons to do in Middletown and the surrounding area over the next month or two. Below you'll find all types of activities from sports to the arts, from activities for grown-ups only, to activities for the whole family.

July 6th - August 15th, 143rd Annual American Watercolor Society Exhibit: The exhibit takes place at the Middletown Arts Center on Monday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

July 24th, Greek Festival: Visit the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church for the Middletown Greek Festival! From 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, enjoy Greek foods, pastries, music and dancing.

July 25th - 31st, Butler County Fair: The Butler County Fair will take place at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Hamilton, from July 25 -31. Tickets for adults are $6, children ages 6-12 are $1, and multi-day passes are available. This is the 160th year for the fair that includes livestock, rides, food, music, and antiques.

July 28, Broad Street Bash: Visit Governor's Square on Broad Street and Central Avenue for BBQ, beer, food, and free live music from the band, After Midnight. Concert starts at 6:00 PM.

July 29, Children's Summer Reading Program: Bring your 5 - 12 year old along every Thursday at 2:00 PM to the Middletown Public library for summer reading fun. On the 29th, the program will feature Jim Kleefeld: A Splash of Magic, along with a water, beach, and fish magic show.

August 3rd, 2010 National Night Out Festival: From 5:00 to 9:00 PM at Jacot Park, the Middletown Police Department and other local business sponsors will be promoting community friendship and safety importance, while handing out free hotdogs, chips, pop, and water!

August 6th - 7th, Giant Radio Controlled Aircraft Show: Visit the Middletown Regional Airport from 8:00 AM on August 6th to 5:00 PM on August 7th, for the Giant Radio Controlled Aircraft Show. This is a great activity for the entire family!

August 11th, Broad Street Bash: Visit Governor's Square on Broad Street and Central Avenue for BBQ, beer, food, and free live music from the band, The Cleavers. Concert starts at 6:00 PM.

August 14th, Main Street Art & Music Festival: From 2:00 to 11:00 PM, you can visit downtown Middletown for the Main Street Art and Music Festival. See local and regional performers, purchase arts and crafts from local and regional artisans - there's even a kid's area.

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Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Beagle & Puppies Found in the Snow

Last Wednesday, Chris Demoret was walking across his farm when something caught his eye. It was a beagle, outside his barn, along with her newborn litter of seven puppies. The emaciated beagle was trying to keep the puppies warm in the snow, but Demoret knew they would not survive in the cold temperatures, so he called the Animal Friends Humane Society.

The shelter's director, Meg Stephenson, told the Middletown Journal the dog had made a nest of straw on top of the snow. "She was keeping the tops of the puppies warm, but the bottom half of their bodies were in the snow and straw. We had gotten 13 inches of snow that week," she said.

The shelter took the dog and the puppies in and while there, she gave birth to an eighth one. Unfortunately, three of the puppies died, but the other five are being cared for - along with their mother, who has been named Valentine - at a foster care home.

The dog had been dumped in the snowstorm just a day before she was found. A man has come forward to admit he was the owner of the dog and he had indeed dumped her at the farm. Stephenson said the dog weighed only 23 pounds, which is extremely underweight for a dog of her size, especially one who has just given birth and is nursing puppies.

The puppies will be up for adoption in April.

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Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Has 2nd Highest Jobless Rate in the Region

According to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the area's unemployment rate continues to stay at 9.9%. This area, which includes the Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky, consists of Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Kenton, Grant and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Franklin and Ohio Counties in Indiana.. Even though the number of workers filing for unemployment declined in November 2009, December 2009 saw an increase of of 3,700 people who are out of work or actively seeking employment.

In December 2008, the unemployment rate in the region was only 6.7%. The good news is that 9.9% is actually lower than the 10.3% rate from July 2008. The highest unemployment rate for the area on record is 12.5% from January 1983. The rates do not take seasonal hiring into account, which can affect the numbers.

For the state of Ohio as a whole, the unemployment rate for December 2009 was 10.7% and for Kentucky, it was 10.4%. This is higher than the national average which was 9.7%.

The region did see a growth in jobs in the service industry, with a small bit of growth in the finance, professional, and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing lost only 200 jobs, and goods-producing industries were down only 100 jobs.

Looking at the various Ohio counties in the region, Clermont took the lead with a 10.6% rate, followed by Butler County with a 9.9% rate, Hamilton County with a 9.5% rate and Warren County with 9.3%. As a matter of fact, 84 of Ohio's 88 counties saw an increase in unemployment with Southeast Ohio's Morgan County registering a whopping 17.5% rate. The lowest rate was 7.4%, which occurred in Holmes County, which is considered part of Amish Country.

As for cities, Hamilton had the highest unemployment rate in December, 11.5%. Middletown followed close behind with 11.3%. Both Cincinnati and Norwood had 10% and Fairfield and Mason came in next with 9.3% and 7.2% respectively. As for cities in the entire state, Youngstown had the highest rate with 14.6% and Cleveland Heights had the lowest rate with 6.1%.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Census Portrait of America Tour Comes to Middletown

The 2010 Census Portrait of America tour will be in Hamilton and Butler Counties this week. It will begin on Monday, at 7:00 AM, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. Displays will help people become familiar with the significance of the census form that should begin arriving in mailboxes in March. The tour will also be promoting jobs, according to even coordinator, Theresa Brundage, "We want to make sure people are hired to work in their own neighborhoods." Each location will offer testing to see if people qualify for a job.

Brundage says it's about, "political power and money." The census results determine the number of congressional seats in Ohio and how federal dollars will be distributed to states and communities.

NBC's "The Today Show" plans to broadcast live from the convention center and it has been described as a two hour "pep-rally." Speeches will be made by a number of local celebrities and dignitaries, including Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and funk bassist Bootsy Collins.

Once the tour leaves the convention center, it will stop at Cincinnati State college on Monday afternoon before making three various stops in Butler County on Tuesday, January 4, 2010. The first event is at 9:00 AM at the Richard Allen III Academy in Hamilton. A fire truck will then escort the tour into Middletown around 1:50 P.M. The trailer will make a brief stop at the Area Senior Citizens Center on Central Avenue before heading to the Middletown Community Center on Lafayette Avenue. Exhibits open at 4:30 P.M. at the Community Center and 5:00 P.M, a parachutist will drop from an airplane into Douglas Park.

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Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Butler County National Philanthropy Day

The Community Foundations of Butler County and Butler County Development Roundtable will host its third biennial National Philanthropy Day later this month, on Friday, November 13. The luncheon will take place from noon until 1:30 PM at the Marriott in Hamilton. It is being sponsored by gold level sponsors: Duke Energy, First Financial Bank, Miami University Hamilton, and Cox Ohio Publishing and silver level sponsors: Atrium Medical Center/Premier Health Partners and US Bank.

National Philanthropy Day (NPD) is recognized all over the country and is a day to pay tribute to people who are active in the community and have impacted our lives, work, and community through their philanthropic work. Butler County nonprofit agencies have been invited to the luncheon to honor volunteers and donors who contribute to their organizations and the Butler County community. The agencies will have the opportunity to publicly recognize those individuals.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. O'Dell Owens, a native of Cincinnati. Dr. Owens is a graduate of Woodward High School and Antioch College and is no stranger to making a difference. He spent his years as an intern, resident, and chief resident at Yale and later went on to accept a position with Harvard Medical School as a clinical instructor in the OB/GYN department, as well as a Fellow in reproductive Endocrinology and infertility. In 1982, he returned to Cincinnati and established an in-vitro fertilization program, achieving the first successful conception, pregnancy and delivery from a frozen embryo. In 2004, he was elected as Hamilton County's coroner. He has won numerous awards and actively serves on a number of boards. He also spends time working to motivate disadvantaged young people to reach full potential.

The emcee for the event is John Lomax, co-anchor of Good Morning Cincinnati on WKRC-TV. The Knoxville, Tennessee native began working at the channel in 1983 as the Northern Kentucky Bureau Reporter. He serves on a number of boards and volunteers with many organizations. This is his third year as emcee for the NPD event. He has also hosted the Middletown Community Foundation's Crystal Apple Awards, Butler County MRDD and the Atrium Medical center's Hospital Gala in 2007.

For more information about the luncheon, contact Kelli Kurtz at 513-863-1717.

Gas Prices Rise for Summer and Middletown is Feeling the Heat

With the summer season on our doorsteps, Middletown residents are already seeing the high gas prices that come with this part of the year. Today Middletown Gas Prices have risen to an average of $3.95 for one gallon of regular Unleaded Fuel across Butler County and residents are beginning to feel the impact as they begin to make travel plans for weekends and holidays.

Taken from the Middletown Journal, a local Hamilton Resident expresses his concern over the rising gas prices which have likely affected his plans for this Memorial Day weekend, and most likely, the entire summer. "As a retiree, coping with $4-a-gallon gas makes even visiting relatives in northern Kentucky a financial burden. I wanted to take a vacation and you just can't do it."

Even local schools and businesses are starting to buckle from the increased gas prices and a few have proposed looking into a four day week to try to help off set their expenses. For schools even one day off could help tremendously as hundreds of buses would not be needed that day to make rounds, and residents who must drive half an hour just to get to work would appreciate the hiatus.

There is some good news about gas prices. An Official from the American Automobile Association believes that gas will begin to drop after this Memorial Day Weekend. "During the first or second week of June we should start to see prices go down. There's an ample gas supply and consumer demand is not remarkable. Those two things alone should drive down prices." This summer gas prices are not expected to hit the dreaded $5 mark.