WCPO

The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati is asking for more city funds from the budget as its faced with the need to meet a high amount of children in need of their help. On the first day of the organization's summer program, 500 kids showed up. In total, they have nearly 1,000 kids signed up for their free summer activities. “We have like 20 on our wait list for each group almost and counting. I get new membership applications every day,” said Avondale Club Director Liz Hansell. Hansell said they serve four age groups, so about 80 kids' names are sitting on the wait list in total.

More than 20 Boone County parents have been charged in District Court with truancy violations for the 2022-23 school year, according to court dockets. "I feel like I've tried everything I can," said Chris Thayer, one of those parents. According to court records, Thayer's son — who turned 15 in May — had 24 unexcused absences and 13 unexcused tardies at Larry A. Ryle High School in Union during the first four months of the school year.

A recent report from the Ohio Department of Education reveals there's a critical need for more teachers in southwest Ohio. “It's a big deal. Absolutely a big deal,” said Jeff Wensing, Vice President of the Ohio Education Association. “There are about 50% less students choosing education as a major. That’s concerning." Data from Ohio Department of Education’s report shows there’s an increase of Ohio teachers who are deciding to leave the profession. Of more than 2,300 teachers surveyed, 72% reported they have seriously considered leaving their job recently.

Ohio’s top gambling regulator says Kentucky made “a fundamental mistake” by legalizing sports betting for people aged 18 and older. But at least one company eligible for a sports-betting licenses in Kentucky says it will refuse bets from people under 21. “I absolutely hate the idea that individuals under 21 can go across the border, open an account and bet,” said Matt Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission. “I think it’s horrible.” Kentucky legalized sports betting on March 31, when Governor Andy Beshear signed House Bill 552 into law. No launch date has been set for the industry because rules are still being developed by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission. Of the 37 states that legalized sports betting so far, Kentucky is among five that allows 18-year-olds to bet, according to the American Gaming Association.

As Cincinnati city leaders continue to evaluate how to plan out spending for the next fiscal year, one spending request from the public has been voiced on multiple occasions: funding for a skate park. Two different local organizations advocating for skating-related projects are asking Cincinnati to provide funding in the 2024-2025 budget. Evan Walker is the founder of the Cincinnati Skatepark Project. He grew up skateboarding and at 40, he's still doing what he loves. "I grew up playing other sports, baseball, but skateboarding stuck with me," he said. "I've also seen it really build communities where they're kids who didn't fit into other sports, couldn't afford other sports."

Summer heat and dirt can really take a toll on appliances. How to make sure they keep running smoothly all summer long.

The Reds introduced Elly De La Cruz for the first time after being called up to the team. He's widely considered the best prospect in baseball.

Kia and Hyundia have agreed to pay owners of vandalized cars $200 million, or up to $6,000 each, for damaged caused by the TikTok challenge

It happened around 9 p.m. Monday. A WCPO crew on the scene reported seeing trucks dropping sand on the spill overnight. CPD said a semi that was leaking oil was heading west on Spring Grove Boulevard and then south on Mitchell Avenue. It stopped before getting on I-75.

That budget draft, which breaks down proposed spending for the city's estimated $1.59 billion 2024 budget, currently includes a roughly $11.4 million increase to the Cincinnati Police Department budget. Monday night, city council held a final public hearing for the budget and community members turned out to speak about where they felt money to cut down the amount of violence — especially violence involving youth — should be allocated. "The need is now, the need is now for what we do right now," said Bill Bresser, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Cincinnati. "We have a waiting list currently at all of our sites. There were 500 kids that showed up today at Boys and Girls Clubs. You can't measure how many kids don't actually get messed up with the gun violence epidemic that's going on that go to the Boys and Girls Club." Between Zoom speakers and community members who attended in person, 75 people signed up to speak at the public hearing. Some brought up concern about the frequency of shootings in Cincinnati recently and spoke about the need for more youth programs in the city.

His highlights have taken over social media and according to ESPN, shortstop Elly De La Cruz is the top prospect in all of baseball. But what is it that makes this 21-year-old from the Dominican Republic so special? De La Cruz is a five tool player — meaning De La Cruz excels as a player who can hit for average, hit for power, field, throw, and run. His favorite aspect of the game is setting the base paths on fire.

Through the Main Street pop-up program, entrepreneurs can rent a space on Cincinnati's Main Street for as short as three months. 3CDC is working with urban sites and a private developer to fill 25 to 30 vacant storefronts. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and 3CDC has set aside $250,000 to help with build-out expenses.

There's around $110,000 in scholarships up for grabs for youth who volunteer to help veterans in their communities. “Anything you can think of that’s of service to veterans and their families, whether it’s raking leaves, cleaning a gutter, painting a barn, simply mowing the grass or spending some time with a veteran and giving his caregiver some respite," Minter said. The DAV gives out 10 scholarships every year to youth who give back to veterans with at least 100 hours of volunteering.

After 29 people were shot over the span of the last 10 days in Cincinnati, city leaders shared plans to reduce gun violence, in part through funding increases from the proposed 2024-2025 budget. “Everybody’s very upset. I mean, it’s maddening," said Cincinnati Vice Mayor, Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney. Nine of those shootings happened over the weekend. Meanwhile, city leaders have been working to finalize the 2024-2025 biennial budget.

Mason City Council today approved a $15 million incentive to help fund a $150 million expansion of the Lindner Family Tennis Center. But it could be months before the city knows whether its approach will retain the Western Southern Open long term. The Mason incentives are intended to join a $25 million commitment from the state of Ohio and $10.5 million from Warren County to convince Beemok Capital Group not to move the prestigious tennis event to Charlotte.

On Friday, a Cincinnati parking enforcement officer told dispatchers he was shot at in West Price Hill after asking a driver to move a vehicle blocking the street. Three bullets hit the side of his car, but the officer was not hurt, police said. On Sunday afternoon, Cincinnati police said a 14-year-old fired a gun at an officer while running from police in Westwood. The officer was not hurt and did not fire back, according to CPD; the teen was later arrested. Sunday night, a man was arrested after allegedly firing dozens of rounds at officers while barricading inside a home in East Price Hill. No officers were injured in that incident either.

A man is in custody after firing shots at police in East Price Hill while barricading himself in a home with his wife, Cincinnati police said. Police were called to a home on Drott Avenue around 7 p.m. Sunday. Investigators said 39-year-old Paul Mitchell fired dozens of rounds at police after barricading himself inside the home with his wife: https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/cpd-shots-fired-at-police-in-east-price-hill

Meet Philippe Laine, an artist selling works at Summerfair 2023 at Coney Island.

A Cincinnati Parking Enforcement Officer nearly escaped being shot Friday evening in West Price Hill. The office told 911 that he was instructing another man to move his vehicle out of the street when the shooter got mad at him and began shooting.

Just two days after four people, including two teens and a 10-year-old, were hurt in a drive-by shooting in broad daylight in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval is speaking about the recent rash of violent crime in the city's neighborhoods.

Since August 2022, WCPO has been reporting on issues people have faced as a result of Altafiber's installation of fiber optic cables. The Tignor's in Cold Spring, Kentucky, are just one of the families affected.

A man's $4,000 estimate turns into a final repair bill for $8,000. Can repair shops do this? What are your rights?

After about two and a half hours of public comment and debate, the Cincinnati Planning Commission voted 6 to 1 against giving the former Hoffman School a historic designation. The issue isn't settled yet, since that commission is just one step in the process, but the community feels divided over it.

A 21-year-old man is in the hospital after getting shot while driving in Westwood Investigators said the man was shot in the back around 2 a.m. while driving on Harrison Avenue near Roberts Avenue. He then fled to his family's home on Westknoll to get help before he was transported to the hospital.

A busy South Fairmount intersection has reopened after being closed for more than an hour due to a SWAT situation, Cincinnati police said. Traffic is now flowing on Queen City Avenue and Westwood Avenue. Investigators said a SWAT team was called because a woman having a mental health crisis barricaded herself inside the home and claimed she had guns.