Compiled By Jennifer Edwards
The Cincinnati Enquirer

A New York Times Television traffic documentary featuring a 60-minute segment on Butler/Warren congestion will air at 8 and 11 p.m. Tuesday on Discovery-Times Channel.

The channel is available in Greater Cincinnati to subscribers of Warner Cable's digital service on Channel 139.

Called Nowhere, Fast! the documentary mostly focuses on the national traffic epidemic, with about 250 million citizens owning 216 million cars.

In January, a New York Times Television crew shadowed Liberty Township commuter Carol Bross McMahon as she traveled from her house next to a horse farm on Maud Hughes Road to Interstate 75 and the Norwood Lateral to her job in Oakley.

They also rode along with her as she ran errands in Liberty and West Chester townships on a busy Saturday morning along traffic-choked Tylersville Road.

Glen Brand, the Midwest regional representative of the Sierra Club, also gave the crew a tour of Butler and Warren counties, particularly West Chester and Liberty townships.

Brand said the crew honed in on the Michael A. Fox Highway and the intersection of Cox Road at Tylersville Road because the arteries depict rapid, sprawling development in Butler County.

The crew also filmed in Georgia, Texas, California and New York City.

Jennifer Edwards

Bottoms up: West Chester Township likely will see beer served for the first time at this year's Freedom Fest.

Next year, however, something a little stronger could be available.

Beer companies aren't the only vendors who have offered to sponsor the two-day Fourth of July celebration at Voice of America Park.

Jack Daniel's also has expressed interest - in exchange, of course, for having their fruity wine coolers promoted and sold at the event, according to township officials.

But West Chester trustees agreed to just look into having beer at this year's festival and see how that goes before even considering serving anything else.

"We'll work up to that," Administrator Dave Gully quipped.

Jennifer Edwards

Lawsuit lands with a thud: What kind of lawsuit takes 26 pages just to list the defendants?

One filed this week in Butler County Common Pleas Court, naming the Butler County Commissioners and a passel of other parties. Four plaintiffs - Ronald and Michelle Turner and C. David and Karen S. Taylor - name 164 defendants, including homeowners, home builders, banks and mortgage companies.

At issue: the extension of Randall Drive in the Country Oaks subdivision of Liberty Township. The plaintiffs want to prevent the commissioners "from recognizing or establishing a public right of way" through the plaintiffs' property. They argue there was no properly approved easement through their property. Therefore, the plaintiffs say "all lot owners and mortgages" named in the suit should be prevented from accessing their lots through their property.

Roger Gates, an assistant prosecutor representing the county commissioners in the suit, said he thought the matter was already addressed in a previous case. Gates also said he is concerned about the disruption that will be caused by "dragging all of these property owners into this."

There's no word on how long it might take to serve all parties with notice of the case. And because Hamilton doesn't yet have a convention center, it's unclear what venue might be large enough to accommodate the 164 defendants, and their lawyers.

Judge Patricia Oney is assigned. Wish her luck.

Janice Morse

Send insider news and tips to Jennifer Edwards at jedwards@enquirer.com, fax to 755-4150 or call 755-4147.