Can you hear Warren County workers now? It depends if they can find a landline.

Warren County commissioners did not act on the water department's request this week for four cellphones so field workers could call when they were paged.

Not every county employee needed a cellphone, commissioners agreed.

Commissioner Pat South even wants the county, over the next couple of months, to look into how many employees are carrying a cellphone, pager or two-way radio - or all three.

In a time of "cost containment," she said, she questioned whether everyone that had the communication technology really needed it.

"We need to get a better handle on this," she said.

They also declined another request for more voicemail boxes, saying it's better for callers to talk to a live person than be bounced from recording to recording.

Erica Solvig

E-check still a pain, but ... : A Butler County Clerk of Courts satellite office on Wednesday became a "one-stop shop" for area motorists, says Cindy Carpenter, clerk of courts.

Her West Chester Township location, on Smith Road, became one of eight Ohio sites to try offering deputy registrar and title services in one office.

That means drivers will be able to get titles, license plates, drivers' licenses and registrations all in one office, Carpenter said. Eventually, the program is expected to spread statewide.

It wasn't done before because of problems inherent in meshing a county program - titling - with a state one - licensing and registration, Carpenter said.

"It just makes sense to go to one place to get all of your vehicle transactions completed. We have created a true one-stop shop in West Chester - and we're half a block away from E-check," Carpenter said, adding: "If you don't like E-check but you have to get it, you don't want to drive too far."

Janice Morse

Tense times: Ever since a pair of Butler County judges ordered Clerk of Courts Cindy Carpenter to remove domestic relations case information from her Internet site, tensions have been palpable, she says.

A few days ago, her office's listing disappeared from the building directory next to the main public elevators on the second floor. That means people seeking records that were taken offline might have a harder time finding Carpenter's office to get those records.

The apparent act of vandalism shows "there is a lot of hatred underneath this whole issue that I don't understand," Carpenter says.

For the record, Carpenter's office hasn't gone anywhere. It's still on the building's fifth floor. And her office's listing on the building directory is expected to be restored soon, Carpenter said.

Janice Morse

New public official: Liberty Township's new clerk, Roger Reynolds, was sworn in at Monday's trustee meeting.

Reynolds, 33, will complete the term of former Clerk Barb Jones, who quit earlier this year for personal reasons.

She was up for re-election this fall.

So far, Reynolds is the only candidate for clerk, who is responsible for all the accounting and finance activities of the township and recording minutes of trustee meetings.

Reynolds, a native of West Chester, graduated from Lakota High School and lives in Liberty.

He is a financial analyst with Xetron, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, a major defense contractor.

He also is a licensed certified public accountant.

He previously has served on the township's zoning board and still is a member of the finance committee, which is headed up by the clerk, so now he'll have to swap positions.

"Getting involved with Liberty Township is a great opportunity," Reynolds said.

"There is a lot going on. There is tremendous growth and being able to be a part of it and see firsthand how the township is going to evolve is pretty important.

As a resident, he says he is concerned that the township have controlled, "positive" growth.

"Making sure our infrastructure stays in line with the growth is a big challenge," he said. "With growth, you have to make sure we have adequate resources to cover those items."

Jennifer Edwards

GOP fund-raiser: The Warren County Republican Party Ways and Means Committee will hold its annual Beef and Corn Roast Dinner from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Aug 23 at the Lebanon High School cafeteria.

The dinner is the party's major fund-raising event of the year. Ticket "donations" are $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $3.75 for children ages 6 through 12 and free for children ages 5 and under.

Tickets can be purchased at the door or at Republican headquarters, 15 Cincinnati Ave., Lebanon. Or call 932-6089.

Jennifer Edwards

E-mail: jedwards@enquirer.com