18-hour Relay for Life kicks off at school

BLUE ASH - The American Cancer Society will sponsor a fund-raiser called Relay for Life at the Sycamore Junior High School at 6 p.m. today, which will continue through today and conclude Saturday at noon.

The 18-hour event will raise money through a walk and other means.

Volunteers are formed into different teams that compete against each other in the amount of money raised, with each team sponsoring a different fund-raising booth.

There will also be performances from local bands.

A candlelit ceremony will honor lives lost to cancer and celebrate those who beat cancer.

All proceeds go to benefit the American Cancer Society.

Mason agrees to allow emergency sewer link

MASON - A divided City Council agreed this week to allow an emergency connection to the city's sewer system should Warren County's service to the Rosemont subdivision in Deerfield Township fail.

This would allow the flow to go into the city's service for a short time instead of possibly backing up into homes.

Residents in those homes have complained to county officials in the past about such issues.

The vote was 4-3 in favor of allowing the connection in emergency situations.

Those councilmen against the ordinance said they had concerns that the connection would be abused.

They were worried that this was setting a bad precedent for subdivisions that refused annexation into the city.

Financial deal could add 75 Monroe jobs

MONROE - Seventy-five new jobs could come to this Butler County city under a seven-year tax abatement proposed by City Council this week.

Dealer Specialties Inc. of Middletown, which provides computer support to the Auto Trader magazines and 10,000 car dealerships, was offered financial help to construct a new 20,000-square-foot office for 75 full-time employees on Overbrook Boulevard, said Jay Stewart, city development director. The company now employs 35, said George Nenni, vice president and general manager.

Nenni said he expects the Monroe action to spur a matching offer from Middletown City Council.

Nenni said he wants to make a relocation decision by September.