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Christa Criddle of the Ohio Auditor’s Southwest Ohio Regional Liaison office presents the Auditor of State Award with Distinction to Deerfield Township Fiscal Officer John Wahle. Also pictured are Deerfield Township trustees, from left, Pete Patterson, Chris Romano and Dan Corey. Photo provided

Ohio Auditor Dave Yost’s office this month honored Deerfield Township with the Auditor of State Award with Distinction for good financial record-keeping.

The award is bestowed on local governments and school districts upon completion of a financial audit that meets the criteria for a “clean” audit report.

Among the criteria considered are filing timely reports and a lack of errors, citations, questioned costs and deficiencies.

About 2,900 audits are eligible for the Auditor of State Award each year. Less than 11 percent of those organizations receive the Auditor of State award and only about one percent earn the Auditor of State Award with Distinction, according to the state auditor’s office.

Christa Criddle, a representative of the Auditor’s Southwest Ohio Regional Liaison office, presented Deerfield Township Fiscal Officer John R. Wahle with the award at the township’s March 5 board of trustees meeting.

Wahle is a three-time recipient of audit report awards from the Government Finance Officers Association.

Posted in: Deerfield Twp., News |

Tags: Tags: audit, auditor, auditor of state award, dave yost, deerfield township, john wahle, ohio, with distinction

Police say Mindy Messina, of Amelia, entered the Deerfield Township Waffle House on Dec. 17 and pretended to be an auditor for the company before robbing the store. Photo provided

A CrimeStoppers tip led to the arrest of an Amelia woman who reportedly robbed a Deerfield Township Waffle House this week after claiming to be an auditor for the company, the Warren County Sheriff’s Office said.

Mindy L. Messina. Photo/Warren County Sheriff’s Dept.

Mindy L. Messina, 37, has been charged with theft and booked in the Warren County Jail.

Messina allegedly entered the Waffle House at 9725 Mason-Montgomery Road in Deerfield Township at 2:45 a.m. Monday and told employees she was an “auditor” for the restaurant and began to inspect the premises, said Warren County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandon Lacy.

Messina allegedly stayed in the restaurant for about 45 minutes before asking an employee to print out the evening’s sales and open the cash register. She then accessed the register, took cash and fled the store, according to police.

Tips from CrimeStoppers led police to Messina, who confessed to taking the money from the Waffle House, said Lacy. Messina also confessed to a similar offense at a convenience store in Elsmere, Ky., he said.

Charges have been filed in Mason Municipal Court on the Waffle House theft. Charges are pending in the Elsmere incident.

Posted in: Crime, Deerfield Twp., News |

Tags: Tags: auditor, deerfield township, fake, mindy messina, pretend, robbery, waffle house

Former Arkansas governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mike Huckabee will speak to supporters of Issue 2 Friday in Mason.

Huckabee will headline the “Yes on Issue 2″ pancake breakfast at the Manor House in Mason.  The event is hosted by the Warren County Republication Party and Building a Better Ohio.

Issue 2 is a petition-driven referendum to repeal Senate Bill 5, a collective bargaining overhaul that limited the ability of public workers to negotiate for wages, working conditions and pension benefits.

The national Value Voter Bus tour, with former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, will also make a stop at the event, said Lori Viars, a board member of the Warren County GOP.

Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel, a 2012 GOP U.S. Senate candidate, and state auditor Dave Yost are also expected at the breakfast.

Breakfast registration is closed, but supporters can attend a post-breakfast rally at the bus at around 9:30 a.m.

The Manor House is at 7440 Mason-Montgomery Road.  For breakfast information, go to www.betterohio.org.  For information on the Value Voter bus, go to www.frcaction.org.

Posted in: Events, Political events |

Tags: Tags: arkansas, auditor, building a better ohio, dave yost, governor, josh mandel, ken blackwell, manor house, mason, mike huckabee, ohio, pancake breakfast, presidential candidate, sb5, senate bill 5, senator, value voters bus, warren county republican party, yes on issue 2