MasonBuzz.com

Cindi Andrews reports:

Local home prices prices rose last month as sales continued to show strong growth and inventory continued to lag.

Median prices increased 6.6 percent in April in Southwest Ohio vs. April 2012 and 4 percent in Northern Kentucky, according to local Realtors groups.

Southwest Ohio sales saw a 24.1 percent increase in sales from April 2012, with 1,919 closings, according to the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors. That’s in spite of the fact that the number of homes for sale was down 15.3 percent, with 10,148 listings as of April 30.

In Northern Kentucky, 469 homes sold, a 17.25 percent increase over year-ago numbers, the Northern Kentucky Association of Realtors reported.

Low inventory continues to limit sales in Northern Kentucky, according to the association, with listings down 5.9 percent vs. April 2012 even though 914 homes were listed in April — the most in a single month since March 2011.

Nationwide, April home sales were up 9.7  percent from April 2012, and on a seasonally adjusted basis were up 0.6 percent from March.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, cincinnati area board of realtors, home sales, real estate, southwest ohio

William Batchelder (left) and Armond Budish (center) will once again be part of the leadership in the Ohio House of Representatives. / AP file photo

Paul E. Kostyu reports:

The new General Assembly convenes today – and there’s nary a Southwest Ohioan in GOP leadership, which controls both chambers. That’s a big change.

Southwest Ohio Republicans and Democrats have had leading roles in both the Ohio Senate and House for decades.

In the last two-year session, Southwest Ohio Republicans held three key spots – Senate president, senate majority whip and speaker pro tempore in the House, which is second in command.

The region’s only surviving leader is Sen. Eric H. Kearney of North Avondale, the top Democrat as minority leader, a post he’s held for two years.

Does this mean anything? Some people think so.

• Interactive: Ohio’s geography of power

“This is something we should worry about,” former Senate President Stanley J. Aronoff told The Enquirer.

What does having people from the Greater Cincinnati Metropolitan area in leadership positions mean? Well, money, for one. Lots of it.

(more…)

Posted in: News, Ohio |

Tags: Tags: democrat, eric kearney, general assembly, gop, government, keith faber, ohio, republican, southwest ohio, stanley aronoff, tom niehaus

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

Mason is among six Southwest Ohio school districts to be named to the third annual Advanced Placement District Honor Roll by the College Board.

The greater Cincinnati districts are among 37 districts in Ohio and 539 across the United States and Canada to earn the honor. Districts winning a spot on the honor roll increased access to AP courses while increasing the percentage of students earning a score of three or higher on a five-point scale and whose percentage of minority students taking the exam either increased or remained the same.

Colleges typically grant credit to high school students scoring a three or higher on the exams.

The number of AP tests taken by Ohio public high school students grew 6.7 percent last year and 35.6 percent during the past five years according to date released by the College Board.

Those students scoring high enough to qualify for college credit grew by 9.2 percent last year and 43.2 percent in the past years.

African American students passing the exams grew by 24.4 percent last year and 61.6 percent in the last five years, according to the College Board.

The greater Cincinnati districts to make this year’s honor roll were: Indian Hill and Madeira in Hamilton County; Lakota and Talawanda, in Butler County; Milford, in Clermont County; and Mason, in Warren County.

“I commend our schools for actively helping to raise awareness of advanced placement courses and exams and commend Ohio students for taking advantage of the opportunity that has been afforded to them,” said Michael Sawyers, Ohio’s acting superintendent of public Instruction said.

“Earning college credit while still in high school gives students a head start when they enroll in college.”

Posted in: Schools |

Tags: Tags: advanced placement, ap honor roll, college board, mason high school, mason schools, southwest ohio

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Expect plenty of rain this weekend with 2 to 3 inches falling through Monday.

Snow flurries and severe weather are not in the forecast, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Temperatures will be mild for this time of year, in the mid-to-upper 50s. Overnight lows will only fall down to 50 or the upper 40s.

It’s 45 degrees this morning at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Today’s high will top out around 55.

The rain, part of an unsettled weather pattern from the south, comes as our region is down more than 5 inches from normal levels.

Typically at this point in the year, 39.70 inches have fallen. Just over 34 inches have been recorded at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

It has been unusually wet month so far. A solid inch already has fallen, about double the normal precipitation level.

Last year was much wetter. At this point, CVG had recorded 69.93 inches.

Looking ahead to next week, the rain will move out by Tuesday morning as colder weather settles in and sticks around. Daytime highs will be in the 30s and 40s with overnight lows in the 20s

Posted in: News, Weather |

Tags: Tags: national weather service, rain, southwest ohio, weather, weekend

Guests relax on the Splash River at the Kings Island Soak City waterpark in Mason on Thursday, July 26, 2012. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor

Lisa Bernard-Kuhn reports:

Posted in: Business, News, Warren County |

Tags: Tags: cincinnati usa regional tourism network, economy, greater cincinnati, jobs, southwest ohio, tourism

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Posted in: News, Weather |

Tags: Tags: cold, national weather service, snow, southwest ohio, weather, wintry

Paul E. Kostyu reports:

Newly elected 1st District Court of Appeals judge and Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Pat DeWine is one of 13 candidates for an opening on the Ohio Supreme Court.

Five of those 13 are from Southwest Ohio and include two other appellate court judges, a common pleas judge and a Cincinnati attorney.

DeWine, of Hyde Park and the son of Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, applied for the appointment to the court to replace Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton. She announced her retirement in May, effective at the end of the year, so she can devote more time to issues related to mental health, adoption and veterans support.

There are two years remaining on her six-year term. Her replacement, who will be appointed by Gov. John R. Kasich, would face voters in 2014 to remain on the bench for a full term.

Pat DeWine could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Other Southwest Ohio applicants for the job included:

• Judge Patrick Francis Fischer of the Cincinnati-based 1st District Court of Appeals. The Pleasant Ridge resident is also president of the board of the Ohio State Bar Association. Fischer could not be reached for comment.

• Judge Victor Haddad, 51, is one of five judges of the Clermont County Common Pleas Court, which is based in Batavia.

“I’m a dreamer,” said the Pierce Township resident about his interest in the position. “You have to seize the opportunity.”

• Charles M. Miller lives in Indian Hill and is a partner in the Cincinnati law firm Keating Muething & Klekamp.

Miller, 36, clerked for Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor and said he has “a lot of experience with members of the court.” Miller said he’s argued about 15 cases before the seven justices.

• Judge Robert Paul Ringland lives in Batavia and serves on the 12th District Court of Appeals, which is based in Middletown and includes Clermont, Butler and Warren counties in its eight-county district.

(more…)

Posted in: News, Ohio |

Tags: Tags: charles m. miller, hamilton county common pleas, judge, ohio supreme court, pat dewine, patrick francis fisher, robert cupp, robert ringland, southwest ohio, victor haddad, yvette mcgee brown

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

After another cold start this morning, the weekend forecast features a warm-up and dry spell that will last through the Thanksgiving holiday.

It’s 28 degrees at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. There will be lots of sun later with the high temperature reaching 50 degrees, right about normal for this time of year.

Tonight will be clear with a low of 32.

The mercury will gradually warm this weekend and over the next several days. Expect plenty of sun and highs in the mid-to-upper 50s.

Overnight lows will remain in the 30s.

A lack of major weather system moving into our region will keep conditions dry.

By Wednesday, high temperatures will hit the 60-degree mark and stay there for Thanksgiving on Thursday.

Black Friday shoppers will have to brave brisk temperatures in the low 40s as stores throw open their doors with holiday sales Thursday night and early Friday.

Friday’s high should reach 59 degrees.

Posted in: News, Weather |

Tags: Tags: national weather service, southwest ohio, warm, weather, weekend

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Grab an umbrella and coat as you head out the door this morning.

After two days of near-record heat, temperatures across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky will fall throughout the day. Rain also will set in as a strong cold front advances from the northwest, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

At 5 a.m. it was 62 degrees at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Temperatures will slide into the 50s by lunchtime and plunge into the upper 40s by 5 p.m.

There’s a 60 percent chance for showers, mainly after 4 p.m.

The rain will continue tonight through 11 a.m. Saturday with wind gusts topping 24 mph. About three-fourths of an inch of rain is possible.

The overnight low will be 42 degrees.

(more…)

Posted in: News, Weather |

Tags: Tags: chilly, cold, cold front, national weather service, rain, showers, southwest ohio, weather

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

Janice Morse contributed to this story.

Posted in: News, Weather |

Tags: Tags: chill, forecast, national weather service, rain, southwest ohio, warm weater, weather