Latest reporting from the Public Safety desk.
Hamilton County Public Health Director Dr. Stephen Feagins urges residents to get flu shots before Halloween, citing a two-week lag for the vaccine to take effect and last season's record surge that pushed local hospitals to capacity.
Public Safety
ODOT says I-71 flooding near Ridge Avenue is a "new phenomenon" caused by upstream erosion on private or city-owned land, not the agency's own drainage, and is working with Cincinnati to find the source — a distinct problem from the east-side sewer failures that have hit Hyde Park and Oakley residents this summer.
Public Safety
East-side residents still without power after Tuesday's storms face key deadlines: SNAP food replacement benefits must be filed by Aug. 21, and curbside debris removal through 311 ends Friday, Aug. 14.
Public Safety
A massive tree pulled down power lines on Harrow Avenue in Oakley late Tuesday night, sparking an explosion that blocked families from leaving their street until Duke Energy crews cleared the debris Wednesday.
Public Safety
More than 59,000 Hamilton County customers remained without power Wednesday morning after Tuesday's severe storms triggered a transformer explosion on Ault Park Avenue and downed lines across Hyde Park and Mount Lookout, with Duke Energy warning of extended outages and no restoration timeline.
Public Safety
Cincinnati City Council approved a restricted cannabis tax fund for communities harmed by marijuana criminalization, blocked emergency passage of the Chronic Nuisance Ordinance after Black business owners pushed back, and doubled the East Side flood relief fund to $2 million at its Aug. 11 session.
Public Safety
Hamilton County's overdose deaths dropped from 570 in 2017 to 194 in 2025, drawing delegates from more than seven countries to study the coalition model that includes Cincinnati Police District 2, which covers Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout.
Public Safety
Hamilton County Coroner Dr. Lakshmi Sammarco ruled Aug. 11 that 7-year-old William Evans-Ellis died of blunt force trauma to the head, also revealing a fractured arm and numerous bruises. A grand jury is scheduled to hear the case against his mother and two roommates on Aug. 17.
Public Safety
Oakley's year-to-date crime increase has moderated from 41% to 31%, with the most recent 28-day period showing a 30% drop in incidents, but the neighborhood has now recorded two homicides in 2026 after zero in all of 2025.
Public Safety
Hamilton County Auditor Jessica E. Miranda warns Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout residents about an AI-generated YouTube video falsely claiming a federal property tax freeze exists for seniors, directing them to request a nonexistent form from their county auditor.
Public Safety
Kianna McMeans, 38, of East Price Hill faces child endangering and obstructing official business charges after police say she used children to shoplift from Dick's Sporting Goods at Kenwood Towne Centre, then fled officers and crashed with the kids still in the car.
Public Safety
All three women charged with murdering 7-year-old William Evans at a Madison Road home in Oakley pleaded not guilty Saturday as the boy's grandmother revealed he had autism and ADHD and was isolated from family for nine months before his death.
Public Safety
Butler County Prosecutor Mike Gmoser disputes the Bunnell family's claim that upgrading Kirby Rankin's January assault charges to felonies would have kept him jailed and prevented 7-year-old William Evans's death in Oakley.
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