Protesters picket outside the Springfield Township Administration Building before a January trustee meeting to protest the creation of a joint economic development zone that, if approved in May, would create an earnings tax for anyone working in the township. / Jennie Key/Community Press

Last year, The Enquirer asked leaders of Southwest Ohio’s 15 largest communities – including Deerfield Township and Mason – how much they anticipated spending in 2013 and what else residents might expect.

A year later, we found out if they came in on budget and their forecasts for the coming year.

Most report they’re in better shape now than they were a year ago, when communities – particularly townships – were reeling from a series of cuts by the state to local governments. Delhi Township has weathered a 70 percent cut to its general fund – the fund that pays for day-to-day operations – from 2011 to 2013. Other townships saw their revenues slashed by more than half.

For many of these communities the figure includes money that passes through the township to local school districts.

Deerfield Township

• Projected spending: $60,706,249

• Actual spending: $61,944,375

• Difference: $1,238,126 more

Deerfield Township spent about $1.2 million more than it had budget ed last year, but not for any one reason, Fiscal Officer John Wahle said. With passage last fall of a 10-year parks levy, the township will fill three or four park department vacancies this year, said Administrator Bill Becker, who also hopes to open the community’s new $4.9 million fire station in September.

Township residents can also expect the continued widening of Irwin-Simpson Road this year, which will continue into 2016. Otherwise the township is “holding the line,” said Becker. One thing affecting the budget are winter storms, Becker said. Deerfield has already tapped into money earmarked for snow and ice removal for next winter to deal with this winter, Becker said.

Mason

• Projected spending: $74,047,299

• Actual spending: $71,800,000

• Difference: $2,247,299 less

Mason spent less because the community “always underestimates revenues and overestimates spending,” said Mason spokeswoman Jennifer Trepal. But next year Mason plans to increase spending 18 percent over 2013, from $74 million to $87.4 million. The extra funds will restore a parks maintenance program, sets aside money for Mason’s 2015 bicentennial, creates a new position in the service department and reissues some short-term debt to build a $5 million public works garage by next winter.

Anderson Township

• Projected spending: $34,294,549

• Actual spending: $32,936,824

• Difference: $1,357,725 less

Trimming costs where possible last year, Anderson Township’s true savings amounted to about $400,000, according to Fiscal Officer Ken Dietz, because $1 million of its savings represents the cost of a public works project planned for last year but postponed. This year, the community will focus on maintaining fire, police, public works and road services while continuing to seek new residents and businesses. “We are being frugal,” Dietz said. “Increasing the tax base is the way we are going to generate more money.”

There is a handful of residential and commercial projects that continue to be discussed and considered, including a proposed 900-unit Villages of PeterGreen near the ColdStream Country Club and a new racino, Dietz said. Anderson will invest some money this year on development of the community’s waterfront and government campus, he added.

Cincinnati

• Projected spending: $1,471,000,000

• Actual spending: Could not provide

• Difference: Can’t be calculated

A lot has changed in Cincinnati since last year. The city, which has five times as many residents as the second-largest community in the region, has a new mayor, some new council members and an interim city manager, and its priorities have shifted. Last year the plan was to lease the city’s parking assets or lay off more than 300 employees. Neither happened.

On Thursday, Councilman Charlie Winburn, budget committee chairman, released a proposed balanced budget for next year, which in Cincinnati now means July 1 to June 30. Earlier projections showed the city facing an at least $18.5 million deficit, but Winburn has proposed $28 million in cuts, including furloughs or pay cuts for city staff and an estimated 30 to 40 layoffs. City departments would see cuts of 7-10 percent under Winburn’s plan. While police and fire staff wouldn’t be touched, their departments would see a combined cut of more than $12.5 million a year. Winburn has also suggested appointing a business group to study financing the city-owned Southern Railway and Cincinnati Water Works to provide a $300 million revenue stream.

City spokewoman Meg Olberding said the city could not provide actual spending figures for 2013 at this time, because the 2013-2014 fiscal year doesn’t end until June 30.

Colerain Township

• Projected spending: $31,535,878

• Actual spending: $30,222,154

• Difference: $1,313,724 less

Colerain spent $1 million less than it had earlier projected, but much of the savings represent money held over until this year for projects initially budgeted for 2013, including burying utilities at the corner of Springdale Road and Colerain Avenue and constructing a fence and completing landscaping improvements around the Colerain Avenue-Interstate 275 interchange.

Voters will be asked to approve a 1.95 mill police levy in May. “We have stretched our resources as far as they can go,” Administrator James Rowan said. With the loss of 13 sheriff’s deputies in 2012, the township relied on volunteer officers but has added three paid police officers for 2014 and 2015.

Delhi Township

• Projected 2013 spending: $17,499,904

• Actual 2013 spending: $15,654,980

• Difference: $1,844,924 less

Delhi Township was able to shave $1.8 million from its spending, with savings spread across most of its departments. Residents approved a fire levy that should last at least 5 years but turned down a parks levy. Voters will be asked in May to replenish funds for the police department with a 5-year, 2.49-mill police levy that will cost $87 more per $100,000 in home value.

Money will be tight in 2014, said Township Administrator Pete Landrum. The biggest change: how the township budgets its money, he said. Department budgets now include money for IT, maintenance, human resources and accounting. Previously that money had come out of the general fund and hadn’t been tracked as well as it could have been, Landrum said. Another change this year is a reversal on increased shelter and senior center fees. Many communities have increased fees, but the feeling in Delhi is that lower costs will attract more people and ultimately more revenue.

Fairfield

• Projection spending: $63,173,879

• Actual spending: $68,152,994

• Difference: $4,979,115 more

Fairfield spent nearly $5 million more than anticipated to cover the city’s capital improvement program, according to Fiscal Officer Mary Hopton. The city plans to spend about 5.9 percent more in 2014. “Tighter up-front” costs in 2013 and 2014 means it’s “unlikely that the same level … will be added back to the respective funds at the end of 2014,” according to an explanation of the budget on Fairfield’s website.

The community, which offers its residents aquatics and arts centers, a golf course and 300 acres of parks as well as water and sewer service, continues to focus on paying down debt to construct such amenities.

Green Township

• Projected spending: $41,121,125

• Actual spending: $35,590,458

• Difference: $5,530,677 less

Green Township found savings in its earlier budget with a less expensive medical insurance plan for employees, lower costs from the relatively mild weather in 2013 and cuts wherever possible, Administrator Kevin Celarek said. Township police got a boost from voters, who overwhelmingly supported a safety service renewal levy in November. There are two major road projects planned for this year – one on Rybolt Road and the other on Harrison Avenue – whose expenses are to be shared by the township and the state.

 Hamilton

• Projected spending: $306,629,578

• Actual spending: $253,000,000*

• Difference: Not calculated because actual spending is estimated.

* Represents spending in all city funds; however, some of the costs to maintain and improve the city’s utilities may not be included. Spending is higher than $253 million but less than $306 million, the best estimate the community could provide in time for publication.

Hamilton avoided the $3.3 million deficit it faced last year, coming in substantially under budget. To do so, it closed a fire station, laid off five firefighters and allowed the Butler County Sheriff’s Office to handle emergency dispatch, doing away with its own dispatch center.

Hamilton spends more than most communities because it is one of the few cities that provides its residents with public utilities, including gas, electricity, water and waste removal, which also bring in revenue. The city continues to focus on renovating its downtown and adding features to existing assets like the cultural center, retail and residential spaces and a riverfront amphitheater.

Liberty Township

• Projected spending: $19,828,557

• Actual spending: $19,868,203

• Difference: $40,000 more

Liberty Township spent about $40,000 more than officials originally anticipated. Last year officials said the township was “in maintenance mode” with no township-led projects or changes in spending planned. Residents will be asked to renew a 5-year, 3 mill police levy in May.

The township led the region with the most new housing permits last year at 255 – nearly double 2012, according to the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati and township officials. All sorts of permits were up last year, said Administrator Kristin Bitonte.

Miami Township

• Projection spending: $47,321,103

• Actual spending: $32,758,525

• Difference: $14,562,578 less

The township includes money carried over, year to year, in its appropriations, so its actual savings are far smaller than $14.6 million, said Administrator Larry Fronk. In 2013 the township signed a tax increment financing deal with AIM-MRO, which works extensively with GE Aviation and has purchased the former Hill Top Research property to build at least a $3.5 million research facility. The TIF agreement – one of many in the township – will allow Miami Township to finance infrastructure improvements around the property.

Middletown

• Projected spending: $137,873,413

• Actual spending: $124,115,259

• Difference: $13,758,154 less

Middletown spent less, cutting budgets midyear last year, and plan to reduce spending again in 2014 by laying off 21 employees and cutting Community Center, TV Middletown and Keep Middletown Beautiful budgets by 20 percent. The eliminated positions include nine city-paid firefighters, six grant-funded firefighters, four staff members in community revitalization and one in finance. Even then the city is expected to spend $880,000 more than it brings in this year, but cuts in 2014 and 2015 should put the city on track by 2016, according to a budget presentation. The city will focus on $5 million in street improvements and aesthetic upgrades near the entrance to Middletown off of Interstate 75.

Springfield Township

• Projected spending: $21,121,045

• Actual spending: $17,486,385.33

• Difference: $3,634,659.67 less

Springfield Township has spent several months arguing for the creation of a joint economic development zone encompassing the entire township, taxing every employee and business 1.5 percent of their earnings, including schools, parks and in some cases, churches. Trustees say it’s the only way to keep up with township expenses in light of state cuts without slashing public services like police, fire and road maintenance. Voters will be asked to approve the zone in May. Nevertheless, the township continued to trim wherever possible last year, said Administrator Mike Hinnenkamp. Much of the savings is actually attributed to injuries and illness of seven to eight police officers who were paid through worker’s compensation or disability.

Union Township

• Projected spending: $25,943,059

• Actual spending: $67,320,263.87

• Difference: Incalculable

Union Township, the largest community in Clermont County, provided a much higher appropriations figure, explaining the “majority of difference is our long-term debt and the yearly sale of the notes related to the financing of that debt. The state auditors wanted these transactions to be posted in the accounting software and in the appropriations and not just the financial report as I had previously reported it,” said Fiscal Officer Ron Campbell. Requests for further explanations were not returned.

West Chester Township

• Projected spending: $50,351,641*

• Actual spending: $46,141,670

• Difference: $4,209,971 less

* The appropriation figure shared last year was $135,977,821, which included spending capacity from carryover and unspent tax increment financing revenues that were never intended to be spent. The figure was calculated by The Enquirer.

Spending up or down?

How did actual spending among Southwest Ohio’s 15 largest communities compare to their budget forecasts?

Butler County

• Fairfield Increase covered capital improvement program.
• Hamilton Spending estimated, but likely less than projected. Closed fire station, consolidated dispatch.
• Liberty Twp. Experienced strong growth in new housing permits.
• Middletown Employees laid off, including firefighters.
• West Chester Twp. Switched police shifts, changed fire and EMS dispatch, consolidated offices.

 Clermont County

•  Union Twp. Numbers not comparable because of state-ordered changes to auditing methods.
• Miami Twp. Savings seem larger because of carry-over funds.

 Hamilton County

• Anderson Twp. Most savings from postponed public works project.
• Cincinnati Fiscal year ends June 30; actual spending not available.
• Colerain Twp. Much savings from money held for projects postponed until 2014.
• Delhi Twp. Savings came across all departments.
• Green Twp. Saved thanks to mild weather, lower employee insurance costs.
• Springfield Twp. Trustees seeking joint economic development zone.

Warren County

• Deerfield Twp. Parks levy passed, new fire station on track.
• Mason Spending to increase 18 percent in 2014.

Chrissie Thompson reports:

Three conservative Southwest Ohio legislators failed to get the endorsement of the Ohio Republican Party on Friday – in two cases, because their colleagues in the Ohio House did not recommend them to the party.

The House Republican caucus sent over a list of incumbents for the party’s state central committee to endorse for re-election, party spokesman Chris Schrimpf said.

That list intentionally left out:

• Warren County’s Rep. Ron Maag, R-Salem Township

• Clermont County’s Rep. John Becker, R-Union Township.

A caucus spokesman did not immediately return a call requesting an explanation.

In addition, Warren County’s Rep. Peter Beck, R-Mason, has been indicted on 69 felony counts for fraud and corruption, and party Chairman Matt Borges therefore did not ask for his endorsement, Schrimpf said. Besides the three from Southwest Ohio, Rep. Ron Hood, R-Ashville, also failed to get an endorsement.

Members of the party’s central committee may motion to vote on names for endorsement besides those that were submitted by the House caucus, Schrimpf said, but no one made such a motion.

The Enquirer will update this story.

A cold day dawns on Friday. / Tony Jones / The Enquirer

The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a Winter Storm Watch late Saturday through Monday afternoon for the entire Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region.

A prolonged winter storm expected to bring a messy wintry mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and more than 6 inches of snow in and around downtown Cincinnati. Areas to the north in Butler and Warren counties could see as much as 9 inches to a foot of snow.

At this point, the heaviest sleet and then snow is expected to blanket the region Sunday night through morning rush hour Monday.

Travel difficulties are likely, especially early Monday, according to the weather service.

Daytime highs will be in the 30s and 40s this weekend with overnight lows in the 20s before falling into the teens Sunday night and most of Monday.

It’s quiet this morning but bitterly cold with a temperature of 12 degrees and a wind chill of minus 1 at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.

Wind chills will remain at zero or subzero and could fall to minus 10 through mid-morning, the weather service cautions.

If you need to go outside, dress in layers to combat the bitter cold.

Later, the high will make it past the freezing mark to the mid-30s under a mix of clouds and sun.

An inch of snow mixed with a slight chance of rain is in the forecast early Saturday through 3 p.m.

Sixth-graders Jared Green, left, and A.J. Beyerlein have their laptops opened to answer the questions in language arts class at Brookwood Elementary School in Hamilton, where almost all classes have some computer component. / The Enquirer/Tony Jones

Michael D. Clark reports:

Tiny Scarlett Mejia of Hamilton’s Brookwood Elementary loves playing video games.

She’s no different than scores of other kids who spend much of their spare time staring at a screen and coaxing characters from one level to the next in ever-expanding feats of derring-do.

Except she likes to do it in class.

The third-grader smiles big as she describes her new favorite, with a character who jumps ever higher toward the coveted winner’s flag with each of her correct answers.

“It makes it more fun and it teaches me multiplication,” Scarlett says. “With math in a (text) book all you do is read. When you play and learn math in a game, the game moves.”

Welcome to 21st century learning, where variations of the video games kids love to play are increasingly being used in their classrooms – with experts warning schools and parents to be wary of “learning games” that are more about games than learning.

“In the future, it’s not going to be how you teach your students, but how your students allow you to teach them,” says Brad Henry, director of learning technology for eStudent Services for the statewide Ohio Tech Consortium.

The learning games movement isn’t new. Indeed, it already counts among its advocates the most powerful voice in the country.

“I want you guys to be stuck on a video game that’s teaching you something other than just blowing something up,” President Barack Obama told America’s students in 2011.

Advocates stress quality, not action figures

Some educators and digital learning experts caution that the gaming software and academic principles taught to America’s students must be educationally sound – even as the trend continues to expand within the 63 school districts in Southwest Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

University of Cincinnati Assistant Professor Sarah Schroeder, the lead instructional designer for the Learning Design Collaborative in the UC College of Education, warns “there are a lot of bad learning games going on out there.”

“A lot of learning games out there are glorified flash cards. They are just memorization and repetition,” says Schroeder, who also coordinates the Leadership in Online Learning and Online Teaching and Learning graduate certification at the college.

And using the wrong learning games, or not properly reinforcing the academic subjects during other classroom time, can impede student learning, she says.

“If teachers are just giving students games and expect those to teach them, that is when you get bad outcomes,” says Schroeder.

Experts cautious about overuse, ‘gamification’

“Gamification” is one of those psychological ink-blot tests now buzzing through the digital learning community.

And the way digital learning advocates define gamification often defines their own philosophy toward learning games.

For some, it’s a negative term, says Schroeder, but it shouldn’t overshadow the strong upsides.

“It’s very engaging to students. It uses specific tasks and provides rewards and it provides teachers with individualized and instant feedback on each student, which is fantastic.”

Pam Theurer, principal of Brookwood, is a fan – with some qualifiers – of learning games.

Theurer, an education veteran of 22 years, says the number of games designed for classrooms began spiking about three years ago.

“(The games) have to be challenging. Students have to move on in the game program for accountability,” she says.

Henry says school parents should use the same criteria and monitor games for academic soundness, accountability in allowing children to advance in the game and age appropriateness when judging whether a learning game is right for a child.

Henry also cautions teachers and parents that “the prettier and flashier (a learning game) looks, the greater likelihood people will become enamored with it” whether it has merit or not.

Still, he decries the skepticism and lack of digital learning training among some educators, who cling to traditional textbook instruction with a few tech bells and whistles tossed in, he says.

Henry tells teachers “nothing will bore your students faster than a Power Point or overhead projection presentation and you talking them through it.

“ It’s like trying to get them to watch TV from the 1960s.”

Kings Schools in Warren County is among the area’s leaders in incorporating digital learning, including instructional games, in its classrooms.

Parent Denise Manderfield is a cautious supporter as long as it doesn’t contribute, she says, to a generation already wired to distraction.

“If teachers can use (learning games) to keep students learning and interested, then I’m for it,” says Manderfield.

“The downside is that so many kids have problems with attention and focus that (learning games) could contribute to kids’ short attention spans.”

And nothing can replace the one-on-one interaction of teacher to student, says Brian Martin, principal of Ross High School in Butler County.

“A computer can’t tell whether a student came to school hungry or angry or whether they had a fight with their parents or boyfriend. In our rush to force-feed technology into our schools, we have to make sure we haven’t forgotten about the human component,” says Martin.

“It’s like anything else, it needs to be done in moderation,” he says.

Theurer agreed, saying learning games “can’t be the only tool (teachers) use.”

“Human contact is still one of the most important things, and more kids still need a lot of human contact.”

What teachers think about learning games

According to an article at Games & Learning website, a national study of teachers in 2013 showed:

• 62 percent said it was their own comfort level with technology that was one of the biggest barriers to incorporating games and tech in the classroom.

• 68 percent of science teachers, 58 percent of math teachers, 54 percent of history/social studies teachers and 53 percent of English/language arts teachers are “very confident” in their ability to use the latest technology.

• 74 percent of teachers reported technology as “an exciting way of communicating with and motivating students.”

• 68 percent of teachers said their school or district offered some sort of technology training, and 32 percent had no such training.

Source: Games and Learning Publishing Council, produced by Joan Ganz Cooney Center with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates

Local educators recommend these learning game websites

A sampling of some of the many online learning game sites used by K-12 teachers.

Most of the websites are free, but some charge nominal prices for certain instructional games:

• pbskids.org/games

• spellingcity.com

• starfall.com

• mathfactcafe.com

• arcademics.com

• filamentgames.com

• ducksters.com

• mathplayground.com

(Source: University of Cincinnati,  Hamilton Schools)

2013 camp at Mason High School. Provided photo

Mason High School will be one of five Greater Cincinnati locations where the Cincinnati Reds will offer baseball and softball camps this summer.

Camps are being offered for the first time at Harrison High School and the soon-to-open Procter and Gamble Cincinnati MLB Urban Youth Academy in Roselawn.

Thirty hours of instruction are offered during the week-long camps are open to boys and girls of all ability levels between the ages of 6-14. Camp runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with provisions for early arrival and late pick-up for an extra fee.

“Our promise is to create a world class Reds baseball experience for all campers,’’ said Tim Rappe, executive director of the camps.

“It doesn’t matter if your athlete is six and picking up a bat for the first time or 14 and is the best shortstop on the local top traveling team. This camp will profoundly improve each player’s ability to play all facets of the game.”

Campers will receive instruction from a current Reds coach and a guest appearance by a player. The week includes a day trip to Great American Ball Park, a full Reds uniform, four tickets to a Reds game, and a skills competition.

Cost is $395 per camper with a $25 discount when two or more children sign up together.

Registration/information: 855-846-7337 or www.reds.com/camps

Dates/Camp Sites

• Beechwood High School, June 2-6
• Harrison High School, June 16-20
• Mason High School, June 30 through July 4
• P&G Cincinnati MLB Urban Youth Academy, Roselawn, July 21-25
• Summit Country Day, Aug. 4-8

Mason’s Jenna Gunn drives to the basket during the Comets’ 45-39 overtime win at Lakota West on Dec. 4. The two teams will meet for the third time this year in a Division I sectional final Monday at Lakota East. Tony Tribble for the Enquirer

Mike Dyer reports:

Lakota West junior post player Arianne Whitaker was still shaking with emotion.

A few minutes after the Firebirds defeated Mason 44-39 on Monday night in a Division I girls’ basketball sectional final, Whitaker couldn’t stop smiling.

“We wanted to play them (Mason) so bad,” Whitaker said. “… I am so glad we won.”

The Firebirds will return to the district final for the first since 2010 season as Lakota West defeated Mason at Lakota East.

Whitaker had 14 points and 12 rebounds to help lead Lakota West (20-5).

“That is honestly the best game I ever played this year,” Whitaker said. “I was in the zone.”

Lakota West coach Andy Fishman couldn’t be more proud of his squad, including its strong defensive effort and composure late in the game.

“This is all about celebrating what we’ve accomplished tonight and this is going to be a steppingstone to the next level of the tournament,” Fishman said.

Junior guard Lauren Cannattelli added 10 points and she and Whitaker made some critical free throws with less than a minute left to help lift the Firebirds, who improved to 12-1 in posteason play at Lakota East, according to the Lakota West athletic department.

Sophomore guards Danielle Wells and Nia Staples added seven points each.

“Our girls never got rattled,” Fishman said. “I thought we did a good job of sticking to our game plan.”

Lakota West advances to play Springboro (20-5) in a Division I district final at 5 p.m. Saturday at Harrison. Lakota West defeated Springboro 53-27 on Dec. 16.

Monday night marked the third meeting between the Mason and Lakota West girls’ basketball teams this season.

The highly anticipated matchup between two highly respected programs did not disappoint.

Mason (22-2) was led by sophomore post player Lauren Van Kleunen with 14 points.

Senior Jenna Gunn had eight points and five rebounds.

Freshman Samari Mowbray added eight rebounds.

Mason coach Rob Matula was proud of the 22-2 season in which the Comets were ranked nationally by USA Today and held the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll during the season.

“It was two good teams going at each other,” Matula said. “… We just couldn’t get over the hump.”

Mason defeated host Lakota West 45-39 in overtime on Dec. 4. On Jan.11, the host Comets edged Lakota West 55-54.

Mason was ranked No.2 in the season’s final Associated Press Division I state poll and No.2 in The Enquirer area coaches’ poll.

Lakota West is ranked No.3 in The Enquirer area coaches’ poll. The Firebirds have won 11 consecutive games since Jan. 19.

A worker operates a game at Kings Island. The Mason theme park is hiring for its 2014 season. Provided

Job-seekers can get a head start on summer jobs at Kings Island’s job fair Saturday.

The event runs from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Mason amusement park, 6300 Kings Island Drive.

KI will need more than 4,000 seasonal workers when the park opens for its 43rd season April 18.

The park is hiring in areas of aquatics, food and beverage, park services and security and rides.  Summer internships are also available in marketing and group sales.

Applicants, who must be at least 15 years of age, are asked to apply in advance online at www.visitkingsisland.com.  Interviews will be conducted at the job fair.

For more information, call the park at 513-754-5748

Snow falls along westbound I-275 in Milford. / Amanda Rossman / The Enquirer

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

A dusting of snow that left just a few tenths of an inch on area highways and roads earlier this morning has moved out.

The low was recorded at 22 degrees with a wind chill of 14 just before 7 a.m. at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. The mercury will remain in the 20s the rest of the morning, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

The high temperature will go up to around 30 under gradually sunny skies.

TONIGHT

An arctic cold front moves in after midnight.

The low temperature will tumble to 11 degrees with wind chills as cold as minus 4.

There’s another, slight chance for snow. Little to no accumulation is expected.

WEDNESDAY

It will be mostly sunny, but the mercury will struggle to reach 20 degrees by 5 p.m.

Temperatures on Wednesday night will fall back into the low teens. Wind chills will feel as low as zero.

Snow falls along westbound I-275 in Milford. / Amanda Rossman / The Enquirer

LOOKING AHEAD

Thursday will be sunny with a high near 25. Thursday night should be mostly clear but frigid with a low around 5.

Friday will be partly sunny with a high of 30 degrees.

Our next chance for snow showers could be Friday night. It will be cloudy with a low around 23. Accumulations should be minor.

This weekend looks dry as daytime temperatures remain in the 30s.

Overnight lows will fall to the teens and 20s.

More snow is the forecast late Sunday and early Monday. It’s not clear yet how much could pile up.

The Kings High School football program is adding another way to order mulch for this year’s sale.

Football players will take orders for hardwood, black gold and black dyed mulch through March 7. Orders can also be placed online for the first time ever at www.kingsfootball.com

Cost is $4 for a two cubic foot bag. Payment is due when the order is placed.

Delivery is free with a 10-bag minimum order within a 5-mile radius of the district. Otherwise mulch can be picked up April 12-13 at Columbia Elementary School, 8263 Columbia Road. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m., Sunday.

There will be a limited amount of mulch available for purchase at Columbia during pick-up hours. All proceeds benefit the district’s football programs.

Information: 513-459-2937 or kingsmulch@gmail.com

Mark Schmetzer, Enquirer contributor, reports:

CANTON – Mason finished third for the second consecutive season in the team standings at Saturday’s Division I finals of the 38th annual Ohio girls state swim meet.

The Lions won the first three events before Mason freshman Ashley Volpenhein slowed them down, edging Tomley to win the 50 freestyle championship.

“I guess I did,” she said when reminded that she snapped the Lions’ meet-opening win streak at three. “Temarie’s an awesome swimmer. It was an honor just to swim next her.

“I wasn’t expecting this at all. Going in, I didn’t think I had a chance. I felt like, ‘If it happened, it happened.’”

Sycamore senior Andrianna Dimasso finished 12th and Mason senior Sydney Carr 14th in the Division I girls diving finals Saturday morning. Dimasso improved from 14th in the three-dive final, while Carr moved up from 16th.

The top eight finishers in each event earn medals.

Mason’s Jenna Gunn drives to the basket during the Comets’ 45-39 overtime win at Lakota West on Dec. 4. The two teams will meet for the third time this year in a Division I sectional final Monday at Lakota East. Tony Tribble for the Enquirer

Mike Dyer reports:

With district final berths at stake, Monday’s Division I girls’ basketball sectional finals at Lakota East are another significant step in the postseason for some of the area’s top teams.

The Mason (22-1) vs. Lakota West (19-5) game at 7:30 p.m. is definitely one of the top games to watch this postseason. Monday marks the third meeting between the teams this season.

Mason defeated host Lakota West 45-39 in overtime on Dec. 4. On Jan. 11, the host Comets edged Lakota West 55-54.

“The girls have heard us say that games like Monday are why being a contender is so much fun,” Lakota West coach Andy Fishman said. “The girls know I see both of Mason and Lakota West as two very strong, balanced teams with state championship aspirations.”

Mason is ranked No. 44 nationally by USA Today and ranked No. 2 in the season’s final Associated Press state poll. Lakota West is ranked No. 3 in The Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll.

“So far, Mason has proved better in both games when its mattered most,” Fishman said. “Our girls know that this game provides another opportunity to answer the bell.”

Princeton (22-2), ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press state poll and No. 1 in The Enquirer poll, plays Colerain (15-8) at 6 p.m.

The District 16 Senior East vs. West All-Star Games are March 19 at St. Bernard High School. The Divisions II-IV game will be at 6 p.m. The award presentation of District 16 all-stars and coach of the year is at 7:30 p.m. The Division I all-star game is at 8 p.m.

Kings High School swimmers, from left, Ben Matheus, Kate Etter, Tara Fears, Megan Sichterman, Alex Allee, and Jimmy Koloseike are competing today and Saturday at the state swimming competition. Provided photo

Six Kings High School athletes will be in Canton today and Saturday competing in the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s state swimming finals.

Four students qualified in the following individual events:

• Ben Matheus, 50-yard freestyle, 100-yard freestyle
• Jimmy Koloseike, 100-yard backstroke
• Tara Fears, 100-meter butterfly
• Megan Sichterman, 100-yard butterfly, 500-yard freestyle

Alex Allee and Kate Etter will join Fears and Sichterman for the 200-yard freestyle relay. The team set a school record of 1:40.03 in the event at district competition.

Sichterman, set three individual school records at district competition:

• 50-yard freestyle, 25.92
• 100-yard butterfly, 55.21
• 500-yard freestyle, 5:00.00

Photo of senior guard Jenna Gunn/Enquirer photographer Leigh Taylor

The Enquirer reports:

Mason’s girls’ basketball team advanced to the Division I sectional finals by defeating Sycamore 65-31 Thursday night at Lakota East.

Ranked No. 44 in the nation by USA Today, Mason relied on the inside game against Sycamore as it scored all 65 points without making a 3-pointer.

Mason was led by senior guard Jenna Gunn with a game-high 21 points and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Jailyn Mason flirted with a triple-double, scoring 16 points with nine rebounds and seven steals. Freshman forward Samari Mowbray came off the bench to add 10 points.

Mason (22-1) is the favorite to move into districts. First they have to face a 19-6 Lakota West team that is ranked No. 3 in The Enquirer Division I coaches’ poll. That game will be Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Lakota East. The previous matchup between these two teams went down to the wire as Mason eked out a 55-54 victory at home.

Mason (22-1) - Mason 8 0 16, Dixon 3 3 9, Gunn 9 3 21, Campbell 2 0 4, Mowbray 4 2 10, Wright 1 0 2, Brown 1 1 3. Totals: 28 9 65.

Sycamore (6-18) – Hunter 4 2 11, Kroell 0 1 1, Saxon 2 1 5, Goodyear 1 0 2, Miller 1 0 2, Hamm 5 0 10. Totals: 13 3 31.

Halftime: M 26-16. 3-pointers: M (none); S 2 (Hunter, Saxon).

Beautiful sky in Greenhills on Friday morning. / Cara Owsley / The Enquirer

Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:

A wind advisory remains in effect today until 6 p.m. throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky after strong thunderstorms rumbled through overnight.

Winds will blow 30 to 40 mph and increase from mid-morning to mid-afternoon. The highest gusts of up to 50 mph will hit in the afternoon as colder air continues to filter in, warns the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

It’s 39 degrees this morning at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. Today should be mostly sunny with a high of 46.

Winds howled up to 54 mph overnight at the airport.

Downed trees and power lines are possible today, along with minor property damage. Such high winds also can make driving difficult, especially in high profile vehicles such as sport utility vehicles.

Flood advisories also remain up in counties east of downtown Cincinnati such as Adams, Brown and Clermont.

A flood warning is in effect for the Great Miami River at Miamitown in western Hamilton County. The river was at 13.8 feet early today, just below flood stage of 16 feet.

Minor flooding is expected as the river continues to rise nearly 19 feet by tonight. Flooding begins downstream of Miamitown and Whitewater Township.

The river should fall back below flood stage by late Saturday.

Up in northeast Warren County, the Little Miami River area is under a flood warning until 10 a.m. Saturday. The river is approaching flood stage. Low lying areas in Corwin will flood, and water will approach Corwin Road in Spring Valley. Constitution Park nearby is flooded.

Motorists are advised against driving vehicles down water-covered roads.

THIS WEEKEND:

Our low tonight will fall to 35.

Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high of 54. There’s a slight chance of rain and then rain mixed with snow early Sunday. The overnight low will be 31.

More rain and snow could fall between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Sunday before switching to all rain after 2 p.m. It will be mostly cloudy with a high of 41.

There’s another slight chance for snow before 10 p.m. Sunday. It will be mostly cloudy with a low around 20.

NEXT WEEK:

We stay dry Monday through Thursday with a mix of sun and clouds. Daytime highs will be in the 30s and upper 20s.

Overnight lows will be frigid and in the teens.

The Warren County Area Progress Council and Warren County Board of Realtors have jointly created an ambassadors program to familiarize realtors and others to the assets and amenities of Warren County.

The two-part program runs from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., March 13 and 20, at the Lebanon Conference and Banquet Center, 105 S. Broadway.

Participants may attend one or both half-day sessions. Doors open at 8:30 a.m. with a free continental breakfast for attendees.

There will be staffed booths set up by the county’s chambers of commerce, lenders, business groups and others. Representatives from each booth will be available before, after, and during breaks to talk with those attending the ambassadors program.

Topics that will be covered include the history of the county, economic development, commerce, culture and recreation.

Participants will be entered into a drawing for door prizes that will be awarded following class at each session.

Cost is $20 for one day, or $30 for both. Registration deadline is March 7.

Information/registration: 513-404-8954wcbrealtors.com or ambassador@wcbrealtor.com

Topics covered March 13 and presenters are:

• History, John Zimkus
• Chamber Alliance, Christye Leasure
• Sheriff’s office, Larry Sims
• Economic development, Martin Russell
• Interstates 71, 75 corridor development, Pat South and Matt Obringer

Topics and presenters, March 20:

• Parks, Benjamin Yoder
• Convention and visitor bureau, Bridget Kochersperger
• Quality of life, Dustin Baily
• Museum, Bill duning
• YMCA, Debra Phillips
• Camps Joy and Kern, Amy Thompson
• Workforce Development, Margaret Hess and Scott Markland
• Fort Ancient, Jack Blosser
• Emergency management, Jim Bolen

Chrissie Thompson reports:

State Rep. Peter Beck, R-Mason, plans to serve his full term and run for re-election this spring, despite facing 69 felony counts for his alleged role in defrauding investors in a West Chester startup.

“Yes and yes. Yes, ma’am,” Beck said in response to an Enquirer reporter’s questions about his plans, as he rushed into an Ohio House committee meeting. He spread his arms, as if to say, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

Beck was first indicted on 16 counts last summer. That number expanded to 69 after fellow Republicans Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters on Thursday filed new charges of corruption, fraud and perjury against Beck. He has refused to resign in spite of calls for his resignation from Ohio Republican Party Chairman Matt Borges and Ohio House Speaker Bill Batchelder, R-Medina.

Beck is accused of helping to bilk investors of hundreds of thousands of dollars as chief financial officer of an insolvent West Chester software startup owned by the late Cincinnati money manager Thomas M. Lysaght. The charges say Beck also took some of the money intended for the startup, called Christopher Technologies, and diverted it to his campaign fund.

Much of the money from the fraud also went to Ark by the River Fellowship Ministry, a secretive Linwood church investigated by The Enquirer in September, according to the indictment issued Thursday. So the church and Pastor Janet Combs, who is Lysaght’s widow, also face felony charges for corruption, money laundering and receiving stolen property.

Beck has maintained his innocence. His attorneys have characterized him as a victim in the fraud, not a conspirator.

With the latest indictment, Beck agreed to step down as chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, which handles taxes. Rep. Jeff McClain, R-Upper Sandusky, will chair the committee instead.

Speaker Batchelder said he also believed Beck should resign his House seat. Beck’s current two-year term expires in December.

“While I do not have the sole authority to remove any member of House, it is still my belief that it is in the best interest of Representative Beck, his family, and the constituents of the 54th House District for him to resign,” Batchelder said Thursday in a statement. “While there is always a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise, it is my belief that these very serious allegations could cause a distraction to the good work of the Ohio House of Representatives.”

Batchelder had also called for Beck’s resignation last summer. When it became clear that Beck would not resign, the speaker said he had just been making a suggestion.

Beck’s trial currently is scheduled to start a month before the May 6 primary, but that could be postponed. He will face two other accountants, Mary Jo Kubicki, R-Deerfield Township, and Paul Zeltwanger, R-Mason, in the primary.

Kubicki has already far outraised Beck. At the end of 2013, Kubicki had $58,000 in her campaign account, while Beck had just $5,500. Zeltwanger said he had not started fundraising by the end of 2013 and did not file a financial report for that period. He declined to say how much money he has on hand, saying only that he’d have enough to run a successful campaign.

Kubicki has said Beck should resign, while Zeltwanger stopped short of calling for Beck’s resignation.

Beck is facing charges in part for allegedly convincing people to invest money in Christopher Technologies, or CTech, without telling them it was insolvent. Beck did so using his position as then-vice mayor of Mason and also stole money from his Milford accounting firm, then known as Donahoo, Cupp and Beck, Thursday’s indictment said.

Also named in the indictment is TML Consulting – a “shell company,” the charges say, run by Lysaght and Combs. A Mount Lookout mansion called “Crusade Castle,” owned by the church for Combs’ use, is eligible for forfeiture under the charges.

Lifetime Television will air the “Designing Spaces” episode produced at the Palmera Apartments in Deerfield Township on Thursday.

Officials from Blue Ash-based Hills Properties and the National Apartment Association are featured in the episode talking about rental housing trends.

Hills completed construction on the $36 million, 360-unit apartment community in September 2012. In June, the National Apartment Association named the upscale development the Apartment Community of the Year.

Palmera has one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments with high-end finishes. Other amenities include a 7,000-square-foot clubhouse, swimming pool, health and wellness center, tennis courts, walking trails and an outdoor fireplace and lounge area.

National Apartment Association President and Chief Executive Doug Culkin will be joined by Jordanna Paciorek, asset manager for Edward Rose & Sons and Tessa Braun, property manager for the Palmera Apartments.

Mason won its sixth consecutive Cincinnati City Championship Saturday at Cincinnati Country Day. The Comets scored a season-best 137.625, according to Mason coach Kelly Wones. Mason junior Gabby Sora nearly swept the meet, winning the All Around competition (35.825), vault (9.0), beam (9.2) and floor (9.1).

Mike Dyer reports:

The likely move of the state boys and girls tennis tournaments to the Lindner Family Tennis Center in fall 2015 is a scenario that has been discussed for the past couple of years between the Ohio High School Athletic Association and the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The OHSAA announced in late January the verbal agreement was in place for the tennis tournaments – currently held at Ohio State University’s Stickney Tennis Center – to move to Mason. The move will likely be approved at the OHSAA Board of Directors meeting in April.

“It’s a beautiful facility,” OHSAA commissioner Dr. Dan Ross told The Enquirer in January. “They are very tickled to have us there.”

How long of an agreement for the tournament to be there in Mason is still being discussed. What impact it will have financially to the Mason area each fall and spring is also still being evaluated, said Ben Huffman, director of sports marketing at the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“The Lindner Center is we feel is the best tennis center in the state of Ohio,” Huffman said.

One aspect which helped the Mason site was three potential indoor tennis partners in The Club at Harper’s Point, Five Seasons and Queen City Racquet Club.

The OHSAA had been concerned in the past about the availability of indoor facilities in Greater Cincinnati.

The girls tennis tournament has been moved indoors because of rain the past three years in Columbus.

“The ATP (previous name) should be a great site for the state (tournament),” St. Xavier coach Russ King said. “…I have been selling the ATP for years.”

King said the annual state coaches’ association team tennis tournaments, which are unsanctioned by the OHSAA, are still expected to be held in Columbus for a few years.

Home Depot is hiring 600 people in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, gearing up for the busy spring gardening season.

The home improvement retailer says it will match veterans and reservists with skills learned in the military with those needed in the stores. Students and retirees also are invited to apply.

Home Depot has 14 stores in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area, including retails locations in Mason, West Chester Twp. and Lebanon.

Job seekers can apply online at http://careers.homedepot.com.