Rick McCrabb

Middletown

Newspaper columnist for @JournalNews I cover Middletown and Monroe and food and dining throughout Butler County. I have been at Journal since 1987.

Articles

McCrabb: Attendance at Monday’s events in Middletown highlights community of unity

1 week ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

Thousands of local residents, many of them waving American flags, lined the two-mile parade route from Smith Park to Woodside Cemetery. It took about one hour for all the units to pull out of Smith Park, said Mark White, parade chairman. The scene was the symbolic snapshot of what Middletown and surrounding communities represent. The diverse crowd featured many families with children in strollers or sitting in lawn chairs or on blankets.
Council approves $27K contract to provide geotechnical services

1 week ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

Council member Tom Hagedorn voted against the resolution and council members Dr. Kelly Clark and Michael Graves were excused from the meeting. The contact is for $27,000 and the city has budgeted $20 million for the project, said Public Works Director Gary Morton. He said construction is scheduled to begin in late 2026 or early 2027 and be completed about one year later.
Chick-fil-A sign erected off I-75 in Middletown

1 week ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

The company’s newest chicken restaurant location will be at 6465 Culbertson Road near the Quality Inn and at the former location of Buckeye’s restaurant in Warren County. Construction began on the restaurant several weeks ago and it’s expected to open before the end of the year, an official told the Journal-News. Until then, those traveling on I-75 will be disappointed if they get off Exit 32 and realize the restaurant isn’t open.
McCrabb: Veteran, who prefers no limelight, chosen as parade grand marshal

2 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

Let the good deed be your award and don’t worry about accolades, his father told him. Wireman, 65, a 1977 Lemon-Monroe High School graduate, has tried to live his life that way. ”Not one of those pat-me-on-the-back kind of guys," is how Wireman described himself. So when Wireman, who served in the U.S. Army from 1977-81 achieving the rank of sergeant, was selected to serve as grand marshal of Middletown’s Memorial Day Parade, he reluctantly accepted following encouragement from his children.
Middletown senior finds his passion on volleyball court

2 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

At 6-foot-5, Rigabar had played football and basketball, but neither sport grabbed his attention. Then, based on his friends’ recommendation, he tried volleyball. It was love at first spike. “The sport attached to me,” Rigabar said. “It was everything that I liked in a sport.”That attachment will continue as Rigabar, who graduated from MHS this week, will continue his academic and athletic career at Indiana University East.
Middletown’s Schwarber hits 300th career home run

2 weeks ago | daytondailynews.com | Rick McCrabb

Explore“It’s a cool milestone,” Schwarber told the media after the game. “I think the biggest thing is there’s a lot more to come. If they asked 12-year-old Kyle if he’d hit 300 homers, I would have said, ‘Probably not.’ Right? But I’ve always loved the game and I didn’t know what it would hold, but it’s been really gracious to me.”His 16th homer of the season was the third-longest in MLB this season, behind Mike Trout (484 feet) and Aaron Judge (468 feet).
Middletown’s Schwarber hits 300th career home run

2 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

Explore“It’s a cool milestone,” Schwarber told the media after the game. “I think the biggest thing is there’s a lot more to come. If they asked 12-year-old Kyle if he’d hit 300 homers, I would have said, ‘Probably not.’ Right? But I’ve always loved the game and I didn’t know what it would hold, but it’s been really gracious to me.”His 16th homer of the season was the third-longest in MLB this season, behind Mike Trout (484 feet) and Aaron Judge (468 feet).
McCrabb: Badin HS graduate buys his alma mater, plans housing development

2 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

He never dreamed a player would earn a diploma and own a deed. But that’s what happened when Crain, founder and principal of the Crain Company where he serves as head of business development, purchased the financially strapped college that announced in June 2024 that it was closing this month. For fiscal 2023, the college had an operating deficit of $4.9 million on top of a $1.3 million deficit the year before, according to reports.
Lakota East lacrosse coach says goalie ‘has come a long way’ during her career

3 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

Upton, a junior who plans to play college lacrosse, has 177 saves, the second most in the Greater Miami Conference. She had 116 saves as a freshman and 116 last season, giving her 409 career saves. Her coach, Jock Roeder, who spent six seasons at Milford High School and the last two at Lakota East, believes Upton is the best goalie in the conference. Her skill level “has come a long” during her high school career, Roeder said Tuesday night after Lakota East beat Oak Hills 18-5.
‘People want to be here’: Monroe to see more housing as subdivisions expand

3 weeks ago | journal-news.com | Rick McCrabb

One ordinance involves a final plat in the Stonybrook subdivision and another in the Monroe Crossings development. “As much as it feels like we’re losing a ‘small-town feel’ when there’s so much development, it’s the people who make the feel,” Funk said. He said Monroe boasts a highly successful school district and easy access to I-75 and Ohio 63 and Ohio 4.