Today's Journal....

Newspaper website helps lead to arrest in Captain D’s robbery

MIDDLETOWN — The man police say robbed a fast food restaurant this past weekend turned himself in after a friend saw his photo on MiddletownJournal.com.

Police say Daniel Green, 56, of Central Avenue, turned himself in to police Thursday, for the robbery Sunday evening at Captain D’s, 804 S. Breiel Blvd


Police: 12-year-old kept in Middletown basement
Girl was tied up and fed only cereal for month; parents charged

MIDDLETOWN — A father and stepmother are accused of locking their 12-year-old daughter in a Middletown basement for nearly a month, tying her up and feeding her only cereal.

The couple have been charged with kidnapping, a first-degree felony, and child endangering, a third-degree felony, according to police.

Middletown police said an anonymous complaint led Butler County Children Services this month to investigate Shawn Blackston, 40, and Joanna Blackston, 36, who live at 1606 Philadelphia Ave. The complaint was that the couple were allegedly abusing one of their six children

After Children Services staff members saw the “deplorable living conditions,” Middletown police were notified on July 3, said Lt. Scott Reeve

Reeve said the girl, a sixth-grader in the Middletown City Schools District, had been allegedly locked in the basement since June 18, about a month after her last day of school.

There were several locks on the outside of the door that led to the basement, Reeve said.

He said there was only a mattress in the unfinished basement, and the glass block windows were covered by sheets or wood, eliminating light from coming inside. One light bulb hung from the ceiling.

There was no bathroom in the basement, so the girl was let out of the basement when she needed to use the restroom, Reeve said.

Her only communication with her siblings was through floor boards and under the basement door, Reeve said

The girl was malnourished and dirty when found by officers, he said. She had scars on her back, arms and legs from what she said was previous abuse. She said her stepmother put duct tape over her eyes and mouth and bound her wrists behind her back. She hadn’t brushed her teeth in six months since her parents took the toothbrush away as punishment, she told investigators

IT WOULD APPEAR, AS TIME GOES BY, WE HEAR MORE AND MORE STORIES LIKE THIS FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF OUR TOWN. COULD IT BE ATTIBUTED TO THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WE ARE DRAWING WITH OUR "LOW INCOME" TOWN THEME? DUNNO. THESE TWO LOSERS CAME FROM ELSEWHERE. IN ADDITION TO HEARING STORIES WHERE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES ARE INVOLVED IN CRIME, WE READ ABOUT THEFTS OF COPPER, LAWNMOWERS....ANYTHING METAL TO SELL AT THE LOCAL JUNKYARD AND WE READ STORIES OF ABUSE LIKE THIS. THE PARENTS SHOULD NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY. THE REMAINING KIDS WOULD BE BETTER OFF NOT BEING AROUND "PARENTS" LIKE THIS EVEN IF THEY WERE NOT ABUSED AS THIS 12 YEAR OLD WAS. SOCIETY IS GOING TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET IN MANY RESPECTS AND THE RAMPANT CRIME APPEARS TO BE MORE THAN OUR "KINDER/GENTLER" METHOD OF PUNISHMENT CAN HANDLE. TIME FOR SOME REAL PUNISHMENT. TIME TO START DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY. JMO

This isn't unique to our city or this period of time.

Wherever you go there will be dregs of society.

I believe I heard that since January there has been 6 kids died in this great town.I can think of 3 just in the last couple of months.

VietVet wrote: COULD IT BE ATTIBUTED TO THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WE ARE DRAWING WITH OUR "LOW INCOME" TOWN THEME? DUNNO.

Looked up the owner of this property seems its owned by some management company with a Franklin mailing address,could it be more section 8 ?

greygoose wrote: Pacman, As a general statement, I agree that many of these problems are poverty related and would like to see something done to curb it. However, the big question is what should be done? I believe that Middletown's higher than average poverty levels can be atributed to past mistakes made by the city's leadership (expansion of Section 8 vouchers) and the overall bad economy. These problems will not lessen unless the poverty levels are decreased. Again, the big question is "how to decrease the poverty levels". One idea is to force the poverty to move elsewhere. Since HUD will not allow a reduction in vouchers, I am a proponent of ridding our town of housing that is "typically" used for the less fortunate. I am not advocating that we put the less fortunate on the street. I am suggesting that, over time, there will be a natural migration to more affordable housing located outside of this city. Obviously, it will take more than this..... but I would like to see it as one of the building blocks of the city's future. GG

TonyB, would you also like to solve world poverty, global warming, and world peace while you're at it?

Tony....don't waste your time arguing with these guys about section 8.

Middletown is what it is for a variety of reasons and won't change for a long time. All you brain surgeons are not the miracle workers you think, as a matter of fact, you really are no better than judy and her gang. Your ideas are just as self centered as is those held by the judy crowd. Your just mad because THEY are getting their way and not you.

I have it before  and will again......a 30% cut across the board and elimination of ALL non essential services solves many problems.

BUT...you all still want YOUR neighborhood covered by great Cops and Fire. You still want YOUR pet "fest" to continue. If you are serious and just not  a bunch of blow hards then join the "reality" band wagon.

Nah........non of you want that, huh?  You all just want the hay day back even if means having a Municipal Workforce that is second tier Citizens by virtue of their low pay.

Irisner.... Free Your Mind

greygoose wrote: Bocephus, What’s with the redistribution of wealth comment? I happen to agree with your assessment that long term freebies contribute to the problem but where do you draw the line? It sounds like you draw the line with jobs. What if a person can’t get a job due to a disability or they are over 50 with a pre-existing health condition. It is truly a tough call. I know of good individuals that would be devastated by a cut in assistance but I also see the rampant abuse that bugs us all. TonyB, Remember that my comment was made in regards to reducing crime, not poverty. My point is that there is a direct correlation between crime and poverty and crime won’t go away until poverty does. Because of a multitude of reasons, Middletown has more than its “fair share” of poverty. I was just suggesting migration as a quicker way to lessen the burden. I agree that it doesn’t solve the poverty issue. Education and resulting jobs are the long term solution. Irisner, Who licked the sugar off of your cookie? Do you realize that this is a forum where ideas are exchanged. It seems kinda silly to tell someone on a message board not to waste his time talking to other members.....duhhhhh. It’s pretty clear that the only idea that you want to hear is your own. Next time you can express your opinion to a recorder so that you can play it back & listen to yourself.

TonyB,

My bad.....in my brain, poverty related problems = crime. I should have stated it as such.

GG

Mike_Presta wrote: But when it comes to helping the needy, perhaps the old way truly was better.

Agree!!!

Hermes I agree with most what you have said,But the part about slumlords is a little disturbing.Yes there is a few out there but there are also a few that give a damn about there renters AND the neighborhood they live in.I myself do a background check,ask for references,call there employer and also in my lease I have a clause in it that I can give them 72 hour notice I want to enter the house.Only thing I ask my renters to do is pay rent on time and dont make any changes to the house witout my permission.I take care of any repairs to the house and also have a lawn care person to take care of the grass and removes snow in the winter.On each of my properties (3) my neighbors on each side has my number if they have a complaint.I do my best to be that good landlord.