theHARRISONpress Here for you since 1925
www.theharrison-press.com
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Harrison, West Harrison, Crosby, Harrison & Whitewater TWPs.
Dog likely attacked by coyotes More sightings made of predators as community grows and habitat shrinks
Bill Weisbrodt has had the same two dogs for eight years and has never experienced a phuelseman@registerpublications.com problem between his dogs and coyotes until just a few weeks ago when his 10-year-old boarder collie was attacked by the wild canines on the back side of his property in New Haven. Though he can’t say with 100 percent certainty, Weisbrodt believes his loyal blue-eyed dog, Flash, was patrolling the boarder of his property as she normally does when she was jumped by one or several coyotes. It took Weisbrodt and his wife, Roseanne, several days to discover just what had happened. It was a Monday when Weisbrodt noticed a reddish spot near Flash’s rear. It looked similar to the red lubricant he uses for his tractors, Weisbrodt made a mental note to clean her up later. Time passed and he figured she would roll it off but when he mentioned the spot to his wife a couple days later, she said that she too had seen the spot on Sunday. She inspected Flash’s back and found a big sore, laden with infection. Immediately the two made an appointment to take Flash to the vet where they learned that Flash had been bitten. Though the Weisbrodts have several dogs, Bill does not believe any of his dogs would have done this. “Our dogs, they’ll growl at each other, they’ll snap at each other and go at each other, but they’ll never get that viscous with each other.” Patricia Huelseman Harrison Press Staff Writer
SUBMITTED PHOTOS/Harrison Press
Putting it altogether
That’s when he remembered hearing coyotes on his property at around the same time that Flash’s wound showed up. “Friday or Saturday night, at about midnight, I heard a howl like something was getting attacked … When we heard the howl, it was at just about that instant that we heard the other two dogs take off in a dead run.” Weisbrodt thinks his other dogs were running to help her. When Flash returned to the vet, more of her fur was shaved revealing even more bite marks. The vet agreed the marks came from a coyote. “Had one gotten her in the neck,” the vet told the Weisbrodts, “It would have been all over for her.” Since the attack, Bill has been studying coyotes. With more research, he’s become more confidant that it was a coyote attack. The name coyote means trickster and Weisbrodt has learned how they earned that name. “The coyote will lure another dog in because they’ll act like they want to play with it or anything like that, and then the other coyotes will usually circle around for the kill. They kind of trick their prey that way.” Coyotes usually will attack the back or hind quarters to take down the animal down. “That’s pretty much what they did with Flash,” said Weisbrodt. Though according to the Great Parks Web site coyotes don’t eat domestic animals, they will kill them to destroy
Fight ignites during canoe trip on river Hamilton County law enforcement was called to the Whitewater River on Sunday phuelseman@registerpublications.com afternoon when several canoers started a fight on a beach. Around 4 p.m. on Aug. 3, two men were canoeing at Green Acres Canoe Livery when they started a fight on the river about a mile from Green Acres. Each had buddies that got involved until nearly 15 people were caught up in the fight, said Green Acres owner David Lutz. Lutz said there were “no innocent” people involved in the brawl and though there were a few See FIGHT, black eyes and bloodied lips, no one was severely injured. Page 9 The two instigators were cited Patricia Huelseman Harrison Press Staff Writer
ON THE INSIDE Terry Viel, Page 2 • Kayla Pounds, Page 9 DARE, Page 4 • Girls Volleyball, Page 8 Copyright Register Publications, 2014
89th Year, No. 32
Bill Weisbrodt’s 10-year-old boarder collie likely was attacked by coyotes on his property in New Haven. Weisbrodt believes his loyal blue-eyed dog, Flash, was patrolling the boarder of his property as she normally does when she was jumped by one or several coyotes. It took Weisbrodt and his wife, Roseanne, several days to discover just what had happened. The attack left marks on the dog’s back. An image of the notorious Canis latrans, bottom right. threats to food sources. Wiesbrodt frequently hears coyotes howling towards the back of his property and has even seen one on New Haven Road. The Miami Whitewater Forest, that borders his property, provides a great food source for the wild canines.
Coyotes become brazen
Harrison Councilman and outdoorsman Ryan Grubbs said there have been an increase in coyote sightings in the area over the past several years, and he believes there are several reasons. “I think with the increased growth in the Harrison community, obviously we’re encroaching on a lot of nature’s habitat that is getting a lot of critters moving around, the coyote being one of them.” Coyotes are indigenous to prairie lands so in this area they nest in fields. But farms around Harrison, Bright, Lawrenceburg, Morgan Township and elsewhere are turning into developments. The coyotes also face no natural predators really, said Grubbs. The coyotes, that have been known to thrive in Chi-
Harrison folks get chance to make road complaints Harrison residents will have the opportunity to drive home the reasons why the road on which they live needs repairs when the city’s streets committee conducts two days of community complaint sessions this month. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Aug. 12, and Wednesday, Aug. 13. The place is the Harrison Community Center, George Street, and the sessions begin at 7 p.m., said Councilman Randy Shank, committee chairman. “This is your chance to come in and complain about whatever is wrong on your street,” said Shank. “We drive these streets every day, as the mayor and councilmen, but no one knows your street like you do. This is your chance to come down and tell us what you think needs to be done on your street.” - Joe Awad
800.964.8336
New Showroom Now opeN!
SUBMITTED PHOTO/Harrison Press
Harrison High School Principal Davis Baker, left, receives the national High-SchoolsThat-Work Gold Improvement Award from Dr. Gene Bottoms, senior vice president of the Southern Regional Education Board and founder of HSTW in Nashville Tenn. Only five schools out of 1,200 participating high schools in the nation received the award.
Harrison High School recognized nationally for academic progress Harrison High School recently was awarded the phuelseman@registerpublications.com National HighSchools-That-Work Gold Improvement Award along with only five other high schools in the nation. The Southern Regional Education Board presented the award to Principal Davis Baker in Nashville, Tenn. on Wednesday, July 16. The award was a national testimony to the hard work and progressive steps made at home in Harrison. More than 1,200 high schools in 30 states Patricia Huelseman Harrison Press Staff Writer
2014 Chevy SoniC 4DR
I-74, Exit 169 HomE of tHE
www.hirlingerchevrolet.com
cago, are moving into the populated areas as their typical food source, rabbits, diminish as well. “It’s beginning to cause some problems, they prey on domestic animals like cats and dogs,” said Grubbs. Though there isn’t a dramatic boom in the coyote population, they are moving more out of the woods and fields and into the neighborhoods and subdivisions, he said. “Right now, coyotes do not have a set hunting season so officially anybody could take a coyote especially a nuisance coyote,” said Grubbs. “Now with that being said, do not go out your back door and shoot at a coyote when you have a neighbor behind you. Do not shoot a gun inside Harrison City limits.” The best approach is prevention. Eliminate the opportunity for the coyote and there shouldn’t be a problem. Don’t leave your animals unattended, or secure a motion-sensitive light, he added. If a coyote is seen, it is likely that it has become particularly brazen. It is important to report sightings by calling Harrison Police at 367-3715, or the Ohio Division of Wildlife at 937372-5639.
2014 Chevy CRuze 4DR
FREE 2YR MAINTENANCE
FREE 2YR MAINTENANCE
Buy FoR $13,825*
Buy FoR $16,395*
Includes Rebates #5397
Includes Rebates #5314
and the District of Columbia participate in the initiative, and Baker certainly recognizes the significance of this achievement. The school’s improvement is based on the test scores of 60 randomly selected seniors. During a full day of testing, students are evaluated in reading, math, and science, he said. The Gold Improvement Award is granted to schools that exemplify improvement and raising student achievement. Out of the 60 students tested, 23 scored at
See PROGRESS, Page 9
2014 Chevy Malibu lS 4DR
CouRtesy CaRLow MILes!
FREE 2YR MAINTENANCE
Buy FoR $18,989* Includes Rebates #5421
2014 Chevy iMpala 4DR
CouRtesy CaRLow MILes!
FREE 2YR MAINTENANCE
Buy FoR $22,995* Includes Rebates #5217
* + Tax, title, and license fees. You may be eligible for other incentives. Pictures may not be exact vehicle advertised. See dealer for details. Must take retail delivery by 9/2/2014.