News and Features

Chelsey Schlembach of Ross dances in the middle of a circle Saturday night at the Community House, which is part of the Shandon Congregation United Church of Christ. The square dancing was accompanied by live music and a caller, who taught the dances as well.

During a multi-faith candlelight vigil, Muslims pray for peace during the Lebanon-Israeli War at the Greater Cincinnati Islamic Center in West Chester.

Brothers William Henkel, 3, left, Peter Henkel, 5, sons of Paul Henkel, take advantage of an expansive parking lot to do some chalk art at The Mason Arts Festival.

Western Kentucky University senior, Stephen Cawthorn practices scratching in his spare time, between studying Arabic and trying to obtain a political science major with a minor in history.

At the weekly meeting of the Southwestern Ohio Square Dancers' Association in Springdale, Oh., George Weaver, 95, dances with Barbara Rutherford. He rarely misses a dance. "I'm still moving," Weaver said. "Not like I used to, but better than some my age."

Jack Halbeisen, 7, son of Michele Halbeisen, flies through the a hay-bail maze at the Pyramid Hill Art Fair. The Fair featured vendors from across the Midwest, speakers, and art activities for children.

Chosen Homeless Shelter resident Calvin Martin receives basic treatment from Mercy Fairfield Hospital volunteer nurse Jenni Allen. Martin arrived in Hamilton in January with a wound he suffered after being attacked and stabbed 42 times in Florida three months before his trip.

Tara Reynolds speaks to reporters about her fiancee, Michael Cifuentes, who was killed serving for the Marines in Iraq during the summer of 2005 along with 13 other marines in an attack near the city of Haditha, 140 miles northwest of Baghdad.

Bi-Okoto Drum and Dance Theatre company manager Jeaunita Olowe, right, teaches Danericka James, 10, to do some African dance moves at First St. John United Church of Christ during a block party they held for the community.

A railroad worker walks away from the wreckage of the accident in Carlisle, Oh., after an engine rearended another train derailing several cars and killing one man.

Madelyn Riordan, 3, daughter of Lauren Riordan, watches the Fourth of July parade through the window of a storefront on High Street in Hamilton.

A young girl holds a sign in protest at the funeral of Timothy Thomas in Cincinnati. Thomas was shot by police officer Steven Roach under questionable circumstances which led to several days of rioting throughout downtown, a curfew imposed on the city, and the indictment of Roach on a third-degree misdemeanor charge.

Children with the Miami Valley Ballet Company perform "Aurora's Wedding" from the ballet "Sleeping Beauty" at the Fairfield Fine Arts Fund Sampler in the Community Arts Center.

After his youth group broke up into smaller teams, John Schackmann, 18, of Mason, Oh., had the door shut on him by the group he should have been working with. Schackmann, a mentally handicapped student, is scheduled to graduate from high school this year with a certificate dictating that his diploma was achieved under "special circumstances and requirements."

Everyday Kyanna Coffee and her boyfriend, William Morland, meet to pray. They debate over whether to put Christian music from the radio or to play a CD in the background, and then they begin. Morland starts a rapid conversation with his head bowed while Kyanna nods and agrees. "Yes, God," she says. Their solid stance slowly starts to move like a pair of statues coming to life. They rock back and forth while exchanging loud prayers for friends and family. Bible verses are interjected when they apply to someone's situation. As the prayer reaches a frenzied point, Morland breaks out in a partially improvised song. His voice booms in the small dorm room. They end their prayer in a tight embrace.

World War II veteran Omer Jacobs accepts a Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands from his wheelchair at the Chuck Cain Post 7670, VFW. The medallion commerates the battles of Saipan, Tinian, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, and the air campaigns against Japan from the Saipan and Tinian airfields.

Mia Kern performs with other dancers trained by Harvie Chang for a exhibition for Middletown's "Middfest Internation." The group danced during the event alongside performances of "Some Sunny Night" and demostrations of other Chinese art forms such as kite-making, paper cutting, and calligraphy.

Alejandra Galvan-Davidson, 3, sits draped in an American flag in front of the Hamilton Historic Courthouse during a immigrant rights rally. Her father, Saul Galvan-Tapia, has been in the United States legally since 1998. "We had to work really hard to get him legal," said Alejandra's mother, Nicole Galvan-Davidson, who came to the protest to support her sister, whose partner is in the U.S. illegally. "They're deporting all the guys that are working and supporting their families, not the ones sitting in jail that have committed worse crimes than coming here," Nicole said.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire in a barn in Hanover Township. Several animals were killed in the blaze which broke out late in the evening.

In the middle of a foam hockey game in Kim Nuxhall's physical education class at the Fairfield Central Elementary, 2nd-grader Juliana Lopez stops to help her classmate, David Muyanga, tie his shoe. Nuxhall, son of former Reds pitcher Jox Nuxhall, incorporates character-building ideals into his class activities.

A Fairfield police officer speaks with a tow truck crew in the reflection of the windshield of a Kia Sedan that was struck by a train. The windshield wipers were still running on the empty vehicle when police arrived. Police said the vehicle was unoccupied at the time of the accident.

Hamilton High School teacher Sheri Nuttall feeds a young American robin during her Project Wildlife class. The robin could fly, but had not yet learned to feed itself.

Little Miami High School students Mackenzie Wright and Tyler McConnel joined hundreds of other at the candlelight vigil for Kaitlyn Gentry who died in a car accident days before. A large photo of Gentry was placed in her parking spot at the school as a memorial.

Desiree Sparrow, daughter of Crystal Freeman of Hamilton, plays a parachute game at the Butler County United Way Spring Day of Caring Kids Fest at the Great Miami Valley YMCA.

Ray Garcia, 4, wait with his mother, Maria Garcia, to hear news about his uncle who works at Koch Foods. The Fairfield, Ohio plant and its sister plant in Chicago were raided Aug. 28 by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Activists and families were concerned about the children of the arrested employees many of which were still in school.