E35 - "VD Weekend"

Ohio State & Regional NewsAviation & Transit: CVG Airport is expanding with new flights from American, Southwest, British Airways, and Allegiant. Locally, GoBus launches the "Red Line" on March 2, connecting Dayton, Springfield, and Oxford to Cincinnati and Toledo.Economy & Tax: A new report warns that eliminating the state income tax could spike sales tax to 18% to fill a $24B gap. Legislators are also considering HB 520 to consolidate local services and a new tax on institutional investors owning 50+ homes.Education & Health: Governor DeWine launched OhioSee for free K-3 eye exams. Meanwhile, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled the state underpaid nursing homes by $572M.Safety & Tech: Ohio launched the nation’s first statewide Drone Responder pilot program. In Columbus, multiple schools and the Statehouse faced hoax bomb threats.Dayton & Montgomery CountyPublic Safety: City officials approved $964K for safety upgrades on Philadelphia Drive, including bike lanes and sidewalk expansion. Recent police raids seized over 1,300g of fentanyl and multiple firearms.Housing: A Federal Reserve report shows investors bought 30% of homes in certain Montgomery County "hotspots" in 2024. A local probe also found 25% of area motels had pest complaints (bed bugs/roaches) in 2025.Development & Jobs: Blue Halo, GE Aerospace, and Woolpert secured major defense contracts totaling over $280M. Sinclair CC added an electric aircraft and flight simulator for advanced air mobility training.Zoning: Dayton extended its moratorium on new group homes through August 3 to finalize density caps.Local Community HighlightsBeavercreek: Council approved Creekwood Preserve, a 53-home subdivision ($450k–$500k) off Grange Hall Road.Fairborn: Wright State joined the U.S. Space Command’s Academic Engagement Enterprise for space research.Huber Heights: Superintendent Jason Enix resigned (effective July 31) to lead Elmwood Local Schools.Kettering: Kettering Health is notifying patients of a 2025 data breach. On a lighter note, the Pop 2000 Tour hits Fraze Pavilion on July 10.Springfield: Schools and colleges (Wittenberg/Clark State) have faced a wave of non-credible bomb threats. A federal judge is seeking clarity on ICE mobilization plans regarding the city's Haitian TPS status.Xenia / Central State: CSU and Xenia agreed to a utility service extension amid annexation talks. However, CSU faces a $5M shortfall, leading to a "retrenchment plan" and faculty pushback over job cuts.Tipp City & Troy: Chipotle is coming to the former King site in Tipp City. The Troy Chick-fil-A will close March 1 for a major expansion.