Community News

During the Wilmington City Council meeting on July 2, 2026, Mayor Pat Haley addressed a question that he said has been circulating in the community on social media: What would the City of Wilmington receive if Amazon builds a proposed data center in the area? Haley said the city is pursuing financial assistance from Amazon to fund a new public safety facility, with a goal of securing $28 million to construct a combined police and fire headquarters. According to the mayor, the

WILMINGTON, Ohio (July 28, 2026)—The City of Wilmington is pleased to announce the installation of new playground equipment at Galvin Park (located between South, Birdsall, and Walnut Streets) that will take place beginning, July 28, 2026, weather permitting. As installation is underway, parkgoers should anticipate increased noise levels, construction equipment in and around the work area, and temporary closures or restricted access near the project site. The City of Wilmingt

Left to Right: Karla Barker, Sarah Stevenson, Sydney Murtland, Kelly Grogan, Stephanie Tharp The Clinton County Coalition on Homelessness held a ribbon cutting with the Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce on Friday, July 24, 2026 celebrating the launch of the Safe Keep Locker Initiative at Hope House, located at 495 E. Locust Street, Wilmington, OH 45177. The Clinton County Coalition on Homelessness, in partnership with Hope House, has launched the Safe Keep Locker

"I'm so proud of our businesses in Clinton County, our civic groups in Clinton County, and our citizens that have really backed us in donations and [other support]," stated Neil Rhonemus, President of Box-14, a nonprofit committed to bringing resources to first responders. Neil has lived in the same location in Clinton County for "all but two years of [his] life." He has always been a farmer, but spent some time as a volunteer fireman before he began having children. Accordin

Drew DeVilbiss "We've always tried to be community-first because that's the whole point... Because we only exist to serve the community," stated Drew DeVilbiss, President and second-generation owner of the Wilmington Donatos franchise group. Donatos, located at 860 Rombach Avenue, opened in Wilmington in 1992 as a franchise by Drew's father, Doug. Drew grew up in Columbus, but spent "a lot of time" in Clinton County, as his grandparents lived in Wilmington. After graduating c

"You always want to please your bowlers... We always try to make the bowlers happy," stated Jackie Balon, General Manager of Royal Z Lanes, located at 2667 Rombach Avenue. Jackie, originally from Hillsboro, Ohio, has worked at Royal Z lanes for over 28 years. In 2017, she took on the role of general manager. Prior to becoming the general manager, Jackie managed the youth leagues for young bowlers. She has continue displaying that passion and encouragement to young bowler and

"The project is the tool for the kids to develop life skills [like] leadership and time management. [Kids are] caring for their animals everyday, learning about nutrition, and balancing whatever their summer schedules are," stated Tracie Montague, 4H Youth Development Educator at the OSU Extension Office, located at 111 S Nelson Avenue. Tracie, originally from Sunbury, Ohio, attended Wilmington College for her undergraduate degree. This led her to intern and explore with the

Men of Valor will host a six-week “2026 Men’s Leadership Training Seminar” beginning July 10 at the Wilmington City Administration Building. The program is designed to help men grow as leaders in their personal lives, families, workplaces, and communities. According to the seminar flyer, the course will address topics including personal development, relationships, work ethic, spiritual growth, financial challenges, discipline, and leadership skills. Weekly sessions will explo

Wilmington, OHIO (July 1, 2026)—The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) and Giant Eagle, Inc. ("Giant Eagle") today announced a definitive agreement under which Kroger will acquire Giant Eagle, a leading family-owned food and pharmacy retailer with approximately $9 billion in annual sales and 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. The transaction has been unanimously approved by Kroger's Board of Direct

Wilmington Safety Director Nick Eveland raised concerns to members of city council on June 4, 2026, about the city's aging outdoor tornado siren system while proposing a move to a wireless emergency system that sends alerts directly to residents’ mobile phones. Eveland stated that there was a malfunction on Wednesday, May 27, when several sirens activated on their own despite not being triggered by dispatchers. Officials attempted to cancel the alarms, but couldn't, leaving s

Left to Right: Marcy Hawley, Janice Ellis, John Baskin, Catie South, and Sarah Hawley "We're not business people. We're writers and editors with a design mind. We just want to make something beautiful and high-end," stated Marcy Hawley, publisher at Orange Frazer Press, located at 37 1/2 W Main Street. Marcy, along with her team of four, operate the publishing company, creating 15 to 20 books a year for clients regionally, nationally, and internationally. In the early 1980s,

WILMINGTON, Ohio (June 24, 2026)—The City of Wilmington is pleased to announce that construction of a new 11-foot shared-use path along Davids Drive will begin Monday, June 29, 2026, weather permitting. The path will be located begin at the existing share-use path at the intersection of Lynne Lane and Davids Drive and terminate near Wilmington Christian Academy. Work is being performed by Fillmore Construction. Construction is expected to be completed by October 22, 2026, wea

Artistic Exploration The third public meeting focused on a proposed Wilmington Community Recreation Center was held Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at the City of Wilmington Municipal Building. Organized by local residents, the meeting brought together parents, educators, healthcare representatives, former YMCA leaders, and community members to discuss how a modern recreation center could be funded, operated, and utilized by local families. Attendees included Tim Nared, Dustin Pear

Renovation rendering of the former BrightFarms facility WILMINGTON, Ohio (June 24, 2026)—The transformation of the former BrightFarms facility into the Wilmington College AgriScience Complex received significant support in Ohio’s newly approved capital budget. Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 2 earlier this month, which includes $650,000 earmarked for Wilmington College under the area designated for improving education infrastructure across Ohio. Last fall, the College purc

A groundbreaking ceremony was held on Monday, June 22, 2026, for eight new villa homes coming to Ohio Living Cape May in Wilmington, Ohio, marking the next phase of expansion for the retirement community. Community leaders, staff members, and supporters gathered at the future building site to celebrate the start of construction on the new customizable villas, which are expected to be completed by June 2027. The new villas will feature two floor plan options—the “Oliver” and t