At City Council on Thursday, November 2, 2023, Council Member Nick Eveland presented on a project called Airside North that the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) hopes will bring new businesses and industries into Wilmington. One of the challenges the project is facing currently is whether the sewer lines will tie into Rombach Avenue or near the Airpark. The Clinton County Port Authority has agreed to work with the CIC and the developer to help acquire the right-of-way access needed to tie into the sewer system closer to the Airpark, which would free the sewer system on Rombach Avenue for other development—potentially residential. In speaking about the need for this project, Eveland said, "my philosophy is... the more money you've got coming in the better off you are. So if we bring those business and industries into here, we'll have more money for all the restaurants and the things people like to have." A PDF containing marketing material used to attract businesses to this property is attached below for more details on this project.

In June of this year, The Murphy’s Executive Director, Steve Burnette, announced they would be replacing the hand letterboard with an LCD screen that will mimic letterboard. During a summer Chamber meeting, Burnette explained the disrepairs of the current marquee and how the man who changes the letters is aging. The new design will help with maintenance and has their staff’s safety at heart. “Our goal is to maintain the look of this historic landmark,” said Burnette. According to ‘The History of The Murphy Theatre’ by Jennifer Hollon, the original marquee did not have a letterboard at all when the theatre officially opened in 1918 (pg 20). In 1929, Chakeres Theatres of Springfield leased the theater from the Murphy family and began making improvements in anticipation for talking films that included a larger marquee with flashing lights to draw people’s attention (pg 41). In 1932, the first person outside of the Murphy family, Bill Nasses, became manager and decided to change the marquee background to white (pg 47). Following a fire in 1934 that caused $30,000 of damage, the marquee lighting was changed to a “more eye-catching neon” (pg 53). Finally, in 1950, Chakeres Theatres installed an art deco style marquee with “MURPHY” displayed vertically and a 1,800 bulb letterboard (pg 78). To help fund the new LCD letterboard, community members can purchase one of these historic bulbs at The Murphy, or on their website at themurphytheatre.org/marquee.

The Wilmington City School District Board of Education held their regular meeting on October 23, 2023 at Wilmington Middle School. Mr. Ted Kirkpatrick, Dean of Satellites for Great Oaks Career Campuses, was a guest presenter at the meeting. Mr. Kirkpatrick shared a brief history of their satellite programs and how Great Oaks and WCS work together to provide this opportunity for WCS students. WHS has had one of their satellite programs, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) engineering program, for a number of years. This year marks the start of having a new satellite program at the middle school level as well. At the middle school level student us individuality to design and create their own projects, using guidelines provided by the instructor. WMS PLTW instructor Chris Huelsman had some of his WMS students share their projects with the Board. WMS recognized a number of students from this new satellite program. Braxton Pierce, Gracie Goodwin, Bailey Huff, Andrea Manzo, and Brendan Norris were recognized for being Design and Modeling Top Academic Performers. Emily Blakey received the Design and Modeling Engineer Award. Bailey Oetzel was recognized as Design and Modeling Most Improved. Pupil Services Director, Natalie Harmeling, provided an update regarding a new mentoring program at Wilmington Middle School/High School called Check & Connect - a research-based intervention program from the University of Minnesota that has a 30 year history of success in improving student achievement. Students who struggle with attendance, grades, and/or behavior are partnered with trained volunteer mentors. Mentors meet with their mentees twice a month at school to check in, provide encouragement and support, help the student build skills, and be a positive influence in their lives. 2 mentors, Jamie Roe and John Wirmel, shared their experiences at the Board meeting. They talked about helping their mentees set goals to bring up grades and develop action steps, then celebrating the students' success when they raised a D to a B two weeks later. They have been invited to choir concerts (and plan to attend!), discovered a shared interest in cooking and swapping recipes, and have had conversations that build trust and encourage meaningful dialog. The students in the program automatically have one more person, in addition to their parents and teacher, who is rooting for them and is willing to help them succeed. Mrs. Harmeling shared that they are already seeing a positive impact from this program. Students in 3rd-12th grade have recently been participating in Readiness Assessments in tested content areas. This is a practice assessment from the State that helps teachers identify where students are currently and helps guide instruction throughout the year. With this benchmark, teachers can develop more focused instruction to help students reach specific learning goals. Throughout the District, teachers have been participating in professional development surrounding the concept of Explicit Instruction and how it can be utilized in the classroom to improve student learning and achievement. Buildings are also focusing on teaching and reinforcing expected behaviors to improve the climate in each building. With Veterans Day just around the corner, each building is planning activities that honor veterans. Mrs. Woodruff, WHS Principal, shared that WHS recently hosted over 50 colleges for College Fair and extended the invitation to the other schools in the county. Last week, 10th and 12th graders were able to attend the Career Fair hosted by Laurel Oaks.Mrs. Woodruff also shared that WHS has started a school-wide system for reinforcing expected behavior. WHS had a great homecoming week and were able to reschedule the homecoming parade for October 18th. The football team is hosting the first round playoff game this Friday. WHS Choir had their first concert last week and WHS bands held a concert after the Board meeting. The WHS Marching Band has qualified for State competition in November - their 31st time qualifying! Lastly, WHS will have their first theatre production of the school year, The Diary of Anne Frank, on November 10th -12th. WMS Principal Ms. Martin shared that the Middle School is focusing on helping students learn how to collaborate and become active learners. Additionally, WMS is participating in a SMART adoption with the Ohio Department of Education. The purpose of this partnership is to have Instructional partners help WMS instructional leaders so they can better implement their high-quality math materials, Illustrative Math, and determine next steps to improve planning. Instructional partners come into the building and observe classrooms and give feedback on instruction, identifying for the teachers what is going well and areas for improvement. Ms. Martin also spoke about the implementation of Positive Behavior Intervention Supports known as PBIS. WMS staff have focused on teaching and reinforcing both classroom and building expectations with students. In the 1st Quarter, students worked to earn points based on meeting behavior expectations. A record 89% of WMS students earned enough points to qualify for the incentive field trip to the Murphy Theatre. WMS is raising the bar for the 2nd quarter by doubling the amount of points required to earn a spot on the incentive trip. Grades will factor into earning points along with meeting behavior expectations.This renewed focus on expected behavior is yielding positive results and an improved climate at WMS. Denver Elementary This week is Red Ribbon Week where the theme is “Be kind to your mind. Live Drug Free”. The students are participating in different age-appropriate activities this week during morning meetings to reinforce the importance of making healthy choices. 5th Grade has been dissecting Owl pellets and loving it! 4th Grade science just learned about plate tectonics and are now working on pumpkin catapults. Upcoming events for Denver include a 4th Grade trip to Fort Ancient. MH students will be going to the pumpkin patch as they work on life cycles this week. Holmes Elementary Dr. Tanner, Holmes Principal, shared that the Wilmington Fire Department spent 2 mornings last week at Holmes teaching fire safety to Kindergarten students. Parent/teacher conferences were held on 2 nights last week with virtual, in-person, and phone options available to parents. She has seen an increase in participation by adding flexible meeting options. Dr. Tanner highlighted Connor Hendrickson, the new music teacher at Holmes, for his creative classroom instruction which has students excited about participating in his class. Business Items The Board approved a number of business items at the meeting that included adoption of Board policy revisions and two new policies to remain compliant with current Ohio law. The revisions and new policies had been presented at the last Board meeting for consideration. The Board approved an overnight field trip for 4 engineering students at WHS to attend SkillsUSA Leadership Conference in November. Lastly, the Board approved an emergency request to approve two agreements with Air Force One to remove a boiler at Holmes Elementary and the High School and install new Lochinvar boilers at both locations. Both of these boilers failed in the last couple of weeks. Due to the imminent winter weather, these replacements will need to be declared an emergency purchase in order to forego bidding requirements which would delay the project by three to four weeks. Quotes for the project are $72,264 for Holmes and $79,999 for the HS. Repairs are possible, however the cost to replace the heat exchanger alone is nearly the same cost as a new boiler. The Treasurer provided the monthly financial update and routine personnel items that are itemized in the minutes that will be posted online. Board minutes are presented at the next regular meeting prior to being posted online. The next regular Board meeting is Monday, November 27, 2023 at 6:00 PM and will be held at Denver Elementary.

Alex Beres became Executive Director of Clinton County Port Authority in February of this year and celebrated the birth of his first daughter at CMH over Easter weekend. With his slicked back hair and fancy suits, some might wonder if Alex was formerly an east coast Mafia Don, but Alex’s roots actually come from rural northern Ohio where he met his now wife. Alex jokes how his now in-laws were impressed that he was on the basketball team in high school and played in a band, but how his wife “could still care less about my guitar playing.” The Clinton County Port Authority not only manages our commercial airport that was donated after DHL left in 2009, but also acts as our county’s economic development leader to do things like attract (and keep) large employers and developers. Alex first got interested in economic development as a child when he and his father petitioned neighbors to get a rural water co-op to build water lines to their area. “I remember in high school drinking water from the faucet and it was the first time I could ever do that and it was because of infrastructure”, he said. Alex also remembers his uncle, who worked in economic development for the State of Ohio, visiting between “top secret meetings” with Whirlpool to get them to stay in the area. “I thought that was incredible, almost like being a spy”, he said. After working several years in Columbus and D.C., Alex is glad to be closer to family and is enjoying his new role in Wilmington. He encourages anyone who wants a tour of the airpark and see what’s new to contact him at aberes@ccportauthority.com. Listen to our full interview with Alex on our podcast, 'Episode 030: Inside Clinton County Port Authority (with Alex Beres)': 🍎 Apple: https://bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: https://bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: https://bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: https://bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: https://bit.ly/rcwp-website

Fred Haught appeared in court on Monday, October 23, 2023 at 1pm and entered into a conditional plea of guilty to 34 criminal charges from 7 cases that resulted from 7 of his properties. CASE NO (search court records): CRB2101208 (A-B) CRB2101209 (A-F) CRB2200437 (A-C) CRB2200454 (A-G) CRB2200455 (A-G) CRB2300416 (A-D) CRB2300419 (A-E) In exchange for his plea, the State agrees to "Diversion" with terms that he shall sell the properties within 60 days (on or before December 22,2023 at 8am). Proof of sale must be provided to Annen Vance, Code Enforcement Officer for the City of Wilmington on or before this time. A review hearing was set for the beginning of February, 2024 to determine the status of the sale. The record reads that, Fred Haught's "conditional plea of guilty on all Cases and Counts shall be held in abeyance until further order of the Court. Failure to comply with one or all of the the terms of this agreement will result in convictions on all matter and may result in the imposition of the aforementioned sentences." See full trial details below:

Fred Haught is scheduled for court on Monday, October 23, 2023 at 1pm for 34 criminal charges resulting from ongoing unresolved issues with 7 of his properties. The charges include both 3rd and 4th degree misdemeanors that carry mandatory fines and jail time. The trial is open to the public and will be held in the Municipal Court at 69 North South Street (room 217, second floor). The 7 properties involved in the case are: 889 Rombach Avenue (photos) 873 Rombach Avenue (photos) 262 N Mulberry Street (photos) 141 N Locust Street (photos) 129 W Locust Street (photos) 237 N Lincoln Street (photos) 180 Columbus Street (photos)

This summer, the new owners of Lumberton General Store, husband and wife team Sam Ginn and Emma Buchanan, celebrated their almost 3-year journey to renovate and re-open the restaurant by serving its first customers since previous owners last closed the business back in 2015. As a child, Emma remembers riding her bicycle from her home in New Burlington to Lumberton General Store with her sisters when her grandfather owned the business. While the restaurant looks different today, there are still gems from Emma’s childhood memories that others might remember as well, like the little red gum ball machine in the corner or the iconic yellow booths. After college, Emma moved to California where she met Sam through a mutual friend. Emma was managing a barber shop, and Sam was working at a bar next door. While Emma had heard that Lumberton General Store was for sale, it wasn’t until the couple moved to Ohio, and into Emma’s grandfathers old farmhouse across the street, that they approached the idea of re-opening the restaurant with the new building owners, The Cabinet Gallery, who purchased the building from The Clinton County Land Bank simply to clean up the area around their business. Emma and Sam refer to The Cabinet Gallery as their “guardian angles” who spent over 2-years renovating the building for them on just a handshake deal. As with any new venture, there have been challenges, like getting an SBA Loan and finding distributors, but they have yielded results that Emma and Sam are thankful for now, like a business plan and relationships. One of the things the couple is passionate about is having local ingredients in their menu items from local farmers. For instance, their biscuits and gravy have sausage from Walnut Ridge Acres and when customers walk into Lumberton General Store, they see a general store area with local eggs, meats, desserts, and Emma’s homemade popsicles. The Lumberton General Store business model mimics restaurants Sam saw while in California, where customers order at the counter, but are then waited on at their seat (similar to local restaurants like Northstar in Columbus). Their drink menu includes espressos and specialty lattes, like Sam’s Ginger Cardamom and Black Walnut Maple creations. Their food menu currently includes breakfast and lunch items. BREAKFAST Biscuits & Gravy Breakfast Horseshoe (meat topped biscuit) Country Breakfast LUNCH Fried Chicken Sandwich with Coleslaw Garage Grilled Cheese Smash Burger Club Sandwich Green Garden Salad (optional meat) While their “soft-launch” hours have been Tuesday–Saturday from 8am to 2pm, things are changing quickly as they get set into the swing of things and it is best to check their website at www.lumberton68.com. Listen to our full interview on your favorite podcast player below: 🍎 Apple: https://bit.ly/rcwp-apple 🤖 Google: https://bit.ly/rcwp-google 🟢 Spotify: https://bit.ly/rcwp-spotify 🎥 YouTube: https://bit.ly/rcwp-youtube 😎 Website: https://bit.ly/rcwp-website

We were invited to Green Meadows today with local service providers to talk with “approximately 70” residents who are being asked to move by the end of the month. Here are some stories from the residents we talked to today while knocking on doors and letting them know about services available: Steve has lived at Green Meadows for 2–3 years. He was told that Green Meadows was closing by someone walking around. His plan is to stay at the homeless shelter for a month and then rent a room in Wilmington when his social security hits his account. Jerry has lived at Green Meadows for 2 years. He heard that Green Meadows was closing by hearsay. The VA is helping him transition to a sleeping room in Pickaway County and then to an apartment. Trisha has lived at Green Meadows for 2 years. Her “old man” owns their trailer. They bought some land near Rocky Fork and plan to move their trailers there. They were told that they have until the end of the month to move because Green Meadows is under new ownership. Amy has lived at Green Meadows for 2 years. They were given their trailer by the previous owner. They received a piece of paper saying to vacate in 30 days. They heard from a rumor that the place sold two months ago and they could have at least given them a 90 day notice, or at least until the spring. They have no plans for relocation yet. They said it’s hard to find a place to rent without income, and they are waiting on their Social Security Disability Income. Roger has been living at Green Meadows for 6 months. Before this he was renting a room in Xenia. He owns his trailer and pays $350 a month to stay at Green Meadows. He was given a 30 day eviction notice. He lives off of Social Security. He said a lot of felons live here and now have no place to go. Thank you to the following service providers who came out today: Brightview Sugartree Ministry Center Clinton County Homeless Shelter Clinton County Homelessness Coalition Clinton County Job and Family Services Foster Care and Adoption Clinton County Community Action Program TLC Celebrate Recovery

The Clinton County Coalition on Homelessness (CCCH) aims to prevent, and ultimately eradicate, Clinton County’s homelessness crisis. CCCH regularly holds outreach and education initiatives that are geared towards raising awareness, dispelling myths, fostering empathy, and creating a compassionate community that understands the complexities of homelessness. On July 25, 2023, and October 17, 2023, their Service and Resource Committee held their first and second ‘Day of Hope’ events that brought together over 10 service providers to help provide much-needed resources to those in our community experiencing homelessness. CCCH sees these events as essential for aiding those transitioning from homelessness. CCCH's strategic action plan underscores its commitment to comprehensively addressing homelessness by prioritizing coordinated access, safe housing provision, rehousing assistance, and long-term independence, CCCH aims to significantly impact the lives of those experiencing homelessness. 4 Keys of CCCH’s Strategic Action Plan: Goal 1: Coordinated Access to Housing Stabilization and Homeless Prevention Assistance CCCH acknowledges the effectiveness and compassion of preventing homelessness. Their initial goal focuses on offering coordinated access to housing stabilization and prevention assistance. Partnering with organizations, agencies, landlords, and social services ensures those facing housing instability have access to the necessary resources. Goal 2: Provision of Safe, Temporary Housing and Additional Resources The second goal concentrates on providing safe, temporary housing and extra resources for the homeless. CCCH collaborates with shelters, faith-based groups, and partners to swiftly connect individuals to services such as counseling and job training, promoting housing stability. Goal 3: Access to Rehousing Assistance for Brief and One-Time Homelessness CCCH's third goal aims to make homelessness brief and one-time. They partner with housing authorities, landlords, and property managers to increase affordable housing options, addressing immediate housing needs and underlying causes of homelessness. Goal 4: Supporting Housing Stabilization, Critical Needs, and Independence CCCH's fourth goal centers on supporting housing stabilization, critical needs, and independence post-homelessness. Through case management, we connect clients with vital services and collaborate with local employers for job placement and skill development, enabling financial independence. Community members play a pivotal role in supporting CCCH's mission and are encouraged to contribute time, resources, or advocacy to help create an inclusive and compassionate community where homelessness has become a thing of the past.

The following debate is intended to help our community get to know the candidates running for mayor, in their own words. Each candidate has been given a character limit to respond to the following five questions: Why are you running for mayor? What are the immediate issues you hope to address and how? Downtown: What do you feel would most help revitalize Wilmington’s downtown and how would you plan to assist this? Housing: What opportunities do you see to increase housing development in Wilmington and how would you plan to assist this? ​Vagrancy: How would you define the term “vagrancy” and how would you plan to address it in Wilmington? Concerns: What concerns have you heard people have about your campaign for mayor and how would you like to respond? Real Change Wilmington believes “we are a community of empowered individuals”. So, while debates are helpful and fun, please also do your own part by reaching out and getting to know each candidate for yourself. Email Pat Haley at (peh@cinci.rr.com) and Jason Stoops at (jasonstoops@ymail.com).

On Wednesday, October 11, 2023, the Clinton County Career Exploration Fair took place at the Laurel Oaks Career Campus. This event brought together local area businesses and high school students to provide a platform for valuable connections and career exploration opportunities. The fair served as a bridge between the business community and the next generation of our local workforce. With over 30 local businesses participating, the event offered students a firsthand glimpse into various industries, exposing them to a wide range of career possibilities within our community. From agriculture and aviation to healthcare and construction, the fair showcased the diverse sectors that exist within Clinton County. The Laurel Oaks Career Campus played a pivotal role in hosting the event, providing a dynamic and engaging environment for businesses and students to interact. Students had the opportunity to explore different booths, engage in conversations with professionals, and gain insights into the skills and qualifications needed for success in their desired fields. One of the key highlights of the fair was the virtual reality demonstration held by OhioMeansJobs Clinton County. By fostering partnerships from local businesses, the Clinton County Career Exploration Fair set a positive trajectory for our community's economic development and future workforce. Local businesses and organizations at the career fair include: BrightFarms Nutrien Ag Solutions Clinton County Ohio Farm Bureau ATSG Companies Merchants National Bank Peoples Bank Smith-Feike-Minton Insurance Wilmington Savings Bank Crown Staffing OhioMeansJobs Clinton County Southern State Community College Wilmington College Clinton County Early Learning Center Wilmington Public Library Accurate Mechanical Diverse Building Solutions Ohio Valley Electrical Services Shafer Heater & Cooling Clinton Memorial Hospital HealthSourch of Ohio Ohio Living Cape May Amazon R+L Carries FERNO Innovative Engineered Solutions Honda LG Joint Venture EV Battery Plant Nippon Seiki North America City of Wilmington Ohio State Highway Patrol Orchard Veterinary Care

Wilmington City School District has placed a new levy on the November 7, 2023 ballot. The previous levy that had been in place for 20 years was a 1% “Traditional Income Tax” (taxed all Ohio Adjusted Gross Income) and it expired at the end of 2022. The proposed new levy placed before voters in November will be a 1% “Earned Income Tax”, which does NOT tax retirement income, interest, dividends, capital gains, or social security. Wilmington City School District serves more than 2100 students from a 161 square mile area. For District financial information, facts, FAQs, and the Board of Education’s plan to address an estimated $5 million dollar deficit if there is no new levy, visit wilmingtoncityschools.com/levy. Questions can be directed to the Treasurer at (937) 382-1641. District Information District covers 161 square miles Serves over 2100 students Preschool-12th Career Tech Program 7th-12th grade Thriving FFA Program Award winning theatre program Nationally recognized music program Gifted enrichment Advanced Placement Courses College Credit Plus Program Broad variety of extracurriculars Employs 312 full-time staff (Teachers, Counselors, Speech Pathologists, Psychologists, Intervention Specialists, Aides, Bus Drivers, Custodians, Cafeteria Workers, Secretaries, Coaches, and other staff to support District operations)