If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Kyle.Nagel@coxinc.com.
Want to read the digital version of the newspaper? Click here for our daily ePaper.
The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 24 seconds to read.
***
What’s next for redistricting reform in Ohio after Issue 1′s failure
The future of reforming the much-critiqued system for drawing legislative districts in Ohio is a mystery.
• What happened? Ohio voters last week resoundingly rejected an option to change how these Statehouse and congressional districts in Ohio are drawn.
• What they’re saying: Many Republican officials opposed to Issue 1 argued that the current system was adequate. That wasn’t the case, though, for Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, who both vehemently opposed Issue 1 and openly acknowledged that the current system “simply does not work very well. It needs to be changed.”
• What DeWine could do: In July, DeWine told reporters that, whether Issue 1 passed or not, he’d ask the Ohio legislature to change Ohio’s redistricting plan to be similar to the state of Iowa’s, which for forty years has banned its map drawers from looking at voter data and instead requires them to solely rely on the data of the latest census. DeWine said he wanted to put a plan on a ballot in 2025.
• Pro-Issue 1 side: Republican former Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor, who spearheaded Issue 1 following repeat frustrations with politicians’ maps while leading the Ohio Supreme Court, said she would not immediately try to put another reform effort on the ballot.
Dayton officials cracking down on vacant house fires, public asked to report activity at abandoned properties
City officials are encouraging Dayton residents to report activity at vacant and abandoned houses as the city looks to decrease the number of fires at empty properties.
• The data: Over the past three years, Dayton firefighters have responded to an average of 92 fires in vacant or abandoned structures each year.
• Dangers in vacant structures: Sometimes homeless people in an abandoned house may have an existing place, such as a fireplace, to start a fire. But Dayton Fire Department Chief Mike Rice said it’s common to see people use non-traditional items, such as combustible materials, or have combustible furniture too close to fires.
• Asking for help: City officials are asking residents to report vacant or abandoned structures through the Dayton Delivers portal at daytondelivers.daytonohio.gov or by downloading the Dayton Delivers app.
• What they’re saying about dangers: “Many times there have been elements removed from that structure, such as floor furnaces, and there’s now holes in the floor where we could have a firefighter fall through. So it adds a significant amount of danger for our folks as well.” — Dayton Fire Chief Mike Rice
What to know today
• One big takeaway: Republicans had a very, very good election in Ohio last week. Our analysis breaks down Ohio’s move further to the right.
• Big move of the day: Pappa’s Pizza Palace recently announced it is under new ownership and is back to being family-owned in Miamisburg.
• Person to know today: Jonathan Winters. The Dayton-born comedian who was a class clown before he was a world-class actor and beloved late-night guest would’ve turned 99 on Monday.
• Quote of the day: “There was a point during the game I couldn’t hear myself think.” — University of Dayton basketball forward Zed Key about the team’s win against Northwestern on Saturday at UD Arena.
• Stat of the day: 56. That’s the number of lower-seeded schools that won in the first two rounds of the Ohio high school football playoffs. A number of area upsets were in that mix.
• Photo of the day: VFW post 9550 commander Richard Hughes salutes the flag Monday during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2024 Veterans Day program in Centerville. Our photographers captured photos from Veterans Day events throughout the region. Click here for photos.
