| Dear Reader: Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah and happy holidays to you and yours. Let’s celebrate. But first, let’s talk business. One of the most important offices in the Air Force — one that will help the service develop weapons and capabilities with a unified purpose, getting players and stakeholders on the same page — has officially opened at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In charge will be Amanda Gentry, long a familiar senior executive at the base via her time at the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The opening of the office is important to both Wright-Patt and the Air Force. Wright-Patt exec takes helm of new Air Force development office What happened: Amanda Gentry was officially recognized last week as the first director of the Integrated Development Office, an integral part of Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) as the Air Force focuses on China and Russia. Why this matters: A fruit of hard conversations and “analytical rigor” by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and his team, the “IDO” office is expected to help give the Air Force the tools it needs to emerge victorious from the “most intense conceivable military operations,” said Andrew Hunter, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, who spoke at a “stand-up” ceremony at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. The numbers: To start, 200 IDO employees by mid-2025, a $309 million budget this fiscal year and $1.4 billion over five years. Read the story. $48M investment will upgrade 560+ affordable housing units in Dayton, Trotwood, Riverside The partnership: A local nonprofit has teamed up with one of the largest affordable housing owners and operators in the nation to preserve more than 560 affordable units in Dayton, Riverside and Trotwood. The plan: St. Mary Development Corp. and Related Affordable said they will invest more than $48 million to rehab five affordable apartment communities built in the 1970s. The Dayton area has a multitude of derelict properties that are still standing, but were left to decline for so long that they now are a distinct challenge to renovate. These groups are stepping up to get the job done. Read the story. The party winds down for Party City Credit: NYT Lede of ledes: The party’s over for Party City. What happened: The retailer, which is the largest party supply store chain in the United States, announced last week the closure of all its stores. Why: The New York Times indicated that a letter its writer reviewed with Party City Holdco letterhead cited “inflationary pressures on costs and consumer spending” as two of the obstacles facing the company. Where: The chain has 20 locations in Ohio, including stores in Miami Twp., Beavercreek, Huber Heights and Fairfield Twp. Read the story. Northridge career tech program helps students build skills for jobs Northridge has received $688,000 in state funding for new equipment for career technical education, and the district has put it to good use, education Reporter Eileen McClory told us in her weekly column. Welding (and more): Northridge has six career tech offerings, five of which are run by the district and one, a nursing program, is a satellite program at Miami Valley Career Tech Center. The most popular program is welding, which is almost full. The bottom line: “I feel special to come in here and give these kids these opportunities to go out and make careers, not just jobs,” said Kodi Hardigree, a school welding teacher and a 2012 Northridge graduate. Read the story. Cannabis entrepreneur buys former Dayton Key Bank branch for $1.9 million What happened: An Ohio entrepreneur in the cannabis field has purchased a former Key Bank branch building in Dayton on Patterson Road for nearly $2 million. The plan: “It’s going to be a certified dispensary. It will be our second store and our first in the Dayton community,” said Zach Weprin, a partner in Certified Cultivators, an Ohio-certified level 1 cultivator and processor through the state’s medical marijuana program. The location: 951 Patterson. The former bank is in a part of Dayton near municipal borders shared with Oakwood and Kettering. It is also near a Leora addiction and mental health treatment facility, at 948 Patterson, near the intersection with Wilmington Avenue. Read the story. Contact me: Thank you once again for reading. I (and my bosses) appreciate it. You can reach me at [email protected] to tell me about your business. You can also find me at X, LinkedIn, and with my colleagues, at our Dayton Business page. Quick hits On to Pasadena: Buckeyes make Tennessee’s College Football Playoff debut very rocky. Arch on the Flyers: They show resilience. Voice of business: 2025 can be a year to remember. El Toro Express in Kettering? Looks like it will happen. Who is helping to decorate the White House this Christmas? A Centerville woman. BONUS CHRISTMAS EVE QUICK HIT: A look back at Rike’s Christmas displays. | 