| Good morning, business readers. The Reserve and the National Guard are an integral part of what is often called the military’s “total force.” As of March 2024, the Air Force has 321,103 active-duty members. The total membership of the Air Force Reserve stands at more than 71,000. If that wasn’t clear before the events of Sept. 11, it certainly become clear after, when many members of the Reserve and Guard served alongside active-duty counterparts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Reserve’s job is to be combat-ready, period. A small group of local journalists got a glimpse of what that means last week when we had a chance to fly with the 445th Airlift Wing from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. ‘What we signed up for’: Wright-Patt’s sole flying mission ready to defend in peacetime and war Ready to serve: The 445th flies the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, capable of transporting troops and cargo anywhere. Its capable members can also turn the C-17 into a “flying hospital,” if needed. And though it has members living in 38 states, in the event of war or a national emergency, its more than 1,700 members are expected to be ready to deploy in 72 hours. What they’re saying: “That’s what we tell our reservists every day: Be ready,” said Col. Mike Baker, operations group commander at the 445th, a unit made up of members deployed (as of Sept. 30, the end of the federal government’s fiscal year) in Spain, Germany, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Read the story Also: Reporter, photographer fly along with WPAFB’s 445th Airlift Wing Arrow Wine & Spirits celebrates 90 years with party at Centerville store Credit: Natalie Jones There’s a party: In the midst of the Great Depression, three brothers, Irv, Malcolm and Fritz Frank, started a liquor delivery service that has since evolved into a trio of local liquor stores. Today, Arrow Wine & Spirits has three stores: 2950 Far Hills Ave. in Kettering, 615 Lyons Road in Centerville and 6061 Radio Way in Mason. You’re invited: Arrow will celebrate 90 years in business during a holiday party at its store in Centerville from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 10 featuring 100 wines and heavy hors d’oeuvres. Reservations are required. Read the story. Hunting for ghosts in the Spaghetti Warehouse building A fun story from contributing writer Brandon Berry. Berry tagged along as Paula Dytko from Paula’s Paranormal Project (P3) conducted a paranormal probe inside the five-story Spaghetti Warehouse building at 36 W. Fifth St. Dytko approaches investigations with practicality, focusing on the group tour aspects and the history of the locations, providing context for why there might be activity, Berry wrote. What did they find? Read the story. Wright Dunbar progresses with Medal of Honor Memorial plans A nonprofit organization plans to break ground next month on a new memorial in West Dayton that will honor 41 Medal of Honor recipients from the greater Dayton region. Wright Dunbar Inc. has raised more than $1.3 million of the $1.5 million needed to construct the memorial, which will be placed in a city park at the northeast corner of West Third Street and Edwin C. Moses Boulevard, right by the bridge and river. Read the latest story. And our earlier reporting. $11M investment will bring 27 new homes to Wolf Creek neighborhood An $11.6 million project is going to bring 27 new homes to the Wolf Creek neighborhood, which some leaders hope is ready for a major transformation. The plan: County Corp says it hopes to close on financing at the end of this year or in early 2025. What they say: Many of the homes will be built on lots where nuisance structures were torn down, says a memo from Steve Gondol, Dayton’s director of planning, neighborhoods and development. “These new homes represent opportunity and investment where there had been significant blight,” he wrote. Read the story. Contact me: Thank you again for reading this newsletter. Contact me any time at [email protected] Quick hits Local real estate: Custom built two-story for sale in Clayton overlooks pond Halloween in Dayton’s Water Street District: There’s a plan for that. Montgomery County MRDD board: Announces cuts, layoffs. Is ‘La Nina’ just another word for ‘weather happens?’ It seems that way. Halloween on the rooftop: The Foundry has plans. | 