Morning Briefing | Theft allegations against former auditor's employee

A former county auditor’s office employee is accused of stealing nearly $200,000 from the office.

Today in the Morning Briefing, we look at the allegations in the case and how officials say they discovered the alleged thefts. We also check in on Intel as the company says it’s committed to a giant Ohio project despite financial struggles.

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Ex Montgomery County Auditor’s Office employee charged with theft, destruction of nearly $190K

A former Montgomery County Auditor’s Office employee is charged with theft in office and tampering with records.

• The accusations: An indictment accuses Jodi Hockett, 61, of Miamisburg, of theft of between $150,000 and $750,000 between May 1, 2023 and July 26, 2024. Montgomery County Auditor Karl Keith said the charges are in connection to the theft and destruction of $189,000 in licensing fees.

• The discovery: The shortage was discovered in June this year while the auditor’s office was conducting a routine settlement of cigarette license fees — these fees are collected from grocery stores and other businesses that lawfully sell cigarettes.

• Her position: Hockett had worked for the county since 2014 and was paid $54,718 in 2023. During that time, she was employed as a clerk in the licensing division.

• What they’re saying: “She did not seem to be upset with her work assignments. She was one of the people that was held in high regard in that department, that her coworkers looked to for assistance in doing their jobs.” — Keith in a Monday afternoon news conference.

Intel remains committed to Ohio ‘Silicon Heartland’ despite company’s struggles

Intel Corp. remains committed to building the two semiconductor fabrication plants under construction in New Albany, Ohio, despite the company’s financial struggles.

• The project: Intel is investing $28 billion on the Ohio project, dubbed the “Silicon Heartland.” The plants will produce the “most advanced semiconductor processors in the U.S.,” a spokeswoman said.

• Big federal funding: On Nov. 26 the U.S. Department of Commerce and Intel announced the company was awarded $7.865 billion — including $1.5 billion for the Ohio project

• Company struggles: The company posted a $16.6 billion quarterly loss in October — it’s largest ever — and cut 15,000 jobs earlier this year. On Dec. 2 Intel announced its CEO had retired from the company and stepped down from the board of directors, effective Dec. 1.

• What they’re saying: “They’ve lost enough market share that they could be attractive to somebody out there. The reality is the demand for the chips that they’re making is not where they expected it to be.” — Jared Pincin, associate professor of economics at Cedarville University.

What to know today

• One big takeaway: Four restaurant chains have recently closed some of their locations in the Dayton region — resulting in 12 restaurants permanently closed and two others expected to reopen.

• Person to know today: Brandon Ragland. The artistic director of the Dayton Ballet will introduce his own distinct flavor to the classic work “The Nutcracker” Dec. 13-22 at the Schuster Center

• Quote of the day: “We’ve seen nothing like this in our lifetimes.” — Mike Parks, president of the Dayton Foundation, on job growth in the region through 2030.

• Stat of the day: 6. That’s the national ranking of the Marquette basketball team, which will visit UD Arena on Saturday, making it the highest-ranked opponent the Flyers have hosted since 2007.

• Things to do: Kringle’s Inventionasium is a Cleveland Christmas-themed experience that has mixed holiday magic and STEM (also, if you have ideas for a place that’s drivable in a day from Southwest Ohio for a fun day, email Alex Cutler at [email protected]).

• Photo of the day: The Kettering Mayor’s Tree Lighting kicked off the city’s holiday season on Friday at Lincoln Park Civic Commons. Photographer Tom Gilliam was there for a photo gallery of the event.