| Welcome to an extra-packed edition of the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed. This week that includes an investigation into how aggressively local police are enforcing Ohio’s new distracted driving law, the latest on a controversial proposed increase in flood protection assessments, and how and why the state and local schools are investing big-time in career tech. Our mission is to help you understand what’s really going on in the Dayton region. This includes comprehensive coverage of local governments and agencies, hard-hitting investigations, and in-depth analyses of important issues. Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at [email protected], or you can use our anonymous tipline. Highway patrol aggressively enforcing new distracted driving law; local police not so much Credit: JIM NOELKER Starting late last year, Ohio police can pull you over and give you a ticket if the officer sees you improperly using a cell phone will driving. Enforcement started in October after a six month period where drivers were just given warnings. • Our investigation: We wanted to know how aggressively law enforcement agencies are enforcing the new law. Reporter Ed Richter used Ohio public records law to obtain data from local governments on how many tickets have been issued. • What we found: He found local police are not aggressively enforcing the new law. None of the region’s largest local law enforcement agencies issued more than a dozen tickets in the law’s first four months. Several issued zero. - Read Ed’s story here, including data on local departments and what they had to say. - Ed also found the way reporting of the data was set up under the law shields data from the public. • The exception: The Ohio State Highway Patrol doled out thousands of citations for distracted driving after the state’s new law went into effect in the fall, and claims the effort is making Ohio’s highways safer. - Ed’s story also reveals what area stretches of highway have seen the most tickets issued. • Phones down, it’s the law: Go here for an explainer on what is and isn’t allowed under the new law, including a video of me doing a terrible job of using a driving simulator at Vyral E-Sports in Kettering. Miami Conservancy District weighs pause on controversial flood protection plan Credit: Nick Graham Miami Conservancy District officials late last week announced they would consider a “pause” in a reappraisal and assessment cost increase process impacting thousands of property owners across the region after we reported on the public backlash over the proposal. - The decision followed intervention by state lawmakers and a U.S. Congressman. • The need: The Miami Conservancy District in January announced it needed about $140 million to upgrade and maintain the flood protection system that has protected the region since shortly after the 1913 flood. They proposed increased assessments to pay for it. • The cost: More than 43,000 properties pay annual assessments. Conservancy district officials harped on the fact that nearly 84% of these properties would have ended up paying $250 or less under the proposed assessments. • Flood of complaints: But when the other 16% of property owners saw the upcoming bills, some had sticker shock. Reporting by Sydney Dawes and Michael Pitman revealed that hundreds of properties could end up paying thousands of dollars, with some assessments reaching six figures annually. - Our analysis of MCD data found the two dozen properties with the largest proposed assessment changes — more than half of which are owned by governments and nonprofits — would collectively see assessments increased more than $1.5 million under the proposed changes. • What’s next: The conservancy district board will meet on May 3 in Hamilton to vote on whether to pause the process. Our reporters will be there to bring you the latest. Career centers get $300M from Ohio as enrollment booms Ohio is investing heavily in career technical education. So our education reporter Eileen McClory is investigating heavily on what that means for students and taxpayers. • Education landscape changing: Enrollment in Ohio’s career tech centers has increased 17% from the 2020-2021 school year to the 2022-2023 school year, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Go here for Eileen’s story on what’s behind that growth. • Following the money: The state allocated $200 million to the centers for facilities and $100 million for machinery and equipment during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. Go here for Eileen’s story on how local districts are spending that money. • Clearing obstacles: Local and state leaders expect career tech to continue to expand and accept more students. Go here for Eileen’s story on how local districts are trying to make career tech more accessible. *** | 