JOSH SWEIGART Editor of investigations and solutions journalism
Good morning
Looking for a way to beat the heat this sweltering weekend? Stay inside with the A/C and a copy of the Dayton Daily News. We got plenty for you this week.
Welcome to 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 the for-profit company trying to open a school for foster kids in the Englewood area; a warning about the vulnerability of our electric grid as temperatures rise; and the impact of the federal government on Ohioans who rely on food assistance.
The for-profit company Griffin Academy purchased the former Englewood Elementary School in 2023 with the hopes of building a school for foster youth. Reporter Aimee Hancock investigated Griffin Academy’s founder Tari Darr, and her decades-long effort to open such a facility. Read the full story here.
• Griffin Academy: The school was set to open in April 2024, but has no students. The building is fully furnished, with a lush library, a stock of specialized tools and workforce development materials, and school supplies arranged atop desks, each with a reusable water bottle bearing the Griffin Academy emblem.
• Previous efforts: A Dayton Daily News investigation found this is at least the seventh time in two different states Darr has attempted to open such a facility. Previous tries, dating back 22 years, ended in failure and often litigation.
• The money: The project is currently privately funded. Darr says she is in contact with state officials and government agencies to access public funds, though some of those agencies dispute her version of events.
• Darr reacts: Darr envisions a training center to help foster youth transitioning to adulthood learn skilled trades and basic life skills. She says previous were unsuccessful because communities won’t invest in foster kids.
- “If we get over this paradigm of, ‘Oh, this is how we’ve always done it,’ we can ensure these kids are prepared for the real world in a way they currently may not be,†Darr said. “... I still believe that those of us who are willing to risk everything for the right reason will change the world.â€
As temps spike, electric grid strains
In late June, temperatures in Dayton and the region logged in the mid- to upper-90s. Reporter Tom Gnau looked into how our electric grid is dealing with a spike in air-conditioning usage and other demands on the grid. What he found is troubling.
• The record: During the heat wave, the Midwest’s electric grid operator found itself operating near the grid’s all-time peak usage record.
• Dire warning: With demand rising faster than capacity, Ohio’s electric grid is at risk of being overwhelmed as early as 2027, a business advocate warned Ohio lawmakers this spring.
• Losing sleep: Tom asked Asim Haque, PJM Interconnection’s senior vice president of governmental and member services (and a former Springfield resident), if he loses sleep over this. “1,000%,†he answered, without hesitating.
• The full story: Go here for Tom’s full story, including discussion of what can be done to keep the system running.
• The budget: President Donald Trump signed the budget earlier this month, including $186 billion in reductions to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program over the next 10 years through changes to its framework.
• Work requirement: One big change extends SNAP work requirements to more Americans than ever before. Most “able-bodied†adults, as described in federal law, will need to work or volunteer at least 20 hours per week or participate in training programs to keep their benefits.
• What lawmakers say: Federal lawmakers said their overhaul of the federal food assistance program is happening to reduce government waste and fraud.
• Ohio impact: This could impact nearly 97,000 Ohioans, according to one estimate.
• Other changes: There were also changes to who qualifies for food stamps, and an increased requirement for a state match that could cost Ohio up to $318 million a year.
• Local numbers: The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services estimates that 83,168 Montgomery County residents received SNAP benefits in June, representing 15% of the county’s overall population. It’s unclear how many will be impacted by the recent changes.
• Food pantries: One group bracing for an impact is food banks, who expected demand to continue to rise as they also cope with cuts to state funding in Ohio’s recently passed budget.
• Quote: “They’re likely to find themselves turning to us instead for help. And we’re concerned because we know that we can’t make up for these cuts and changes to SNAP on our own,†said Joree Novotny, the executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.
Thousands of Ohio’s 1.5 million food assistance recipients could lose eligibility for food assistance, with others seeing a possible reduction in their benefits, over the next few years under the new federal budget.
Testimony of a former Montgomery County Clerk of Courts employee alleges concerns around the issuing of bonuses to employees based on their campaign contributions to their boss Mike Foley, as well as Foley’s former campaign manager using county equipment and time to log finance activity for her boss.
