Latest news with #Dayton
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Pretty crazy;' Family sees electric bill nearly double, AES Ohio asking for rate increase
A local family said their AES Ohio bill has nearly doubled. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Amanda Collins, who lives in a two-bedroom house, reported that her electricity bill rose from just under $200 to nearly $400. 'That was pretty crazy for us,' Collins said. TRENDING STORIES: Local BBQ restaurant struck by lightning New surveys rank Dayton as one of the worst bed bug-infested cities in the U.S. Local YMCA branch to permanently close She mentioned that her grandmother turned off her air conditioning to cope with the high electric bills, choosing to endure the heat instead. Mary-Ann Kabel, a spokesperson for AES Ohio, explained that increased air conditioning usage during hotter months contributes to higher bills. AES Ohio has requested a rate increase, which could lead to higher costs depending on individual usage. Kabel suggested using high electricity devices like dryers, ovens, and dishwashers at night to help reduce costs. Collins found a solution by using third-party companies to negotiate her electricity rates, which helped cut her bill in half. 'It's usually about every three months I'm going on there and changing, like the third-party provider on their rates,' Collins said. On Aug. 7 and Aug. 14, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has scheduled public hearings regarding AES Ohio's application to increase electric rates. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Drivers may see more police on a busy road in Montgomery County tonight; Here's why
People driving through Montgomery County may see more police on Saturday night. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The Ohio State Highway Patrol announced that it will be working with the Dayton Police Department and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office on a joint traffic enforcement operation on State Route 48. TRENDING STORIES: Construction worker dead after being electrocuted at Walmart distribution center Lawmakers introduce legislation to help lower bus costs, make public transit more accessible Shelter in place issued at local fair after tornado-warned storm The enforcement operations will take place from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. A spokesperson with OSHP said this partnership aims to reduce deadly crashes and suppress crime. 'Additionally, the initiative aims to raise awareness, provide education, and promote community transparency through traffic safety measures,' the spokesperson added. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Hospital initiative fails to pass city commission; needs more signatures
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — One group is back to collecting signatures after the Dayton City Commission failed to pass a ballot initiative for a hospital in West Dayton. The Clergy Community Coalition now has until Aug. 11 to collect 1,250 valid signatures after already collecting thousands for the hospital initiative. This comes after Wednesday morning's Dayton City Commission meeting, where their petition to have the initiative appear on November's ballot failed to pass. One city commissioner, who is also a member of the coalition, says she is upset with this outcome. 'I am disappointed,' said Shenise Turner-Sloss, city commissioner. 'I commitment in doing so and to allow the people to to make the decision to to vote as to whether they will like to support a public hospital. ' Both Turner-Sloss and Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. voted in favor of putting the hospital initiative on the ballot. This would have allowed voters to decide if a public hospital is something the city of Dayton should pursue and fund. 'If you have been here for years and decades like myself, you're seeing this city suffer more than other cities around us, and other communities around us, because of the wealth factor,' said Mayor Mims. Commissioner Darryl Fairchild abstained his vote, and commissioners Chris Shaw and Matt Joseph both voted against the ballot initiative, saying while they are not opposed to a hospital, this initiative lacks proper planning and would not be a good idea for Dayton residents. 'It's unfair for Dayton residents to have to pay for a hospital if it even were able to come to fruition,' said Chris Shaw, city commissioner. 'And if the city of Dayton had to fill the gap, we would have to cut fire and police, public works.' Commissioners say health care is a priority but the proposal needs to better align with the city's current capabilities. 'And I want to make sure that folks realize that, I acknowledge, as my colleagues all do, that we need help with health care. There's no doubt about it, it's a countrywide epidemic right now,' said Joseph. 'And if there was a reasonable proposal, I'd be glad to work on it.' Without three 'yes' votes, the hospital proposal cannot go on the November ballot — unless the Community Clergy Coalition collects 1,250 additional signatures in 20 days. 'We got a lot of signatures so far. So I do think that the people of Dayton will do that,' said Sue Sutton, coalition member. 'I just want the people of Dayton to be able to vote on this.' 2 NEWS will continue to follow this story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Push for new hospital in Dayton rejected by commissioners
A proposal for a new tax levy to fund a public hospital in West Dayton will not appear on the November ballot after a deadlocked vote by the Dayton City Council. [DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The proposal, which aimed to establish a one-mill tax levy to generate $2 million annually, was intended to replace the services lost when Premier Health closed the Good Samaritan Hospital. 'There has been no site identified for this project; the funding is woefully insufficient,' Dayton City Commissioner Chris Shaw said. Bishop Richard Cox of the Clergy Community Coalition appealed to the council, saying, 'We appeal to your compassion, we appeal to your graciousness.' TRENDING STORIES: Bryan Kohberger sentenced; families of murder victims make emotional impact statements Health network announces 2023 data breach New Survey: Local village has one of the best main streets in America to take a walk 'We've jumped through all the hoops. Put it on the ballot. Let the voters decide,' Kathleen Gaul of the Clergy Community Coalition said. The Clergy Community Coalition, which has been advocating for the levy, argues that residents of North and West Dayton need hospital care closer to their homes after the closure of Good Samaritan Hospital. Despite the coalition's efforts, including gathering 1,250 valid signatures to qualify the issue for the ballot, the council's 2-2 vote with one abstention prevented the measure from moving forward. Nancy Kiehl of the Clergy Community Coalition expressed frustration with the council's decision. 'We will do this, and we'll do your job because you failed to do your job,' Kiehl said. Commissioners defended their decision, emphasizing the need to protect taxpayers and city budgets. 'You can't just say, we hope it's going to happen or we think it's going to happen,' Commissioner Matt Joseph said. Shaw highlighted the potential financial impact on the city, noting that filling the funding gap could necessitate cuts to essential services like police, fire, and public works. The deadlock in the Dayton City Council has stalled efforts to bring the tax levy proposal to voters. [SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
23-07-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
Century-old dam under strain as floods increase in US and federal funds dry up
More than 18,000 properties that sit downstream of a series of a century-old Ohio dam are at risk of flooding over the next three decades, according to climate data, as the Trump administration continues to roll back investments that would aid in keeping the waters at bay. In a part of the US that's largely flat, the view from above the Huffman dam in south-west Ohio is rare. From the bike trail atop the dam, the shimmering lights of downtown Dayton appear to the south. Cargo planes from a nearby air force base circle overhead and water from the 66-mile-long Mad River gushes underfoot. But the dam serves a far more pressing purpose: holding back up to 54bn gallons of water – enough to fill 82,000 Olympic-size swimming pools – during flooding events. Nearby, more than 21% of all properties downstream are at risk of flooding over the next three decades, according to First Street, a climate risk data modeling organization. That percentage accounts for 18,596 properties in Dayton. The five massive dry dams and 55 miles of levees west and north of Dayton were built in the aftermath of catastrophic destruction that befell the Ohio city in 1913, when 360 people died and flooding in three rivers that meet in the city center wiped out the downtown area. But today, it and many other communities around the midwest are once again at risk of flooding. 'Our system has experienced 2,170 storage events. The flood in April ranked 12th,' says MaryLynn Lodor, general manager of the Miami Conservancy District, the authority overseeing the regional flood prevention system that includes the Huffman Dam. The flooding early last April saw five to seven inches of rain inundate homes, roads and parks, and caused power outages for thousands of people across hundreds of miles. Extreme precipitation events are happening with increasing regularity at a time when, across a region that's home to the country's two major, high-discharge waterways – the Ohio and Mississippi rivers – decades-old flood prevention infrastructure is falling apart. From Indiana, where authorities in charge of a dam at a youth camp that sees 15,000 visitors annually warned of failure during last April's flooding, to Illinois and Minnesota, reports are appearing with increasing regularity of '100-year' floods threatening the integrity of, and in some cases destroying, dams. Five years ago, the Edenville Dam in central Michigan failed following days of heavy rain, prompting the evacuation of 10,000 people and the failure of another dam downstream. The dam is situated at the confluence of two rivers, and in 2018 its owner temporarily had its license taken away due to fears it couldn't pass enough water at high flood levels. Lawsuits and an expense report of $250m followed the dam failure. Data from Michigan's department of environment, Great Lakes and energy, found that of the state's recorded 2,552 dams, nearly 18% were rated as in 'fair', 'poor' or 'unsatisfactory' condition. Despite this, little change has been enacted in Michigan. 'The reason this is popping up everywhere in the country is because it's a massive ageing infrastructure problem,' says Bryan Burroughs, a member of a now-closed state taskforce that sought to investigate the status of dams across Michigan following the Edenville incident. He says the taskforce's recommendations have largely not been enacted. 'To date, the only ones that have been taken up and addressed to any level are the ones that our state department of environment, Great Lakes and energy are able to oversee themselves. Regulatory changes have not been picked up legislatively,' Burroughs continued. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration had made investing in America's ageing infrastructure over the course of many years a priority, with $10bn dedicated to flooding mitigation and drought relief. An additional $3bn was allocated in 2021 through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for dam safety, removal and related upgrades. Since Donald Trump entered the White House in January, the administration has vowed to roll back much of those investments. Hundreds of dam safety and other staffers working at dams in 17 western states have been laid off in recent months. Before the 4 July flood disaster in Texas, the Trump administration had pledged to close the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema). With more than 92,000 dams across the country, the Society of Civil Engineers estimates the cost of repairing the country's non-federal dams at $165bn. In Ohio, the Miami Conservancy District has been outspoken in highlighting that the dams it is responsible for are in need of repair – in particular, the upstream walls of two north of the city of Dayton. Levees it manages 'are subject to the costly, federally mandated Fema accreditation process, but there is no adequate funding source.' Last year, the district said it needs $140m to bring the region's dams and levees up to safe levels over the coming decades. Over the past 80 years, the organization has seen a 228% increase in the volume of water its dams store, meaning the structures today must work harder than they did in the past to hold back the water. 'As we're looking at having to make reinvestments, we are looking to try to secure some funding through the state and federal governments,' says Lodor. 'We have not gotten much support and federal dollars or state money to be able to do the system. It's already been invested in by the local communities; it would be very difficult for this to be on the backs of the locals.' Many dams hold back water that's used by fishers and recreators – an issue that's creating tension in many communities. In White Cloud, Michigan, authorities have had to draw down much of the lake water behind a 150-year-old dam due to fears for its structural integrity, angering locals. As in Texas, dozens of youth groups and Christian camps across the midwest use lakes and waterways downstream of ageing lowhead and other dams for programming and outdoor activities. Emails and messages left by the Guardian with the owners of an at-risk dam at a camp in Indiana used by thousands of children every year received no response. While compared with other parts of the US the midwest does not have a lot of dams whose main purpose is for flood control due to geological and topographical reasons, Ohio and much of the wider midwest have seen 'record-setting rain' this year. 'The weather has changed,' says Burroughs. 'What used to be a one-in-100-year flood event might have happened three times in the last 40 years.'
