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Election 2023: Issue 2 would legalize recreational marijuana
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Summary: Voting is well underway in the November election, which will decide among other things whether Ohio will legalize recreational marijuana. We have comprehensive coverage of this important issue, on the ballot as Issue 2.
• View from the state up north: We sent a reporter and photographer to Michigan to see how things have played out there since recreational marijuana was legalized in 2019. Marijuana sales have generated tens of millions of dollars in state revenue, and state police say they haven’t had as many problems as some expected. But youth usage is still a concern. Go here for the full story.
• Also: About half of the customers visiting the Michigan dispensary we went to are already from Ohio. Some customers were sporting Ohio State University jerseys.
• Where do people stand: We also interviewed people across our region and found many public health and safety officials concerned about legalizing marijuana, while others focused on civil rights or civil liberties support it.
• The polling: Polling (if it can be trusted) suggests the measure has support among Ohioans, with 57% of respondents in one recent poll saying they intend to vote in support of Issue 2.
• Any more questions?: Go here for a full explainer of Issue 2, answering common questions.
Big things happening in Dayton
Summary: Dayton officials say more than two dozen projects are injecting more than $1.3 billion into the city and a significant share of that investment is occurring outside of downtown.
• By the numbers: Roughly $559 million worth of projects are planned or are taking place in the southeast, northeast, southwest and northwest parts of Dayton, according to city estimates. About $484 million in investment is going on near the Dayton International Airport, while downtown has about $292.8 million worth of projects underway or in the pipeline.
• What about the neighborhoods: Intense attention to developing downtown Dayton in recent years has led to criticism from some in the outlying neighborhoods that the city only cares about downtown. City Manager Shelley Dickstein said there’s more investment going on in the city’s neighborhoods than there is in downtown, which she called a “huge pivot” from past years.
• Flight line: Dayton is still trying to buy an unused rail line that it wants to turn into a recreational trail called the “Flight Line,” and the city also is making a play for millions of dollars of federal funds to help improve housing along and near the track.
• Deciding the city’s future: City council is on the ballot in the November election. Go here to see who’s on the ballot and where they stand.
Pay-to-play fees vary wildly by district
Summary: Whether you can afford for your kid to play high school sports might depend on where you live. A Dayton Daily News investigation found the cost to families for children participating in extracurricular activities varies by hundreds of dollars from one district to another.
• The priciest: Springboro and Centerville are among the most expensive we found. Pay-to-play fees in Springboro are up to $260 per sport per kid with a family max of $1,040. In Centerville, the cost is up to $225 each with a cap of $563 per family.
• No charge: Other districts meanwhile don’t charge participation fees. They include Dayton Public Schools, Miamisburg, Troy, Oakwood, Northridge, Newton and Yellow Springs.
• Where does your district fall?: See that data at the bottom of this story.