🔎 Council censure: Fairborn City Council voted 4-3 to censure councilwoman Sylvia Chess over remarks made during an October speech at her alma mater, Paul Quinn College, which Chess says were misinterpreted or taken out of context.
📰 Opinion content update: Opinion pieces are where ideas are shared, perspectives are challenged and conversations begin. Moving forward, our Managing Editor Rich Gillette will oversee this content, bringing years of experience in local journalism and a deep connection to our community. Have something to share? Here’s how to submit a letter to the editor. You can read other opinion pieces in our Ideas & Voices section here.
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Children services made mistakes leading up to 7-year-old’s death, state report says
A state review determined that children services in Clark and Montgomery counties made mistakes connected to Hershall Creachbaum Jr.’s death.
• Background: Dayton police found the 7-year-old nonverbal autistic boy’s remains on July 12 after Hershall was reported missing earlier that day.
• Investigation: The boy’s mother, Ashley Johnson admitted Hershall died sometime in May while she was in the hospital. Her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, allegedly punched and struck Hershall before his death.
• Clark County: The state said that Clark County had four areas of “non-compliance,” including failing to consider Hershall’s inability to communicate when investigating reports, as well as not interviewing or trying to interview Kendrick during an assessment.
• Montgomery County: The review said that Montgomery County failed to complete a waiver by the end of an investigation, but otherwise followed all requirements for intake and referral.
• Lawsuit: Hershall’s estate filed a lawsuit claiming Montgomery County and Clark County officials and agencies were negligent in the boy’s death. The complaint alleges signs of physical abuse to Montgomery County Children Services and Clark County Children Services 24 times but neither agency took action.
Fairborn councilwoman censured for race-related remarks at college homecoming speech
Fairborn City Council voted to censure councilwoman Sylvia Chess for remarks she made during an October speech at a college homecoming event in another state. Chess said her statements were taken out of context or interpreted in bad faith.
• What she said: In a video of the speech obtained by the Dayton Daily News, Chess said, among other things, that upon her arrival in Fairborn, the city was “alleged to be one of the last sundown towns in Ohio.”
“I sat on the board of the Fairborn Lions Club because I wanted to know what they was talking about. So I put myself in places that most people that look like me don’t want to be so I could learn what the enemy was talking about so I could figure it out and strategize in a better way, in a strong way, in a challenging way.”
• Censure decision: Fairborn City Council voted 4-3 at its most recent meeting to censure Chess for those remarks, made at Paul Quinn College, a private, historically black college in Dallas and Chess’ alma mater.
• Reached for comment: Chess told the Dayton Daily News that she respects the other council members’ decision, but that does not “change my mindset about working together.”
“I don’t want Fairborn to think that Sylvia Chess is racist and all people are racist,” she added. “I’ve never believed that and I never will. People voted for me because they believed in me. I am part of a nonpartisan council that will make decisions for all people. We are a town that is definitely moving forward, and we have created and done great things in Fairborn.”
What to know today
• Editorial changes: Managing Editor Rich Gillette will now oversee opinion pieces and Ideas & Voices content, leveraging his extensive local journalism experience and strong community ties. Have something to share? Here’s how to submit a letter to the editor. You can read other opinion pieces in our Ideas & Voices section here.
• One big takeaway: Kettering Mayor Peggy Lehner has presided over her final city council meeting. Lehner, 75, decided to retire after nearly three decades in elected office at the municipal and state level.
• Big move of the day: Huber Heights leaders and community members recently celebrated the new Richard F. Shomper Governance Center, the culmination of a years-long, $11 million project to construct a new city hall.
• Person to know today: Nearly 50 years after leaving Miami University, Debbie Brown, a 69-year-old Centerville resident fulfills her dream of getting a degree.
• Dayton Food & Dining: The former owner of Englewood Cinema has opened Cinematic Treats, a popcorn shop featuring five to eight rotating flavors each week, in Huber Heights.
• Thing to do: Holiday celebrations are in full swing around the Dayton region with festivals, markets, shows and more.
• Vintage Dayton: The Dayton Daily News Holiday Cookie Contest has been a tradition for many years. Here are some details about our first contest in 1990 and a whole bunch of the winning recipes we have enjoyed over recent years.
• High school football: All-Ohio football teams were announced for Division I Thursday by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association.
• Photo of the day: The City of Huber Heights Holiday Event & Tree Lighting kicked off the holiday season at the new Richard F. Shomper Governance Center on Saturday. Also featured was the Huber Heights Community Cares Polar Express Holiday Parade that traveled from Huber Centre to Fishburg Road along Brandt Pike. See more photos here 📷.
