🔎 Erica Baker: The search for the missing Kettering resident continues after 26 years, now with a new cash reward offered for information helpful in uncovering her remains.
📻 Radio legend: Longtime radio personality Gary Burbank has died, leaving behind a legacy of zany characters.
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U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson met with ‘disruptive’ crowd at packed town hall
U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, spoke at a rare town hall Wednesday and was met with a lively and what he called a “disruptive” crowd.
• Questions answered: They ranged on topics including property taxes; AI and privacy; Medicaid; size of government; National Guard deployment in U.S. cities; and The Big Beautiful Bill, which Davidson called “imperfect.”
• Crowd response: While Davidson had supporters, a majority of the packed crowd responded to questions Davidson answered with boos, laughter and shouting.
• What Davidson said: Following the town hall, Davidson said, “I tried to basically serve the people that wanted to come have an actual town hall, and it was disappointing that a lot of other people were very disruptive.”
• Unanswered questions: Attendees who asked a question that did not get a response were told they would receive a written response following the event.
Erica Baker disappearance in Kettering: Reward offered; search continues
A cash reward is now offered through a partnership with the Kettering Police Department and Miami Valley Crime Stoppers on the missing person case of 9-year-old Erica Baker, whose body has never been found.
• Background: On Feb. 7, 1999, Erica disappeared after she went for a walk with her family’s dog during a rainy afternoon near the Kettering Recreation Complex. Her disappearance sparked a massive search and garnered attention across the Miami Valley and beyond.
• Confession: In 2004, Christian Gabriel confessed to hitting Erica with his van and burying her. Gabriel served six years in prison for gross abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. He was released in 2011.
• Search continues: Detectives believe Gabriel knows where Erica is, but that he knows her discovery would lead to evidence linking him to her murder, adding more charges against him. The Baker case has never been considered closed.
• What police are saying: “This case hits hard for our community and we will not stop until we find Erica,” the Kettering Police Department said in a Facebook post.
What to know today
• One big takeaway: Longtime radio personality Gary Burbank has died, according to 700 WLW talk show host Bill Cunningham, who shared the news on X.
• Tip of the day: Kings Island has announced the return of a beloved ride for 2026, renamed “Phantom Theater: Opening Nightmare.”
• Big move of the day: The city of Beavercreek is a step closer to a new 121 single-family home subdivision on its southwest side.
• Schools: Educators in Ohio have developed plans for incorporating AI technology in a positive way into classrooms.
• Thing to do: Kettering Holiday at Home, Labor Day events and more things to do this weekend.
• Preps Profile: Andrew Gochenouer. This Alter senior is a member of the golf team that has won the last three state titles. He is committed to play golf and major in accounting and finance at Wright State University.
• High school football: Five things to know before Week 2 tonight.
• Cincinnati Bengals: Trey Hendrickson participated in his first practice with the Bengals since last season and said he will be ready to go for the opener.
• Photo of the day: A sneak peek inside Warehouse 4 in Beavercreek, which is opening Sept. 4. More photos and the full story here.
