Morning Briefing: Monday, March 23rd, 2026

The weekend is complete and here we are at the beginning of another workweek. Hopefully you were able to have a relaxing and enjoyable weekend and I hope that you have a fantastic Monday! Let’s get to it...

📈Permits way up: The city of Dayton last year received the most residential building permit requests in more than a decade, which planning officials and homebuilders say points to strong local demand for housing. You can read more about this in Cornelius Frolik’s story here.

🌡️Record breaking weather: Dayton set a record high temperature for March 22 as unusually and unseasonably hot conditions occurred yesterday. A record high temperature of 85 degrees was set in Dayton, breaking the old record of 84 degrees set in 1907, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

⛹🏻‍♂️UD commitment: The Dayton Flyers received their second commitment from a member of the 2026 recruiting class — and from a familiar name. Our David Jablonski reports that Aiden Derkack, the brother of Dayton senior Jordan Derkack, announced his decision one week after being released from his commitment to Providence after the school fired coach Kim English.

🛣️This week on the roads: As our Greg Lynch reports, drivers may experience a mix of delays, detours and maintenance work this week as transportation crews continue routine construction and improvement projects across the area. You can find a list of some traffic alerts and construction updates throughout the region here.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at jeremy.ratliff@coxinc.com.

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LOCAL NEWS

Ohio child care centers fear closure even with increased state funding

Ohio officials warned against chat apps, and 8 ways we use public records laws

Wright State featured on ‘Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ for March Madness


LIFE

Dayton parking 101: Class is in session

Montgomery County Public Health Clinic offers vaccines, testing and care

Is Middletown an arts city?


CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY

3 in custody after Trotwood shooting Saturday


SPORTS

Cincinnati Reds: Opening Day roster set with final decisions made

McCoy: Here’s where the Reds stand heading into opening day

‘We live, we learn, and we improve’ — Miami women’s basketball falls to West Virginia in first round of NCAA Tournament


NATION & WORLD

Enhanced role for immigration officers at US airports as shutdown frustrates travels and screeners

Iran says its Natanz nuclear facility has been hit in an airstrike

Officials say at least 10 people were killed in a South Korean factory fire


THINGS TO DO: Ohio spring break adventures close to home

We have all seen the high gas prices around the Miami Valley and have heard about long lines at airports. If you are looking to do something fun for spring break but not go too far, we have you covered! Pamela Chandler writes that “Ohio has plenty of family-friendly destinations that make it easy to create memorable adventures close to home.” In her column she lists a few places worth adding to your spring break list.