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Dayton welcomes big-name teams as First Four tips off NCAA basketball tournament
The Dayton community always makes a big show of the NCAA’s First Four games, regardless of which men’s basketball teams get sent to UD Arena. But this year’s lineup to tip off the NCAA Tournament adds some star power.
• The game schedule:
— Tuesday, 6:40 p.m.: St. Francis Pa. vs. Alabama State
— Tuesday, 9:10 p.m.: North Carolina vs. San Diego State
— Wednesday, 6:40 p.m.: American vs. Mount St. Mary’s
— Wednesday, 9:10 p.m.: Texas vs. Xavier
• Blue bloods: Six-time national champion North Carolina was in the 2022 national championship game, and San Diego State was in the title game in 2023.
• Traveling fanbases: The Texas Longhorns, with their huge fan base, play Xavier, from just down the road in Cincinnati. This game should sell a lot of tickets.
• What they are saying: “We are very hopeful that fans will come and cheer on their teams, and certainly having some heavy hitters makes that maybe a little more plausible,” said Jacquelyn Powell, president and CEO for Destination Dayton.
• Open practices: Today, the arena opens at 11:30 a.m. Team practice times are: Mount St. Mary’s 12:05-12:45 p.m.; American 12:50-1:30 p.m.; Xavier 1:35-2:15 p.m.; and Texas 2:20-3 p.m.
• UD Arena: Dayton has hosted the First Four games since 2011, and the games will stay in Dayton through at least 2028.
Engineers to examine downtown building after weekend façade collapse, evacuation
Dayton officials say parts of the sidewalk and street in front of a building at 34 N. Main St. remain closed after debris fell from the building’s side Saturday, forcing the temporary evacuation of Dayton’s highest office tower next door.
• The building. The Montgomery County Land Bank took possession of the building about nine years ago. The 14-story tower was built in 1926 to house the Third National Bank and Trust company. Later, the property became the Society Bank Building and then KeyBank.
• Falling debris: Dayton Fire Department crews said the façade collapse happened at about 2 p.m. Saturday, forcing a temporary evacuation. City officials say they are working to “protect critical infrastructure” if falling debris continues to be an issue.
• Stratacache Tower: The adjacent building, Stratacache Tower, houses about 550 workers. Arrangements for about 300 of those workers were made to work in a different building for the time being.
What to know today
• One big takeaway: A Dayton woman who was previously barred from serving as a Medicaid health care provider has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $1.5 million from Ohio Medicaid.
• Best of Dayton 2025: Nominations have started! Let us know your favorites on the ballot found here.
• Big move of the day: Butt Construction Co., of Beavercreek, has landed more work at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, a reliable customer of that firm for decades.
• Dayton Food & Dining: Shannon Moss and her daughter, Brittney Jackson, have started moving forward with the idea to "open a restaurant to “cure peoples' cravings.”
• Inside Ohio Politics: Ohio Republicans in Congress want an air quality regulation related to the type of recourse people have when it comes to pollution in Ohio.
• Stat of the day: The Dayton region’s MetroPark system saw a nearly 7% increase in park attendance last year, with nearly 2.2 million park visits of 10 minutes or more.
• DDN investigation: Here are five key takeaways from our investigation on how the state of Ohio oversees day care centers.
• Thing to do: Easter is almost here and businesses across the Dayton area are celebrating with craft events, meet and greets, egg hunts and more. Here is a guide to Easter events in the Miami Valley.
• Photo of the day: Moe Harrigan’s Tavern in Kettering hosted its annual St. Paddy’s Weekend featuring a reunion show by Funky G & The Groove Machine. Here’s highlights of Saturday’s party.
