Billions in COVID Aid

Billions in COVID aid header

Billions of federal dollars and hundreds of local decisions are transforming our communities and fueling recovery from the COVID downturn. We are asking local governments to show how they’re spending taxpayer money for pandemic relief. We are examining data and hitting the street to uncover if there's any waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement. And we are asking readers to follow the money with us as we use Ohio public records law and federal sources to put this information at your fingertips. Follow the coverage below of our new project: Dayton Daily News Investigates Billions in COVID aid: Where it’s going

 

How much are local communities getting in American Rescue Plan funds? Search the data here

How did local leaders spend hundreds of millions in CARES Act funds? Search the data here

What questions or concerns do you have about how local officials are using federal funds? Take our anonymous survey

2023 COVID relief spending tracker: See how local communities are spending American Rescue Plan funds

Warren County’s use of ARPA funds debated
Editor’s note: This story is an excerpt of a Dayton Daily News investigation into some controversial local uses of...

County reviewing whether Dragons stadium upgrades are legit ARPA use
Editor’s note: This story is an excerpt of a Dayton Daily News investigation into some controversial local uses of...

Here’s how you told us local governments should spend COVID relief funds
Editor’s note: This story is an excerpt of a Dayton Daily News investigation into some controversial local uses of...

Credit: Jim Noelker

A jail-sized loophole and other debates over use of local ARPA funds
How local governments are using hundreds of millions of dollars combined in federal COVID relief funds varies...

Miami County pivoting from small biz, nonprofit grants to county facilities and services...
TROY — Miami County spent approximately $5 million of its anticipated $20.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds...

Fairborn directs federal COVID funds toward small business, nonprofits, infrastructure...
Fairborn officials earmarked almost all of the city’s $6.8 million federal American Rescue Plan Allocation allocation...

Xenia undecided on how to spend last $1 million in COVID relief funds
Xenia city leaders have appropriated $1.8 million of the $2.8 million the city received in American Rescue Plan Act...

Riverside focusing federal COVID relief funds on construction projects
The city of Riverside intends to spend the remainder of the $2.6 million the city received from the American Rescue...

Credit: Nick Graham

Crowd fills Oxford Council chambers to raise concerns with spending plans
Oxford City Council’s meeting Tuesday night drew an unusually large standing-room only crowd as community members...

Troy’s ARPA plan includes big (West Main) and small (parks, loans, equipment)
TROY — The city of Troy plans to spent most of its nearly $2.8 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding this year.

Clark County plans 41 projects with $26 million American Rescue Plan allocation
Clark County officials are using the county’s $26.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to complete or start...

Oxford’s use of pandemic relief funds includes economic development outside university
City officials have dedicated much of Oxford’s $2.4 million allocation of American Rescue Plan funds as a “catalyst” to...

Credit: Bill Lackey

Springfield using ARPA funds to address homelessness, build fire stations
The City of Springfield spent nearly $6 million of its $44.2 million allocation of American Rescue Plan funds in 2022...

Vandalia using ARPA funds to upgrade city playgrounds, pave roads
Vandalia officials have spent about half of the city’s $1.6 million American Rescue Plan allocation and intend to put...

Credit: Nick Graham

Butler County to bring expanded broadband access, technical school training centers
Butler County has spent all but about $6 million of its $74.4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds over...

Pandemic relief funds go to new justice center, bolster infrastructure in Hamilton
HAMILTON — The city put an emphasis on its revitalization in its plan to spend its $33.6 million in federal American...

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Washington Twp. using full $3.4M ARPA funds toward its parks and recreation department
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

Credit: Jim Noelker

Kettering pledges $13.7M in capital and community projects after using ARPA funds for...
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

Greene County to use ARPA funds to increase broadband access, build new jail despite...
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

West Chester Twp. commits entire $6.6M pandemic relief funds to stormwater infrastructure...
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Journal-News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments are...

ARPA funds allowing Beavercreek to fix backlogged stormwater issues
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

Credit: Nick Graham

Liberty Twp. directs full $4.1M ARPA amount to repaving roads, foregoing community...
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

Tracking how local governments are spending $718M in federal ARPA funds
Expanded broadband. Water and sewer infrastructure upgrades. Paying police officers and firefighters. Supporting small...

Warren County weighing broadband, childcare provider programs with ARPA funds this year
Editor’s Note: This story is part of a Dayton Daily News series tracking how dozens of our area’s largest governments...

Credit: KEEGAN GUPTA

PHOTOS: Disturbance in UD campus area ends in arrests
A large police presence moved in to quell a disturbance on Saturday, March 25, 2023, in the University of Dayton campus...

Two Butler County men killed in Monroe crash
A 38-year-old man from Monroe and a 65-year-old Middletown resident died after a crash in Butler County on Saturday...

Highs winds knock out power for 22,000 customers in the region
After a peak of more than 22,000 customers who were without power in the Miami Valley because of high wind gusts...

Credit: KEEGAN GUPTA

Police tell large UD campus-area crowd to disperse; arrests made
A large crowd gathered in the University of Dayton campus area on Saturday afternoon to belatedly celebrate St...

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Storms bring flooding risk; High Wind Warning in effect for some areas
Earlier rain today will bring a chance of flooding into the early afternoon, joined by strong winds throughout the day.

Leo Auto Sales holds grand opening celebration in Huber Heights
HUBER HEIGHTS — City officials were out showing their support for a new car dealership in Huber Heights on Saturday.

Credit: Nick Graham

Man dies in Englewood shooting investigated as self-defense
A man died after he was shot during a domestic dispute in an Englewood house early Saturday morning.

PHOTOS: The Great Ohio Toy Show comes to Xenia
The Great Ohio Toy Show took place Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Greene County Expo Center in Xenia. MARSHALL...

County auditor: Deadline to file a property value appeal is Friday
Ohio property owners who disagree with the valuation of their property have until Friday, March 31, to file a property...

Credit: Natalie Jones

3 new businesses coming to Dayton’s Oregon District this spring
Three locals who are well known throughout the Miami Valley for their artistry in their respective industries have...