11 Dayton Daily News investigations that had an impact in 2023

Here are 11 examples of Dayton Daily News investigative reporting from 2023.

1. Reforming how Medicaid recoups costs from dead Ohioans

Ohioans are calling for reforms to the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s estate recovery processes in the wake of the Dayton Daily News revealing how the program impacts residents after the death of a loved one.

Our investigation found Ohio Medicaid is more aggressive than other states in recouping Medicaid costs from deceased residents and is in the minority of states that puts liens on Medicaid recipients’ properties.

We told the stories of Ohio residents who feared they would lose their homes after the state put liens on the properties to recoup medical debt from a deceased family member.

Our reporting revealed how estate recovery collects less than 1% of what the program pays out and can sometimes charge more than services rendered.

After we informed readers that Ohio Medicaid was accepting public comment on the program, members of the public overwhelmingly asked the state to reform the program. We will continue covering this issue and any potential changes to the program in 2024.

2. Kettering Health investigation

The Dayton Daily News has provided unmatched coverage of an investigation at Kettering Health that hospital officials say uncovered financial impropriety at one of the region’s largest employers and healthcare providers.

Hospital officials confirmed the investigation in March in response to questions from the media. Since then, the Dayton Daily News has investigated hospital CEO compensation, how Kettering Health played a role in the purchase and renovation of a former CEO’s home and calls for more transparency from the network.

3. Handling of rape case involving former assistant prosecutor

Dayton Daily News reporting revealed numerous things about a sexual assault case involving a former high-profile Montgomery County assistant prosecutor.

The only reason court records are visible to the public is because the Dayton Daily News challenged the court about the case being seemingly sealed indefinitely.

Prior to that, we reported how the investigation of John Amos lasted years and involved county prosecutors and multiple counties — all while Amos continued getting bonuses and pay raises — and how court watchers said the terms of Amos’ pretrial release was unusual.

Amos on Friday was sentenced to 30 days in jail and ordered to register as a Tier 1 sex offender.

4. How hundreds of millions in federal COVID relief funds were spent

Dayton Daily News reporting this year tracked how state and local governments are spending hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funds meant to help aid recovery from the COVID pandemic.

Our investigation into American Rescue Plan Act expenditures raised questions about how some local governments are spending ARPA funds, such as plans to spend the money on a jail and sports stadium.

Our reporting looked into what obstacles Dayton faces in making the $138 million it received in ARPA funds truly transformative, and whether local governments were taking public opinion into account in deciding how the money should be spent.

We launched a special section on our website tracking ARPA spending and answering readers’ questions and concerns about the historic influx of federal funds.

5. Addressing the affordable housing crisis

Affordable housing emerged as a major challenge across the nation in 2023, and our reporting helped readers understand how it was impacting families locally.

We looked at how historic increases in rent and mortgage costs were outpacing wage growth and undermining Dayton’s reputation as an affordable place to live. And how historic taxable property value growth could send them even higher. Meanwhile, federal rent assistance funds are running out.

Our investigation uncovered how people on Section 8 vouchers struggle to find a place to live, and how efforts to help them by some — but not all — jurisdictions could lead to concentrated poverty.

Our reporting also focuses on solutions, including how the public sector, private sector and nonprofit organizations are working to increase quality affordable housing in the region.

6. Payroll Project

The Dayton Daily News delivered on our annual Payroll Project this year, including a searchable database of public employee salaries across our region.

The employer for government agencies is the voting and taxpaying public. As with any other employer, the public has not just a right but a responsibility to know how much its employees are paid in the interest of good stewardship.

This year’s Payroll Project findings included that overtime for state employees increased $30 million in 2022, the salary for Dayton’s mayor spiked 53% last year because of a change to the city’s charter and pay for top school officials has topped $200,000 at some districts while superintendents get perks not available to teachers

7. Montgomery County jail deaths

Dayton Daily News reporting revealed more inmates died at the Montgomery County jail this year than all of 2021 and 2022 combined, leading to calls for the community to take action.

Our analysis of state data showed more people died after coming into custody at the Montgomery County jail this year than any other jail in Ohio. There were seven deaths from January through July, and this month a man died after being transferred from the jail to the hospital.

We looked into what was causing this rash of fatalities, and what county officials are doing about it.

8. VineBrook homes concerns

With Dayton-based VineBrook Homes facing a lawsuit from the city of Cincinnati and criticism from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, the Dayton Daily News investigated what experiences local officials and renters have had with VineBrook.

Our investigation found VineBrook owns roughly 15% of the homes in Huber Heights, according to city officials. The city received more than 350 code violation complaints in a little over a year, which city officials said were generally brought into compliance quickly.

Local advocates for low-income renters expressed concern with the fees VineBrook charges and its eviction rate: an average of twice per week over two years in one area court, records show.

Company officials say they are committed to customer service and addressing complaints.

9. Central State challenges

This was a pivotal year for Central State University, as the historically Black university worked to define its future amid turmoil in the president’s office and financial challenges.

Central State is a vital asset to our region, so the Dayton Daily News worked to help readers understand what was happening there.

Our reporting revealed that an internal investigation found concerns about university president Jack Thomas’ behavior (Thomas ended up stepping down as president), a free college program behind huge enrollment growth at CSU was in peril and concerns about systemic issues raised by the university professor’s union.

We also are continuing to report on efforts in invest in Central State and ensure it’s future as an important local educational institution.

10. How the Walmart shooter got his gun

The Dayton Daily News investigated how the man who shot four people at a Beavercreek Walmart last month obtained a gun days before the shooting, despite being “pink slipped” for mental health emergencies twice last year.

Our reporting revealed how gaps in the mental health system can allow someone to be pink slipped but never adjudicated in court, and therefore legally allowed to have a gun. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is calling for laws to help keep weapons from people who are a risk to themselves or others.

We also obtained records suggesting a possible racial motive to the shooting and reported how a proposed state law could deter local law enforcement officers from helping investigate crimes related to federal gun laws — such as the joint investigation involving Beavercreek police and the FBI.

11. Efforts to address ‘forever chemicals’

A Dayton Daily News investigation found that 15 of the region’s public water systems, which supply drinking water to hundreds of thousands of residents, have levels of toxic, manmade chemicals that exceed a federally proposed legal limit of 4 parts per trillion (ppt) for the group of chemicals, according to Ohio EPA records.

Our reporting also found that exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — “forever chemicals” that may be linked to a few kinds of cancer, thyroid dysfunction, reproductive harm and other health concerns — have contaminated private wells across 14 states, including Ohio.

A Dayton Daily News investigation found that recent testing in Montgomery County shows PFAS in some area wells, but resources are limited for homeowners who have PFAS in their drinking water.

In addition to revealing the problem, our reporting focuses on solutions, helping readers understand what can be done on the federal, state, local and individual level to protect families from PFAS.