Dayton Mall gets new owner
In October, Hull Property Group, an Augusta, Georgia-based company specializing in revitalizing regional enclosed malls, purchased the decades-old Dayton Mall in Miami Twp.
John Mulherin, the company’s vice president, said it looks forward to working closely with local stakeholders “to ensure that Dayton Mall continues to be a valuable asset to the community.”
Miami Twp. Community Development Director Alex Carlson said the timing of the acquisition was “perfect,” as it occurred just prior to the township launching the Miami Crossing District Master Plan, which is intended to consider market conditions and stakeholders in planning for the future of the mall area.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Miamisburg completes park renovations
Miamisburg in early September celebrated a nearly $10.3 million renovation of Sycamore Trails Park, which included a host of enhanced features and added facilities.
The project was a near-complete transformation of the 75-acre park at 1681 Maue Road. The improvements include a new road linking all areas of the park, more parking, two shelter/restroom pavilions, a freestanding shelter, two new playgrounds and a rebuilt fishing pond. The disc golf course has been redesigned, and the park now features expanded sports facilities with basketball courts, pickleball courts and tennis/pickleball courts.
There’s also nearly two miles of new paved walking trails. A new adult fitness area offers equipment and workout guidance for up to 20 users, while nearby obstacle‑course‑style equipment gives children ages 5 to 12 opportunities to climb, swing, balance and play.
Appeals court rules against Miami Twp.
A federal appeals court ruled in May that Miami Twp. must pay the full $45 million awarded to Dean Gillispie, who spent more than 20 years in prison for crimes he didn’t commit. The township argued the amount was too high, but the judges said the main issue was the decades Gillispie lost behind bars.
The court said there was ample evidence showing the harm Gillispie suffered, from being wrongly labeled a violent felon to losing years of freedom and normal life. Because of that, the judges refused to reduce the verdict.
The decision leaves Miami Twp. on the hook for the entire $45 million, but the township said it does not have the money. Officials there cautioned the ruling could push the community into a financial crisis with no easy solution.
School board suspends, then reinstates teachers following Kirk comments
The Miamisburg School Board voted Oct. 9 to reinstate music teacher/band director Steve Aylward and social studies teacher Rachael O’Connor after placing them on leave the month before for comments they made following the Sept. 10 assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Both were originally at risk of being fired. Instead, they accepted “Last Chance Agreements” that include unpaid suspensions and rules barring similar behavior. O’Connor must also avoid inflammatory social media posts, and either teacher can be dismissed if they violate the agreement.
Both teachers returned to work Oct. 20 following the district’s fall break.
Miamisburg gets new city manager
Miamisburg City Council in November appointed Chris Fine to replace Keith Johnson as city manager.
Fine, who was scheduled to start in the role Thursday, has more than two decades of experience in public service, most recently serving as Miamisburg’s development director since June 2011. He was acting development director from August 2009 to June 2011 and city planner from 2004 to 2009. He also was Dayton’s city planner from 2000 to 2004.
Johnson started with Miamisburg as its city planner in 1994 and was appointed development director in 1997 and city manager in 2009.
Miami Twp. seeks to remove fiscal officer
In March, Miami Twp. Fiscal Officer Robert Matthews tried to withdraw $9.7 million from the state‑run STAR investment program without approval from township trustees or the Investment Oversight Committee.
Prosecutors said he intended to use the money to buy gold coins, which would have added more than $382,000 in fees plus $32,000 a year in storage costs. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office said that violated state law because fiscal officers cannot move township funds without approval from at least two trustees.
Attorney General Dave Yost asked the court to suspend Matthews, bar him from the fiscal office, recover any public money and permanently remove him from the job.
Visiting Judge Jonathan Hein later blocked Matthews from the office and all fiscal duties while the case continued. Matthews denied the allegations and asked the court to dismiss the complaint, and trustees appointed former fiscal officer Greg Clingerman as deputy fiscal officer during the dispute.
A one‑day trial on Matthews’ possible removal is set for Jan. 14.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Miamisburg schools hires new superintendent, treasurer
Miamisburg City Schools in April hired Stacy Maney as the district’s superintendent. She started in the role Aug. 1
Maney had been assistant superintendent of Lakota Local Schools since August 2023. She replaced Laura Blessing, who left Miamisburg City Schools to be Mason City Schools’ chief talent officer.
Miamisburg City Schools also hired Greg Wells as its new treasurer and chief financial officer, approving a four‑year contract that began Aug. 1. Wells previously served as treasurer for Williamsburg Local Schools since 2022.
Miamisburg completes $3.4M Riverview Avenue overhaul
Construction wrapped up on Riverview Avenue west of Downtown Miamisburg Sept. 21 after a little more than a year. The $3.4 million project was funded by the city’s 2024 capital plan and the American Rescue Plan Act.
The work, which marked the first major infrastructure upgrade west of the Great Miami River in more than 30 years, targeted South Riverview Avenue between West Linden Avenue and Lower Miamisburg Road.
Crews removed old pavement, performed site work and grading, reconstructed the two-lane roadway and resurfaced it with new asphalt. Additional improvements included installation of sidewalks, curbs and gutters, storm drainage systems, steps, a retaining wall and a new 18-inch water main with service tie-ins.
Miami Twp. hires new police chief
Miami Twp. Board of Trustees in March appointed Adam Nielsen as the new chief of police for Miami Twp. Police Department.
Nielsen, who has more than 20 years of law enforcement experience, had served with Colorado’s Westminster Police Department since 2004 in numerous capacities. He most recently served as WPD’s police commander.
The police chief position was vacated by Charlie Stiegelmeyer, who retired in December 2024 after a 43-year law enforcement career, having served Miami Twp. since 2018.
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