Local veteran injured in helicopter accident given new home built by area builder
After dedicating more than 10 years of service to his country, U.S. Marine Corp Sgt. Aaron Zurn, his wife and three children have been gifted a custom-built house to call home.
The home, given to them on Thursday, was built through the collaborative efforts of the Home Builders Association of Dayton, JM Dungan Custom Homes, and Operation Finally Home, a nonprofit that builds homes for disabled veterans with an honorable discharge or widows of soldiers who died in combat.
Zurn suffered several injuries during his time in the service forcing him to retire earlier than anticipated. Last year, he and his wife, Brittany, were surprised at a University of Dayton Flyers basketball game during halftime with the news that they were selected to receive the new custom, mortgage-free home in Vandalia.
6 new businesses: See how Fairborn’s downtown is revitalizing
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Credit: JIM NOELKER
Fairborn has added several new businesses this year, a far cry from just a few years ago when empty storefronts were common in their historic downtown.
Since the beginning of the year, six new businesses received their occupancy permits, or the permits from the city that allowed them to open, according to the city.
Michael Gebhart, assistant city manager of Fairborn and the economic development director for the city, said in 2017, the city had half a dozen empty storefronts downtown. It was nothing like Gebhart remembered as a kid in the 1980s, when the downtown was thriving.
National group ranks Oakwood, Dayton high schools best locally
U.S. News and World Report released its annual “best public high schools” report Tuesday, ranking Oakwood High School and Dayton’s Stivers School for the Arts as the area’s top two high schools.
Several organizations rank K-12 schools, using a variety of formulas. U.S. News’ formula is based 90% on testing — both state exams and the Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests that some students choose to take. The data is on a significant lag, as the test results for these rankings are from the 2018-19 school year.
Among 683 high schools that U.S. News ranked in Ohio, the following local schools were in their top 100 — Oakwood (ninth), Stivers (43), Springboro (58), Waynesville (63), Centerville (68), Bellbrook (93), Bethel (97) and Brookville (100).
The Contemporary Dayton opens Friday in new Dayton Arcade home
The Contemporary Dayton will open the doors to its new home at the Dayton Arcade Friday, April 30.
A free opening party for the public will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. following a members preview event from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Tours of the new galleries, live music, a photo booth and drinks for donations will be part of the festivities.
The Contemporary Dayton, also known as The Co and formerly known as the Dayton Visual Arts Center, has nearly doubled in size to 6,224 square feet at the Dayton Arcade, with five galleries incorporated into the new space.
Centerville mom of twins helps spread ‘Lasagna Love’
Neighbors helping neighbors is not a new concept, but with the COVID-19 global pandemic, it has taken on a whole new meaning.
In early 2020, Rhiannon Menn, a chef and a mom living in Hawaii was inspired to start “Lasagna Love,” when she saw families in her own community struggling. She hoped that something as simple as connecting neighbors with neighbors for home-cooked meal delivery would help create a national movement of kindness.
In Centerville, Traci Hale was watching a national news program and saw a story about “Lasagna Love,” which was growing slowly and hoping to extend further across the country. She was intrigued.
Former Northeastern teacher to celebrate 108th birthday with hundreds of cards, chocolate cake
A former Northeastern teacher and Cedarville University graduate who turns 108 today said her secret to living a long life is being kind, eating and the care she’s gotten at the assisted living center where she lives.
Geraldine Henry was born in 1913 to William and Cora Henry and grew up in her family home in London, Ohio, until she moved in 2014 to Sisters on Elm Assisted Living Center in London.
She said, “being kind, helping others, staying active and having faith,” is a part of her secret to living a long life.”
“And I enjoy eating. I like to tell people that I have the appetite of a farmhand. I still like to eat. I asked for a chocolate cake for my birthday with lots of chocolate icing,” Henry said through her power of attorney in a release from Cedarville University.
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