Dayton Daily News

We’re continuing nominations for finalists in this year’s Best of Dayton contest, and the reigning champs are trying to stay on top. ??

North Carolina fans made UD Arena home and brought energy to another First Four game after the first ended in dramatic fashion.

Here are some things we learned on the first day of nominations on Monday.

Our news organization takes its role as government watchdog very seriously - but we can’t do it alone. Citizens can request public records to learn more about how their governments and elected leaders operate, though the process can be intimidating if you aren’t aware of your rights and the rules regarding these requests. That’s why we are hosting a lunch-and-learn virtual panel discussion on Wednesday, March 19 as part of our Sunshine Week coverage. Our panelists will talk through their experiences with record requests and answer questions you might have about the process. Panelists include: ? Kate Bostdorff, Communications Director for the City of Centerville ? Julio Mateo, government transparency activist ? Josh Sweigart, Investigations Editor for the Dayton Daily News The discussion will be moderated by Nick Hrkman, Community Impact Editor for the Dayton Daily News. ? You can watch the live panel discussion on our YouTube channel from noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19.

One week ago, the Dayton Diaper Depot, a non-profit organization that donates diapers to needy families, distributed its 1-millionth diaper. “That is exciting news, especially in light of the fact that we started less than 4 years ago,” said founder and executive director Maggie Schneemann. “That is just the tip of the iceberg as to the need in the Miami Valley.”

The former Ohio Bell Telephone Building was in the news recently after it was announced that owner AT&T had sold the building to a private investment company for $14.9 million. The building played an important part in Dayton’s growth and history.

Southwest Ohio potentially could be hit hard. Labor data indicate that nearly one in four federal civilian employees in Ohio are in Montgomery, Greene and Miami counties. About 83,500 workers in Ohio were employed by the federal government at the end of 2024, which equates to about 1.5% of the state’s nonfarm payrolls, says survey data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Former NATO ambassador to speak at Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce event Monday.

Eaton food preparation manufacturer Henny Penny is celebrating a partnership with a company that equips restaurants. Henny Penny said it has an agreement with Strata GPO, a dealer buying group serving the food service industry.

In its March 2025 issue, the magazine quotes Dayton Mayor Jeffrey Mims Jr. as saying, “Dayton is hot right now.” Site Selection Magazine placed the Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek area atop metro areas of similar sizes for adaptability and development muscle in the magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings. It’s the 19th straight year the region has ranked in the top 10 and the sixth year it has placed first, the Dayton Development Coalition noted Monday.