| All roads lead to Wilmington Pike and Interstate 675, it seems. Or maybe I have that reversed: Maybe everyone is driving from that interchange. A plan to improve that interchange is picking up momentum, with support from the Ohio Department of Transportation, the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, the Dayton Development Coalition and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. There’s even a design on the table: A “Diverging Diamond.” The project has been a perennial in the PDAC process, the Dayton Region Priority Development and Advocacy Committee that each year draws more than 100 ideas community advocates believe are worthy of state and federal lobbying efforts. Is this a road project of national import? “Without a doubt, a project of this scale is in our nation’s interest as we improve access to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base,” Centerville City Manager Wayne Davis said. In this newsletter: How Sinclair Community College gave NATO members a place to talk. Kettering Health’s way back from its recent tech outage.One upshot of eliminating property taxes. Long-planned I-675 interchange project to move forward The city of Centerville, Greene County Engineer's Office and Sugarcreek Twp. are pursing funding for improvements at the I-675/Wilmington Pike interchange to help address the increasing amount of traffic there. One of the tentative phases of the improvements includes reconfiguring the interchange. JIM NOELKER/STAFF Credit: Jim Noelker What’s happening: After more than five years of planning, the city of Centerville and Sugarcreek Twp. are moving forward with a $70 million overhaul of one of the Miami Valley’s most congested and dangerous interchanges. The multi-phase improvements at Interstate 675 and Wilmington Pike will be aimed at enhancing safety, easing traffic and bolstering connectivity, especially for the thousands of commuters traveling the corridor daily, many heading to and from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Economic engine: “This area is not just an economic engine for Greene and Montgomery Counties and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, but for the region as well,” Centerville City Manager Wayne Davis said. Read the story. Kettering Health no longer diverting EMS from its hospitals Kettering Health's Springboro Health Center. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF What’s happening: Kettering Health is no longer diverting emergency ambulances to other hospitals, according to its latest update amid a continuing technology outage. This move brings Kettering Health’s emergency departments back to being fully operational, the hospital system said, as they return to accepting both walk-in patients and those transported by EMS. What they’re telling us: “Our teams have worked incredibly hard to bring imaging up, so we could end diversion in our emergency departments,” said John Weimer, Kettering Health senior vice president and leader for incident command. Read the story. Eliminating property taxes could ‘cripple’ Ohio government, critics say Men explore new houses on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, in the Arbor Homes neighborhood of Melody Parks. JOSEPH COOKE/STAFF If property taxes are ended at the ballot, what happens to services funded by property taxes? All local entities get property taxes, cities and schools can collect income taxes (townships can collect income tax but only within Joint Economic Development Districts) and counties impose sales taxes. None get all three. What they’re saying: Schools get the lion’s share of property taxes but they also receive federal, state and in some cases income tax funding. Cass Freeland, spokesman for the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, echoed what Gov. Mike DeWine has said about the ballot push to end property taxes. “That would be devastating for schools in Ohio. Property taxes across the state fund more than half of education spending and some districts rely on property taxes for 90% of their funding,” she said. Read the story. Months of secret preparations led to ‘Dayton 2.0′ talks at Sinclair Sinclair Community College President and CEO Steven Johnson shakes hands with Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on the colleges campus in downtown Dayton . CONTRIBUTED What happened: A lot — very quietly. Leaders of Sinclair joined U.S. Rep. Mike Turner this week in talking about the behind-the-scenes work required to give Balkan leaders a place to talk over lingering problems. The meetings, off the books and off the agenda, happened in Sinclair’s building 12 over Memorial Day weekend, as NATO Parliamentary Assembly spring session proceeded nearby downtown. Read more. Ready for its next phase: Centerville’s Cornerstone An aerial view of the Cornerstone of Centerville North mixed-use development at Wilmington Pike and Feedwire Road. The 156-acre site features more than 427,000 square feet of retail space. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO We wrap up with another Centerville story. What’s happened: A dozen years ago, the area just north of Feedwire Road along I-675 was empty land and trees on the Dille Farm. Today, there are dozens of businesses with hundreds of thousands of square feet of retail and restaurants, with housing. With Bodybar Pilates recently securing the final spot in the last retail building at Cornerstone of Centerville North, the 156-acre mixed-use development has officially filled its final retail space. What’s next: Centerville Planning Commission voted 5-2 May 20 to recommend approval of Cornerstone South’s final development plan to City Council. Council will hold public hearing on that June 16. Read the story. Contact me: Thanks for reading. Tell me about your business at tom.gnau@coxinc.com or at X and Bluesky. I’m also on LinkedIn and on our Dayton Business page, with my colleagues. Find me as well on my Facebook page here. Quick hits New ownership: Zink Meats announces ‘different chapter.’ New Graeter’s flavor: ‘Beast Feast’ Expansion plans: Jack in the Box, Del Taco Testing extremes: A new AFRL research chamber at Wright-Patt. Two friends who love coffee: Meet Midnight Coffee Club. | 