One of the darkest periods in Dayton’s policing past lined up with a high time of its criminal underworld and the betting behavior of baseball legend Pete Rose.

Today, we begin a six-part series exploring that wild period in Dayton history.

Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.

This week, that includes the first installment of our Gem City Gamble series. Plus, we dig into the impact of Facebook groups on their communities — both the positive and the concerning.

Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at Josh.Sweigart@coxinc.com, or you can use our anonymous tipline.

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Gem City Gamble, Part 1: The Dayton cop

When former Dayton Police Detective Sgt. Dennis K. Haller wrote his “Anonymous Memo” about corruption in the police department, he began the unraveling of a wild 1970s and 1980s period in the city.

• Who was Haller? Haller possessed both brains and brawn, earning a master’s degree in corrections from Xavier University as well as praise for skills as a tough football linebacker. He became the first officer in his department to be awarded its highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for entering a burning home to rescue six people.

• Never before reported: Haller’s death in 2023 allowed the Dayton Daily News to report on interviews that this news outlet agreed not to use while he was alive. The project is the work of Wes Hills, who was a reporter here for three decades.

• Connection to Rose: Haller’s efforts to uncover wrongdoing in the department also exposed Rose’s bookie.

• About the project: Gem City Gamble will continue with daily stories throughout this week about the police department, organized crime and the downfall of Pete Rose. You can follow the entire project here.

How Facebook groups shaped the region and the country in 2024

In the constantly shifting social media landscape, Facebook groups have emerged as the de facto place for a lot of people to interact with their communities, both geographical and interest-based.

• What they do: The groupshave emerged as the places to talk about everything from school events to food truck rallies, promote small businesses, find lost dogs, alert residents of traffic events and warn about scams.

• The positives: Activity in Facebook groups in two recent examples informed the Yellow Springs community about a deadly shooting incident and drove fundraising for a Kettering restaurant that had been damaged.

• The downside: Some groups face fights and offensive posts. The group Everything Kettering shut down on Jan. 1, with administrators writing in a post that the publishing of users' personal information, personal attacks, “general nastiness” and a lawsuit contributed to the decision.

• Action in Springfield: Springfield social media groups were especially tense this fall when the debate over Haitian immigration (a years-long local discussion) went national. A post alleging Haitian immigrants had stolen and eaten a cat brought the now-debunked issue to national attention.