JOSH SWEIGART Editor of investigations and solutions journalism
Good morning
Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from todayâs Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.
This week, that includes what you need to know about NATO coming to town this week, and an investigation into an area state lawmaker accused of sexual misconduct.
Dayton will be on the world stage this week as the NATO Parliamentary Assembly has its first meeting in the U.S. in 20 years â at a politically charged time for the military alliance. There is a lot to know about the NATO PA.
⢠Business impacts: The event is an opportunity to make global connections and partnerships, area business leaders say. But local businesses have expressed concerns about how security measures will impact their business.
⢠Why Dayton:As we explain in this story, this year marks the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian Civil War and were negotiated at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Daytonâs Congressman, Mike Turner, was also influential in bringing the event here.
⢠Modern connection: Dayton Daily News reporter Mary McCarty helped cover the peace accords 30 years ago. In this new story, she interviews the wife of chief negotiator Richard Holbrooke about her recollections and involvement in the 1995 negotiations.
⢠Much more: There has been much more to our coverage so far, from historical aspects to modern local impacts. See all of our NATO coverage here. And follow us next week for up-to-the-minute coverage of events unfolding.
State lawmaker investigation
Ohio House leadership took action against an area state lawmaker after learning of our investigation into the handling of sexual misconduct claims involving the rep. Go here for our investigation by reporter Avery Kreemer.
⢠Allegations: A state investigation of alleged sexual misconduct involving state Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, and a minor teenage female this news organization has chosen not to identify concluded in October with no criminal charges but findings of âconcerning and suspiciousâ behavior by the state lawmaker, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.
⢠Investigation: While no charges were filed, investigative records obtained by the Dayton Daily News raise questions about how Preble County Sheriff Mike Simpson and then-prosecutor Martin Votel â who both later recused themselves from the case due to their relationships with Creech â originally handled the allegation.
⢠âDereliction of dutyâ: There was no investigation opened nor report created by Preble County, the Dayton Daily News confirmed. âThis is an absolute dereliction of duty by a public official,â the mother of the alleged victim wrote in a summary of the allegation provided to BCI.
⢠Creech responds: The day before our story was released and several days after we requested comment from Creech, he announced a run for state Senate. He then denounced the allegations as politically motivated.
âThese allegations have been found to be demonstrably false, and I have already begun pursuing legal action against those who are pushing this filth,â Creech said in a statement. âLike President Trump, I am no stranger to false media attacks. This will not deter my important work on behalf of my constituents, and I look forward to eventually running my Senate campaign on the issues that matter to Ohioans.â
⢠Plummer pulled in: State investigative records show state Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Butler Twp., was interviewed by state investigators about comments Creech allegedly made to Plummer about the allegations.
⢠Fallout: Ohio House Speaker Matt Huffman asked state Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, to resign before removing him from his committee posts after learning about the allegations. Go here for a story on that, including Creechâs response.
Dayton will host the NATO Spring Parliamentary Assembly this upcoming week, becoming the first U.S. city to host the five-day event in more than 20 years.
Forty new homes will be built in the Madden Hills, Fairview, Wolfcreek and Dayton View Triangle neighborhoods over the next year, with another 24 neighborhoods slated to undergo rehabilitation as a part of a $17 million Montgomery County Landbank program.
Sinclair Community College is one of first participants in Ohio program. Students with high school GPAs below 3.0 can take college classes tied to advanced manufacturing fields.
As the U.S. continues its tariff negotiations on China and other nationsâ goods, Dayton-area toy stores are anxious about whatâs to come for their businesses, but theyâre planning ahead.