Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH) articles from February 2006

Dayton Daily News (Dayton, OH) archives from February 2006

Seniors to get drug plan help.
February 1, 2006... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 1--DAYTON -- Some low-income seniors in Montgomery County can get help now to choose the right plan for them under the new Medicare prescription drug coverage program. An estimated 1,250 low-income seniors...

'05 inflation outpaced wages.
February 1, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 1--DAYTON -- Wage and benefit increases paid to workers across the country last year were not enough to keep up with inflation and represented the smallest increase in nine years, the U.S. Department of Labor...

Son succeeds father at investment company.(Company Profile)
February 1, 2006... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 1--ALPHA -- Barry James has succeeded his father, Frank, as president of James Investment Research, an investment management firm known for its specialized funds. Barry James was unavailable for comment Tuesday,...

County to launch push for transit aid.
February 1, 2006... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 1--DAYTON -- Several Montgomery County entities have agreed to hire a Washington-based lobbying firm in hopes of boosting federal money for local transportation projects. Montgomery County, Dayton, the...

Bush vow fuels ethanol push.
February 2, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 2--DAYTON -- President Bush's vow in his State of the Union speech that the nation must kick its addiction to oil and boost domestic energy alternatives could provide a powerful boost for America's ethanol industry....

Fairborn, Ohio, teachers reject proposal.
February 2, 2006... Byline: Ismail Turay Jr. Feb. 2--FAIRBORN -- Teachers voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to reject the Fairborn school district's latest contract offer, but no strike date was set. Teachers voted 181-54 during a meeting at which the...

Health district cuts Boyd's job.
February 2, 2006... Byline: Joanne Huist Smith Feb. 2--DAYTON -- A couple of hundred supporters of Ricky Boyd and the minority health care programs he started couldn't save his job as a director for the Combined Health District of Montgomery County. ...

Growing his own business.
February 3, 2006... Byline: Rick Zerkel Feb. 3--DAYTON -- Michael Blackwell's journey into entrepreneurship began with an interest in sports. While an eighth-grader and playing select soccer for the Northmont Ambush, Blackwell checked soccer scores and...

Casino backer abides by state order.
February 3, 2006... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 3--A development company accused of securities fraud while working on behalf of an Oklahoma tribe to bring Indian casinos to Ohio has agreed to abide by a state order to stop such practices. The state...

Region to compete for billions in new research money.
February 3, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 3--DAYTON-- The Dayton region is in a good position to compete for some of the $5.9 billion in new research money the Bush administration will seek in its next budget, a local economic development executive...

Wrights part of telegram history.
February 3, 2006... Byline: Benjamin Kline Feb. 3--Visitors always react with "Wow!" when they look at Orville Wright's telegram Dec. 17, 1903, from North Carolina to his father in Dayton, Bishop Milton Wright, says Library of Congress science manuscript...

Two seek prize of being affiliate for UPN, WB merger.
February 3, 2006... Byline: Bob Batz Feb. 3--DAYTON -- Two local television companies want to be Dayton's CW Network affiliate, but only one will get the prize. The new network was created by combining the UPN and WB networks. The CW -- "C" for CBS and...

Ohio-based military, energy experts trying to develop liquid from solid coal.
February 4, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 4--WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE -- Ohio coal one day will power Air Force jets and Army tanks if an Ohio-based research initiative succeeds. Federal, state and industry energy experts here are...

The last picture-tube show.
February 4, 2006... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 4--TROY -- After producing the last of more than 41.7 million television picture tubes, MT Picture Display Corp.'s Troy plant on Friday tuned out for good. MT Picture spokesman Greg Tatusko said 60 employees...

Dayton Daily News, Ohio, Jim Dillon column.
February 5, 2006... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 5--Two weeks ago in this space I expressed concern about the increasing use of "utilize" -- an awkward bit of businessspeak -- in everyday conversations. I also asked readers to provide other examples of bizspeak...

Drab office? Maybe an Extreme Makeover can help.
February 5, 2006... Byline: Shannon Joyce Neal Feb. 5--MORAINE -- Tired of looking at the drab walls of your cubicle? Sick of making excuses for your company's run-down conference room? Miller-Valentine's new Design and Renovation division just may have the...

Pollution controls, rising energy costs, potential competition hit DP&L hard.
February 5, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 5--The Dayton Power and Light Co. started up all or parts of its oldest coal-fired electricity generating plant, the O.H. Hutchings Station, more than 625 times last year whenever power demands required its use. ...

Could this old estate become part of a community center?
February 6, 2006... Byline: Ben Kline Feb. 6--DAYTON -- The old mansion awaits its fate, distant from the modern world yet close to the constant whine of trucks and cars on the nearby freeway. The steep walls are covered with a reddish-brown stucco, the color...

Local hospitals get top grade.
February 6, 2006... Byline: Kevin Lamb Feb. 6--Grandview/Southview and Kettering Memorial hospitals are among 271 U.S. hospitals receiving HealthGrades' 2006 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. Ohio had 26 hospitals awarded for ranking...

Farmers wonder if budget plan milks their income.
February 7, 2006... Byline: Ben Sutherly Feb. 7--SOMERS TWP., Preble County -- Preble County Local dairy farmers question whether they'd shoulder an unfair share of the nation's burden as part of President Bush's plan to reduce the federal deficit. ...

Center proposal wins $69M.
February 7, 2006... Byline: Margo Rutledge Kissell Feb. 7--DAYTON -- The Salvation Army of Dayton will receive $69 million from the international charity to build and help operate a community center in North Dayton if officials can raise $6 million locally....

Radio-frequency center expected to expand quickly.
February 7, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 7--SPRINGBORO -- Alien Technology Corp. took the wraps off its new RFID Solutions Center on Monday afternoon to the praise of government and industry players in the emerging market for radio-frequency ID...

Tipp still has designs on design standards.
February 8, 2006... Byline: Nancy Bowman Feb. 8--TIPP CITY -- City Council wants to take another look at developing housing design standards despite strong opposition last year from builders, developers and the city Planning Board. Proposed residential...

Accenture to design Air Force financial data system.
February 8, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 8--WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE -- The Development and Fielding Systems Group has given Reston, Va.-based Accenture LLP a $79.5 million task order for an Air Force financial data system. Accenture...

Bill on predatory lending garners bipartisan support.
February 8, 2006... Byline: Shaheen Samavati Feb. 8--COLUMBUS -- A bipartisan group of state senators stood alongside consumer advocates Tuesday and proposed a revamped version of a bill intended to crack down on predatory lenders. "We want to help...

Stylist gets to root of customers' issues.
February 8, 2006... Byline: Meredith Moss Feb. 8--OAKWOOD -- Michael Motorcycle douses his patrons with more than shampoo and conditioner when they come in for a cut-and-style. He also teaches them to go with the flow. His unusual Zen-style hair...

Ohio senators back asbestos trust fund.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Jessica Wehrman Feb. 9--WASHINGTON -- Ohio's senators Wednesday urged passage of a $140 billion plan to compensate victims of asbestos poisoning by removing asbestos litigation from the court system and creating a separate trust...

Two senators object to engine program plan.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Jessica Wehrman Feb. 9--WASHINGTON -- Ohio's two senators Wednesday sent a letter to the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee opposing a provision in President Bush's fiscal 2007 budget that would eliminate money for an...

Thinking about giving chocolate for Valentine's Day? Sweet!
February 9, 2006... Byline: Patrick Foose Feb. 9--Lucille Ball must be the patron saint of candy makers. A photo of her from the I Love Lucy episode where she works in a chocolate factory hangs in a place of honor in nearly every shop around here. ...

Kettering Medical outlines plans.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Stephanie Irwin Feb. 9--KETTERING -- Kettering Medical Center submitted a new 10-year master plan to Kettering city planners this week after neighborhood residents asked the hospital to clarify its long-term strategy. The new...

Vectren says profits rose 26 percent.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 9--DAYTON -- Vectren Corp., the primary supplier of natural gas in the Dayton area, said Wednesday its fourth-quarter and full-year 2005 profits grew 26 percent on the strength of its coal mining and gas marketing...

Plan seeks fewer, larger rec centers.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 9--DAYTON -- The city is pushing ahead with a proposal to replace some of the aging stock of neighborhood-based recreation centers with fewer, but larger, complexes. Parts of the proposals have already...

City may spend $25M on rec centers, parking.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 9--DAYTON -- City officials are considering spending $25 million on projects to revive recreation centers, spur downtown development and fix a major bridge. Dayton can afford to issue at least $25 million in...

RTA tightens company car-use policy.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Anthony Gottschlich Feb. 9--DAYTON -- Under a new policy, just four RTA employees -- directors and supervisors who are on call 24/7 -- may keep an agency vehicle around the clock, officials of the Greater Dayton Regional Transit...

County turns down 33 percent increase on real estate sales tax.
February 9, 2006... Byline: Kristin McAllister Feb. 9--LEBANON -- Warren County commissioners rejected a controversial proposal to increase a transfer tax paid on real estate sales by a third. "It was the only correct decision to make," said Commissioner...

Delphi in battle to hold talent.
February 10, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 10--DAYTON -- Delphi Corp. confronts the first of two pivotal and sensitive issues when it asks a bankruptcy court this afternoon to approve an executive compensation plan intended to keep key managers from leaving...

Delphi execs took big financial hit.
February 10, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 10--The value of Delphi stock held by its top managers has plunged since the company's Oct. 8 filing for bankruptcy reorganization, and there is always a temptation for executives to quit a struggling company for a...

2005 most profitable year for Vectren.
February 10, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 10--DAYTON -- The chief executive of Vectren Corp., the area's primary supplier of natural gas, said Thursday that 2005 was the company's most profitable year and earnings this year should be just as good. Yet...

Miami County employees to get 3 percent increase in pay.
February 10, 2006... Byline: Nancy Bowman Feb. 10--TROY -- The Miami County commissioners Thursday ended employee speculation regarding 2006 pay hikes by agreeing to add money for 3 percent increases in wage accounts. Commission President Jack Evans said...

Original Dingleberry's store set to close.
February 10, 2006... Byline: Dave Larsen Feb. 10--WASHINGTON TWP., MONTGOMERY COUNTY -- The original Dingleberry's Records store is going the way of the vinyl record and eight-track tape. The venerable independent music store that opened in 1974 will close its...

Piano bar to open downtown.
February 11, 2006... Byline: Stephanie Irwin Feb. 11--DAYTON -- A local florist is opening a piano bar on the ground floor of the Fifth Third Center downtown, in the space where four restaurants have come and gone since 1989. Hours 11 a.m. to 2 a.m....

Van Dyne Crotty in new hands.
February 11, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 11--MIAMISBURG -- Van Dyne Crotty Inc., which has been privately owned since it began operations in 1935 supplying and laundering towels for machine shops and auto service stations, has been bought by Cintas Corp....

Destroyed wetland might rise again - at different site.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Steve Bennish Feb. 12--Ohio Environmental Protection Agency specialists are trying to figure out whether it's feasible to require a developer to restore a wetland right where it was -- or make the developer help create a wetland...

Wetland bulldozed without permit.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Steve Bennish Feb. 12--An exceptionally high-quality wetland surrounded by woods along Harshman Road was bulldozed last month for a commercial strip, a loss the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is now investigating. Under...

City living called least satisfying.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Ken McCall Feb. 12--DAYTON -- Even with the loss of manufacturing jobs in the Miami Valley, community and business leaders have frequently touted quality of life as an enduring strength of the region. Last summer the 'Dayton...

Nearly half of Valley residents itching to move.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Ken McCall Feb. 12--DAYTON -- No matter where you live in the Miami Valley, it seems, the grass looks greener somewhere else. Almost half of Miami Valley residents said they would leave the region if they could move now,...

Inside Dayton, fewer like it compared with those living in the suburbs.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Ken McCall Feb. 12--City and suburban residents in the Miami Valley feel so differently about some aspects of their quality of life it's hard to believe they live in the same region. On some issues, such as neighborhood safety...

A salute to the area's small businesses.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 12--This past week, we carried stories about the pending closure of two long-standing local small businesses: Malone Photo Supply Unlimited Inc. in Kettering and the original Dingleberry's Records Store in...

Science may fuel region's new economy.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 12--DAYTON -- Hard times in the auto industry have focused attention on the sagging manufacturing sector in Ohio and the Dayton region. There's good reason for worry: Ohio lost more than 240,000...

Experts search for centers of 'innovative thinking'.
February 12, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 12--Getting a handle on just what this region has in terms of science and technology isn't easy, local experts say. Outside of technical circles, the engine that drives most science and technology here...

Grant could clear the air around truck stops.
February 12, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 12--DAYTON -- Truckers trying to get some sleep can burn almost 10 gallons of diesel fuel by idling the engines of their long-haul trucks all night to keep their cabs comfortable. Ohio is offering a grant to...

Tax preparers don't fear electronic competitors.
February 13, 2006... Byline: Katherine Ullmer Feb. 13--CENTERVILLE -- Despite the increasing popularity of do-it-yourself tax-return electronic software, such as the heavily advertised TurboTax and H&R Block's online TaxCut, local tax preparers say the...

Delphi unit reports big gain.
February 14, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 14--DAYTON -- Four months into its bankruptcy reorganization, Delphi Corp. had some uncharacteristically good news Monday. Its electrical/electronic systems unit reported $5.2 billion in new business last year. ...

Gas up! Prices won't stay low.
February 14, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 14--DAYTON -- With gasoline prices recently dipping as low as $1.99 for a gallon of unleaded regular in the Dayton area, here's a word to the wise: Don't wait to take advantage of the prices. AAA said its...

Park district to purchase 175 acres.
February 14, 2006... Byline: Nancy Bowman Feb. 14--STAUNTON TWP. -- The Miami County Park District will buy 175 acres of the Knoop farm and the family homestead east of Troy for a park intended to preserve a part of the county's history and agricultural...

Scottissue acquires St. Clair Supply.
February 14, 2006... Byline: Stephanie Irwin Feb. 14--DAYTON -- Local janitorial and sanitary supplies company Scottissue Inc. has purchased its long-time local competitor, the company said Monday. Scottissue, 3249 Dryden Road, bought Eaton-based St. Clair...

Delphi union asks workers to vote on whether to strike.
February 15, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 15--DAYTON -- With Delphi Corp. poised to ask a bankruptcy judge as soon as Friday to throw out the company's contracts with its labor unions, a major Delphi union has asked its local affiliates to vote on whether...

Tax amnesty collects $21.4 million.
February 15, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 15--The state says it has collected $21.4 million under a tax amnesty that took effect Jan. 1 and ends today. Unpaid taxes that may qualify Employer withholding tax Sales and use tax Corporate franchise tax...

Astronaut to discuss her career at Techfest.
February 15, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 15--DAYTON -- Astronauts become known for their spaceflights, but they spend 99.9 percent of their careers on the ground. What do they do the rest of the time? Tracy Caldwell is an expert on the...

Patterson Career to reopen as Ponitz Tech.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Scott Elliott Feb. 16--DAYTON -- Patterson Career Center will become the David H. Ponitz Career Technology Center when it reopens in a new building next to Sinclair Community College in 2008. The district also announced...

Huber Heights, Ohio, turns to interim city manager.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Mehul Srivastava Feb. 16--HUBER HEIGHTS -- The city has decided to offer the city manager's position to Cathy Armocida, an 18-year veteran of city administration who has been filling in on that job since November. Instead of...

Wright State opens drive for Mercer site.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Mark Fisher Feb. 16--Wright State University officials on Wednesday unveiled a $4 million fundraising campaign that would pay for the first construction in 26 years at WSU's Lake Campus near Celina. The campaign got off to an...

Health district selects new chief.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Jim Bebbington Feb. 16--DAYTON -- The Combined Health District of Montgomery County has selected a public health professional from Seattle to head up the health agency. Allene K. Mares, a regional health officer for Seattle and...

Mead daughter saddened by news.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Benjamin Kline Feb. 16--George and Elsie Mead's surviving daughter, Louise Resor, said the news from Dayton on Wednesday "feels as though part of my identity is walking away from me, because I still think of myself as a Mead." ...

Astronaut to discuss her career at Techfest.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 16--DAYTON -- Astronauts become known for their spaceflights, but they spend 99.9 percent of their careers on the ground. What do they do the rest of the time? Tracy Caldwell is an expert on the...

Business leaders say job loss hurts, but is not fatal.
February 16, 2006... Byline: Ken McCall Feb. 16--DAYTON -- Downtown took another hit Wednesday with MeadWestvaco's announcement that it will be relocating 350 jobs out of the Mead Tower to new headquarters in Virginia. The company has about 580 jobs...

MeadWestvaco's move continues trend.
February 16, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 16--DAYTON -- MeadWestvaco Corp.'s decision to move 500 jobs out of the Dayton area confirmed the worst fears of government and economic development leaders and will increase the region's pain, they said. The...

MeadWestvaco moving 500 jobs.
February 16, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 16--DAYTON -- MeadWestvaco Corp. said Wednesday it will move 500 jobs from the Dayton area during the next two years -- most of them this summer -- as part of the company's relocation of its corporate headquarters...

ODOT delays I-75 construction.
February 17, 2006... Byline: Anthony Gottschlich Feb. 17--DAYTON -- The project to widen and realign Interstate 75 through downtown Dayton has been delayed 10 months until 2008, extending the life of "malfunction junction," the Chili King restaurant and other...

Families get lease on new life.
February 17, 2006... Byline: Joanne Huist Smith Feb. 17--DAYTON -- It's a popular way to buy a car. But lease-to-own financing for new homes is helping Miami Valley families with modest incomes become homeowners. Nearly a third of the 965 single-family...

Lease-to-purchase option suits one family just fine.
February 17, 2006... Byline: Joanne Huist Smith Feb. 17--JEFFERSON TWP., Montgomery County -- Yolanda Murray and her two sons slept on air mattresses that first night in their new house. No one complained. "It was so exciting to be in our own home. I was...

Dayton Daily News, Ohio, business briefs column.
February 18, 2006... Feb. 18--DAYTON -- NCR WINS TWO TOP ATM AWARDS: NCR Corp. received two top honors in the ATM Industry Association Best ATM Technology Awards on Thursday in Orlando, Fla. NCR's Intelligent Fraud Detection was named the winner in the ATM...

Don't panic: Downtown's just fine, officials say.
February 19, 2006... Byline: Jim Debrosse Feb. 19--DAYTON -- To paraphrase Mark Twain, the news of downtown Dayton's demise is "greatly exaggerated," city officials say, despite news that MeadWestvaco will withdraw 350 jobs from the city core. The bigger...

Smaller companies make biggest gains, officials say.
February 19, 2006... Byline: Jim Debrosse Feb. 19--DAYTON -- For every corporate withdrawal that grabs headlines, there has been the steady but less heralded addition of new jobs downtown by Sinclair Community College, health care organizations and smaller...

Water program at Central State University a spigot for growth.
February 19, 2006... Byline: James Cummings Feb. 19--WILBERFORCE -- When Steve Bass was growing up in Cleveland, his father worked for the sewer department. Bass doesn't remember exactly what his father did, but he remembers it was at the unglamorous, hands-on...

Tax scofflaws may get off hook.
February 20, 2006... Byline: Laura A. Bischoff Feb. 20--COLUMBUS -- If you don't pay your state taxes after 10 years, you could be let off the hook, under a bill slated to be considered on the House floor this week. State Rep. Mary Taylor, R-Uniontown,...

Water program at Central State University a spigot for growth.
February 20, 2006... Byline: James Cummings Feb. 20--WILBERFORCE -- When Steve Bass was growing up in Cleveland, his father worked for the sewer department. Bass doesn't remember exactly what his father did, but he remembers it was at the unglamorous, hands-on...

Conservation groups nearing deals for 150,000 acres in Ohio.
February 21, 2006... Byline: Steve Bennish Feb. 21--A coalition of three national conservation groups and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources are closing in on potential deals to buy up to 150,000 acres of forest scattered throughout southeast Ohio. ...

GM will end third shift at Moraine plant in July.
February 21, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 21--MORAINE -- General Motors Corp. says it will eliminate its overnight production shift at the Moraine Assembly plant this summer, wiping out about 1,150 jobs at the sport utility vehicle factory. That will...

Boonshoft among biggest givers.
February 21, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 21--DAYTON -- Oscar Boonshoft's $28.5 million gift last year to Wright State University's medical school landed the philanthropist on a national list of benefactors. Boonshoft ranked 41st on a list released...

Social Security check blocks jobless benefits.
February 21, 2006... Byline: Shaheen Samavati Feb. 21--COLUMBUS -- At 74, Edna Asam of Troy worked part-time because her Social Security checks weren't enough. In December, back injuries left her unable to work and she lost her job. Asam is one of...

Comair asks court to void labor contract.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Timothy R. Gaffney Feb. 22--ERLANGER, KY. -- As it had warned it might do, Delta Air Lines subsidiary Comair late Tuesday asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York to void its contract with the union representing its flight...

NewPage sells carbonless business, CEO resigns.
February 22, 2006... Byline: Jim Dillon Feb. 22--DAYTON -- NewPage Corp. on Wednesday announced it will sell its $440 million carbonless paper business to York, Pa.-based Glatfelter and that President and Chief Executive Peter H. Vogel Jr. is resigning to...

GM sets date for Moraine, Ohio, job cuts.
February 22, 2006... Byline: John Nolan Feb. 22--MORAINE -- Tuesday was stressful for members and leaders of Local 798 of the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communications Workers of America. The union represents hourly workers at the General...