2+ week, 9+ hour ago (404+ words) Tim Denning, the owner of Sourmugs Tavern in West Milton, has opened a second location in Piqua. Sourmugs Wings & BBQ is one of six vendors inside The Social at Piqua Center. "We were doing well over in West Milton," Denning said. "I was looking to expand, but without investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into another brick-and-mortar location." RCS Construction and Brait Capital purchased the former Miami Valley Centre Mall, located at 987 E. Ash St., in 2023. They have since turned the food court into a dining and entertainment destination. Sourmugs Wings & BBQ offers a limited menu compared to its tavern at 101 N. Miami St. Customers in Piqua can expect the restaurant's wings, chunks, fried portobello mushrooms and hot pepper cheeseballs, in addition to smoked brisket, pulled pork, sausage and turkey. "The smoked items are available only at this location," Denning said. "The…...

4+ week, 14+ hour ago (655+ words) A bargain bins business will open this month in Enon to bring "excitement and enjoyment" to the community. Nifty Thrifties Bargain Bins will soon open in the shopping center at 6845 Dayton-Springfield Road in Enon. It will be a family-operated business with owner Cody Penwell, his wife, Jessica Hamilton, and their seven children. The couple has had a dream of starting a business, and with backgrounds in retail and management, they began seeing an opportunity in bin stores as they've visited other locations throughout the years and noticed the joy they bring. "We went through quite a bit of brainstorming to come up with something that we enjoy and would be a good legacy for the kids and our futures," Penwell said. "(Bin stores) create an energy that is not only enjoyable but exciting as it can be compared to the…...

4+ week, 1+ day ago (843+ words) Kate Hamill's entertaining and enlightening "Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really" receives a dynamic local premiere courtesy of the Human Race Theatre Company at the Loft Theatre. Fluidly directed by Human Race Artistic Director Emily N. Wells with an expert command of eerie atmospherics and tone, "Dracula," inspired by Bram Stoker's classic vampire novel, delivers a clever balance of dark drama and humorous adventure. Along the way, Van Helsing dishes insightful food for thought about vampires and more present dangers in an indelible moment of reflection with Mina and uptight Dr. George Seward (versatile Rico Romalus Parker). "The dangerous misconception," Van Helsing says, "is that they're fanged or pale or deformed. That you could identify one at a glance. But the monsters look just like us." Hamill's empowering gender-bending of Stoker's sexist novel also includes a refreshing take on Renfield, a…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (459+ words) Lately, as the world feels heavier and everything seems just a little bit broken, I've been thinking about what it really means to find your balance in the midst of it all. I've been trying to take a breath and notice the small, ordinary things that are still good. The warmth of a mug between my hands, the quiet hum of a house settling at night, the way a friend checks in on me just because. I've been thinking maybe gratitude isn't about big gestures right now but more about finding peace in the small places that still work. And it turns out, there's science behind that. A 2015 study in the Journal of Positive Psychology found that writing in a gratitude journal for just 15 minutes a day significantly lowered depressive symptoms and stress levels after only three weeks. Proof that…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (720+ words) When your father dies at 73, and your mother dies at 66, you don't expect to live long enough to have an entire community celebrate your every birthday. But that's what happens around Westover Retirement Community in Hamilton because its most famous resident is about to turn 106 years old. Vera Keck doesn't understand why she outlived her parents, and why her husband died 40 years ago, nearly as long as they were married. As Keck sat in her apartment, with her daughter-in-law, Barbara Keck, nearby, she wondered about living so long without her parents and husband. Sure, she eats a green banana and a sugary cinnamon doughnut daily as a way to stay healthy. "Actually," she said, "any doughnut." It's more than her diet. "I think the Lord forgot me," she said with a smile. "And here I am." And what a story…...

2+ week, 5+ day ago (655+ words) A new exhibit honoring the late James M. Cox, whose influential imprint of entrepreneurship and leadership encompassed journalism and politics, will open at Carillon Historical Park in 2026. The park has received a $1.5 million grant from the James M. Cox Foundation to help fund the exhibit honoring its namesake, James Middleton Cox (1870-1957). In addition to rising to prominence as a newspaper publisher, Cox served as a U.S. congressman, Ohio's first three-term governor and the 1920 presidential candidate on the Democratic ticket alongside Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The gift completes the funding needed to begin construction of the new building, which will stand across from the Wright Brothers National Museum and next to Gem City Letterpress " the nation's only working 1930s letterpress job shop in a museum. Along with support from the Eichelberger Foundation, the Dayton Legal Heritage Foundation and an anonymous couple, this contribution positions the project…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago (875+ words) Pastor Lamar Ferrell shock his head in disbelief when he thought about how his life spiraled out of control in 2015. Ten years ago, Ferrell, pastor at Berachah Church in Middletown and longtime chaplain of the Middletown police and fire departments, was so depressed, so distraught, that he remembers crawling on his hands and knees in his Middletown home. "Life caught me," he said recently while sitting in his church office. "It surprised me. It shocked me. The man that I was never would have dreamed I'd go to such depth of despair. "There was absolute horror and darkness in my life. My battery was absolutely done, spent. I had nothing else to give." Then the lead pastor, the one who shoulders the concerns of his congregation, firefighters and police officers, dropped this bomb: "Just begging for life to end." Ferrell,…...

2+ week, 10+ hour ago (413+ words) After warning patients last month that Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid plans under Humana might be going out of network toward the end of the year, the local hospital system Mercy Health reversed course after reaching a deal with insurance provider. Mercy Health and Humana had a previously stated Dec. 1 deadline to come to an agreement to keep Humana's Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid plans in-network, which they were able to reach this week. Effective Dec. 1, this new contract agreement will allow 7,458 patients across Clark and Champaign counties to keep in-network coverage to Mercy Health providers and facilities, according to the hospital system. Through this agreement, Mercy Health hospitals, physicians, urgent care clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and other care sites will continue to be in-network for all patients covered by Humana's plans. "We understand how stressful negotiations like these can…...

4+ week, 13+ hour ago (460+ words) " Election 2025: Today we have an Election Day takeover edition of the Morning Briefing. Below you will find all the important information you need before heading out to the polls to cast your vote. The newsletter should take about 2 minutes, 33 seconds to read. Elections 2025: Everything you need to know before heading to the polls Election Day is today, when voters will decide on the leadership and future direction of numerous local communities. Polling locations will open across the state stay open until 7:30 p.m. " Here's what to find election results tonight for more than 370 races and issues. " Here's what to follow our live coverage today. Our elections coverage is free: Here's where to find it. More on the election " View hundreds of candidates in our Voter Guide " Key city, village and township races to watch " Municipal and county tax issues on the ballot…...

1+ week, 5+ day ago (140+ words) Started last year, the program supports nearly 50 news organizations, including Outlier Media in Michigan, Mountain State Spotlight in West Virginia and Daily Digger in Vermonth. It has focused on areas where local news is in short supply due to the industry's financial troubles over the last two decades. "It helps rebuild some of what has been lost over time," said Rachel White, the fund's CEO. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation has committed $25 million to the fund. Other contributors include Lilly Endowment Inc. and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. With the additional money, the fund hopes to support a total of 100 state and local newsrooms by the end of 2026, and 300 by 2028. The first year of operation saw participating newsrooms grow their audiences and making them more engaged, she said....