Springfield News-Sun
Hundreds rally at site where Haitians required to check in
Hundreds of people gathered outside a federal immigration of ice Sunday morning, Aug. 9, to show support for Haitian immigrants from Spring ield who were called to report for immigration check-ins. The rally, organized by Ignite Peace in partnership...
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Beaver
Within four months of entering the Dayton market, a Texas-based chain of mega travel centers has sued a local small business for trademark infringement over its beaver mascot. Buc-ee’s brought its brand to Ohio when it opened its largest-ever store...
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DATA CENTER BAN MAY FACE BALLOT HURDLE
Ucharter amendment to ban data centers that will be on the November ballot after a citizenled petition and signatures were certied by the Champaign County Board of Elections. In the process of discussing the ordinance, the interim city law director...
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Haitian community leader: Returning home still unsafe
Temporary protected status for Haiti o cially ended Wednesday, Aug. 5, leaving many Haitians in Spring eld vulnerable to detention and deportation. But Haiti is not a safe country, due to rampant gang violence, lack of access to healthcare and poverty...
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Some Springfield Haitians risk deportation
The o cial end of temporary protected status for Haiti leaves many Haitians in Spring eld “at the mercy of God,” said Haitian Community Help and Support Center President Vilès Dorsainvil. There was no other option after the United States Supreme...
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Reading Room opens to support children, adults
After many years serving the community through literacy programs, volunteer tutoring, library work and public speaking, Lisa Holmes decided to open a reading center to help children and adults become con dent readers. “Reading challenges affect many...
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Tourism generated $539M in Clark County in 2025
Tourism generated $539 million in total economic impact in Clark County, as well as nearly 4,700 local jobs, in 2025, according to a study by Tourism Economics, a division of Oxford Economics. “These numbers reinforce what we have long known: tourism...
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50-year lease secures future of fairgrounds
Clark County commissioners have signed a 50-year lease agreement with the Clark County Agricultural Society to protect the fairgrounds for years to come. Commissioners President Sasha Rittenhouse, Charles Patterson, Greg Ka enbarger, Chief Legal...
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Springfield city manager under investigation
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is investigating “potentially illegal” behavior by Spring eld City Manager Bryan Heck, according to a release from the city Friday, July 31. The city said in the release that it received two anonymous letters...
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Region a powerhouse for aerospace innovation
Electra’s decision to build an $850 million factory in Spring eld — bringing nearly 2,000 jobs over the next decade — is the latest sign that southwest Ohio is becoming a powerhouse for aerospace innovation. The Spring eld Newssun examines why...
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Springfield area su ers worst job losses in Ohio
New federal survey data indicates that the Spring eld region has lost more jobs than any other Ohio urban area this year, which adds fuel to speculation that the cancellation of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status will harm the local economy. The...
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Haitians face ‘existential fear’ of deportations
Haitians in Spring eld are “panicking” about the possibility of being sent back to Haiti, where they face violence and a lack of necessary resources, according to an advocacy group. Haitians could begin being detained and own back to Haiti as early as...
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Urbana voters to decide on data center ban in November
After many concerns from the public regarding a potential data center in Urbana, a group of people got enough signatures to add a charter amendment on the November ballot to ban them. Nicole Nawman, who is the Champaign County Lead for Conserve Ohio,...
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Locally owned ride service launches in Clark County
Over the past year, a Springeld business owner and his team have worked to build a platform that supports local restaurants, creates jobs and keeps more dollars in the community. Jordan Powell, founder and CEO, recently launched Ontheway Rides, a...
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Flock camera use led to arrests in local killing
While automated license plate reader cameras have been the source of some controversy for their potential to be used in immigration enforcement and other surveillance concerns, the Clark County Sheri ’s O ce said without the technology, recent shooting...
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THE IMPACT OF SB 1 ON HIGHER EDUCATION
Ayear after Ohio Senate Bill 1 went into e ect with the stated goal of overhauling higher education in the state, the impact is mixed. One area university cut 16 faculty positions, with the arts hit the hardest. And more positions were eliminated...
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Drones hit Iraq city where U.S. forces are based
IRBIL, Iraq — Drones carrying explosives targeted a city in northern Iraq where U.S. forces are stationed and sirens rang out in Bahrain on Friday, July 24, hours after the American military said it nished its 13th night of strikes against Iran. The...
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Officials laud Electra’s massive investment
The upcoming arrival of a new aerospace production facility bringing almost 2,000 jobs and an $850 million investment to Springfield is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity,” Greater Springfield Partnership President Mike Mcdorman said. Virginia-based...
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Some question support for Haitians at town hall
Some in Spring eld feel that they have been unfairly branded racist or bigoted while their concerns about the city’s Haitian population have been ignored, they shared at a citizen town hall Tuesday, July 21. Around 40 people attended the meeting...
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Electra investing $850M, envisions 1,975 jobs
A Virginia-based aerospace company is investing $850 million into a new production facility at Spring eld’s Airpark Ohio with plans to create 1,975 jobs over the next decade. Electra announced on Tuesday, July 20, during the Farnborough International...
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Doctors struggle to get reimbursed by insurers
In her of ice off South Main Street in Centerville, clinical psychologist Dr. Kathy Platoni held a ile more than an inch thick of copies of emails, forms, and other correspondence she’s had with one health insurance company since the start of this...
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Why your electric bill is so high, what to do about it
Temperatures are rising this summer. And so are tempers, when we see our electric bills. “I can’t a ord to keep it going up and up and up and up,” Xenia resident Ildiko Marcus told a member of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in a public...
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Redefining retirement
An AA P survey found nearly half of the retirees who recently returned to work did so for nancial reasons. For some, it provides a muchneeded boost to xed incomes. For others, it helps support family members, repay debt or maintain a sense of...
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Man killed in road rage shooting ID’D; 2 arrested
A man who was shot and killed in a reported road rage incident in New Carlisle has been identi ed and two suspects were arrested Wednesday, July 15. The Clark County Sheri ’s O ce responded to a report of a shooting on Ohio 235 at Gerlaugh Road at...
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TPS expiration date for Haitians remains unclear
When exactly Haitian immigrants with temporary protected status will lose that legal protection after the U.S. Supreme Court made a ruling that clears the way for the Trump administration to end it is not totally clear. The U.S. Department of Homeland...
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Springfield passes 6-month moratorium on data centers
No new large data centers can come to Spring eld for at least the next six months, following a moratorium the Spring ield City Commission passed Tuesday, July 14. The ordinance prevents any new data centers with an energy demand greater than 25...
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U.S. attacks Iran, Tehran threatens all-out war
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The U.S. launched strikes on Iran early Tuesday, July 14, hours after President Donald Trump vowed to reinstate an American blockade of Iranian ports and charge ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran...
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County approves zoning rules for data centers
Clark County commissioners have tightened heavy industrial zoning laws to proactively regulate future data centers — a move prompted by the county’s inability to legally ban or pause the facilities. Commissioners held a public hearing Wednesday, July...
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2 advocates petition to ban data centers in city
Large data centers could be banned in Spring eld if a measure to change the city’s charter gets on the November ballot and passes. Local advocates Melissa Rexroth and Nicole Bethel, who have been collecting signatures for a statewide measure to ban...
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Pedestrian safety law to help curb dangerous panhandling
The city of Spring eld will likely pass an ordinance that would ban panhandling in busy tra c medians. The ordinance is a direct response to citizen safety concerns related to people panhandling in close proximity to roadways, traf ic medians and...
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Meteorologists: Heat dome . to last at least a week
Most of America’s Lower 48 states are about to swelter under an unusually large, strong and long-lasting heat dome that will spike temperatures in a way that the National Weather Service calls “signi cant and dangerous.” The heat wave will start this...
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Springfield’s Speakeasy Ramen has new owner
A popular sushi and ramen restaurant in Spring ield now has a new owner. Carah Nicewaner became the new owner of Speakeasy Ramen, 365 Ludlow Ave., at the end of June, an opportunity that has her “feeling all the emotions at once.” “Because this isn’t...
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Local NAACP leader urges caution if ICE shows up
Local NAACP President Denise Williams said Black and brown residents should “stay off the streets” in Spring eld particularly after dark if ICE agents show up in the community. This comes after the U.S. Supreme Court late last month cleared the way...
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Chappelle asks Trump to leave Haitians alone
Comedian Dave Chappelle asked President Donald Trump to let the Haitians living in Spring eld be during a broadcast on CNN. Chappelle was on Andy Cohen and Anderson Cooper’s Friday, July 3, broadcast celebrating the eve of Independence Day as well as...
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Owner closes Momo Mart, but says it’s ‘not goodbye’
A local retail store that had items from China, Japan and Korea and that opened in Springield at the end of last year is closed. Jess Justice originally opened Momo Mart inside Myers Market in Cohatch before Christmas 2025 but closed the store at the...
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America’s 250th marked by fanfare, severe weather
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump mixed partisan politics with patriotic appeals on Saturday as he commemorated the 250th anniversary of American independence, a moment he declared “one of the most joyous and glorious milestones of all...
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SPRINGFIELD NEIGHBORS HELPING HAITIAN IMMIGRANTS
Springeld organizations are mobilizing to help Haitian immigrants as Temporary Protected Status protections near an uncertain end. With work authorization for many TPS holders set to expire Friday, July 10, community leaders warn families could...
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Discount store opens in Springfield .
second Nifty Thrifties Bargain Bins in the Southern Village Shopping Center at 1215 Sunset Ave. “It feels amazing to open a second store, especially in our childhood neighborhood,” Penwell said. “We are extremely appreciative of the support we have...
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Fireworks
As Independence Day approaches, Ohio residents stocking up on reworks may be wondering whether it’s legal to set them o in their backyards. The answer depends not only on state law, but also where they live. Since 2022, Ohio law has allowed adults to...
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NAACP leader on end of TPS: Be prepared for what’s coming
Spring ield NAACP President Denise Williams and others strongly object to the U.S. Supreme Court’s assertion that the federal government’s decision to end temporary protected status for the around 350,000 Haitians living in the country exhibited no...
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Pence ending 3-decade career as Clark County recorder
For more than three decades, Nancy Pence has kept the record straight. As the Clark County recorder, Pence’s job is to ensure the thousands of permanent documents generated by the county — most having to do with real estate, land transactions and...
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Tecumseh Building receives state tax credits
Spring eld’s Tecumseh Building is one of nearly 40 projects across the state that have been awarded state tax credits for preserving and revitalizing historic properties, Gov. Mike Dewine’s of ice announced Wednesday, June 24. The state will provide...
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More than 3 million Ohioans to hit the road
A record number of Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home between June 27 and July 5 for the Independence Day holiday, according to AAA, and they’ll be going by plane, by boat and especially by car. “We pick up around the Fourth...
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Hundreds rally for Haitians after TPS ruling
Hundreds of people gathered on the Spring eld City Hall Plaza in a massive show of support for the Haitian community Thursday, June 25, after a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier in the day cleared the way for the Trump administration to end...
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Police: Data searches related to immigration filtered out
Spring eld, like many Ohio cities, uses automated license plate readers and shares the data the cameras collect with outside agencies. However, the city remains a unique ashpoint in the national immigration debate following Donald Trump’s debunked 2024...
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Ohio Catholic bishops: Ending TPS ‘moral failure’
In a letter penned in honor of America’s 250th birthday, Ohio Catholic bishops criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians without an alternative. The Catholic Conference of Ohio, which serves as the...
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Dewine signs Koehler’s bill protecting gun rights
Gov. Mike Dewine signed into law Senate Bill 273, known as the Keep Them Safe Act, on June 18. The bill creates a legal pathway for gun owners to store their firearms with licensed sellers and law enforcement agencies. The legislation, sponsored by...
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Construction to begin this year on $24M facility
A downtown Springfield indoor sports and wellness facility will begin construction this year thanks in part to state capital funds. The $24 million, 85,000 square foot Champion City Sports and Community Wellness Center will have eight basketball...
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More than 20 things to do before school starts
Springfielders know how to make the most of the summer. During the summer season, festivals fill up downtown, the splash pads and trails stay busy and the county fair takes over the last week of July, meaning that there’s plenty to do between now and...
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State eyes changes for math standards
Ohio schools have new standards to help students perform better in math under a bill headed to Gov. Mike Dewine’s desk. Among the new provisions in Senate Bill 19, Ohio schools must provide evidence-based academic intervention services to students who...
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Dayton Air Show draws huge crowd of spectators
The 52nd Centerpoint Energy Dayton Air Show opened Saturday, June 13, at the Dayton International Airport during sunshine and warm temperatures with crowds of spectators ready to look up. Lines at the entrance were long but moved quickly, and entering...
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SHOPPING UNDER SURVEILLANCE A
growing number of businesses are installing Flock cameras and other types of automated license plate readers outside their stores, including some of the largest retail chains in the country. Stores and shopping centers say they use the technology for...
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Juneteenth events to honor major milestones
The United States has existed for 250 years, Springfield for 225 years and, for 175 years, a symbol of American history has stood here at 620 Piqua Place — the home of George and Sarah Gammon. In the 19th century, the Gammon House was an Underground...
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Police, OSU partner to ID violent crime hotspots
The Springfield police division is working with Ohio State University and partner agencies to identify violent crime hotspots in the city to inform continued policing efforts. Researchers with Ohio State will help SPD identify violent crime “hot...
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Property tax elimination won’t be on fall ballot
Entities that rely on roughly $24 billion in property taxes to provide vital services to their residents can heave a sigh of relief knowing the effort to eliminate their main revenue source won’t be on the November ballot. Brian Massie, co-founder of...
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LOCAL SOCCER FANS LOOK FORWARD TO WORLD CUP
The World Cup returns to the United States on Thursday, June 11, and will showcase a sport played at the highest level that has increased in popularity here since the last time the tournament was played in this country in 1994. Many area fans attended...
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Disability advocates: Bill would further limit care
Disability advocates and people who are disabled themselves shared their frustration with state lawmakers over a new set of proposed regulations for certain Medicaid providers, particularly those who provide home health and personal services. Their...
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Ohio cities begin receiving marijuana tax revenue
public services. The distributions stem from Senate Bill 56, which created the Host Community Cannabis Fund and directs 36% of Ohio’s adult-use marijuana excise tax revenue to municipalities that host dispensaries. Sen. Steve Huffman, R-tipp City,...
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Gearing up for peak biking season
Cyclotherapy general manager Brittany Estep works on a Schwinn bicycle at the shop on Tuesday, June 2, in Springfield.
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Fighting in Middle East not letting up despite ceasefires
RAMALLAH, West Bank — Ceasefires have been announced, often to great fanfare, in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. So why is there still so much fighting? In just the last few weeks, Israeli forces have captured more territory in Gaza and killed two top Hamas...
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War in Iran drives up fuel, fertilizer costs for farmers
The war in Iran, which started in late February and has shown no clear signs of ending, is continuing to raise fuel and fertilizer prices during Ohio’s planting season, pushing costs up for farmers. Chad Warner, a Darke County farmer and member of the...
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Rising waters close some roads, prompt rescues
Excessive rainfall in Clark County and surrounding areas caused flooding issues Wednesday, May 27, for local homeowners and forced the evacuation of one family from their home. In Harmony Twp., Clark County, rescue crews from Harmony Twp. and...
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Auditors to Ohio lawmakers: Pause property tax reforms
County officials are asking state lawmakers to pause on passing additional property tax reforms as they work to adjust to the complexity of five bills passed last year. With the threat of a grassroots effort to eliminate property taxes altogether, the...
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Wittenberg University not closing soon, making improvements
Wittenberg University in Springfield is not in imminent danger of shutting its doors, and is making changes to attract students and donors, university provost Brian Yontz said in a recent interview with the Springfield News-sun. Yontz said he does not...
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THOUSANDS OF AGENCIES CAN SEARCH PLATE DATA
Automated license plate readers are everywhere, constantly recording information that is entered into searchable databases. A Springfield News-sun investigation found that local police departments are sharing their data with thousands of outside law...
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Gas prices keep summer travel projections flat
Record high gas prices aren’t stopping travelers from hitting the road this holiday weekend, but they are limiting how much they will be on the roads throughout the summer. AAA predicts an estimated 1.7 million Ohioans will travel 50 miles or more...
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Witt earns NCAA tourney berth in baseball for first time in 32 years
The Wittenberg Tigers will play in the NCAA Division III baseball tournament for the first time since 1994. Wittenberg (31-11) received an at-large berth when the bracket was announced Monday, May 11. It will play Webster University (30-14) on Friday,...
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Clark-shawnee to move forward with reduction plan
District leaders are working on next steps after Clark County voters rejected the Clark-shawnee Local School earned income tax levy for a third time. About 62% of voters were against the levy, and 38% were for it, according to final, unofficial...
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MOTHER’S DAY A SPECIAL TIME FOR LOCAL MOMS
In honor of Mother’s Day, the Springfield News-sun talked with five mothers about their joys, struggles and accomplishments — and everything else about being a mom. From the kitchen table experiences to the long days and nights, these moms share their...
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Ohio to implement Medicaid work requirements in 2027
Following last year’s passage of a federal reconciliation bill also called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” or the “Working Families Tax Cuts Act,” states will be required to implement work requirements for certain Medicaid members by Jan. 1,...
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Senators press military on Israel’s evacuation zones
BEIRUT — A dozen U.S. Democratic Senators have called for the U.S. Central Command to answer questions about American coordination with Israel in declaring broad “evacuation zones” in Lebanon and Iran, alleging that the practice may violate...
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Key takeaways from primary election
Area voters decided several important local tax issues in the Tuesday, May 5 primary — while setting the stage for a November election with local, statewide and national ramifications. Statewide contests were decided by less than a quarter of Ohio’s...
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Trump threatens Iran’s civilian infrastructure
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants, if a deal to end the war is not reached “shortly.” Tehran...
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