Springfield News-Sun
Shoppers stock up as Winter Storm Fern looms
Jessica Turner’s usual Thursday trip to the West Central Avenue Kroger in Springboro was anything but. Not with almost a foot of snow in the forecast for this weekend. “We kind of expected it,” Turner said of the atypically large number of carts...
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Spreading his wings
Chef Dennis Merchant prepares chicken wings for a customer at Champion City Grill in Myers Market on Jan. 15 at Cohatch Springfield. Merchant is helping to revamp the dining options inside Myers Market and will take on the role of head chef.
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Feds, Dewine air concerns about power demand, cost
As data centers and AI enterprises continue to use more electricity, federal government leaders, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine and a group representing Ohio manufacturers all expressed unease on the same day about how about the region’s electric grid manager...
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Springfield natives betting on Vegas-style trivia game
Two men from Springfield have created a board game that’s “like trivia at a high-stakes table where the winner takes all,” the game makers said. Jameson Zink and Mark Stickford created the trivia-based board game Know Your Ante? Trivia! that launched...
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Source says Congress targeting Fuyao in bill
The U.S. House and Senate sent the White House a package of government funding bills that include a call for the Trump administration to detail investigative steps involving labor practices by Chinese automotive glass producers operating in the United...
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Luncheon honors legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
Many people in the Springfield community gathered Friday to celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. At an annual luncheon, the keynote speaker spoke about being a catalyst for change and explored the key characteristics he believes will...
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Machado gives her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump
WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S....
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State laws to limit ICE proposed across U.S.
MADISON, Wis. — Democrats across the country are proposing state law changes to rein in federal immigration officers and protect the public following the shooting death of a protester in Minneapolis and the wounding of two people in Portland,...
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Ex-husband charged in killings of Columbus couple waives right to extradition hearing
COLUMBUS — The ex-husband of an Ohio woman charged this weekend in the killings of her and her husband waived his right to an extradition hearing Monday in Illinois. Michael David Mckee, 39, a doctor from Chicago, has been charged with premeditated...
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Lawsuits by Trump allies could shape 2030 census
ORLANDO, Fla. — The next U.S. census is four years away, but two lawsuits playing out this year could affect how it will be done and who will be counted. Allies of President Donald Trump are behind the federal lawsuits challenging various aspects of...
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House defies GOP leaders, passes ACA subsidies
WASHINGTON — In a remarkable rebuke of Republican leadership, the House passed legislation Thursday that would extend expired health care subsidies for those who get coverage through the Affordable Care Act as 17 renegade GOP lawmakers joined every...
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Dewine: Child care program can last 8 weeks amid freeze
Ohio has enough money to continue its subsidized child care program for at least another eight weeks without further financial support from the federal government, according to Gov. Mike Dewine. That window may be tested following the decision of...
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Mixed signals sent about who’s running Venezuela
WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday that the United States would not govern Venezuela day-to-day other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country, even as President Donald Trump again insisted that the U.S....
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Hospital stays for flu quickly rising in Ohio
Hospitalizations due to flu in the region and nationally are climbing rapidly and in some cases doubling or tripling historical averages, according to the Ohio Department of Health. For the week ending Dec. 27, 1,465 Ohioans were hospitalized due to...
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‘WE’RE DEFINITELY ON THE RIGHT PATH’
Outgoing Clark County Commissioner Melanie Flax Wilt reflects on her nineyear tenure, highlighting achievements like the county’s first strategic plan and improved government access. She notes that while the role was often challenging, especially in...
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Dewine signs law boosting penalties for dog attacks
A bill to enhance criminal penalties for violent dogs was signed by Ohio’s governor, capping a swift legislative process that was spurred by a brutal dog attack on then-12-year-old Avery Russell during a playdate in 2024. Russell and her mother, Drew...
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SMALL STEPS CAN LEAD TO BIG SUCCESS
Most New Year’s resolutions fail quickly because people lack a concrete plan to sustain their motivation. Experts suggest setting realistic, incremental goals and creating actionable plans that can be adjusted. But what’s more important than the how is...
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In a tumultuous year, health policy dramatically reshaped under RFK Jr.
WASHINGTON — In the whirlwind first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, some of the most polarizing changes have taken place within the Department of Health and Human Services, where Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has openly rebuffed the medical...
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State hopes stricter laws will quiet illegal fireworks after deadly blast
HONOLULU — Mike Lambert heard fewer illegal fireworks exploding in his suburban Honolulu neighborhood in the months after a chain of blasts at a house party last New Year’s Eve led to the deaths of six people, including a 3-year-old boy. As the...
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How did Musk’s DOGE disrupt so much while saving so little?
WASHINGTON — Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency said it made more than 29,000 cuts to the federal government — slashing billion-dollar contracts, canceling thousands of grants and pushing out civil servants. But the group did not do what...
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Gun violence, immigration, taxes among year’s top stories
While 2025 didn’t have the same tumultuous events as when Springfield made international headlines in 2024 following false rumors of immigrants eating pets, a number of topics carried weight in the local community. Gun violence, homelessness, an...
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U.S. airstrikes target militants in Nigeria
ABUJA, Nigeria — The United States airstrikes that targeted Islamic State group militants in northwestern Nigeria on Thursday marked a major escalation in an offensive that the West African’s overstretched military has struggled with for years. U.S....
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Pastor joins hospital chorus for annual caroling
Pastor Scott Davidson understands the power of community. As a founding member of the Dayton congregation of Soul Winners for Jesus Christ, a non-denominational evangelistic association that focuses on prayer and hands-on ministry, he is often...
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Hemp drink retail sites limited
Thc-infused beverages will be lumped in with other intoxicating hemp products, with sales limited to licensed dispensaries, following a lineitem veto from Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine. Dewine signed Senate Bill 56 — which came about in large part due to his...
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Most U.S. adults aren’t making year-end charitable contributions
NEW YORK — Most Americans aren’t making end-of-year charitable giving plans, according to the results of a new AP-NORC poll, despite the many fundraising appeals made by nonprofits that rely on donation surges in the calendar’s final month to reach...
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Springfield school has long-term plan to minimize deficit
With the expiration of COVIDERA funds and declining state funding, the Springfield City School District is closing its School of Innovation (SOI) at the end of this year — a decision first announced in November. Despite this cost-cutting measure, the...
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EVICTIONS REMAIN HIGH, REFLECT OTHER BARRIERS
Evictions in Clark County have remained “consistently high,” with 4,400 over the last five years, which can lead to longterm barriers to housing for people, such as damaged credit, limited rental options and a higher risk of homelessness. Each year...
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City will fund Hartley House through winter
Springfield’s only dedicated men’s homeless shelter will remain open through the winter after the city approved funds to avoid an imminent closure. The Hartley House, 440 W. High St., had planned to close Jan. 2 to allow Sheltered Inc. to continue...
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Trump orders blockade on oil tankers to Venezuela
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Tuesday he is ordering a blockade of all “sanctioned oil tankers” into Venezuela, ramping up pressure on the country’s authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro in a move that seemed designed to put a tighter...
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Community frustrated with official response to shooting at Brown U.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — The ongoing effort to find a man who walked onto Brown University’s campus during a busy exam season and shot nearly a dozen students in a crowded lecture hall has raised questions about the school’s security systems and the urgency...
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Tariffs having an uneven effect on holiday prices
NEW YORK — The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, turns into a winter wonderland every holiday season. Green garlands, giant nutcrackers, baubles and bows go up in early November on the historic downtown building that houses the gift shop....
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Gov. Dewine withholding Ramaswamy endorsement
Gov. Mike Dewine held firm Thursday that he will eventually endorse the GOP’S official nominee to replace him as governor, but the term-limited Republican was still cagey about his overall thoughts on party-endorsed candidate Vivek Ramaswamy. Dewine’s...
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States are raking in billions from slot machines on phones
Most casinos in Las Vegas take sports bets, but that’s not where the real money is. The bulk of their profit comes from games such as slot machines and blackjack. Many states have legalized online sports betting in recent years, but a handful have...
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Trump wants to keep farmers happy with cash
RANDOLPH, Minn. — When Donald Trump promised new tariffs while running for president, Gene Stehly worried that trade disputes would jeopardize his international sales of corn, soybeans and wheat. A little more than a year later, Stehly said his fears...
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Can Moreno secure bipartisan ACA extension?
As Congress wrestles over what to do about expiring subsidies for Americans who buy insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act, U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno is trying this week to push his party to embrace a middle ground deal — and find a way to...
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Iceblock app maker sues over free speech violations
The maker of an iphone app that flagged sightings of U.S. immigration agents sued the Trump administration for free speech violations on Monday, alleging that U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi used her “state power” to force Apple to remove the...
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Have Trump’s global tariffs hit ‘high-water mark’?
WASHINGTON — Before President Donald Trump’s tariffs took effect this year, the Chicken of the Sea factory in Lyons, Georgia, was running its production lines full speed, canning enough imported tuna to build up four to six months of inventory in...
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Dewine vetoes bill allowing teens to work later
An effort to expand the hours 14- and 15-year-old employees in Ohio can work was stymied Wednesday after Republican Gov. Mike Dewine vetoed a bill passed with overwhelming GOP support. Had Dewine signed Senate Bill 50 into law, it would have changed...
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Moreno promised hope for a dying paper mill; then reality set in
CHILLICOTHE — One by one, black cars with tinted windows pulled up to the parking lot in the shadow of the paper mill. The governor of Ohio exited one car. One U.S. senator appeared, then the other. They were joined by the congressional representative...
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Trump targets Somalis in U.S., calling them ‘garbage’
He said it four times in seven seconds: Somali immigrants in the United States are “garbage.” It was no mistake. In fact, President Donald Trump’s rhetorical attacks on immigrants have been building since he said Mexico was sending “rapists” across...
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How one Arkansas county is helping ICE make arrests
ROGERS, Ark. — Northwest Arkansas has emerged as a hot spot in the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, the result of one county’s partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and aggressive traffic stops by police. The...
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Area gas prices drop to as low as $2.02 a gallon
Gas stations in the region lowered their prices to nearly $2 a gallon following the holiday weekend, the lowest prices in more than four years. Dayton, Springfield, Hamilton and Middletown on Monday saw prices as low as $2.02, $2.17, $2.35 and $2.45,...
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Youth mental health services mobile in Ohio
Mobile response teams are now operating in all 88 Ohio counties as part of a $51 million program to provide mental health crisis services to Ohio youth age 20 and under. Janell Hill, clinical director of Choices Coordinated Care Solutions, said since...
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Shoppers spend billions despite unsettled economy
NEW YORK — Despite wider economic uncertainty hovering above this year’s holiday season, shoppers turned out in big numbers for Black Friday — spending billions of dollars both in stores and online. Adobe Analytics, which tracks e-commerce, said U.S....
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Shoppers’ holiday spending could help keep economy humming
Americans are nervous about the economy. They are troubled by the higher prices from tariffs. They are wary of a fizzling job market. They are poised to shell out during the holiday shopping season anyway. Economists are predicting a healthy dose of...
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Trump wants to ban migrants from poor nations
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump says he wants to “permanently pause migration” from poorer nations and is promising to seek to expel millions of immigrants from the United States by revoking their legal status. He is blaming immigrants...
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Dewine regrets signing bill that legalized sports betting in Ohio
COLUMBUS — If Gov. Mike Dewine could turn back time, he would not have signed legislation that legalized sports betting in Ohio. With two Cleveland Guardians pitchers and an Ohio-born guard for the Miami Heat snared in separate betting-related...
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Stores keeping turkey prices down
CHELSEA, Mich. — Old Brick Farm, where Larry Doll raises chickens, turkeys and ducks, was fortunate this Thanksgiving season. Doll’s small farm west of Detroit had no cases of bird flu, despite an ongoing outbreak that killed more than 2 million U.S....
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Recent air travel woes still fresh this holiday season
The turbulence caused by the longest government shutdown on record may still be fresh on travelers’ minds this Thanksgiving, but experts say preparing for the usual holiday crush of winter weather, heavy traffic and crowded airports can help ease those...
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Changes to agency lead to midterm worries
MINNEAPOLIS — Since it was created in 2018, the federal government’s cybersecurity agency has helped warn state and local election officials about potential threats from foreign governments, showed officials how to protect polling places from attacks...
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City to hear on rezoning for proposed jail site
The location of a proposed new jail and public safety building in Clark County has been more solidified after rezoning was recommended for approval by the Central Cooperative Economic Development Agreement (CEDA) Regional Planning Commission. The new...
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Clark State honors veterans, active military
With hundreds of students linked to the military attending each year, Clark State College is helping veterans, military service members and their families build their next chapter in life, according to the college’s administrators, such as through...
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Employer-sponsored insurance premiums rise
Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance coverage are up 6% from last year and are expected to rise again next year, according to an annual survey from the health policy analysis organization KFF, previously known as the Kaiser Family...
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WHO’S PAYING TO INFLUENCE WASHINGTON?
ABOVE: The amount each company pictured has spent on federal lobbying in the first three quarters of 2025. WASHINGTON — With the nation embroiled in interparty warfare and constantly rocked by the Trump administration’s unprecedented political...
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Lawmakers eye quick solution to hemp limbo
Ohio lawmakers are eyeing a quick and permanent legislative fix to the oft-criticized unregulated sale of intoxicating hemp products in the state after a series of shifts have thrown the legality of the merchandise into limbo. Currently, any Ohio...
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Trump extends National Guard deployment in DC
WASHINGTON — The Washington, D.C. National Guard will be deployed to the nation’s capital through the end of February, according to formal orders reviewed by The Associated Press. The formal order, dated Nov. 4, extends the original order from Aug. 11...
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Incumbents win re-election for trustee seats
Two incumbents won re-election to their Springfield Twp. trustee seats, according to final, unofficial results from the Clark County Board of Elections. Incumbents John Roeder and Dan Detrick faced newcomers David Nangle and Ryan Ruf. Detrick led the...
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Second furlough notice sent to Wright-patterson civilian workers
As the shutdown of the federal government drags into its second month, civilian workers at Wright-patterson Air Force Base have received a second furlough notice. “We very much regret the shutdown furlough and recognize the difficult financial...
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Shutdown likely to become longest in nation’s history
WASHINGTON — The government shutdown is poised to become the longest ever this week as the impasse between Democrats and Republicans has dragged into a new month. Millions of people stand to lose food aid benefits, health care subsidies are set to...
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Shutdown threatens to delay heating aid for millions
HARTFORD, Conn. — Jacqueline Chapman is a retired school aide who relies on a $630 monthly Social Security check to get by. She was navigating the loss of her federal food aid benefits when she learned the assistance she receives for heating her...
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Data center planned for city would create 20 jobs
A new data center is planned to be constructed in Springfield, bringing 20 full-time equivalent jobs. No timeline is publicly available. Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine announced the project along with 11 others across the state, as part of 1,200 new jobs in...
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Ohio to provide up to $25M for food aid
Ohio will provide up to $25 million in support for food assistance to help families affected by the impending suspension of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits due to the federal government shutdown. Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine signed an...
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Patients can’t get needed treatment with the shutdown
MINOOKA, Ill. — Bill Swick has a rare degenerative brain disease that inhibits his mobility and speech. Instead of the hassle of traveling an hour to a clinic in downtown Chicago to visit a speech therapist, he has benefited from virtual appointments...
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Springfield man’s memoirs address service, youth
A local man is looking back on his life in two memoirs released this year. “Everyone Has a Story: A Combat Medic’s Tale” reflects Randy Ark’s experiences serving his country in his generation’s biggest challenge, the Vietnam War, which shaped him into...
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‘No idea how long people can hold out’ amid shutdown
WASHINGTON — When Jill Hornick woke up on a recent Monday morning, her first thought was that her timecard would be submitted that day for her job with the Social Security Administration in Chicago. But this Monday was different. The federal government...
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School health center to expand with mobile offering
The school-based health center at Springfield City School district will expand dental and vision services after Rocking Horse Community Health Center received almost $700,000 in total grants. The clinic, located near Springfield High School, currently...
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President playing ‘budgetary Twister’ during shutdown
WASHINGTON — Tucked among the many pages of President Donald Trump’s signature tax cuts is a single paragraph that provisions money for the Department of Homeland Security. Totaling $10 billion and created to help “safeguard” the border, the funds...
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States worry about how to fill the gap in food aid
Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown. The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition...
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Ohio takes step toward marijuana, hemp deal
The Ohio legislature is narrowing in on a deal that aims to address concerns about intoxicating hemp and the legal recreational marijuana market, which have brought headaches to state decision makers for more than a year. The House this week passed...
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Springfield teen on dirt bike hit by car dies of injuries
The teen involved in a hit-andrun on his dirt bike last month died of his injuries, according to the prosecutor’s office. Fifteen-year-old Nathanial Thompson, identified in the indictment, died in the hospital, having been on life support. He died...
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‘No Kings’ returns as political frustrations grow
Protesters returned to Springfield City Hall on Saturday for the second round of “No Kings” demonstrations this year. It was one of thousands of events held in the country on the same day to protest President Donald Trump’s administration. According...
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Lawmakers deal with threats, decry violence
The summer’s high-profile assassinations of former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and conservative commentator Charlie Kirk hit close to home for Ohio’s state lawmakers. “It’s a little bit jarring, really, to see that type of violence play...
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Poll shows Americans concerned about job market, inflation
WASHINGTON — Americans are growing increasingly concerned about their ability to find a good job under President Donald Trump, an Associated PRESS-NORC Center for Public Affairs poll finds, in what is a potential warning sign for Republicans as a...
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