Wednesday, April 16, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1867, Wilbur Wright was born in Indiana. Wilbur and his brother, Orville, designed the first airplane in their Dayton bicycle shop.

Half a million tulips and other attractions will be on display at the Timbuk Farms Tulip Festival in Granville this week. Find out more in today’s Et Cetera section.

We’re sponsored today by BOXABL, offering an investment opportunity in a groundbreaking building technology.

800-Worker Paper Mill to Close

Pixelle Specialty Solutions will shut down its 800-worker paper mill in Chillicothe in the coming months.

With papermaking a cornerstone of the small community for more than 200 years, the company’s decision brings “profound sadness and significant uncertainty,” said Mike Throne, president and CEO of Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce.

A WARN notice filed with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services states that the first layoffs are expected on June 13. Pixelle pledges to provide employees with job placement assistance and workforce resources.

Pixelle will relocate its carbonless and Defensa paper operations to its headquarters operation in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania.

Ex-Pension Official Denies Wrongdoing

Former State Teachers Retirement System board member Wade Steen pushed back against corruption allegations regarding his relationship with investment firm QED Technologies.

The controversy centers on hundreds of text messages between Steen and QED executives, including remarks like “Force the vote” sent to Steen during board meetings.

Last year, state Attorney General Dave Yost filed a lawsuit accusing Steen and board chair Rudy Fichtenbaum of steering contracts to QED.

Gov. Mike DeWine called the text messages “disconcerting” in an in-depth interview with News 5 Cleveland, which has been at the forefront of reporting on the controversy.

WNBA Draft Spotlights Ohio Talent

Multiple women’s basketball players with Ohio connections were selected in the 2025 WNBA Draft on Monday.

Ohio State forward Taylor Thierry was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the third round, becoming the 20th player in Ohio State program history drafted into the league.

Three Miami Valley natives were also selected. Notre Dame forward and Kettering Fairmont alum Maddy Westbeld went to Chicago in the second round; Bree Hall, a Wayne graduate who played at South Carolina, was picked by the Indiana Fever; and Michigan guard Jordan Hobbs, a Springboro native, was chosen by the Seattle Storm.

Another Ohio native, Shyanne Sellers, an Aurora alum and Maryland guard, was selected by the Golden State Valkyries in the second round.

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Here’s how long filling America’s housing gap will take

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➤ Lordstown: The library branch operated by Warren-Trumbull County Public Library will close this summer due to low usage. (More)

➤ Toledo: More than 1,000 Toledo Edison customers lost power Tuesday morning when tree-trimming equipment struck a power line. (See Photo)

➤ Hilliard: The Noor Islamic Cultural Center filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Hilliard, alleging discrimination after its plans for a multipurpose facility were rejected. (More)

➤ Medina: Akron Children’s opened its new 28,900-square-foot health center in Medina, offering services for cardiology, neurology, orthopedics, and more. (More)

➤ Gaysport: State Route 376 will close next week for 60 days for a construction project to improve visibility and allow for a wider turning radius. (More)

➤ Columbus: One person was shot during a road rage incident on Interstate 70, causing a two-hour highway closure between Interstate 71 south and Route 315 north. (More)

➤ The Columbus Blue Jackets beat Philadelphia 3-0. To make the playoffs, Columbus must win its final game in regulation, and Montreal must lose in regulation. (Box Score)

➤ Cincinnati La Salle alum Don Hasselbeck, a former NFL tight end and the father of NFL quarterbacks Matt and Tim Hasselbeck, died following a heart attack. He was 70. (More)

➤ The Cincinnati Reds placed relief pitcher Sam Moll on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder impingement, retroactive to April 11. (More)

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➤ Columbus-based Washington Prime Group will lay off corporate staff and sell three Ohio malls: the Polaris Fashion Place in Columbus, The Mall at Fairfield Commons in Beavercreek, and Great Lakes Mall in Mentor. (More)

➤ Cleveland City Council passed legislation prohibiting smoke shops from operating near churches, libraries, schools, parks, or playgrounds. (More)

➤ More than 22,000 pounds of Johnsonville’s Cheddar Bratwurst have been recalled in Ohio and eight other states due to plastic contamination. (Details)

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The father-son duo revolutionizing homebuilding

Home construction has been slow, costly, and inefficient for centuries. So in 2017, Paolo and Galiano Tiramani founded BOXABL to change that—bringing factory-built efficiency to a nearly $5T industry.

Where traditional homes take 7+ months to build, new homes can roll off BOXABL’s assembly line nearly every 4 hours.

Equipped with plumbing, electrical, and HVAC, they’re ready to be delivered and lived in. They already have 190,000+ reservations from potential buyers*.

Now, the Tiramanis are preparing for Phase 2—where modules can be configured into larger townhomes, single-family homes, and apartments.

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**This is a paid advertisement for Boxabl’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://www.boxabl.com/invest/ * Reservations represent a non-binding indication of interest to purchase as Casita. A reservation does not require purchase of a Casita and there is no assurance of how many will result in actual purchases.

➤ Lynyrd Skynyrd and country music star Brad Paisley will headline this year’s concert lineup at the Canfield Fair, the largest county fair in the state. (Details)

➤ The 2nd Street Market in downtown Dayton will launch its outdoor farmers’ market May 3 with more than 30 vendors. (Details)

➤ The annual Timbuk Farms Tulip Festival opens in Granville on Thursday, showcasing 500,000 fresh tulips and offering games, food trucks, a petting zoo, and other attractions. (More)

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