| It’s newsletter Tuesday, and we return to a favorite topic: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. In terms of ecomomic impact, there’s really no arguing about how important the base is. It’s big — and getting bigger. JobsOhio and the Dayton Development Coalition a few years ago laid out some of the numbers: Defense-related activities supported roughly 103,200 jobs in the Dayton area, generating $8.3 billion in earnings and creating $11.6 billion in regional economic impact. On Monday, the president and chief executive of the coalition put that latter number at $16 billion. Then there’s this newest number. Wright-Patt’s working population has doubled since 2002 Wright-Patterson has a working population of 38,000 people, higher than ever before, and community leaders celebrated the milestone Monday. Why it matters: Base advocates regularly hail Wright-Patt as the beating heart of Air Force research, acquisition and sustainment work, particularly since 2005, when the Base Realignment and Closure Process — usually called “BRAC” — sent base growth into overdrive. Read the story. Read about the celebration. NEW DETAILS: ‘Unauthorized third-party’ accessed Crown employee records in cyberattack The latest update from Crown Equipment about this summer’s cyberattack and its aftermath came Friday evening after business hours, a sure sign that this was a release the company did not enjoy sending: Someone gained access to sensitive employee records during the recent cyberattack that interrupted manufacturing for weeks, the company said. The situation: An unauthorized third party gained access to Crown records, such as accident and injury reports, and employee participation in the company’s benefits and retirement programs. What the company is saying: Beyond periodic prepared statements such as Friday’s, the company has said nothing so far. No one has been made avaiable for comments or interviews. Read the story. Read previous coverage. Best of Dayton 2024 winners: Food, Dining & Drinking category Credit: Marshall Gorby You told us what and who you love. We listened. The Best of Dayton winners are in for 2024. The Dayton Daily News once again held the annual Best of Dayton to celebrate longtime favorites and new selections for eating, drinking, shopping and living life in the Dayton region. Read the story. It’s illegal to hire immigrants who aren’t authorized to work but the law is tricky to enforce Reporter Lynn Husley recently explored the fraught world of immigration and employment. The law: is straightfoward enough at first glance. It is illegal to knowingly hire an immigrant who is not lawfully in the United States and does not have the government’s permission to work. Yes, but: Then it gets tricky. All employers are required to have new employees complete a U.S. Department of Homeland Security I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form attesting to their identity and employment authorization. And often third party staffing contractors who place employees are obligated to handle eligibility verification for those employees. Read the story. Financial health of local school districts varies considerably, driving levy debates Credit: AP Some area school districts have enough cash in reserve to fund operations for a year while others have barely enough to get through a month, a new Dayton Daily News investigation found. And those with cash running low are looking to levies and cuts stay in the black. Cash on hand — or not: Some of what our investigation found: Districts across the region vary on the amount of money they keep on-hand in relation to their budget, with New Lebanon keeping well over a year of cash on hand and Franklin keeping 10% of its annual budget in the bank. Read the story. How to contact me: As always, thank you for reading this newsletter. Tell me about your business. You can reach me at tom.gnau@coxinc.com. My DMs are open on the former Twitter, and there are a couple of places to find me on Facebook, here and here. Quick hits It’s a ‘monster schedule:’ UD AD Neil Sullivan is smiling. So are Flyer fans. Behind the Badge: Intrepid reporter London Bishop reflects on what she learned. More parking at Alter High School? Kettering has a plan. Why we love going to Waynesville in the fall: Ohio Renaissance Festival fan explains what makes event so special Vampires in the Gem City? This sounds like Sunday page 1 story. Or a Netflix documentary. Whichever. | 