| Good morning, business readers. It’s Tuesday once again, so let’s get to it. A look above at consistently cloudless skies down to parched neighborhood lawns confirms it: We’re in a drought. Fall is less than a week away. But it feels like we’re stuck in a perpetual August. All of this has a price. Drought ranks third among environmental phenomena associated with billion-dollar weather disasters since 1980, behind tropical cyclones and severe storms, according to the U.S. government. The cost of droughts averages over $9 billion a year. Severe drought punishing large portions of Ohio, including many area farms Credit: Jim Noelker Lack of rain in recent months is laying waste to farms across Ohio, leaving farmers in this region with smaller crops and lower yields, reporter Eric Schwartzberg noted recently. Farmers like 51-year-old Brian Harbage are attempting to salvage what they can of soybeans, corn, wheat, and other devastated crops. The impact: “We’re definitely not going to have the crop that we thought,” Harbage said. “We’re talking about weeks — six, eight, 10 weeks — of no rain,” Ohio Farm Bureau spokesman Ty Higgins told us. “I’ve talked to farmers who haven’t seen precipitation since the middle of June, early part of July. Read the story. Next phase of ‘smart grid’ rollout would cost AES Ohio customers $5.91 a month in four years Credit: JIM NOELKER AES Ohio wants to move forward with the next phase in deploying its “smart grid” technology, but to do that, the electric service utility needs the go-ahead from state regulators. Benefits. And costs: While the utility says the technology means fewer and briefer blackouts, this deployment would come with a cost: Residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity a month would see rates rise by about $1.27 at first to $5.19 a month at the end of four years, according to current AES Ohio estimates. Opposition: The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel is reviewing the final settlement (which was filed with regulators Friday) and expects to contest it, a spokesman told me. Read the story. Dayton Live seeks $25M in donations from public to fund upgrades, renovations Credit: CONTRIBUTED The people behind the Schuster Center, Victoria Theatre, Metropolitan Arts Center (home to the Loft Theatre), and the Arts Garage is on a fundraising mission. How much: Dayton Live’s “Spotlight on the Future “capital campaign has entered its public phase with a fundraising goal of $25 million. Primary focus: The campaign, which quietly launched in fall 2023 and went public last week, has raised $10.2 million thus far with the primary focus of updating the organization’s facilities. Read the story. Major upgrades planned for Kettering business center Credit: Jim Noelker The first major improvement project at a Kettering business center in nearly two decades is planned next year, Reporter Nick Blizzard tells us. Kettering wants to spend about $1.2 million in upgrades for Governor’s Place near West Dorothy Lane and South Dixie Avenue. A first: Kettering Assistant City Manager Steve Bergstresser called the plan “the first major maintenance project we’ve done on Governor’s Place Boulevard since it was first created.” Read the story. Tires Unlimited owner: ‘Everyone deserves a warm, welcoming environment’ The bottom line: Every business owner knows — or learns eventually — it’s about people. Treating customers and employees well is not just good business. It’s the right thing to do. Tires Unlimited owner Courtney Carlisle is measuring the success of her business not just by its profits, but by the way her team deals with customers. Frame this quote: “I’ve been in leadership in a variety of companies over the years focusing on HR and operations and the one thing I know is that ... Yes, data, profit, etc., is all part of operating any business, but true success lies in how you treat people,” Carlisle told us. Read the story. Contact me: Thank you as always for reading this newsletter. Tell me about your business at tom.gnau@coxinc.com. You can reach me on the former Twitter, now X, where DMs are always open. You can also find me on Facebook here and here. Quick hits On Purpose Academy buys North Main property for $1.2 million: Founder Kim Jarvis told me about her plans. Check out our mental health series: Start with this story. And then this one. Online readers ate this story up: Halal Burgers opens second location south of Dayton Mom of three embarks on boxing career: And of course, Arch tells her story. The last laugh at Wiley’s: A report. | 