Welcome to our Friday edition of your Business Newsletter. Today is the last day of the work week for many, and I’m ready for a two-day break. Tom Gnau is out this week and I get the honor of filling in for him one last time to inform you on what is going on in business in the Dayton region. But before we talk business, here’s a reminder: Daylight saving time ends this weekend, which means clocks “fall back” an hour Sunday morning and you get an extra hour of sleep. And did you know there is a local lawmaker from Preble County, Rep. Rodney Creech, who is trying to get rid of Daylight saving time? I stand with Rodney on this idea. Send him a message here and let him know what you think. Thank you, once again, for reading. This is your newsletter. You can reach Tom at tom.gnau@coxinc.com and (937) 681-5610. Drop him a line, tell him what’s going on. He’s on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. If you like what you read today, send my boss Ashley.Bethard@coxinc.com an email with the subject line Rich is Great. Have a great weekend. What to know: The Dow Jones closed at 33,842 Thursday at the closing bell. Here’s a good one. Just six years ago, the bell closed at 20,000. They were calling it the Trump Bump. Here’s what my colleague Randy Tucker wrote on Jan. 25, 2017: “The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above the psychologically important 20,000 level Wednesday after crossing the milestone for the first time ever shortly after the markets opened for trading.” “Many investors pointed to strong fourth-quarter earnings and President Donald Trump’s pro-growth initiatives as the catalyst for the surge, which drove index of 30 of the nation’s largest companies up 155.12 points, or 0.78 percent, to 20,067.83 at 4 p.m. — the 18th record record close for the Dow since Election Day.” 1 big thing to know today: Defense firm Infinity Labs is expanding its downtown Dayton home. Tom Gnau has the scoop on what the Dayton company is doing near the Arcade. Here’s why it’s big news: Downtown has a problem now with foot traffic. Not enough companies are keeping their employees downtown. Adding more employees will help other downtown businesses keep their doors open. Entertainment business news: The owner of Kings Island and Cedar Point is buying Six Flags and paying $8 billion for the parks. Cedar Fair owns 11 amusement parks. Once the merger is complete, the combined company will have a portfolio of 27 amusement parks, 15 water parks and 9 resort properties across 17 states in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, including its large park in Warren County. New place to eat in Centerville: Uptown Centerville’s newest restaurant, Meridien, is now open at 28 West Franklin St. in the former spot of Sweeney’s Seafood Bar & Grill, according to reporter Natalie Jones. Check out their cool website. If you like cocktails, Meridien is your new place to go. Jones says they will serve multiple versions. Chef Adrian Madrigal, originally from Costa Rica, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in France. He has created a menu that pairs well with their wine offerings. From a Margherita Flatbread to Pistachio Crusted Sea Scallops, Herbed Ricotta Shells, and sweet-potato based Hummus, the tapas style restaurant has a lot to offer. Need more info? Check the place out here. Credit: Natalie Jones Still don’t know about REI Co-op? Don’t worry we got you covered. Reporter Greg Lynch has written a great explainer to give you the details about the outdoor recreation store coming to Beavercreek. Here’s what Greg learned about the popular store. Quick Hits • Former NBA player visits Dayton Children’s: Here’s what he is doing. • Local election face criminal charges: He says he didn’t mean to commit a crime. • Tuesday is election: Here is who is running in your community. • Bengals talk about return of Hamlin: An inspirational story |