Morning Briefing | 🥇 Get to know one of Dayton's greatest athletes

Edwin Moses is one of the greatest athletes and most interesting people to ever come out of Dayton.

Today in the Morning Briefing, we look at Moses’ life and career ahead of the premiere of a new documentary about him. We also update you on the latest in fights over the ballot language for Issue 1.

If you have thoughts or feedback on this newsletter or other news tips, please let me know at Kyle.Nagel@coxinc.com.

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The newsletter should take about 3 minutes, 5 seconds to read.

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Archdeacon: The West Dayton side of Edwin Moses documentary catches people’s attention

Credit: AP

A new documentary titled “Moses — 13 Steps” about Dayton native Edwin Moses is revealing more about the Olympic champion’s history and his dedication to success. Columnist Tom Archdeacon has a full profile of Moses and the new movie.

• His dominance: In the 400-meter hurdles, Moses has three Olympic medals, four world records and a stunning unbeaten streak of 122 consecutive races over a span of 9 years, 9 months and 9 days.

• A star-studded documentary: It was co-produced by Morgan Freeman and includes heartfelt insights from Samuel L. Jackson and Spike Lee; fellow Olympians like Michael Johnson, Tommie Smith and Donna De Varona, as well as astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson; Secretary of the Smithsonian Institute Lonnie G. Bunch III; and his son, Julian Moses, a former collegiate and pro volleyball player.

• Where it’s showing: It will have its world premiere on Saturday at the annual Morehouse College Human Rights Film Festival (Moses is a Morehouse alum).

• What’s with ‘13 steps’ in the title? Moses used his math and athletic skills to calculate a way to take 13 steps between hurdles rather than the typical 14, which gave him an edge.

GOP-led ballot board finalizes Issue 1 redistricting ballot language over Dem objections

Credit: AP

The Republican-led Ohio Ballot Board finalized this November’s Issue 1 ballot language on Wednesday following an Ohio Supreme Court order to correct various defects in what the board had already passed.

• Why it matters: The move Wednesday solidified the language voters will see describing the issue on the ballot.

• Came after Ohio Supreme Court ruling: In its Monday decision, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled two of 10 sections of the board’s previously adopted language violated the Ohio Constitution’s requirement that the ballot language not be misleading.

• The big disagreement: Issue 1 opponents have celebrated the finalized language, and proponents have framed it as intentionally misleading.

• What would Issue 1 do? It would scrap the state’s current politician-led redistricting panel to set legislative districts in Ohio and replace it with a 15-member citizen redistricting commission governed by rules similar to what’s already in place.

What to know today

• One big takeaway: Documents obtained by the Dayton Daily News detail some of the criminal charges against Montgomery County Clerk of Courts Mike Foley, and also suggest the arguments Foley’s attorneys may use in his defense in court. Find the full report here.

• Tip of the day: The Air Force Research Laboratory is looking for qualified employees, and a job fair is planned next month to fill positions across the organization. Here’s how to go.

• Big move of the day: A new cafe with coffee and elevated American cuisine is opening in Dayton this October. miDDay owners say “it’s coffee reimagined.”

• Happening today: The Foodbank Inc. is scheduled to host a drive-thru mass food distribution in Dayton today. Find out more details here.

• Thing to do: The Harlem Globetrotters will make their annual visit to the area on New Year’s Eve as part of their 2025 World Tour.

• Photo of the day: Sons of the American Revolution attended the unveiling ceremony of the Lincoln Memorial Statue at the Dayton VA on Monday. Jim Noelker was there to capture the scene.

Credit: Jim Noelker