Greeting: Sunday morning briefing 7-7-24

Our mission is to help you understand what's really going on in the Dayton region. This includes comprehensive coverage of local governments and agencies, hard-hitting investigations, and in-depth analyses of important issues.

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Local police, courts overwhelmed with youth group homes as kids from across Ohio sent here

Our Dayton city hall reporter Cornelius Frolik heard that the number of youth group homes locally had increased dramatically in recent years. He investigated to see what impact that is having on the community.

• What he found: Read Cory's story here. He found more than a third of group homes where kids from across Ohio are sent by the state because of delinquency or they are victims of abuse or neglect are now located in Montgomery County. This is straining local resources.

• Law enforcement: Dayton police responded to nearly 3,000 calls for service at these group homes last year, including more than 600 calls to one home. This is a 75% increase from 2022 and more than three times the calls received in 2021.

• Courts: Youth in group homes now account for more than a quarter of the cases with criminal charges in Montgomery County Juvenile Court.

• Kids: Many children in local group homes come from other parts of Ohio, meaning they may be hours away from their families, friends, communities and the caseworkers and agencies that are supposed to be in charge of their well-being.

• Context: This story looks at how the number of group homes here compares to other Ohio counties.

• Solutions: State and city officials are discussing ways to better regulate group homes and address these concerns. Read that story here.

Overdoses happen 'everywhere,' from McDonald's to shopping centers: Here's what you can do

Reporter Cornelius Frolik also recently investigated drug overdoses in the region. His question: Are there parts of the city where overdoses are more prevalent where efforts to reduce them can be targeted?

• What he found: Read his story here, including a map showing that overdoses are happening everywhere, from homes to bus stops to fast food restaurants. And they are happening all over the city.

• Numbers constant: So far this year, the city has not gone more than about four days in a row without an overdose being reported to police, according to Dayton Police Department data.

• The impact: Cory talked to a man whose stepdaughter died of an overdose in 2021. "In this day and age, one time is all takes," he said. "You never know. ... People aren't trying to overdose."

• Solutions: Public health officials say this why naloxone — the anti-overdose drugs commonly known as Narcan — should be everywhere. Workplaces should carry them. Keep kits in your car, or in your purse. You could save a life.