A food truck rally was held for the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton, Monday, May 26, 2025. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF
Morning Editor Jeremy Ratliff here, bringing you the website version of my Morning Briefing newsletter, packed with all the important local news you need to start your day, from our hardworking news team. I send this to readers that have signed up for it every morning, including on weekends. Would you like to have my Morning Briefing newsletter sent do your inbox every morning? It is completely free, and you can click here to sign-up.
We continue to monitor several news stories taking place outside of the Miami Valley, as we are learning about a potential US-Iran deal on the war, gunfire near a White House security checkpoint and 40,000 residents in Southern California being ordered to evacuate due to the risk that a damaged chemical tank could leak or explode. Locally, we continue to keep an eye on our weather and the threat of flooding in some areas.
In today’s Weekly Roundup, we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed. Special thanks to Cornelius Frolik, Greg Lynch, Alex Cutler and Mandy Gambrell for contributing to today’s newsletter.
Do you have a news tip or an issue you think our reporters should look into? Contact me at Jeremy.Ratliff@coxinc.com, or you can use our anonymous tip line.
Want to read the digital version of the newspaper? Click here for our daily ePaper.
🏙️NATO in Dayton: The event made the history books, but how will it be remembered?
A group walks along Main Street in the NATO village in downtown Dayton on May 23, 2025. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF
Cornelius Frolik wrote a story that posted on our website Friday about the first anniversary of Dayton hosting the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. You may remember our reporting from that time.
The event brought together dignitaries from around the globe to discuss security challenges, defense priorities, strategies to improve cooperation between NATO allies and the importance of supporting Ukraine and deterring Russian aggression.
Cornelius reminds us that the event also commemorated the 30-year anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian war. He then writes, “But in addition to serving as a forum for important discussions of world affairs, local leaders say the four-day event generated a massive amount of positive publicity for the Dayton region that was the equivalent of more than $135 million in marketing and ad spending.”
However, his story also reminds us that some local residents and businesses were unhappy with the disruptions and headaches the Assembly event caused, mainly due to robust security measures, which included the closure of part of downtown. Cornelius tells us that some people said they did not think hosting was worth the hassle and costs to taxpayers.
He takes an in-depth look back at that event, both online on our website and in today’s paper.
😔DDN’s Greg Lynch remembers Kyle Busch’s 2004 Kentucky Speedway win
Driver Kyle Busch celebrates winning the NASCAR Busch series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway, in 2004. Busch passed Greg Biffle on the final laps of the race for the win. GREG LYNCH/STAFF
After the shocking news of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch’s death, I reached out to our own Greg Lynch, who had covered several NASCAR races. Greg agreed to write a story that included a photo that he took of Busch celebrating winning the NASCAR Busch series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway, in 2004.
Greg writes, “As soon as the race was over, another sort of race began. All the photographers hurried from their various positions to get to the winners circle and the shot everyone wanted of Busch getting out of the car to celebrate. Media from all over the world covered these races, and there could easily be over 100 photographers trying to get the best spots for photos. I was lucky enough to get a great spot and ended up getting one of my favorite racing photos.”
You can read his story, and see his photo here.
🎖️Guide to Memorial Day 2026 events in the Dayton region
Memorial Day, the holiday honoring U.S. military members who died during service, is tomorrow. Cities across our area will have parades, ceremonies and other events. Our Alex Cutler brings us a guide to what’s planned.
👑Armored combat tournament is back at Ohio Renaissance Park this weekend
An Armored Combat Sports fight featuring the Cincinnati Barbarians. Contributed
This weekend, The Cincinnati Barbarians and the Ohio Renaissance Festival are hosting Siege: A Tournament of Steel and Honor at Ohio Renaissance Park. As Alex Cutler reports, this Armored Combat Sports event features over 100 fighters from more than 20 teams competing in various challenges, duels and tournaments.
Today is the last day of the event, and you can read more about it here.
🎶GAMBRELL: Bruno Mars’ ‘The Romantic Tour’ concert in Columbus was absolutely electric
Bruno Mars performs during his “The Romantic Tour” stop Wednesday, May 20, 2026 in Columbus. MANDY GAMBRELL/STAFF
In case you couldn’t hear the screaming from here in the Miami Valley, Bruno Mars made an Ohio Stadium stop last week. Our own Mandy Gambrell was there, and wrote, “Yes, it was an experience. This was no ordinary concert.”
If you are a fan of the music of Bruno Mars, you will want to read her story. If you are not a fan of his music, you should probably read it anyways. Her story has photos and special facts about the visit. You can find it here.
Would you like to get news information and videos from me on social media as well? You can follow me on my Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Bluesky, Threads and X pages!
Have a great rest of your Sunday!