Summary compiled by Pat Langley and Samantha Enslen, based on original reporting from Nancy Bowman, Jim Dabbelt, and Cailey Petsch, and the 2023 Gazette staff

April

Tipp City lost a beloved member of the community when high school senior Carson Robbins died following a brief illness. Carson continues to be remembered as an outstanding student and athlete and as a positive force for others. $30,000 in donations were given to the Tippecanoe Athletic Boosters in Carson’s name. The donations are intended to purchase a student bleacher section at the stadium at City Park.

The Tipp City Foundation celebrated its 80th year supporting our community. The foundation has grown from a $1,300 gift from Ed Timmer in 1943 to today, where the foundation’s endowed assets exceed $8 million.

Tipp City Council voted unanimously to deny a proposed change in the zoning to “light industrial use” of annexed land at 850 N. Hyatt Street. Council members heard from nearly 20 people, almost all calling for them to reject the proposal for the zoning on the former Prill property. In other zoning news, the Tipp City Planning Board recommended rezoning 0.70 acres on German Street, near the railroad track, from two-family residential to multi-family residential. The rezoning would potentially allow a developer to build small homes on the land.

Council also voted to approve a contract for $1.8 million for renovations and an addition to the Government Center on Garber Drive. The contract was awarded to low bidder Brumbaugh Construction of Arcanum.

Council also was told by Tipp Plaza owner Johnny Eggleston (no relation to Tipp City Manager Tim Eggleston) that he was attempting to attract another grocery store to town. These efforts did not come to fruition.

Chief Adkins congratulates Officer of the Year Osting

Philip Osting Jr. was recognized as the Tipp City Police Department Officer of the Year for 2022. His nomination praised his attitude, dedication to the police department and community, and his work with the Tipp City Schools.

A Tipp City man was sentenced to 7 months in prison for aggravated assault and six months for domestic violence. Todd Morgan had been indicted by a Miami County Grand Jury in a July 2022 incident in which a woman he knew was allegedly held against her will and received serious injuries.

In another case, a Piqua man was sentenced to three years for acting as an investment adviser, taking thousands of dollars from family and friends, and then spending it. He was ordered to pay $418,000 in restitution.

And a Troy man who used a cell phone to attempt to obtain video of a girl using the restroom at a local business was sentenced to probation and extensive counseling and designated a Tier II sex offender.

Troy blocks further demolition of 112-118 W Main property

The Troy Tavern building saga continued this month, with the City of Troy trying to block further unauthorized building demolition and seeking orders for minimum repairs and maintenance of the structures, as well as punitive damages. The City also filed 15 misdemeanor property maintenance order violations against the owner.

The Miami County commissioners approved preliminary legislation for contracts to replace the Peterson Road Bridge over the Great Miami River between Troy and Piqua, an estimated $5.7 million project. They also OK’d the purchase of new in-car camera systems for sheriff’s cruisers.

The Tipp City Board of Education voted to approve a memorandum of understanding for creating a School Resource Officer (SRO) program. The SRO agreement involved the Board of Education, the City, and the Tipp City Police Department. It called for placing two full-time SROs in the schools, beginning in the fall, with the police department hiring two more officers to accommodate the SRO program. The schools would pay nine months of each officer’s salary, with the city paying the balance.

Tipp Indoor Percussion Ensemble were state champs

The Tippecanoe Indoor Percussion Ensemble finished their season as state champions in their class, with a score of 85.25 out of 100. The ensemble is led by Tipp Band Director Stephen Monath.

The case of the 39 neglected cats wrapped up, with the Piqua cat owners pleading guilty to one charge each of cruelty against a companion animal. The couple were sentenced to suspended jail time and required to pay a fine plus court costs. They were also ordered not to possess pets for one year.

Unfortunately, a case of neglected dogs just got started. Two people were charged by the Miami County Animal Shelter with eight counts of neglect following the removal of more than 30 dogs from their Troy home. Public Health subsequently condemned the house after urine and feces were found layered on the floors.

May

The Tipp City Board of Education approved the sale by auction of a tiny house built by high school students. The value of the house exceeded $28,928 and was constructed by students in classes led by Jim Kitchen.

The Board voted to hire Austin Halsey as the new Tippecanoe Middle School assistant principal and athletic director. The Board also voted to hire Regina Samson as the district’s new treasurer. Ms. Samson later withdrew her application.

The school district also kicked off a series of community meetings to gather feedback on potential options for the district’s aging facilities.

Tipp High School senior Jon Warner premiered his second film, the 45-minute thriller “Come Back Soon,” at the historic Plaza Theatre in Miamisburg.

Mehta makes 6th consecutive State Science Day

Multiple Tipp City students earned a Superior rating at the Ohio Academy of Science Upper Miami Valley District Science Day. High School sophomore Sadhil Mehta achieved a perfect score of 40/40 for his science fair project and qualified for State Science Day, marking his 6th consecutive year of advancing to the state level.

Tipp won their third consecutive MVL tennis title

Tipp’s boys’ tennis team won their third consecutive Miami Valley League title. The team finished unbeaten in conference play, and first singles player Kessler Hackenberger finished second overall in the league meet. The team advanced five players to district competition.

Red Devils kicker Jackson Kleather represented Tipp in the State All-Star Football Game, connecting on a 42-yard field goal. Ohio has the longest-running All-Star game in the nation.

The Tippecanoe boys’ baseball team pitched a perfect game in their sectional opener, allowing no Meadowdale batters to reach a base. And player Max Dunaway broke the school record for triples in a season with eight, including breaking the record in the sectional tournament this year.

Hurdle squad takes down 37-year record

Tipp girls’ hurdlers Ayeva Titley, Aubrey Brownlee, Hayley Tandy, and Jillian Magato set a new school record for 4x1 shuttle hurdles, with a time of 1:07.48. The previous record was set in 1987. The Tipp track team also advanced several athletes to the regional competition.

On the boys’ track side, two athletes advanced to the state meet: long jumper Stanley Clyne and 3,200-meter-runner Landon Kimmel.

Justine Hoffman heads to State

Tipp weightlifter Justine Hoffman qualified for a second time for the State Powerlifting Meet. Hoffman is coached at Tipp High by fellow student Adam Davidson, and trains at Tipp City’s Complete Fitness as part of “The Crew,” a powerlifting team for special needs teens and young adults.

To cap off all of these sports successes, the Tippecanoe Red Devils earned their fourth consecutive Miami Valley League overall All-Sports Trophy, accumulating 94 points in all of their boys’ and girls’ varsity sports finishes in 2023-24. Troy came in second with 93 points.

Tipp City Council voted to award the contract for a long-talked-about traffic signal improvement project at the State Route 571 and County Road 25A intersection. Over the last five years, many traffic collisions have occurred, resulting in three fatalities.

In a related story, a Bethel Township woman asked the Ohio Department of Transportation to put a traffic light at the corner of state routes 571 and 201 after a semi drove through and destroyed her home, which is located near the intersection. According to the homeowners, the house had been hit at least three previous times, stretching back to the late 1960s/early 1970s.

Council voted to add a “flex building” option to Tipp’s highway business and light industrial zoning districts. The concept called for a minimum of 40% of a building to be retail and light industrial, and 20% highway business. In a separate zoning issue, Council voted to rezone property at 30 German St. from two-family residential to three-family residential, opening the door for developer Ben Mosier to create infill housing in the 0.7-acre space.

Council also approved the transfer of $100,000 in city funds to Tipp’s Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) for hiring a firm to create a plan for the development/redevelopment of the uptown area near the Main Street/I-75 interchange, including the Tipp Plaza shopping center.

Longtime Tipp business Golden Leaf Tea and Herb Company outgrew its downtown space and relocated uptown. The 12-year-old shop sells custom-mixed non-GMO teas and herbs.

Tipp High School student Caroline Kaibas was crowned queen over the 2023 Troy Strawberry Festival

Tipp High School student Caroline Kaibas was crowned queen over the 2023 Troy Strawberry Festival. Her attendants were Landry Niles and Kristin Sedam, both students at Troy High School.

Miami County commissioners began plans for interior renovations of the Miami County Courthouse. The building dates to the 1880s. The commissioners also approved added work for rehabilitating the 100-year-old grandstands at the county fairgrounds and approved the issuance of up to $6 million in building improvement bonds for the new One Stop center for vehicle-related businesses. The new center will house the BMV, the county auto title department, and the state patrol exam station.

Miami County received a state grant of $175,000 for a jail needs assessment study, a first step in planning for combining the county’s two jails. The county today has a jail primarily for felony offenders in downtown Troy, built in the early 1970s, and an Incarceration Facility for minimum security inmates located on County Road 25A between Troy and Piqua, built in 1999.

Paul Maurice Loubier, longtime owner of the Tipp O’ the Town restaurant, passed away. Loubier opened the Tipp landmark in 1988 and operated it for 29 years.

John and Kay Berk

John and Kay Berk of Tipp City were named the 2023 Outstanding Senior Citizens for Miami County by the Area Agency on Aging. The Berks were instrumental in the purchase and renovation of the Senior Center on Hyatt Street and for their years of dedicated service to the Seniors.

Bethel Township trustees were denied in their efforts to allow the annexation to Huber Heights of 260 acres next to the Carriage Trails subdivision in exchange for a 50-year moratorium on future annexation of land south of U.S. 40, east of Ohio 201, and west of Ohio 202. The trustees approved an agreement to this effect, but Huber Heights Mayor Jeff Gore declined to follow up, stating in a Facebook post that “given the makeup of this council, I will not be bringing forth any agenda item related to annexation.”

A prison term was ordered for a Piqua man who damaged multiple cellular towers across Miami County. The man told police officers that they needed to “stop the aliens from coming” and said the aliens were getting to people through the power sources. A Piqua teen was sentenced to five years in prison for assaulting two employees at a Troy restaurant during an attempted “dine and dash.” One of the employees received serious injuries.

Tipp’s 2023 Prom Court

The Tipp High School 2023 Prom Court was named and included Makenzie Chinn, Charlize Clausen, Amelia Campbell, Lizzie Miller, Josh Dietz, Jeffrey Brown, Sean Nichols, and Payton Bey.

June

The Board of Education resolved its missing treasurer problem by approving a three-year contract with Dave Stevens, who returned to the district as treasurer Aug. 1. Dave previously served as Tipp City schools’ treasurer for six years before leaving in May 2021 for the Milton-Union Schools.

Tipp High senior Stanley Cline earned three All-Ohio honors, making him a rare all-Ohio athlete in three sports: football, basketball, and track.

Tipp City Council voted to approve three rezonings of properties along North Hyatt Street, two near Windridge apartments and one near Park Avenue. The three rezonings were to R-1C urban residential, residential single-family, and multi-family residential, respectively.

Tipp City rolled out a new mass notification system that allows the city to issue urgent messages and emergency instructions to subscribing residents. Citizens can sign up for notifications at tippcityohio.gov/407/Alerts-Notifications.

The Tipp pool’s new accessible water feature

The Tipp City Aquatic Center debuted a new water feature accessible to children with disabilities. The structure features slides and spouts, plus a ramp for wheelchairs. The feature replaced the pool’s previous degrading central water feature. The $250,000 cost was covered by Upper Valley Medical Center.

Tipp City was recognized as a Tree City USA Growth Award recipient by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Tipp City has been a Tree City for 39 years and has earned a Growth Award for 15 consecutive years.

The Miami County commissioners approved a contract to renovate the county courthouse, naming Garmann Miller of Minster to do the work. The project will include the complete restoration of the large third-floor courtroom as well as the restoration of offices, small courtrooms, and hallways. The estimated cost is $6 million to $8 million.

Former Tippecanoe girls’ basketball coach Tom Rettig was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his accomplishments during his 52 years of coaching, including 34 as head coach.

Tipp EMS and police officers were honored at EMS Star of Life Awards

Members of the Tipp City Emergency Services and police department, along with other public safety agencies who responded last October to a seriously injured horse rider on Kyle Park trails, were recognized at the annual state EMS Star of Life Awards ceremony. Sue Ducker, the injured rider, was on her horse and riding the trail when an off-leash dog spooked her horse, leaving Ducker trapped between the horse and a tree. First responders from Tipp City EMS and police, New Carlisle Fire, Careflight, the Miami County Communications Center, and the Miami County Sheriff’s Office all contributed to the rescue.

A former Bethel High School teacher faced felony indictments accusing her of forging the signature of a parent on school documents. The documents were forms for schedule changes allowing the student to be in the teacher’s classroom.

A Piqua man was sentenced to prison for vehicular homicide. He had been driving while under license suspension on U.S. Route 36 when he struck a vehicle head-on. The vehicle’s driver, a 51-year-old bus driver for the Greenville schools, was killed.

The Troy Tavern saga continued as Miami County prosecutors filed a request for a court order requiring immediate removal of the Tavern building, stating it “poses a serious hazard.” The county chief building official stated that a new inspection had found the building in “worse shape than before … the north wall … is pulling apart from the rest of the building/structure and is in immediate danger of toppling down onto Main Street.” A Miami County judge countered, saying she wouldn’t order immediate demolition of the building and would appoint an independent building expert because of conflicting reports.

Tipp students performed Moana Jr.

Tipp’s annual StageCrafters group presented its summer show, Moana Jr., at the Center for Performing Arts at Tipp High School. StageCrafters is a summer camp for students in grades 2-8 that allows them to put together an entire musical in just two weeks.

Check back next week to read part two of the Gazette’s Year in Review: June through December.