Ashley Flynn case coverage recap and recent top headlines

Tipp City Police Department continued its investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 18 into the death of Ashley Flynn, who was shot twice in a reported home burglary in the early morning hours on Monday. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

Credit: Bryant Billing

Tipp City Police Department continued its investigation on Wednesday, Feb. 18 into the death of Ashley Flynn, who was shot twice in a reported home burglary in the early morning hours on Monday. BRYANT BILLING / STAFF

Good, Sunday morning!
Yesterday we got another Dayton Flyers basketball win, and today is National Margarita Day! I plan to celebrate both by drinking another cup of coffee this morning, and I will need it after seeing that snow is in our forecast.

Welcome to the Weekly Roundup, where we bring you the top stories from today’s Dayton Daily News and major stories from the past week you may have missed.

Last week was a very busy news week, and there is no shortage of news stories to look back at this morning.

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We have been covering a big story out of Tipp City since Monday morning, and we will continue to cover the story into this week and beyond.
Caleb Flynn was charged with murder in the fatal shooting of his wife during a reported break-in. He was arraigned Friday morning for murder and two counts each of felonious assault and tampering with evidence, according to Miami County Municipal Court records. He pleaded not guilty in the death of his wife, Ashley Flynn.
There is a lot to this story, and it is grabbing national attention as well.
• Who was Ashley Flynn?: She coached seventh-grade girls volleyball at Tippecanoe Middle School and worked as a substitute teacher for Tipp City Schools, where she also was a former teacher. For the past year she served as a teacher for LifeWise Academy in Tipp City, a nonprofit that provides Bible-based education to public school students away from campus during school hours. Read more.
 Private service: The service for Ashley Flynn will now be private, the family’s church, Christian Life Center, announced on Friday. A celebration of life had been planned for this afternoon.
• 911 call release: We got a 911 call placed by Caleb Flynn, reporting Ashley’s shooting early Monday morning. “Oh my God, somebody broke into my home,” the call started. “Somebody broke into my home and shot my wife.” You can listen to the call here.
• Attorney speaks out: Caleb’s defense attorney questions the thoroughness of the investigation. “It’s disturbing the speed at which this occurred,” said defense attorney L. Patrick Mulligan of Dayton law firm Moermond & Mulligan who is representing Caleb Flynn. “I question the thoroughness” of the investigation. Read more in Jen Balduf’s story.
• Arraignment video: Video was released of Caleb’s arraignment. “I just want to take care of my daughters. I’m not a risk,” he told Judge Samuel Huffman before the judge set his bond at $2 million. Read more, and see the video, here.
• Family statement: “Our hearts are shattered. Ashley brought endless light to our world and we are trying to navigate this immense loss,” the family said in the statement. “Our family believes this arrest was made carefully and not without serious consideration.” You can read more in Holly Souther’s story here.

Pictured L-R: Angie Markham, Barry Blankenship and Jey Brown have been vocal in their opposition to a proposed data center that would go on at 141 acres in the city of Trenton. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Credit: Nick Graham

Pictured L-R: Angie Markham, Barry Blankenship and Jey Brown have been vocal in their opposition to a proposed data center that would go on at 141 acres in the city of Trenton. NICK GRAHAM/STAFF

Our investigation found proposals for massive data centers across southwest Ohio are coupled with apprehension from local communities. The facilities are power-hungry, water-thirsty and subsidized with tax breaks. Read more from London Bishop and Bryn Dippold’s reporting here.
• Rising electric costs: Data centers are partly to blame for rising electric costs across the region, according to a recent study by Charles River Associates.
• Water supply impact: Water use is one of the most commonly cited concerns with data centers nationwide, but just how much water data centers use is a subject of emerging research, said Ramanitharan Kandiah, professor of Environmental Engineering and chair of the Department of Water Resources Management at Central State University. Read more.

• Job creation? Bobby Angst, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 648, said proposed data centers represent hundreds of jobs for local unionized electrical workers. But Sean O’Leary, senior researcher at the Ohio River Valley Institute, challenges the long-term economic benefits of data centers.
• Legislation? The Ohio General Assembly has expressed bipartisan intent to address concerns about data centers’ impact on local communities. Asked about data centers earlier this month, Governor DeWine said there’s “more to be done” legislatively about the facilities, particularly their impact on electric rates.
• VIDEO: A massive data center is proposed to be built in the city of Trenton in Butler County, and residents and neighbors fear the project could hurt their community. Dippold and videographer David Sherman visited Trenton and talked to residents about their concerns as part of our investigation.