Good Sam closure to have big impact

The closure of Good Samaritan Hospital will have a dramatic impact on businesses in the northwest sector of Dayton.

For years, the neighborhoods surrounding Good Sam on Philadelphia Drive and Salem Avenue have been deteriorating with little business growth.

Without the more than 1,600 employees who travel to the hospital daily to go to work, businesses will see a big drop in foot traffic.

Premier Health said it will be working with CityWide Development Corp. and NEXT, a firm specializing in property redevelopment, to help guide the process of repurposing the site. Reporter Kaitlin Schroeder reported the process will include community input over the next few months to discuss redevelopment possibilities.

Increase in paychecks

If you haven’t noticed yet, your paycheck could get larger in the next few weeks.

The U.S. Treasury Department released withholding tables for employers that provide a framework for how much they should withhold from their employees’ paychecks to cover federal income taxes. The withholding tables consider information such as your income, paycheck frequency, tax-filing status, and the number of allowances you claimed on your W-4 form. Under the new tax law, companies will start adjusting employee paychecks. Employers have to comply with the new guidance by Feb. 15.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the government expects about 90 percent of workers to see an increase in their take-home pay.

We love pie

Reporter Mark Fisher broke the news last week that a new bakery specializing in pies is in the works near the campus of the University of Dayton.

If all goes well, Fisher reported the bakery to be named “Partial to Pie” could open as early as this spring, founder and owner Marie Clark. The bakery will be located at 200 Shroyer Road.

Clark said she graduated from Sinclair College in its entrepreneurship program. It’s good to see students from our local colleges becoming entrepreneurs in our community.

It’s also good news for us pie lovers. Who’s with me?

Changing way we shop

Does it annoy you when you run into someone who’s reading their phone as they walk? It could get worse at your area grocery store and could be compounded by a grocery cart in your back side.

Reporter Kara Driscoll reported last week Kroger is changing how customers will shop in stores with new digital aisle displays that connect and interact with smartphones. The Cincinnati-based grocery retailer is rolling out new technology called Kroger Edge in nearly 200 stores this year.

Sounds like grocery shopping will be more of an adventure in the future. I suggest more soft bumpers on carts.