Dayton Daily News

Attorneys for a federally backed pension insurer have declined to enter mediation with retirees of a bankrupt auto-parts supplier suing to have their full pensions restored.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. rejected the non-binding mediation with Delphi salaried retirees. A spokesman for the insurer said Thursday said it can pay out only the amounts authorized by Congress.

Chuck Cunningham with the Delphi Salaried Retirees Association said it came after six weeks of discussions.

A research center at the University of Dayton has won a $42.2 million dollar contract from the U.S. Air Force.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the contract awarded to the UD’s Research Institute will maintain 30 existing jobs at the facility.

And another $1.2 million contract from GE Aviation for related research will create as many as five new positions there.

The Air Force contract is for research and development in advanced power and thermal management technologies for hypersonic and long-range aircraft.

Democrats in Montgomery County chose Fred Strahorn to replace Rep. Clayton Luckie, who withdrew from running for re-election.

The Dayton Daily News reports that the county party's central committee voted 41 to 1 replace Luckie on the November ballot.  Luckie dropped out Friday, a day after the Franklin County prosecutor said Luckie was under investigation. The prosecutor has said little other than that the probe doesn't involve bribery.

Luckie remains in office. He hasn't commented on his withdrawal or the prosecutor's statement.

Several communities in the Miami Valley held special elections last night.

Parents of students across the Miami Valley are higher facing higher fees for their kids to participate in school sports and other extracurricular activities. The Dayton Daily News reports that for the affected districts, the average increase is more than 100 percent.

The Beavercreek, Huber Heights, Valley View and Vandalia Butler school districts are all facing increases. This comes after each announced multimillion dollar cuts to address budget shortfalls.