Tagged: ReInvention Stories

Valerie and DeMarcus Calhoun moved to Dayton from Montgomery, Alabama in August of 2011 and rented a home in South Park. Valerie is a civilian working for the Air Force at Wright Patterson.   She went to Troy University in Montgomery, Alabama - and while studying there, she joined a student fellowship program - working and training at the local air force base. After graduation, the Air Force offered her a job. She could move to Boston, or to Dayton. All she had to do was convince her husband, Demarcus.


Phillip Raimey worked at Gem City Records for more than 15 years. But when the iconic music store closed in 2010, Raimey opened his own shop, and hired former Gem City employees to work at The Record Gallery in the Oregon District.

This story was produced by Lesley Fogle, Niki Dakota, and Sarah Buckingham.

This week on ReInvention Stories, we meet Tonya Thomas and James Wilson, a couple from downtown Dayton. Tonya spent a decade working as a cook in Georgetown, Ohio before a divorce turned her world upside down and brought her back to Dayton. Tonya’s been with James for almost two years now. She’s in her mid-forties and he’s ten years older. They are both unemployed and struggling with health issues. James is looking for work as a truck driver.

This story was produced by Emily McCord, Steve Bognar, and Sarah Buckingham.