2025: A Year In Review-Part II

A walk through history 

Maple Hill Cemetery, located at 800 North Hyatt Street in Tipp City, was the location for a unique event on June 1. “If Tombstones Could Talk” was a stroll through history sponsored by the Tippecanoe Historical Society. During this informal evening activity, Historical Society members portrayed the lives of Tipp City residents interred at Maple Hill. Visitors were encouraged to walk through the cemetery at their leisure from speaker to speaker, stopping to ask questions and talk with those giving presentations.

Frank Scenna and Heather Bailey portrayed Frank and Eva Hill. 

Sarah George is tuning into her future

It’s no secret that Sarah has an ear for music and a passion for the arts. Outside of her impressive accomplishments as a senior officer of the Octagon Club, a member of the Red Devil Rally Team, and the National Honor Society, she spent much of her high school career dancing or with a flute in hand. George was an active member of many musical and theatrical activities. 

Sarah enjoyed all of her high school endeavors, from the Indoor Percussion Ensemble to the Carillon Park Concert Band and the Muse Machine Orchestra. However, what she coveted the most in her high school experience was being a part of the Marching band. The two-year woodwind section leader says, “As the next generation of the band begins, I hope that the culture I’ve helped foster as a person in a leadership position carries on. I hope that the group that was my safe space for four years can continue to be others’ as well.”

TEE announces Teacher of the Year and new Red Devil Award Winners 

The Tippecanoe Educational Endowment (TEE) select Broadway teachers Amy Blake and Heather Yunkers as the Teachers of the Year. Bus driver Kevin Davis was selected as the inaugural recipient of the Red Devil Award. 

Gazette launches new construction tracking website

This online, interactive construction project map and tracker is part of our efforts to keep

Gazette readers informed about multiple construction projects in the works around town. The construction map can be found by visiting www.tippgazette.com.

Teen Leadership Academy had a busy week

The teens spent the first week of June visiting local businesses, government agencies, and charities to learn how they operate, who they serve, and how. 

Downtown gains new Boba Shop 

Aecha Cafe officially host their grand opening on Wednesday, June 18. The new owner, Aoy Adkins, originally arrived in America thirteen years ago after living in Bangkok, Thailand.  Since then, she created a business that incorporated Thai culture as well as elements from Aoy’s personal life. 

Hometown Hero: Officer Jordan Little

A ride of a lifetime as aThunderbird VIP

Tipp City police officer Jordan Little flew as a VIP with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on Friday, June 20, during a practice performance the day before the CenterPoint Energy Dayton Air Show.

Joining the department in July 2023, Officer Little was recognized as the 2024 Officer of the Year for the Tipp City Police Department. Selected by his peers for his outstanding work, being vigilant and consistent, bringing a team approach to policing in the community, and assisting the department where he can. 

JULY

A Tipp City man’s generosity is helping those who need it most

Longtime Tipp City resident Larry Brown decided to give back to an often underserved segment of the population in a big way.

He established a new endowment fund through the Tipp City Foundation called the Larry Brown and Cherie Beck Fund for Persons with Disabilities. He said the idea came to him after reading about other funds in the foundation’s annual report but, more importantly, it was also a way to honor his late wife.

Each year the fund will award grants to RT Industries and Miami County Board of Developmental Disabilities, organizations that help people with disabilities thrive within the community.

Where Hope Lands

Our Farm Sanctuary has been in operation as a charitable non-profit since 2019, overseen by a Board of Directors. Their mission is to provide a home for a variety of in-need animals who have no one to care for them. Dogs and cats make up the largest portion of residents, but Our Farm is also the home to horses, donkeys, goats, pigs, cows, alpacas, and llamas. 

Demolition finally begins on Nevin Coppock School

At the end of April 2025, the Board of Education approved the contract with Shook Construction Company to abate and demolish Nevin Coppock Elementary School.  Demolition began the week of July 7.

When Life Gives You Lemons

Grayson, a little boy with a booming personality, was diagnosed with a rare disease and has since made countless trips to hospitals and doctors. However, Grayson doesn’t let the stress of the medical world get to him; instead, he fights his fight, and does so with many friends in his corner.

Some of his biggest supporters don't just put on their brave faces. The put on their sashes, vests, and boxing gloves, in the fight against Grayson’s disease. On Wednesday, July 17th, Tipp City Girl Scout troop #2087 geared up to tackle life’s lemons and make lemonade.

The Girl Scout troop joined forces with Grayson to sell lemonade pouches, cake pops, 3D-printed toys, and other trinkets. Each was bought with proceeds going directly to Grayson’s medical fund. 

Tipp City is getting a little more magical

Seven Sisters Apothecary and Art, once located in Troy, has moved to Tipp City. Located at 34 South Second Street, the adorable new shop has a wide variety of natural and earth-oriented products. Angela Sandlin-Smith is deeply inspired by nature, wellness, creativity, and community.

Council Agrees to new code for grocery stores and gas stations

The problem Tipp doesn’t want, nor need, more gas stations, with eight already and the Wawa station in process. But on the other hand, Tipp wants a grocery store, and they often come with their own, affiliated gas stations. So, does council ban more gas stations, or not? 

Matt Spring explained that he and the planning board have developed a new code for Tipp City, which would prohibit any new, stand-alone gas stations. But the code would allow a retail establishment, such as a grocery store, to have its own, affiliated gas station, limited to eight pumps and no stand-alone sign(s). 

Council members discussed whether eight pumps and no signs were too limiting, and asked Spring to further research those issues. Overall, they liked the new code proposal and agreed to bring the code change to a vote at a future council meeting.

Board of Education discusses district cell phone policy

At their meeting on Tuesday, July 22, the Tipp Board of Education discussed the possibility of implementing a cell phone policy for the upcoming school year, which will begin in August. Board members agreed to ban cell phones (and perhaps “smart” watches) in all Tipp City schools “from bell to bell.” There would be exceptions for students with certain health issues, and the ban would not apply to before or after-school activities. Board members agreed to discuss this issue further at their special meeting in early August.

AUGUST

Plaza Progress! How Tipp City and Woodard are Revitalizing Tipp City’s Old Grocery 

Eric Mack shed light on why the city purchased the plaza, stating that it had been a "major eyesore" and a source of ongoing complaints for years. "The goal was to clean up this issue for the city," he said, describing the extensive work done since the February acquisition to stabilize the property and begin the redevelopment process.

"This place had been closed for about two years," Mack noted. "A significant amount of abandoned food was left behind by the previous tenant, and, unfortunately, much of it was unusable. 

The city took possession of the property in February and addressed the interior issues—and the abandoned food—as quickly as possible. Woodard’s team replaced the roof, sealed up the building, addressed concrete and asphalt issues in the parking lot, and took care of security. They also repaved the entire parking lot and restriped all the parking areas.

“We started on the outside and worked our way in,” Brad Doudican of Woodard Development said, emphasizing the commitment to both safety and curb appeal.

Their biggest challenge was the need to remove an entire store’s worth of left-behind food. Local food pantries were invited in to take away and reuse as much canned food and other items as they could. Unfortunately, because the store had been closed for so long, most of the food was expired and had to be destroyed. 

Tipp City Foundation awards grant to help MCPAW meet goal

The Miami County Animal Shelter is a busy place, frequently taking on added responsibilities in limited space.

Miami County Partners for Animal Welfare, or MCPAW, is hoping to change that. The nonprofit organization was formed in 2023 to lead a capital campaign to raise $7.5 million to build a modern no-kill animal shelter, adoption center and veterinary medical clinic. The county commission has donated land off Lytle Road north of Troy (and near the existing shelter along County Road 25A) for the project.

This summer, the fundraising effort surpassed the $2 million mark.

Blasting begins for Summit Landing

As early as Monday, August 4, construction blasting will begin at the Summit Landing by Arbor Homes residential development, located at 3401 Peters Road. Blasting will occur as much as two times daily and is scheduled to last between six to eight weeks, weather dependent. Blasting is restricted to daytime hours only. 

HTA Enterprises Inc. is the subcontractor that will be conducting the blasting for the excavation of the shallow rock bed. The firm is licensed, insured, and has more than 40 years of experience. 

Board of Education prohibits cell phone use during school day

A special meeting was held on Friday, August 8th, and the board approved a cell phone policy. This policy prohibits the use of cell phones and other electronic communication devices, all regarded as personal communication devices (PCD), “during the instructional day and during school-related events and functions.” That is, from the start of the school day to the end. However, a student may use a PCD in relation to the student’s individualized education plan, to address a health concern if approved by the student’s physician, and in some cases, to contact parents/guardians in an active threat or emergency.

Gas station decided not to locate in Tipp City

Quiktrip has officially notified the city that it will not build a gas station/convenience store proposed for the intersection near Exit 69 at Interstate 75. That move may also mean the loss of a proposed Sheetz gas station/convenience store, he said, because the two businesses were sharing the cost of required infrastructure improvements needed for construction.

District breaks ground on new bus and maintenance facility

The Tipp City school district broke ground for a more than $2 million bus and maintenance facility. The groundbreaking followed the removal this summer of the Nevin Coppock Elementary School, which was built in 1959. The new bus facility is scheduled for completion in mid-December 2025. 

Council hears residents’ concerns over continued blasting

Residents living in the area of the Summit Landing subdivision, where blasting has been taking place as part of construction, told Tipp City Council  that they’ve had enough of the unwelcome vibrations, noise, and dust.

At around 11:30 a.m. the morning of the council meeting, Aug. 18, there was “a rather abrupt” explosion, said Scott Butler, who said he lived on Chevington Chase. The light above his kitchen table was swinging back and forth. That situation might be considered as minor, but Butler said he was concerned about “the long term effect on the property’s foundation and other elements.

Becky Klosterman said her backyard had basically been turned into a blasting zone.  “It is unnerving to stand in my house when the blasts are going off … being in the blast zone, we have never heard from anyone from Summit Landing,” she said.

An Oak Lea Drive resident said continuing the blasting was “absurd … I want to see it stop,” she said. Another resident expressed concern about dust.

Resident Marie Neu of the Woodlawn neighborhood said residents were disappointed in the lack of communication/notifications.

City Manager Eric Mack said the city is doing everything it can to ensure residents' private property is protected.