Around the Miami Valley

SPRINGFIELD - Thousands of crows have been swarming around downtown Springfield for several months. It's not unusual for the birds to come to this area. That's been happening since the 1970s. 

The crows blanket the tree tops and the sky in such great numbers that at times it becomes impossible to see anything other than their impressive v-shaped formations.

If the numbers from one store are an indication, Ohio could be losing more than 300 jobs from the shutdown of six Kmart locations.

The state this week received notice from a regional Kmart executive that 52 employees will be affected by the closing of a store in Springfield in western Ohio. The retailer indicated that none of the laid-off workers will be able to transfer to jobs at other stores.

The Springfield location will close April 8.

Gov. John Kasich will take part in a Cincinnati meeting of the board of the state's new private job-creation partnership.

The session this afternoon will be at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center.

The governor last week announced an agreement between the state budget and commerce departments to transfer Ohio's liquor business to JobsOhio for the next 25 years. The deal is worth $1.4 billion.

The state Commerce Department is to continue to distribute and sell liquor in Ohio.