Tagged: Wilmington

The state of Ohio is awarding one million dollars in stimulus money to Wilmington to invest in energy efficient projects. The money comes as the town is at crossroads. It celebrates its bicentennial this year, but it's also reeling from devastating job loss in the wake of DHL leaving the town. Emily McCord first started reporting on Wilmington's transformation more than a year ago, and this week she brings us her series "Wilmington Homegrown Hope"

State officials, business leaders, and local government met in Wilmington Tuesday to announce an agreement about the future of Wilmington's Air Park. Shipping company DHL announced that it will donate it back to the community.

The transfer from DHL is still pending a final agreement, but both local leaders and a DHL representative expressed confidence that the deal will go through. The town has been battered by job loss since DHL announced it would be leaving in 2008. Now, this latest news is has drawn excitement about the future of Wilmingon, and the occasional sports analogy.

Thursday night, Wilmington officially became a "Green Enterprise Zone". It adopted the plan in response to DHL moving its operations and taking more than 9000 jobs elsewhere. That's where Mark Rembert and Taylor Stuckert come in. They're two recent college graduates who put aside their plans for the Peace Corps to help save their hometown by helping Wilmington go green.

A line of people stretched over a city block in Wilmington yesterday. Hiding their faces to protect them from the cold, they waited for food and supplies. A Christian charity group called "Feed the Children" brought in eleven semi trucks to deliver goods in response to the worsening economy in the town.

Kermit Whitt stood in line with his family, wearing a heavy coat to keep warm. He says he needs to be here because he lost his job at DHL over the summer and still hasn't found work.