CINCINNATI — Events in Cincinnati became newsworthy throughout 2023 for a variety of reasons, from a mega pop star's presence in Cincinnati to a spike in the theft of two specific brands of cars.
Still, nine specific story topics piqued the interest of millions of readers throughout the Tri-State and beyond in the past year:
9. Kroger paid employees bonuses, then asked for them back
The WCPO I-Team discovered employees at Kroger were given incorrect bonus amounts in March — and the grocery store asked those employees to pay them back.
“It feels like a slap in the face,” said Tabitha Gilvin, a bakery manager at Kroger’s Hartwell store. “I worked hard to get that bonus. I just want what’s supposed to be mine.”
Gilvin was one of about 50 local bakery managers who received incorrect bonus amounts in March when they were included for the first time in Kroger’s store incentive program, according to Kevin Garvey, Local 75 president of the United Food and Commercial Workers union.
The program brought a pay boost to roughly 800 department heads in 110 Greater Cincinnati Kroger stores. Only the bakery managers ended up with incorrect bonus amounts, said Garvey, who was working on a compromise to allow workers to pay back their overpayment over time.
Kroger provided a statement about the bonus problems:
Kroger’s values include honesty and integrity, which means when we make a mistake, we acknowledge it and act quickly to resolve the issue. Several months ago, a small percentage of local associates were paid more than their earned incentive. This was due to a clerical mistake. We immediately identified the error, notified and provided the affected associates with options to return the mistaken overpayments in a way that respects both their personal financial situation and integrity.
The bonus problem followed a series of payroll mistakes that led to hundreds of union grievances and four lawsuits filed on behalf of Kroger employees in five states. The lawsuits alleged the company’s new payroll system, known as MyTime, caused late or missing paychecks and mistakes in hours worked, wages paid and statements of deductions and withholdings.
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8. Kias, Hyundais uniquely targeted
Cincinnatians were well aware of the increase in vehicle break-ins and car thefts that affected owners of Kias and Hyundais, because the spike actually began in 2022. But the most-read story regarding Kias and Hyundai vehicles didn't involve thefts at all: It was about a free engine replacement.
Consumer reporter John Matarese wrote about a class action settlement that led to the vehicle manufacturers providing a free replacement engine for impacted drivers.
The recall was in response to thousands of Kia and Hyundai owners reporting major engine problems that cost thousands of dollars to fix.
But faulty engines weren't the only concern facing owners of vehicles made by Kia and Hyundai in 2023: thefts of the vehicles also continued to be a problem. The issue sparked law enforcement officials throughout the Tri-State to give out steering wheel locks for free to help curb the amount of vehicles being stolen.
Data presented to Cincinnati city council members in November showed CPD saw auto thefts increase at the end of 2022, but those thefts didn't taper off even after the car companies began rolling out software fixes aimed at making the vehicles harder to steal.
READ MORE:
- Thousands of Kias and Hyundais may qualify for free engine replacement
- Kia hosting free software upgrade service for owners to lower risk of theft
- Tri-State police departments give out steering wheel locks to protect Kias, Hyundais
7. The smallest crowd in the history of Great American Ballpark
Whether a collective group of just over 7,000 people is still considered a "crowd" is subjective, but what's not is that the attendance at Great American Ballpark was the smallest its ever been for one April game in 2023.
Although the Reds beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-1 that day, only 7,375 people sat in the stadium to see it.
It was the fourth crowd smaller than 8,000 in the stadium’s history:
- A crowd of 7,549 saw the Reds lose 14-10 to the Diamondbacks on April 22, 2021.
- A crowd of 7,823 saw the Reds lose 4-2 to the Cubs on Aug. 11, 2022.
- A crowd of 7,799 saw the Reds lose 4-3 to the Milwaukee Brewers on April 1, 2019.
Prior to 2019, the Reds had not played in front of a crowd smaller than 9,000 fans at Great American Ball Park, which opened in 2003.
That all changed later in the season, however, when Cincinnatians began flocking to Reds games to see newly-signed rookie Elly De La Cruz shine. Just weeks after making his major league debut, De La Cruz became the first Reds player to hit for the cycle since 1989 — a performance that certainly got Cincinnati baseball fans excited about their hometown team again.
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6. Kroger revised digital coupon rules to help struggling seniors
An investigation by ConsumerWorld.org done in 2022 revealed that most of the biggest sales at stores are now digital only, but exclusively digital coupons put some shoppers at a disadvantage.
After that investigation, a coalition of groups including Consumer Action, Consumer Reports, the National Consumers League, and US PIRG, wrote a letter asking stores to end the practice.
Following that, Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain, announced it planned to help shoppers who felt left behind by the digital deals.
"We understand that not all customers choose to engage digitally when shopping with retailers. Customers who would like to take advantage of digital coupons can receive the discounted pricing at any customer service desk."
In addition, Kroger said "customers do not need smartphones to access savings, simply log on to Kroger.com and start clipping," after entering your Kroger Plus Card number.
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5. 'Swatting' became a felony in Ohio after new law went into effect
In January, Governor Mike DeWine signed into law a bill that declared "swatting" a felony in Ohio.
Under the law, anyone who reports false or misleading information to a law enforcement agency, emergency service provider or public safety answering point can be found guilty of a fourth-degree felony.
Violators could face prison and potentially thousands of dollars in restitution.
The law was enacted after false mass shooter calls began plaguing Ohio schools and other public spaces; dozens of swatting calls impacted Tri-State schools throughout 2023, causing lockdowns, early dismissals and sparking fear among students and staff.
“There were roughly 20 minutes where we had staff and students locked down that it was not a hoax,” said Dr. Charles Ogdan, assistant superintendent of human resources and operations at Mt. Healthy City Schools, after the middle and high schools went into lockdown for an active shooter threat in March.
Ogdan said a number of employees texted family members messages to say goodbye.
Many of the hoaxes have impacted more schools than just those in the Greater Cincinnati area: A March call made to the Hamilton County 911 Center claimed there was an active shooter on Elder High School's campus, but similar calls were also made to schools in Cleveland and Clark County.
In December, three more swatting calls impacted Seton High, Purcell Marian High and Woodward High.
READ MORE:
- Swatting law now in effect in Ohio; violators could face prison
- False active shooter call at Elder High appears to be part of nationwide hoax
- Hoax forces lockdown at two Mt. Healthy schools; Junior/Senior High using calamity day Thursday
4. The world sided against Cincinnati native Nick Lachey and wife Vanessa
A "live" season four reunion for the Netflix reality show "Love is Blind" went sideways, sparking thousands to sign a petition to remove Nick and Vanessa Lachey from the show.
The petition's starter, Libby Cross, wrote on Change.org that the Lacheys "felt pretty useless and out of place" since season one, which kicked off on the streaming giant in 2020. The petition also takes issue with comments both the Lacheys have made, like Nick introducing himself as "Obviously, I'm Nick Lachey" and Vanessa's interactions with contestants on the show.
The live reunion event on April 16 was Netflix's second-ever live event, and... it was a total disaster.
The live reunion was set to begin at 8 p.m., but when the clock turned from 7:59 p.m., viewers were either given an error message or stuck in a virtual waiting room. Netflix was aware of the delays, promising via Twitter that the show would be streaming 15 minutes late.
Some waited for hours and the reality special never played, while others somehow were able to watch it late Sunday evening. Eventually, Netflix announced the special was being recorded and would be available "as soon as humanly possible" — which turned out to be Monday, April 17.
Ultimately the petition to remove the Lacheys from the show fell short of its 50,000 signature goal — reaching just over 45,000 signatures.
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3. The Swifties took over, in person and online
Taylor Swift created a frenzy in Cincinnati in 2023 ahead of her much-anticipated Eras Tour, which came to Cincinnati in July.
Though the pop star played for just two nights at Paycor Stadium, the hype stretched far into the month ahead of her appearance. Fans were feverishly rhinestoning and crafting friendship bracelets, media outlets were squeezing every Swift lyric possible into their coverage, businesses were creating any kind of Swift merchandise possible and "Swiftinnati" was born.
While the hype was plenty peppered with naysayers groaning their "who cares?" on social media, Swift's impact on the Cincinnati mediascape was undeniable: fans were tracking her every move, preparing to line up for hours when the merchandise truck arrived and discussing outfit options online.
The Eras Tour appearance in Cincinnati also gave fans plenty to keep an eye out on, like when set times for the second night of Swift's concerts changed suddenly when inclement weather hit the Tri-State, or when a platform malfunctioned during the concert's first night, forcing Swift to break into a dead sprint for the backstage area.
But it wasn't all just sparkles and mirrors: When all was said and done, Swift's Era's Tour was expected to have brought in $48 million to the Greater Cincinnati area. The weekend the pop star was in town, hotel occupancy hit 98% in downtown Cincinnati and 92% in all of Hamilton County.
That same weekend, Cincinnati was also AirBnb's top destination in the entire world.
READ MORE:
- Taylor Swift responds to viral video of Cincinnati stage malfunction
- Experts: Taylor Swift's impact on Cincinnati shows more is needed for bigger events
- 'I have been rhinestoning every night': Fans in Cincinnati go all out with Eras Tour outfits
2. Damar Hamlin collapses on the field at Paycor Stadium
Hundreds of thousands of people tuned in to follow the health journey of Damar Hamlin after the Buffalo Bills safety collapsed on the field at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati at the very beginning of 2023.
Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
During the game, Hamlin attempted to tackle Tee Higgins in the middle of the field during the first quarter; while Hamlin initially stood up after the hit, he quickly collapsed to the ground.
While medical staff began providing aid and ambulances drove onto the field, players from both teams huddled around Hamlin and staff, some kneeling, some holding hands.
Hamlin was down on the field for at least 10 minutes.
He was eventually placed inside an ambulance and taken out of Paycor Stadium to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
From there, Cincinnati did what it does best: it rallied around Hamlin, his family, his team and his medical staff while waiting to hear updates on his progress.
Between "get well soon" cards, donations to Hamlin's charity toy drive and buildings lit in blue, Hamlin received an outpouring of support from Cincinnati and beyond.
Hamlin recovered, slowly, throughout 2023, but he also returned to Cincinnati over the summer to give back through a hands-only CPR training session. The Chasing M's Foundation has also been giving AEDs to youth sports organizations, after one was used to save his life after his collapse.
Hamlin's story came full circle in November, when he returned to Paycor Stadium and stood at the center of the field, feet from the spot where he'd collapsed less than one year prior.
READ MORE:
- Damar Hamlin has returned home to continue 'next stage of his recovery'
- NFL: Bengals-Bills game will not resume this week after Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest
- WATCH: Bills safety Damar Hamlin takes a few moments alone at midfield of Paycor Stadium
1. The murders of three young boys in Clermont County
The horrible murder of three children at the hands of their father was the most-read topic throughout the Tri-State in 2023.
On June 15, 32-year-old Chad Doerman allegedly shot and killed his three sons at the family's home in Monroe Township: 4-year-old Hunter, 7-year-old Clayton and 3-year-old Chase.
While law enforcement alleged Doerman confessed to murdering his children, the Clermont County man pleaded not guilty in court on June 23.
Court documents laid out in detail how officials believe events played out, from Doerman allegedly luring his wife and three sons into a bedroom for a nap to describing how he chased down and shot multiple children with a .22 rifle.
Neighbors nearby were witnesses to some of Doerman's alleged actions, describing him as a man who "was angry every day."
While the community was shocked to its core by the events of June 15, their shock didn't stop them from rallying around the two members of the family still alive: the boys' mother and their sister. In July, a memorial ride was held in honor of the young boys and hundreds showed up for the 15-mile ride through New Richmond.
Between that event and a GoFundMe set up for the family, community members have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars in support since.
READ MORE:
- Father of the man that confessed to killing his 3 sons says he 'just snapped'
- Neighbor: Man who confessed to shooting, killing 3 sons 'was angry every day'
- GRAPHIC: Document reveals new details about how Chad Doerman allegedly murdered his 3 sons in Monroe Township
