Retro 1999 - Rike's Implosion - Ken Jefferson - WHIO-TV 7 - Dayton, Ohio TV

The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center in Dayton Ohio opened 19 years ago on February 28th, 2003. As we approach the 20th anniversary of the center, we take a look back at how it began... with an bang! It was a big day in Dayton TV history when on November 14, 1999, The Rike’s Building in downtown Dayton, Ohio was imploded to make way for the $121 million Schuster Arts Center. The controlled demolition was covered by all major news outlets in Dayton. This is some of the coverage featuring Ken Jefferson from WHIO-TV 7. Ken Jefferson was a favorite among viewers in the Miami Valley. He began as a reporter and quickly rose to daytime anchor. In the case of this event he was acting more in a reporting capacity, but his daytime co-anchor Cheryl McHenry was also doing the same, gathering comments from the crown of onlookers. Sadly, Jefferson passed away four years ago, but we will always have our memories and a few video clips here and there that show up to remind us of how his easy-going delivery of the news made it a great time to live in the Dayton area. Ken Jefferson, April 21, 1952 ~ March 4, 2018.