City signs slated to go up next week recognizing JD Vance’s election and as Middletown’s native son

The first sign recognizing Vice President JD Vance as Middletown’s native son was hung Thursday afternoon on Ohio 73 east at the entry into the city from Franklin.

The sign that reads “Hometown of JD Vance, 50th Vice President of the United States of America” is one of seven to be hung in the city.

A ribbon-cutting with local officials and members of the Vance family is planned at one of sign locations in the next couple weeks, according to Clayton Castle, communications director.

Vance was born in Middletown in 1984 and attended Middletown schools until he graduated in 2003 with an honors diploma.

After graduating from high school, Vance joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served as a public affairs marine in Iraq. He then attended Ohio State University, graduating in 2009. He graduated from Yale Law School in 2013.

Vance rose to national prominence in 2016 with the publication of his best-selling memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” which was adapted into a Netflix film in 2020.

He was first Middletonian elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022.

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Sign locations are:

Central Avenue eastbound at Carmody (approaching downtown from the river)
Ohio 4 southbound at Germantown Road (near the airport)
Ohio 73 eastbound at the city limits (coming from Franklin)
Ohio 122 westbound near Bob Evans
Ohio 4 northbound at the south city limits near Lafayette Avenue
South Main Street northbound at the city limits
Cincinnati-Dayton Road northbound at the south city limits (coming from Monroe)

The signs were made in house by city staff who make similar signs when needed throughout the city.

Shortly after the November election, controversy brewed after some community members addressed council on what they thought was a lack of recognition of Vance’s accomplishment, including his mother Beverly Aikins.

Aikins, who lives in Middletown, attended a December meeting and asked council to “acknowledge that this is his hometown and put up some signs.”

“I am just here because I am JD Vance’s mother and as you know he is our new vice president-elect and he thinks of Middletown as his home. I still live here and his sister still lives in Middletown. He’s got two nieces who live here and I just think it would be nice if we could acknowledge that this is his hometown and put up some signs,” Aikins said. “He graduated from Middletown High School, he comes back here frequently to visit me and take me to dinner, and I humbly request that.”

This came after local Pastor Lamar Ferrell blasted council for not doing enough to recognize the vice president-elect, who also wrote a best-selling book about growing up in the steel town.

At the guidance of council, staff started planning signs for entrances to the city. Acting City Manager Ashley Combs said, “we are ready to put them up after the inauguration.”