Vice President JD Vance is returning to Middletown this week to speak about the Trump Administration's "America First" economic agenda, according to an announcement from Vance's team.The brief announcement does not offer much in formation about Vance's visit, but it says he plans to deliver remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works facility. Specifics on when this would happen were not provided.A separate announcement says Vance will be accompanied by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, who will also deliver remarks.This visit will be the first time Vance has returned to Middletown since he campaigned there shortly after he was chosen as President Donald Trump's running mate during the 2024 election.It's unclear whether Vance plans to make a visit to his home in Walnut Hills while in the region; typically a trip home from the vice president means roadways in the area are closed while he's in Cincinnati.His visit comes as Cleveland-Cliffs pursues a major modernization project at its Middletown Works facility. The proposal includes construction of a cogeneration plant and upgrades to a blast furnace and related material-handling operations.Company officials have said the project would rebuild and modernize the facility's iron-making process. The steel mill traces its roots to 1900, when it opened as The American Rolling Mill Company, commonly known as Armco.According to Cleveland-Cliffs, the project could create up to 1,500 jobs, including many positions for local union building trades workers during construction.The project's future, however, remains dependent on regulatory approval. An Ohio Environmental Protection Agency air permit required for the work remains under review, according to an Ohio EPA spokesperson.The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.com. ...read more read less