The Yellow Springs News • An Independent source of community news in Yellow Springs, Ohio since 1880

Snooze reporter Charles Tells has been fishing around for April 1 fodder for months — but as this photo from a recent interview he conducted shows, it's been difficult to find anything to laugh at recently. (Photo by Really Richardson)

Local paper wonders: ‘Where’s the joke?’

One local newspaper — which has, in years past, upheld a tradition of publishing faux news stories based on current events with the intent of tickling readers’ funny bones on April 1 — decries how difficult it is at the moment to find something to laugh at.

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Web Features

Gronbeck formally sentenced to five years probation

Former Yellow Springs physician Donald Gronbeck was formally sentenced to up to five years probation Friday, March 21, in Greene County Common Pleas Court.
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Facing headwinds

In spite of several challenges, the Grammy® Award-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet persevered last Sunday, March 23, in their Chamber Music Yellow Springs’s performance of contemporary works for winds.
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Felker retires ‘Poor Will’s Almanack’ on WYSO

WYSO announced this month that the final episode of “Poor Will’s Almanack,” a weekly program hosted by local resident and writer Bill Felker, will air Tuesday, April 1.
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Arts (archives)

Local artists ‘hold space’ at the Winds Cafe
Locally based artists Rachel Meyer and Shauna Schramke teamed up this past month to present “Holding Space,” a joint art installation on display at The Winds Cafe until March 2.
Annual dance and performance concert slated
The annual Valerie A. Blackwell-Truitt Community Dance and Performance Arts Concert and Art Exhibition will be presented Friday and Saturday, March 28 and 29, beginning at 7:30 p.m. each evening, at the Foundry Theater.
Emporium to host 2 of Clubs House Party
The Emporium will host the 2 of Clubs House Party on Friday, March 28, during the weekly wine tasting; the event is brought to the village by producer, singer and rapper Michael Breslin, of 2 of Clubs, who has held a number of similar events in the Dayton area.

Village Schools (archives)

Holden to retire; Winston named next superintendent
After what will be seven years at the helm of YS Schools, Superintendent Terri Holden will retire from service in May next year. Megan Winston, current principal of Mills Lawn Elementary School, will step into the position upon Holden's retirement.
Statement from YS Board of Education
The Yellow Springs Board of Education announces the upcoming retirement of Dr. Terri L. Holden, who will step down as Superintendent effective June 1, 2026.
Survey helps plan for future Yellow Springs Schools Preschool
The district’s preschool program survey is available online at www.ysschools.org/preschool-survey through March 31. All responses will remain confidential and will be used solely to guide the planning process for the Yellow Springs Schools Preschool.

Economy (archives)

Woda Cooper proposes 71 low-income units for LIHTC project
Woda Cooper Companies aims to develop a three-story, low-income housing complex in Yellow Springs comprised of 71 one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Monthly rents, excluding utilities, would range from $345 to $1,150.
Home, Inc. set to award $500K home-repair grants
Most grants will be up to $16,500 for projects starting in February, including accessibility upgrades, health and safety repairs and weatherization.
Local business aims for sustainable garden design
Though “design” is often considered in the aesthetic sense, local resident Molly Finch has a broader perspective on the term. That perspective is shaped by her new business, Goldfinch Garden Design.

Village Life (archives)

Summer Street Fair applications now open
The YS Chamber of Commerce announced this week that applications are now open for vendors, service providers and entertainers who wish to participate in this year’s summer Street Fair, which is scheduled for Saturday, June 14.
Even with a new dining room, Miguel’s Tacos keeps on truckin’
Parked in Kings Yard behind Asanda Imports at 230 Xenia Ave., the Miguel’s Tacos food truck now connects to a newly renovated and furnished dining room, allowing patrons to take Miguel’s Mexican fare and street tacos, well, off the street.
Gathering to talk village trust, discourse
Participants will engage in discussion about community values and trust and how to develop stronger collaborative relationships across differences. Child care will be available, and refreshments will be provided.

Government (archives)

Village enters contract for prosecutorial services
At Village Council’s most recent meeting, Monday, March 17, the group unanimously approved a resolution to authorize Village Manager Johnnie Burns to enter a contract with Springboro-based law firm Smith, Meier & Webb, LPA to provide prosecution services for the Village.
Public records detail complaint against fire chief
One allegation against Miami Township Fire-Rescue Chief Dennis Powell is he called an employee to dissuade them from discussing payroll issues with or in the presence of trustees following a newly established pay scale at MTFR.
Town Traffic | A closer look at Hyde Road and U.S. 68
The number of recent collisions at the intersection of Hyde Road and U.S. 68 — just beyond Yellow Springs limits — has sparked concern from News readers, who have wondered: How bad is the intersection? And if it’s bad, what can be done about it?

Obituaries (archives)

Mary M. Pierano
Mary M. Pierano of Springfield, passed away on March 20, 2025.
Max Laverne Lake
Max Laverne Lake, of Yellow Springs, passed away peacefully at Kettering Health Main Campus on March 12, 2025, after a brief illness, at the age of 77.
Robert Francis Holland
Robert Francis Holland, age 60, passed away peacefully Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, in his home. Robert was born Feb. 29, 1964, in Springfield, Ohio, the son of Cecil and Frances (Harville) Holland.
Terry M. Mayo
Terry M. Mayo came into this world near Wilmington, Ohio, on May 12, 1943, and departed it in Beavercreek, Ohio, on Feb. 14, 2025.
Frank Marcucci III
Frank Richard Marcucci III was born May 3, 1965, in Providence, Rhode Island. Growing up in Lexington, Massachusetts, he was an Eagle Scout, competitive swimmer, EMT, lifeguard, swim instructor, hospital orderly and organic farm hand.

Higher Education (archives)

Summit at Antioch College to envision ‘Another World’
An upcoming four-day summit hosted by Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom aims to inspire students, artists, researchers, activists, organizers, educators and scholars not only to envision, but also to help create — as author Toni Morrison once told a group of collegiate graduates — “the world as it ought to be.”
Higher Learning Commission alerts Antioch College to ‘financial distress’
The News spoke this week with Antioch College President Jane Fernandes, who said of the designation: “It’s information that we have some financial work to do — that our financials are not just flowing, and now we have to make them work.”
Emerge Springs | Addiction recovery services, housing at Antioch College
Emerge offers addiction recovery services, housing and job training. It was founded by three area business owners who work in the skilled trades, and who themselves are in long-term recovery.

Sports (archives)

Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Feb. 21, 2025
After a winning season with only one loss on their record — a conference record of 7–1 and an overall record of 16–1 — the Bulldogs boys bowling team emerged Saturday, Feb. 8 as Metro Buckeye Conference champions.
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Feb. 14, 2025
The Varsity Bulldogs head toward the end of the season in seventh place in the Metro Buckeye Conference following a win and a loss over the last week.
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Feb. 7, 2025
The Varsity Bulldogs moved up into fourth place in the Metro Buckeye Conference following a 47–44 win against conference rivals Middletown Christian Thursday, Jan. 23.