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

A formerly enslaved Black man from Kentucky, Wheeling Gaunt was born around 1812. After moving to Yellow Springs in the mid-1800s with his wife, Amanda, and a male thought to be his son, Gaunt purchased his freedom and became a philanthropist and one of the wealthiest Black men in Ohio during his lifetime. (Submitted photo)

Wheeling Gaunt Day celebration planned

The 365 Project will host the third annual Wheeling Gaunt Day on Saturday, Sept. 14, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Wheeling Gaunt Statue plaza to commemorate the life of the Black real estate investor/philanthropist who donated nine acres of land, now Gaunt Park, to the village.

Click here to read more >>

Web Features

Windfall

Last month, Yellow Springs gained its newest public art installation: a six-by-eight-foot colored pencil illustration of four-legged suburban homes crushing a quintessential red American barn.
[More]
Villagers Geisel and Gray fuse media in new exhibition

Fiber artist Pam Geisel and glass artist Sara Gray — often fused in their local art show coordination over the past two decades — have come together to create an exhibition entitled “Fused: Fiber and Glass” at Village Artisans.
[More]
YS Home, Inc. breaks ground on The Cascades

Last week, local affordable housing nonprofit YS Home, Inc. broke ground on the first phase of The Cascades, a 32-unit development focused on rental housing for seniors.
[More]

Arts (archives)

Yellow Springs Film Fest to return for second year
The second annual YS Film Festival, which held its first iteration in fall of 2023, returns Friday–Sunday, Oct. 4–6. This fall’s lineup of events again features screenings of narrative and documentary films as well as special guest performances and Q&A sessions.
Eight hands, two pianos, one score
Local musicians and educators Cammy Dell Grote, Caryn Diamond, Barbara Leeds and Nancy Lineburgh will perform as an eight-hands ensemble Sunday, Sept. 15, as part of the Dayton Music Club’s season-opening September Musicale.
Brooklyn author explores Virginia Hamilton’s magic
Brooklyn-based children’s author Nina Crews recently published “Extraordinary Magic: The Storytelling Life of Virginia Hamilton,” a lyrical picture book biography of one of Yellow Springs’ most famed and beloved writers, Virginia Hamilton.

Village Schools (archives)

Mills Lawn Bike Bus to begin Aug. 28
Beginning Aug. 28, the Mills Lawn Elementary Bike Bus will begin weekly rides each Wednesday.
School board talks Morgan Fields
The YS Board of Education returned to the discussion of a potential affordable housing development on land currently owned by the school district at its most recent regular meeting Thursday, Aug. 8.
2024–2025 Back to School Guide
For welcome messages, information on lunch programs and food assistance, school calendars, enrichment options and more, see the Yellow Springs News' 2024–2025 Back to School Guide.

Economy (archives)

More than just hardware
Yellow Springs Hardware has been buzzing with activity, and not just from the power tools. Over the last few months, the local store has been a host to a variety of classes, activities and events, dubbed “The Hardware Store Sessions” by owner Dan Badger.
YS Baking Company expands with new cafe, bakery
The YS Baking Co. is opening up a new, brick-and-mortar bakery and cafe at 108 Dayton St.
Themography at the Mindfully Well Center
Emily Jasenski, founder of the Crescent Center in her hometown of Greenville, Ohio, will offer thermography — infrared imaging that detects a body’s heat patterns and blood flow — and homeopathic treatments at a second office located in the Mindfully Well Center.

Village Life (archives)

Sankofa Talk | Keep showing up for John Crawford
Despite being emotionally mauled at every step toward justice for John Crawford III, we will continue to acknowledge that he was, in fact, a human being who did not deserve to die in the name of sport-hunting of Black men.
Growing local at Finca Taína
Local resident Amanda Duprey Hernandez has begun farming a new plot at the Agraria Center for Regenerative Practice thanks to grants from two nonprofits, Hall Hunger Initiative and the Yellow Springs Community Foundation.
Doggie Swim to end pool season
Gaunt Park Pool will conclude its season on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, with the annual Doggie Swim, from 8–9 p.m.

Government (archives)

Greene County ESC shows interest in Morgan Fields
In an Aug. 28 letter penned by ESC Superintendent Terry Graves-Strieter and Interim Treasurer Kasey Mahaffey to YS School District leaders, the ESC is considering the purchase of the Morgan Fields to “have the land as a space for our students ... for recess and other outdoor activities.
Dispatches from Navajo Nation
Established in 2018 with coordination from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority and members of the American Public Power Association, Light Up Navajo has, over the last decade, electrified nearly 7,000 homes within the Navajo Reservation.
Village Council’s low-income housing talks press ahead
At the Monday, Aug. 19 regular Village Council meeting, the group agreed to begin the steps of convening an intergovernmental body, as well authorized $12,500 to cover future legal fees — both in the interest of pursuing $15 million in tax credits to build a 50-unit low-income housing development.

Obituaries (archives)

Sheila Mercelita Collins-Lewis Corbett
Sheila Mercelita Collins-Lewis Corbett was born in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 25, 1944, and transitioned to her heavenly home on Aug. 31, 2024.
David Ray
David Eugene Ray, poet, editor and teacher, passed away peacefully at home on Aug. 8, 2024. He was 92.
Judy Rose
A memorial service celebrating the life of Judy Rose, who died July 23, 2024, will be held Saturday, Sept. 14, 1–3 p.m., in Westminster Hall at First Presbyterian Church of Yellow Springs.
Reva Douglas
Reva Marie Douglas, of Yellow Springs, age 89, passed away Tuesday, Aug, 13, 2024, while in hospice care at the home of her son and daughter-in-law, Ron and Stacy Douglas.
Sandra Weller Love
Sandra Weller Love, writer, feminist, mother and wife, died peacefully on Aug. 31, 2024, at the age of 84, after struggling with COPD and dementia.

Higher Education (archives)

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.
Antioch College earns Federal Work College designation
The Federal Work College system is an evolution of the traditional work-study program. While the latter typically benefits students from lower-income backgrounds, the work college model mandates that every student living on campus must work, regardless of their financial background.
Apartments coming to Antioch College
Last month, Columbus-based real estate developer Windsor Companies purchased the vacant Antioch Student Union for $500,000.

Sports (archives)

Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Aug. 30, 2024
"The Yellow Springs High School/McKinney Middle School cross-country teams began their season Thursday, Aug. 22, with the annual Fun Run in front of a large home crowd."
Golf scramble to benefit Yellow Springs baseball
The first annual Bulldog Golf Scramble is slated for Saturday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. at Locust Hills Golf Course in Springfield. The event is a fundraiser for the McKinney Middle School and YS High School baseball program.
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Sept. 6, 2024
"Facing heat, humidity, hard competition and a hilly course, the Yellow Springs High School and McKinney Middle School cross-country teams showed extreme resilience at the Fairborn Skyhawk Invitational."