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

YS Schools to resume in-person classes with new academic year

Yellow Springs Schools will begin the 2020–21 school year with a resumption of “regular, in-person classes,” Superintendent Terri Holden has announced. Families with “vulnerable” students, however, will be offered an online learning option.

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Latest Updates

Local COVID-19 News

COVID-19 update— ‘Worrisome’ trend? More new cases

New cases of COVID-19 are rising in Greene County, Gov. Mike DeWine said at his June 18 press briefing. He highlighted Greene County as one of five southwest Ohio counties that have seen case increases in June.

Yellow Springs Council passes resolution on masks; won’t enforce requirement

At its June 15 virtual meeting, Village Council passed a resolution asking people to wear a facial covering, socially distance from one another and clean their hands frequently while in downtown Yellow Springs to slow the spread of COVID-19.

‘Worrisome’ COVID-19 rise in Greene County and SW Ohio

Greene County is one of five southwest Ohio counties in which COVID-19 cases are rising, even as cases overall are falling in Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine called the trend “worrisome” at his June 18 press briefing.

A closer look at COVID’s first wave

In light of reopening, the News reviews how the pandemic has played out so far in the village and county, and looks at plans to reduce the spread of the virus as the shutdown comes to an end.

Yellow Springs’ own ‘Cassandra’: An interview with Dr. Allen Hunt

This week, the News spoke with Dr. Allen Hunt, who was one of the earliest to sound the alarm about an impending pandemic. He addresses how the shutdown limited deaths from COVID-19, projections for a second wave, a potential vaccine and the problem with waiting for “herd immunity.”

Arts (archives)

First Lines — Heart of compassion
Amid the turmoil on Earth, have you looked at the stars? Villager Tim Morand contributes this month's poem, a meditation on compassion, the shifts in human life and the grandeur of the night sky.
Lights! Costumes! Conference call!— Playwright debuts play virtually
Yellow Springs-based playwright and actor Robb Willoughby will debut his play “Look into My Eyes” by way of virtual broadcast Saturday, May 16, through Wednesday, May 20.
First Lines — Staggered
This month, this strange month, this unforgettable month, has been in some ways so sweet. This sweet world is as much the world as the frightening one is. April's poetry column, written from lockdown, with a poem by column editor Audrey Hackett.

Village Schools (archives)

Yellow Springs Board of Education • Regular Meeting
Yellow Springs Board of Education • Regular Meeting
Schools prepare to reopen Aug. 27
The current message from Ohio’s governor is that schools will reopen in the fall, but local districts will have a great deal of control over how that happens and what the return looks like, Yellow Springs Schools Superintendent Terri Holden told the local school board last week.
Yellow Springs Board of Education • Special Meeting
Yellow Springs Board of Education • Special Meeting

Economy (archives)

Village planning commission — New distillery at Millworks
At its June 9 virtual meeting, the YS Planning Commission unanimously voted to approve a conditional use permit for a new distillery to be located at Millworks. The distillery, Tuck-N-Reds Spirits & Wine, will be located in currently vacant space next to Yellow Springs Brewery; it will also use the site of the former S&G Distillery as its office space.
DMS ink sold to Cincinnati-based marketing firm
DMS ink, a direct mail and printing services company located at 888 Dayton St., sold last month for an undisclosed amount to Graphic Village, a print marketing firm. The deal was finalized on May 19. The new owner plans to maintain the local facility, which employs about 40 people. No current employees reside in Yellow Springs.
Village merchants launch ‘Uplift YS’ fund
Fearing the future of their shops, and the entire downtown, a group of merchants has banded together to launch the campaign in partnership with the Yellow Springs Community Foundation.

Village Life (archives)

Racism in village often covert
Facing Race: This is first in a series on the impacts of racism in Yellow Springs and local anti-racist efforts and activities.
Creating wildlife habitat, villagewide
In late summer, native sunflowers in Ellen Hoover’s garden draw goldfinches. The bright yellow birds feast on seeds, then burst out like sunflower petals flung to the sky. Down the street, monarch butterflies browse Catherine Zimmerman’s coneflowers, goldenrod and asters.
COVID-19 update— ‘Worrisome’ trend? More new cases
New cases of COVID-19 are rising in Greene County, Gov. Mike DeWine said at his June 18 press briefing. He highlighted Greene County as one of five southwest Ohio counties that have seen case increases in June.

Government (archives)

New police reforms aired
Body cameras worn by every Ohio police officer. Psychological evaluations of those who hope to become an officer. More training in implicit bias and de-escalation. Requiring officers to report on another officer’s misconduct. Those are a few proposed law enforcement reforms Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced at a press briefing last week in response to national outrage after high-profile killings of Black people by police in recent weeks.
No charges in Grinnell shooting
No charges will be filed in the double fatal shooting that occurred Feb. 12 outside a home on Grinnell Road, just south of Yellow Springs, the Greene County prosecutor has announced.
Police reform at the YSPD— What’s done, what’s next?
Amid national calls for policing reform following the most recent wave of killings of Black people by police officers, villagers are once again raising their voices for change in the Yellow Springs Police Department.

Obituaries (archives)

Patrick Butcher
Patrick M. “Pat Butch” Butcher, of Fairborn, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his family, on Friday, June 26. He was 59.
Arbra D. Dorsey
Arbra D. Dorsey passed away Dec. 22, 2019. He was 67.
James M. “Mike” Peterson Sr
James M. “Mike” Peterson Sr., of Yellow Springs, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2020. He was 80 years old.

Higher Education (archives)

Antioch’s altered, but heartfelt, commencement
Due to COVID-19, the sixth commencement of the relaunched college took place as an online ceremony rather than the customary in-person one, with live and recorded speeches streamed at 1 p.m. Recorded performances from the World House Choir were also part of the virtual festivities. Those who wish to watch the event can do so at antiochcollge.edu/commencement.
Antioch College announces $2.5 million budget cut; staff, faculty let go
Antioch College is cutting spending by $2.5 million in the coming fiscal year. Eight staff employees are being laid off, and the college is reducing its faculty by six, through separations and one retirement.
Antioch to sell Glen Helen to local nonprofit
Antioch College and the Glen Helen Association announced on Wednesday that they have finalized an “agreement in principle” to transfer Glen Helen Nature Preserve from the college to the GHA. The purchase price is $2.5 million, payable over 10 years.

Sports (archives)

A tribute to YSHS 2020 senior athletes: softball and baseball
With the support of the Yellow Springs High School coaches, the News is highlighting all the spring sports senior athletes and their career accomplishments. This week, we complete our athlete profiles with the softball and baseball teams.
Survey measures interest in summer YS Youth Baseball
YS Youth Baseball, which had previously suspended activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has released a survey to determine interest in resuming the summer season in compliance with state guidelines.
Yellow Springs native tapped by Chicago Bears
Ahmad Wagner’s athletic drive and discipline has landed him a spot on the roster of one of the most elite national professional football teams — the Chicago Bears.