These News photos are available Copies of this and other photographs may be purchased from the News; please contact us via e-mail at ysnews@ysnews.com, or by phone, between 9:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Mon.–Fri.

The professional effort to dry out Main Building following a flood last month is almost finished, according to Antioch University Chief Financial Officer Tom Faecke in an interview last week. While university leaders had hoped that the effort would take only two weeks, it is ending up taking three, Faecke said.

In response to concerns that Yellow Springs district officials have reached for controversial measures such as drug dogs in lieu of networked student support services, a group of dedicated personnel would like the community to know that there are eyes and ears on the ground to help troubled students in the Yellow Springs schools.

In a village that has seen five retail shops close in the last six months, it is no small feat to keep a business thriving, especially during a recession. A sampling of business owners interviewed last week agreed for the most part that trade has been slow this whole past year, and some have been hit by 10 to 25 percent losses over the past few months.

At their third and last budget workshop last Saturday, Feb. 28, Village Council members approved motions requesting that Village staff include in the 2009 budget $100,000 for green space and $50,000 to upgrade Village-owned facilities for energy conservation.

On Tuesday, March 3, the YSHS boys basketball team upset Bethel, the number-three seed in the Division IV sectional tournament, in a 55–50 victory. The Bulldogs play next on Friday, March 6, against Southeastern, the number-two seed, at Vandalia Butler High School, 8 p.m.

Grace M. Ayrsman of Yellow Springs passed away on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Trinity Community in Beavercreek. She was 90.