Just before his jury trial began on Monday, July 13, former Yellow Springs resident Phillip Cordell pled guilty to the 2004 murder of local resident Timothy Harris. Cordell, 48, was sentenced to a mandatory five years in prison, with no chance for judicial release, which is the maximum sentence for his plea, according to Greene County Prosecutor Suzanne Schmidt on Tuesday.

At the July 9 school board meeting, Treasurer Joy Kitzmiller reported that the Yellow Springs school district ended the financially challenging 2008–2009 fiscal year in the black.

On an ordinary street in town, there is an ordinary brick ranch with two ordinary maple trees planted in the front yard. But inside this ordinary house is a woman with an unordinary history. It’s a personal history that reflects advances in civil rights and decolonization. It’s the history of one woman with a pioneering spirit, keen leadership skills and a love of learning.

The Major League youth baseball standings are unchanged after six weeks of play, as the Twins remain undefeated at 10–0. The Twins won the first of three games on July 1, defeating the Royals 12–4.

Phyllis Hitchcock died on July 11 at Friends Care Center of Yellow Springs. She was 87. Phyllis was born in Shreve, Ohio, to Howard and Lena Leiner on Jan. 24, 1922. She grew up in the adjacent village of Millersburg.

On Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 20, 22 and 23, from 9 to 11 a.m., “swing sessions” will be held at the Young’s Jersey Dairy driving range. All Yellow Springs High School students planning to participate in varsity golf are invited to begin preparing for the upcoming season.

The Yellow Springs High School football program will hold a mandatory meeting for parents and players interested in participating in the upcoming season. The meeting will take place on Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Bryan Community Center.

YS Girls Running will host “Simply Women,” a 5k run/walk for women and girls to be held at Yellow Springs High School on Saturday, Aug. 8. The event is to create awareness about the benefits of running sports for young women and to build broader local support for girls sports.

The Miami Valley Track Club, based here in Yellow Springs, will host the 19th Annual Miami Valley All-Comers Track & Field Meet on Thursday, July 23. Attracting athletes from the Dayton-Springfield area, the meet will feature Yellow Springs High School alumni Sam Borchers and Jacob and Brock GunderKline, as well as 2008 Olympic trials silver medalist Matt Boyles and javelin professional David Dierecks.

Boys basketball open gym sessions will continue Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, beginning at 6 p.m., at the Bryan Center outdoor courts. Practice will be cancelled for inclement weather.