Village Council Virtual Meeting • Monday, April 20, 2020 at 7 p.m.

Face masks in use for at least a year. An “army” of amateur epidemiologists mobilized to trace cases. Widespread and rapid testing to see who has — and who had — COVID-19.Those are a few aspects of the State of Ohio’s plan to start opening up businesses and schools following the coronavirus pandemic.

Life and growth are happening on local farms against the backdrop of massive shutdown and uncertainty due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Matt Housh, principal of Mills Lawn elementary school for the past decade, announced in a letter to school families Tuesday, April 7, that he has accepted a position with Huber Heights City Schools and will be leaving the Yellow Springs district at the end of the academic year.

Social distancing is working, state officials have emphasized at press briefings in recent days. But Ohioans should continue to stay at home to make sure the projections of a dramatically “flattened curve” come to pass, they say. 

How are older Yellow Springers faring in this new isolation? To find out, the News spoke to about a dozen villagers, most in their 80s or older.

On Tuesday, April 7, local authorities were informed of the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the village.

Local faith groups have not held face-to-face services for several weeks now, adopting alternative ways to worship and come together.

A brief updated provided by Melissa Heston, outreach manager for the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, who is focusing on local food relief efforts during the coronavirus crisis.

Locally, sewing-machine-wielding villagers have beaten the CDC to the proverbial punch, having already mobilized a large effort to provide face masks for those in the community and surrounding areas who work daily in the village’s public eye.