At its June 15 regular meeting, Village Council declared racism a public health crisis and committed to taking “meaningful action” to respond to the “death, trauma and injury caused by institutional racism.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

The following items were discussed at Council’s June 1 regular meeting, held on the videoconference app Zoom.

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.”

Two weeks ago, Yellow Springs News editor Megan Bachman spoke with local physician Dr. Stuart “Skip” Leeds by phone to get his take on COVID-19 in the state of Ohio and Yellow Springs. He addresses masks, Ohio’s reopening plan, early pandemic projections, the possibility of a second wave and local responses to the threat.

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.

To keep villagers’ housing stable during the current public health and economic crisis, Village Council is considering several steps to protect local renters.