The Lunar New Year dawned on Tuesday, Feb. 17, ushering in the Year of the Fire Horse — a zodiacal event that occurs once every 60 years, symbolizing intense energy, passion and creativity.

Tuesday’s 50 degrees felt like spring came early. Villagers ditched their parkas to bask in the warm sunlight, which did a fine job of melting some — but far from all — the snow still littering town.

Last year, municipal revenues exceeded projections, and expenses came in lower than expected — as a result, the Village ended 2025 with a surplus of $694,456 in the general fund, which is the primary fund for local government activities and operations.

A press release from the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, on Monday, Feb. 23, said that the foundation had struck an agreement with Tom’s Market owner Jeff Gray, with the goal of “transitioning the business into a form of community ownership in approximately two years.”

Starting next week, Yellow Springs will be one of the newest stops on a statewide bus line — one that connects the village to many of Ohio’s biggest cities and smallest towns.

A press release from the Yellow Springs Community Foundation, Monday, Feb. 23, said that the foundation struck an agreement with Tom’s Market owner Jeff Gray with the goal of “transitioning the business into a form of community ownership in approximately two years.”

At the group’s most recent meeting, Tuesday, Feb. 17, Village Council members approved a resolution to authorize Village Manager Johnnie Burns to purchase a new police cruiser — a 2026 Police Interceptor Utility Hybrid — for $67,576.

To thunderous applause and cheers from the hundreds of villagers packed in the John Bryan Center gym on Monday, Jan. 19 — Martin Luther King Jr. Day — longtime villager and Community Outreach Specialist Florence Randolph received the year’s Peacemaker Award.

On Wednesday morning, Feb. 18, at around 8 a.m., firefighters and engines from five area departments rushed to a farm on Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, about a mile west of village limits, to douse a fire that erupted near a home that was being demolished.

With the help of state funds, Yellow Springs sidewalks and sewers could get some overdue maintenance in the future — that is, if the Village is willing to dip into its lean budget to help out.