• In January, YS Schools joined a growing list of school districts that signed onto a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Ohio’s expanded EdChoice voucher system, which allows state tax dollars to follow students to private schools that face fewer regulations than public districts. The lawsuit was filed in 2022 by Vouchers Hurt Ohio, a coalition representing about half of the state’s school districts; the lawsuit contends that public funds should not be used to subsidize private school tuition. The case advanced in June when Judge Jaiza Page issued a summary judgment declaring the EdChoice program unconstitutional, citing Ohio’s constitutional mandate to fund a “thorough and efficient system of common schools” and its historical rejection of directing public money to religious schools. Judge Page’s ruling was stayed, allowing the EdChoice program to continue operating as Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost appealed the ruling; the lawsuit is currently before the Ohio Court of Appeals and is expected to land before the Ohio Supreme Court.

• In January and February, the school board approved two censures against board member Amy Magnus related to explicit language directed at Superintendent Terri Holden and the sharing of confidential legal correspondence on social media. The initial censure followed a public apology from Magnus.

• In March, Superintendent Terri Holden announced her retirement effective May 2026, concluding seven years leading the district through pandemic disruptions, strategic planning and the launch of its facilities upgrade project. The school board unanimously accepted her notice, expressing gratitude, and approved a succession plan naming Megan Winston, then principal of Mills Lawn Elementary, as interim assistant superintendent and eventual superintendent.

• At an April meeting, the school board reviewed potential federal and state funding impacts, including a U.S. Department of Education Title VI compliance certification required to continue receiving federal aid. The mandate — which was tied to a letter asserting that diversity, equity and
inclusion efforts may violate civil rights law — placed the district in a difficult position; as Holden pointed out, signing the certification would maintain federal funding, but she held concerns that were “professional, moral and ethical about what message the certification sends.” Board members also discussed Ohio House Bill 96 — the state’s then-pending budget bill — which altered school funding formulas, expanded private school vouchers and proposed limits on district cash reserves, raising concerns about long-term fiscal stability and planning.

• In May, district leaders pushed back against HB 96, warning that the proposed state budget would deepen inequities in public school funding. As the Ohio Senate began hearings, district leaders urged Sen. Kyle Koehler, of Ohio District 10, serving Clark, Clinton and Greene counties, to oppose provisions underfunding schools and capping operating fund carryover at 30%. They argued that the bill would discourage responsible saving and likely force more frequent property tax levies.

• As the 2024–25 school year neared its end, the school board used its May 8 meeting to recognize a wave of retirements and introduce new district leaders. Retiring educators and staff included Nancy Bussey, Jody Chick, Julie Cosler, Linnea Denman, Dee Ann Holly, Jane Jako and Shawna Welch, with longtime teacher and School Forest adviser John Day also entering retirement but planning to return next year. The board also welcomed incoming Mills Lawn Principal Becca Huber and new special education supervisor Joseph Bachman.

• Gov. Mike DeWine signed Ohio’s two-year state budget June 30 and issued 67 line-item vetoes that shielded Yellow Springs Schools and other districts from sweeping funding changes. School leaders welcomed the vetoes, but noted that lawmakers could still attempt overrides. In July, school board members drafted a joint statement urging state lawmakers not to override DeWine’s vetoes of school-related budget provisions.

• The Mills Lawn PTO expanded its annual back-to-school supply drive this summer, continuing to provide free supplies for families in need and adding a bulk-order option for elementary families. For the first time, donated supplies also supported students at the middle school.

• Sean Herbert took on the role of athletic director for Yellow Springs Schools in August, bringing more than a decade of experience as an educator and coach. Herbert outlined plans to strengthen feeder programs, expand community engagement — including a new senior VIP pass — and build middle school athletics.

• In September, the school board discussed renaming McKinney Middle School and YS High School to YS Middle and High School, citing the unified 7–12 — soon 5–12 — East Enon Road campus and a single state identifier number with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. The board ultimately voted in October to approve the name change, while preserving the legacy of Ed McKinney, for whom the middle school was named, by naming the school’s upcoming new grades 5–8 wing in his honor.

• John Gudgel was honored in October for 45 years of service to YS Schools, recognized by district leaders for a career spanning roles as teacher, counselor, principal and coach, as well as being a Class of 1975 alumnus. His colleagues lauded his legacy of warm mentorship and quiet advocacy, noting his influence on generations of students and families throughout the community.

• Live daily broadcasts returned to Mills Lawn Elementary in September with the revival of Bulldog News, airing each school morning for the first time since 2020. Led by STEM teacher Megan Bachman, who applied for grant funding to update the program’s equipment, rotating teams of sixth graders serve as anchors and technical crew, delivering important news to their fellow students.

• YS Schools reviewed its annual State of the Schools in the fall, reporting that the district earned a 4.5-star rating on the Ohio Schools Report Card, with strong marks in growth, graduation and gap closing. The district received weaker results in early literacy, as well as the state’s newly scored college, career and workforce readiness measure. District leaders criticized the new metric’s timing and criteria while outlining steps already underway to improve future scores.

• In a late October work session, district leaders warned that a slate of state bills advancing in Columbus could further strain local school funding. House Bills 186, 335, 129 and 309, they said, would restrict key property tax tools as state support continues to lag inflation, and the Fair School Funding Plan remains underfunded. Treasurer Jacob McGrath and Superintendent Holden urged residents to contact legislators, cautioning that schools could face more frequent levies or cuts to district services.

• In November, the school board moved to sharpen its focus on state and federal legislation, approving a second legislative liaison amid a surge of bills affecting schools. Superintendent Holden outlined dozens of Ohio proposals and potential impacts from the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.

• In December, YS Schools announced the launch of a voluntary capital campaign to support locally funded elements of the district’s ongoing facilities upgrades at Mills Lawn and the middle and high school campus. Superintendent Holden said the campaign was prompted by construction-related aspects not covered by state or levy funding. The campaign focuses on enhancements such as auditorium seating and equipment, with optional naming opportunities.

• The YS school board closed the year by recognizing the retirement of longtime and beloved Mills Lawn music teacher JoFrannye Reichert, following a performance by the YS High School choir. Reichert retired after 21 years with the district, during which she was a champion of cross-curricular music education and community performances, including flash mobs and all-school musicals.

Antioch College

• In January, the News reported that the  Higher Learning Commission had assigned Antioch College a financial distress designation two months prior, citing a 2023 audit that raised concerns about declining net assets and the college’s ability to continue as a going concern. Antioch President Jane Fernandes said the designation was expected and reflected ongoing financial challenges the college had begun addressing through staff reductions and its Social Enterprise and Enrollment Plan. In May, the HLC lifted the designation, affirming Antioch’s accreditation while identifying enrollment, revenue diversification and long-term financial monitoring as areas requiring continued attention ahead of a 2026 reaccreditation review.

• In mid-February, Antioch College’s Coretta Scott King Center for Cultural and Intellectual Freedom held a Global Racial and Social Justice Summit titled “Another World is Possible.” The four-day event brought together students, scholars, artists and activists for more than 30 workshops, panels, screenings and performances addressing anti-racism, nonviolence, education equity, community organizing and transgender rights. Center Director Queen Meccasia Zabriskie said the summit aimed to build collective strategies for social change through shared research, art and activism.

• In May, Antioch hosted alumnus Niko Kowell as part of its “Conversations with Social Entrepreneurs” series. Kowell discussed founding Narwhal Divers, which creates affirming, safer scuba diving spaces for trans and queer communities while educating the broader dive industry.

• After the U.S. Department of Labor moved in late May to suspend the national Job Corps program, Antioch College intervened locally, offering housing, jobs and academic pathways to 11 displaced students. The college enrolled the students in a summer bridge program, integrating them into campus life amid national uncertainty over the future of Job Corps.

• Antioch College marked multiple milestones at its June 21 commencement, graduating a class of 15 as the school celebrated 15 years since its reopening and its 175th anniversary. Civil rights leader William Barber II delivered the address, drawing historical resonance with Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke at Antioch in 1965.

• Muse Machine’s Summer Institute for Educators was held in Yellow Springs for the first time in July, with the Foundry Theater at Antioch College hosting the four-day program focused on folk arts and storytelling. Dozens of regional educators explored music, movement and narrative as classroom tools through hands-on workshops led by local artists.

• Antioch College began the 2025–2026 academic year with 115 degree-seeking students, down slightly from last fall, though the incoming class nearly doubled to 42.

The Antioch School

In April, The Antioch School replaced its annual gala with a Spring Community Celebration, which marked the successful purchase of 5.3 acres to permanently house its Forest Kindergarten program. The land purchase was made possible by more than 70 donors; the celebration honored the late Peggy Erskine, whose early gift helped secure the property for outdoor education in perpetuity.

 

Antioch University

In August, Lori Varlotta began her tenure as president of Antioch University by meeting with local and regional leaders and outlining potential new directions for the Antioch Midwest campus. She discussed possible partnerships, including expanded health and wellness programming and shared use of campus space, and described the university’s role in the Coalition for the Common Good. Varlotta also signaled interest in exploring renewed academic pathways with Antioch College.

Village Council & Administration

January

• Village Council authorized wage increases for Village Manager Johnnie Burns and Village Clerk Judy Kintner by 3.5%.

• Aaron Arellano was hired as the Village’s planning and economic development coordinator.

• Council agreed to contribute $1,000 to The 365 Project for the group’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities in Yellow Springs.

• Council voted to repeal the Gateway Overlay District — three regions on the fringes of municipal boundaries with limitations on what could be built there.

• Council supported the designation of the Buckeye Trail as a National Scenic Trail.

February

• Council repealed a 2018 economic development incentive policy that Village Solicitor Amy Blankenship believed unnecessarily complicated the process of new businesses, developments or nonprofits setting up shop in Yellow Springs.

• The Village of Yellow Springs announced that it received $176,246 from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency to continue the yearslong work of replacing aging water lines throughout the village.

• The Village launched CivicPlus, a nonemergency notification service for the municipality.

• Village crews responded to a rash of water main breaks throughout town.

March

• In his 2024 end-of-year report, Water Superintendent Brad Ault told Council that the Village plant last year treated 115 million gallons, but billed for 79 million, a 31% loss. At the time, the department was unable to account for that water — specifically, where it came from.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize  Manager Burns to enter into a contract with Springboro-based law firm Smith, Meier & Webb, LPA to provide prosecution services for the Village.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to apply for a grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation to build a sidewalk along Fairfield Road.

April

• Elyse Giardullo, who would later be named assistant Village manager, led a goal-setting special Village Council meeting. The most salient goals outlined in the meeting included shoring up communication between Village staff and elected officials, renewing efforts to build a municipal broadband network. Reviewing the Village’s sidewalk policy, updating the Active Transportation plan and retaining existing and bringing in new businesses.

• Council approved a measure to eliminate hybrid meeting participation — specifically for citizens wishing to provide community comment via Zoom. 

• Burns apprised Council of his reception of a general need plan for the Village’s water reclamation plant and Bryan lift station — one that noted that the Village is currently at 60%–70% of its design capacity, and that the Ohio EPA will manage a capacity study to be completed when the Village reaches 80% of its design capacity threshold.

May

• Manager Burns sought Council’s approval of a supplemental appropriation of $217,876 to repair critically malfunctioning mechanical issues in the Bryan Center.

• Council approved a resolution that repealed a  2017 resolution that had codified a refusal to “annex or extend utilities to any properties outside of the current municipal limits.”

• Council passed a resolution that urged the restoration of the Ohio Housing Trust Fund in the Ohio budget, and expressed support for Home, Inc.’s Cascades apartment project.

• Council approved a $600 grant to the Porchfest committee in support of the event’s revival.

June

• Ohio Auditor of State Keith Faber implicated several former Village officials in a finding for recovery of nearly $20,000, which had accrued as a consequence of the Village’s failure to pay federal tax withholdings on time for 2023. Former Finance Director Matt Dillon, former Village Manager Josue Salmeron and another former Finance Director Amy Kemper were also listed in the state audit.

• Council agreed to extend its offer of $113,00 to Tecumseh Land Trust to support its efforts to conserve a 185-acre farm west of town.

• Council approved a resolution that “encourages marching louder, celebrating bolder and standing stronger on June 28” — Yellow Springs’ villagewide Pride celebration.

Council held a special work session that considered population and geographical growth in Yellow Springs.

• The Village contracted M&L Tree Services and Lawncare for $95,000 to clear trees around utility lines.

• The Village launched its own app — YSConnect, a non-emergency alert and notification system.

July

• The Village set forth a new lease agreement between it and the Chamber of Commerce for continued occupancy of the train station building. The new agreement established the terms of repayment for incurred missed rents — $16,050 due over the following 10 months — and a new monthly rent for the Chamber — $350 per month.

• Village Manager Johnnie Burns and public works crew members Lane Dykman, Alex Kraus and Ben Sparks participated in the Light Up Navajo initiative — bringing electricity to reservation homes that previously went without power.

Council amended a contract with Manager Burns to allow for a $300 vehicle allowance per pay period.

• Council approved a resolution to authorize Burns to renew health insurance for Village employees — specifically, a plan with Anthem BC/BS beginning Sept. 1, 2025, through Aug. 31, 2026.

• From July 21–31, the Village conducted a lottery for a rental unit in the Village-owned Lawson Place apartments. By moving forward with a selected tenant, the Village filled the apartment complex to full occupancy for the first time since the Village purchased the property.

August

• Council authorized Burns to contract with Standard Insurance Company for Village employees’ life insurance benefits.

• On Aug. 9, the Village public works crew and police department joined forces with Miami Township Fire and Rescue for the annual Touch-A-Truck event, giving children of all ages a chance to explore municipal equipment and vehicles.

• Council authorized Burns to apply for a $250,000 grant from the Greene County Board of Commissioners — funding assistance for the construction of public restroom facilities in the downtown business corridor.

• On Aug. 20, Village Council and staff met for a work session to discuss and learn more about tax increment financing and community reinvestment areas as economic development tools that the Village could wield to encourage future housing and business development.

September

• Village Project Lead Elyse Giardullo continued her role, but was promoted by title to assistant Village manager.

• At the group’s Sept. 9 meeting, Planning Commission members approved several “housekeeping” measures — as described by Planning and Zoning Director Meg Leatherman — to clarify and specify otherwise confusing language in the Village zoning code. What died on the table, however, was an amendment to the code to undo language that prohibits transient guest lodgings from being 500 feet away from one another, as measured by property line to property line. Commissioner Zaremsky sought to measure that distance along the roadways.

• In the wake of controversial right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk’s death on Sept. 10, Village Council members mused: For whom should the municipal flag be lowered?

• Council voted to authorize Manager Burns to prepare and submit an application to participate in the Ohio Public Works Commission’s state capital improvement program and/or the local transportation improvement program to improve the infrastructure along Fairfield Pike.

• Council voted to authorize the removal of defunct and uncollectible utility account balances from 2021 from the Village’s systems.

• On Sept. 24, public works staff participated in American Municipal Power’s  bucket rescue and pole rope rescue training.

October

• Council crafted a new American flag-lowering policy, whereby Council president and vice president are authorized to confer with the Village manager to make decisions regarding any order to fly the municipal flag at half-staff.

Council members held several budget-related work sessions throughout the month. Those sessions began with a projected 2026 municipal deficit of $512,000.

• Council approved a resolution honoring the legacy of Wheeling Gaunt and approved the annual distribution of flour and sugar to the village’s widows and widowers.

• Council approved Planning Commission’s recommended “housekeeping” code amendments.

• Digital Media Manager Ben Guenther earned his Part 107 certification, allowing him to operate a drone for official Village purposes.

• Assistant Village Manager Elyse Giardullo concluded the Village’s community survey on the closure of Short Street (see “Top Stories” for more). The survey garnered 969 individual responses — 47% respondents said “yes” to making the pedestrian-only space permanent, 42% said “no” and 11% were unsure.

November

• Council approved a villagewide moratorium on the issuance of all use, zoning, building permits and certificates of occupancy for all new smoke shop businesses for a period of 180 days — a timeframe that began Nov. 3.

• Council authorized the release of $113,000 in grant funds from the Village’s greenspace fund to Tecumseh Land Trust.

Council approved a piece of legislation that authorized a tax increment financing agreement for local developer Iron Table Holdings’ redevelopment and renovation of Union Schoolhouse, where 91.3 WYSO plans to headquarter its operations permanently in the coming months. In lieu of paying real property taxes to the county, Iron Table Holdings will make commensurate service payments into a newly established Village fund — “a public improvement tax infringement equivalent fund” — that will generate revenue for public infrastructure improvements around the former schoolhouse.

• Council approved an ordinance that established a community reinvestment area that overlays the entirety of municipal limits, allowing the Village to issue tax abatements to developers on a case-by-case basis.

• Planning and Economic Development Director Meg Leatherman submitted her resignation; the Village has engaged a private contractor to act in Leatherman’s stead while the Village seeks her permanent replacement.

December

• Council approved the 2026 budget with a projected deficit of $558,100, with municipal expenses expected to outpace revenues. Village Finance Director Michelle Robinson told Council that the Village continues to maintain “strong” cash reserves, with the Village expected to end the coming year with more than $4 million in the general fund.

• Council approved a resolution that increases the wage scale for Village employees by 3%. Additionally, that resolution authorized Manager Burns to approve merit-based wage increases for eligible Village employees based on annual performance evaluations in amounts not to exceed 5% annually.

• Council approved a resolution to increase Burns’ salary by 6% and the Village clerk’s salary by 3%.

• Council approved a resolution that authorizes Burns to enter into a contract with Hocking Athens Perry Community Actions and Barons Bus for GoBus Services — paving the way for a future bus stop in downtown Yellow Springs that will connect to other bus lines throughout Ohio.

• Council approved a resolution condemning the practice of conversion therapy in Yellow Springs.

• Council approved a resolution authorizing Manager Burns to submit a grant application to the Ohio Department of Transportation to update the Village’s Active Transportation Plan.

• Council approved $500 in grant funds to support The 365 Project’s Kwanzaa activities.

• Council gave Clerk Judy Kintner a one-time bonus of $1,783.

• Council expressed appreciation for outgoing Council members Trish Gustafson, Brian Housh and Kevin Stokes for their years of service at the Council dais.

Miami Township

Trustees debate TLT pledge

In late April, Miami Township Trustees debated whether and how to honor a previously approved $113,000 commitment of American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to Tecumseh Land Trust for potential conservation easements on farmland along Dayton–Yellow Springs Road, known colloquially as the Welch Farm.

Trustee Marilan Moir argued that the plan risked financial instability and potential misuse of ARPA funds, citing guidance that the funds were designated for fire and EMS services. Trustee Chair Chris Mucher countered that the Township had already committed the funds in 2024 and proposed a resolution to reallocate administrative and fire fund resources to fulfill the pledge to TLT.

The trustees elected to seek legal review from the Greene County Prosecutor and outside counsel before taking further action. TLT Executive Director Michele Burns said the uncertainty stalled pending agreements with potential buyers, forcing the nonprofit to either wait for Township action or raise additional funds independently on what was projected to be a tight timeline for the nonprofit.

At a subsequent May meeting, the Trustees voted 2–1 to approve a revised resolution committing $127,419 from the Township’s general fund to TLT, with Moir voting against the measure. The approved measure removed earlier provisions that would have shifted trustee and fiscal officer salaries to other funds, which were a point of concern for Moir, who warned of fiscal precarity and audit risk. Public comment was sharply divided, but Mucher argued the Township could absorb the cost and should honor its long-standing conservation goals.

Two weeks later, the Miami Township Trustees voted 2–1 to rescind and replace their earlier funding resolution, reducing the township’s commitment to the Tecumseh Land Trust from $127,419 to $50,000; Mucher voted against the measure. Moir argued that the revised resolution preserved fiscal stability and reserve funds while honoring the Trustees’ commitment to TLT. Mucher dissented, saying he believed the rollback undermined trust in the Township to honor its commitments moving forward. A letter from TLT’s Burns, shared during the meeting, noted that the original pledge of $113,000 “would have been ideal,” but expressed gratitude for the financial support the Township could “comfortably provide,” and committed to continuing to raise money to close the gap for the Welch Farm’s conservation. Trustee Don Hollister said the letter from Burns persuaded him to vote in favor of rescinding and replacing the originally approved resolution and pledge.

Fire Chief Dennis Powell dies

Yellow Springs Police confirmed April 16 that Dennis Powell, 55, chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, had died following a brief illness; that confirmation was announced after police and fire crews responded to a welfare check at Powell’s home the previous day.

In a written statement, MTFR described Powell as a dedicated public servant whose leadership, compassion and integrity left a lasting mark on the department and community.

Powell’s service in Yellow Springs spanned decades. He arrived as an Antioch College student in 1989 and volunteered with both the campus fire department and MTFR, later serving as campus fire chief. He trained as a paramedic, joined the Greene Memorial Hospital emergency squad and taught fire and EMS courses locally and regionally. Promoted to full-time assistant chief at MTFR in 2004, Powell was named interim chief in 2023 following the retirement of Chief Colin Altman, and was appointed fire chief in May 2024.

Fire Chief Cannell comes on board

Miami Township Trustees appointed James R. Cannell Jr. as the new chief of Miami Township Fire-Rescue, with Cannell beginning a planned one-year tenure June 30. Cannell succeeded the late Chief Dennis Powell and Interim Chief Nathaniel Ayers.

A veteran of more than three decades with the Columbus Division of Fire, Cannell previously served as deputy and assistant fire chief and has extensive experience in fire, rescue and EMS operations, as well as firefighter training and leadership development.

Trustees said Cannell was selected for his ability to mentor personnel, improve administrative processes and help guide the department’s transition from a volunteer-based model toward a fully career staff. Cannell said a key goal of his tenure was developing leadership from within the department and assisting trustees in identifying the next long-term fire chief.

Trustees update agenda policies

In July, the Trustees approved changes to improve transparency in how meeting agendas are prepared and shared.

Following the changes, the Trustees agreed that agendas and supporting documents will be posted on the Township website and emailed to subscribers the Friday before each regular meeting; printed copies remain available to those who attend meetings.

The change followed concerns from Trustee Moir about last-minute agenda additions, highlighted by an unannounced executive session and subsequent vote on an employee bonus. Trustees unanimously backed the new process, allowing late additions to the agenda by majority vote, and approved paying Cyndi Pauwels up to $550 monthly to assist Fiscal Officer Jeanna GunderKline with agendas, minutes and administrative support.

Zoning changes ahead

This year, Miami Township undertook its most extensive rewrite of local land-use rules in decades, aiming to clarify and modernize its Zoning Resolution for unincorporated areas.

Led by Zoning Administrator Bryan Lucas and the Zoning Commission, the effort is backed by a  state grant administered by the Greene County Regional Planning and Coordinating Commission, and aims to align the Township’s Zoning Resolution with state law and county standards.

Since April, Lucas and the Zoning Commission have drafted multiple Zoning Resolution amendments, which address fences, accessory buildings and safety standards. Seventeen additional amendments are planned through early 2026, including changes related to signage, short-term rentals, home occupations and accessory dwelling units. The commission is also preparing to review the zoning map to better match current land uses, with public meetings and hearings scheduled as the process continues.

Elections

• In the May 6 statewide primary, Ohio voters overwhelmingly supported the passage of Issue 2 — the only item on ballots cast from Yellow Springs precincts. Issue 2’s passage renewed an existing capital improvement program that allows the state to issue bonds or other obligations to finance projects at the local level.

• In the Nov. 5 general election, all issues passed. Levies for Greene County Public Health, Greene County Public Libraries, the Village of Yellow Springs and Miami Township Fire-Rescue passed.

In local leadership races, Yellow Springers voted in a new slate of Council members: Angie Hsu, Senay Semere and Stephanie Pearce, with the three candidates receiving 1,396, 1,224 and 632 votes, respectively. Votes for the remaining three candidates were 577 for Dean Pallotta, 560 for Scott Osterholm and 450 for incumbent Brian Housh.

As the two highest-voted candidates, Hsu and Semere will serve four-year terms; Pearce will serve a two-year term.

School board candidates Paul Herzog, Kristi Nowack Myers and Kim Reichelderfer ran uncontested for three open seats, receiving 1,346, 1,321 and 1,295 votes, respectively.

Incumbent Marilan Moir retained her seat on the Miami Township Board of Trustees, netting 1,469 votes; Lori Askeland will join her on the board, having received 1,574 votes. Candidate Jed Hanna received 682 votes.

Steve McQueen will be the next mayor of Yellow Springs, succeeding Pam Conine, securing the seat with 1,318 votes. Candidate Mark Heise received 321 votes.

I have PTSD. People who don’t have PTSD have a hard time understanding what that is like. Living with PTSD is like being a kid who is afraid of the dark. People can’t understand why you’re scared, what you’re scared of or what to do to help you in those moments of darkness. They know something is wrong but they don’t know how to fix it. That not knowing makes them feel scared — scared in a way that they are not always prepared for, scared in a way that makes them turn from us when we need them the most.

This experience isn’t unique to PTSD. That is just my frame of reference. I am sure people with terminal illnesses, or who have lost a child or suffered an assault, etc., would understand this moment. What I’m talking about are those darkest moments when a person is facing something hard and frightening. They reach out to us, but we don’t know what to do or say. We become uncomfortable, afraid and we turn away — not because we are cruel people, but because we have forgotten something fundamental about being human.

I used to be scared of the dark. When I was a kid, I would insist on falling asleep with the light on. After I fell asleep, my parents would come in and turn the light off, which was fine and reasonable — unless I woke up. If I woke to a dark room, I would become very frightened and call for them at the top of my voice until one of them would come downstairs and bring me back to bed with them. This obviously used to annoy my parents, who were tired people, and maybe weren’t always the best at trying to understand why I did what I did. I don’t blame them, though. Every kid needs to grow up. It’s just that, for whatever reason, growing up seems to always mean suppressing basic instinctual knowledge of what it takes to be human. My parents, most parents, most people, have forgotten what they were born knowing.

When I was a little, I understood that darkness isn’t just a lack of light. It is a lack of knowledge, a lack of understanding. Being in the dark means knowing there is something wrong, but not knowing what it is or how to handle it. When I was very small, the solution was to cry out — not for help, but for company.

My parents didn’t turn their light on when they brought me to bed with them. That didn’t matter to me, because it wasn’t the darkness that terrified me. It was having to face it alone.

I’m guessing that there are a lot of us who had a similar childhood experience. And I bet most of us would say that we grew out of it. Did we? Or did we just bury something fundamental beneath some misguided social conditioning?

Eventually, I was able to fall asleep in the dark, and I stopped calling for my parents. But I didn’t stop being afraid. I just learned to keep it to myself. I had learned that the dark was something a person had to face alone, and I’m guessing that I’m not alone in that, either. It wasn’t until much later that I understood how many different types of darkness a person can find themselves in, or how wrong I was to think that we had to face them alone.

It was my career in EMS that forced me to confront, and to understand, the darkness. That job puts you into some dark places — physically dark, morally dark, emotionally dark. More than that, being a paramedic — a good one, anyway — forces you to enter another person’s darkness and to sit with them there, and someone else’s darkness can be just as terrifying as our own.

My patient was a young mom miscarrying twins. They were pretty far along in their gestation, but not nearly far enough to be viable outside of Mom. She had delivered the first before we arrived on scene. I delivered the second while we were driving to the hospital.

The baby was the size of my hand, and I remember how my palm looked like a tiny bassinet. The movement of the truck meant that it wasn’t safe to cut the umbilical cord. The cord was wrapped around its little legs and I was afraid I might cut the legs if we hit a bump while I was using the scalpel on the cord. So I stayed where I was, wedged between the cabinet and the stretcher, crouching between Mom’s open legs, and cradling the deceased fetus in my hand.

That is a hard way to spend seven minutes with a person. There was nothing I could say, nothing I could do that could make that moment not full of pain and sadness for her. And there was nothing I could do to escape the reality of my experience as I steadied myself with one hand and held this fetus in my other.

In that moment I was a child again, waking up alone in the dark, calling out for help. I could see on my patient’s face that she was there, too, waking up to her own darkness. I felt absolutely helpless and so scared of that helplessness, of this whole dark terrible moment. I wanted to help her. If I could help her, if I could fix this then I wouldn’t have to squat in this darkness with her. I wouldn’t have to be afraid.

It was then that I understood why people so often turned away from me when I showed them my fear. I understood why everyone tells us to grow up and stop being afraid: because our fear makes them acknowledge that there is a darkness in this world for all of us. It was then that I remembered.

I remembered what I should never have had to forget: that it isn’t the darkness that is so frightening, it is facing it alone. My patient didn’t need to be fixed — could not be fixed, not in that moment. She had just awoken to find herself in a very dark place, but she didn’t need me to turn on the light. She needed company. So I stopped trying to find something to say, or some medical thing to do with my free hand, and we sat together in the darkness of the moment.

That isn’t something they teach you. Not in medic school. Not in any school. No one teaches us what to do for a person when there is nothing we can do for them. I think the tragedy is that we knew what to do as babies. We called out for it instinctively. You cannot banish the darkness, not the literal or the metaphorical kind. Night will come, the dark will come for all of us, sometimes many times. We will hurt and be scared many times, and many times we will call out. That is instinct. What we must all relearn is how to answer that call.

The next time you find yourself in one of those situations, my advice, as someone who has been there many times, is to remember that it’s OK. That person you’re with doesn’t need you to turn on the lights. They understand that you can’t always do that. They just want you to come sit with them in their darkness, because it’s too scary to be left there alone.

This one is dedicated to my friend Stacy, who isn’t afraid to be scared. May we always be there to keep each other company as we walk through the valley.

*The author is an artist and writer. She lives in Yellow Springs with her wife and three children. You can follow her work at mynameisiden.com.

On Tuesday, Dec. 2 — Giving Tuesday — YS Schools officially launched its capital campaign, which aims to raise funds for some aspects of the facilities upgrades project currently underway at Mills Lawn and Yellow Springs Middle and High School.

The following week, at the school board’s regular meeting on Thursday, Dec. 11, Superintendent Terri Holden addressed questions and concerns about the capital campaign. By that point, discussion about the campaign had already spread on social media; some community members expressed surprise that the district was pursuing a capital campaign at all, alongside the bond issue and income tax levy voters approved in November 2023 to fund the $55 million facilities upgrades project.

Holden said at the meeting, and in an interview with the News this week, that the capital campaign wasn’t unanticipated for the district, but grew out of years of planning around how to fund the project. Holden had previously indicated, at a Feb. 12 school board meeting preceding the project’s groundbreaking, that a capital campaign would likely be necessary to support items not covered through state or levy funding.

The 2023 bond issue and income tax levy passed in 2023 after failed levies in 2018 and 2021, and after the formation of more than one facilities committee tasked with exploring options to update the aging facilities. As the News has reported in the past, the district held a number of work sessions and community meetings to determine whether to pursue a single K–12 building, which is typically co-funded by the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission, or OFCC, or to preserve two campuses.

The district ultimately moved forward with a phased, two-building plan that retained Mills Lawn as an elementary school and opened space to bring in a pre-K program, while consolidating grades five through 12 at the East Enon Road campus. The OFCC approved the phased approach and will provide a 27% rebate through its Expedited Local Partnership Program, or ELPP, upon the facilities project’s completion. However, as the News reported in 2023, only the East Enon Road construction is eligible for the reimbursement from the OFCC.

“So even with the 27% ELPP credit, none of the work at Mills Lawn is eligible for that credit,” Holden said this week.

Once construction began, Holden said, additional expenses emerged, particularly at Mills Lawn, that were not anticipated until crews began opening walls and addressing aging infrastructure. She said these expenses did not push the overall project beyond its approved construction budget, but instead affected how locally funded items could be prioritized.

“When you’re renovating a 73-year-old building, you don’t know what to expect,” Holden said. “So as we’ve gone along, there have been some decisions that we have had to make that we didn’t know about beforehand.”

She cited issues such as relocating a drain pipe that was not where crews expected it to be, and needing to replace, rather than repair as expected, a layered concrete walkway at Mills Lawn’s main entrance. She also noted that, though the district had planned to renovate the existing kitchen at Mills Lawn, they made the decision to install a new kitchen in part to resolve a bottleneck in the hallway outside the kitchen, where students previously lined up to be served.

“We wanted to make sure the hallway was clear so that they actually enter the kitchen to go through the line,” Holden said. “So we said, ‘This is important; this has to be done.’”

Holden said interest earned from high-yield, short-term notes has helped the district absorb some unanticipated costs while remaining within its construction budget. However, she said, using those funds to address unexpected needs reduced the amount available for other locally funded items that the state does not reimburse.

As a result, Holden said, the largest portion of the capital campaign will fund additions to the new auditorium at the East Enon Road campus, including retractable seating and theater rigging, lighting and audio equipment, which will cost around $1.2 million.

“We know the state never pays for auditorium seats,” Holden said. “We knew we were going to have to pay for that ourselves.”

Other locally funded enhancements to the facilities project included in the capital campaign are a video scoreboard for the new high school gym; an electronic “Wall of Fame” board for the high school; an expanded memorial garden at the middle and high schools; playground equipment for Mills Lawn; a stage curtain and audio equipment for the Mills Lawn gym; an outdoor learning area at Mills Lawn; and LED signs at each campus.

In exchange for giving toward the capital campaign, donors are offered naming opportunities for some aspects of the updated campuses, including one of the 347 auditorium seats for a minimum donation of $1,000, individual classrooms for donations of $25,000 and gyms at both campuses for $250,000–$500,000, among others.

Holden noted that participation in the campaign is voluntary and that fundraising will not reduce the overall cost of the levy-funded portion of the facilities project.

Assistant Superintendent Megan Winston said the campaign was designed to allow folks to give, if they so choose, at a number of levels. She noted that larger-ticket naming opportunities might appeal more to large organizations, but that the auditorium seats or the donor wall planned for the new gymnasium’s John W. Gudgel Court might appeal more to families, graduating classes or groups of friends.

“There are possibilities for people to come together as a group,” Winston said. “People could combine finances to buy an auditorium seat or to name the garden at Mills Lawn.”

“Most people want to do it to honor somebody, their family, somebody who’s meant something to them,” Holden added, though she noted that all naming opportunities are governed by existing board policy.

“The board has to approve the naming, and it has to align with the district’s values,” she said. “There is a process in place.”

Holden said district leaders tour the in-progress construction and renovation sites every two weeks, and hope to offer similar construction tours to the general public as well, pending a go-ahead from the project’s construction firm, which has cited safety and liability concerns. But seeing the renovations and new construction develop, week by week, is exciting for the district, she said.

“The amount of change we see every two weeks is just incredible,” she said.

With that in mind, she said she believes the updated facilities, when they’re finished, will be “the center of the community,” and that ultimately, it’s the district’s students who will benefit most from the capital campaign.

“We’ve been working on this for two years,” she said. “We hope that people understand and want to support the schools.”

For more information on the schools’ capital campaign, go to ysschools.org/capital-campaign. For updates on the progress of the facilities project, go to ysschools.org/construction.

Contact: chuck@ysnews.com

The Miami Township Trustees began their first meeting of the new year Monday, Jan. 5, by swearing in Trustee Chair Marilan Moir for her second term and newly elected Trustee Lori Askeland for her first.

As part of a slate of first-of-the-year business items, the trustees appointed Moir to serve as board chair for 2026; Mucher, who served as chair last year, was appointed as vice chair.

The trustees also approved their 2026 public meeting schedule; meetings will be held the first and third Mondays of each month at 5 p.m., unless a meeting falls on a holiday, in which case the meeting will shift to the following Wednesday.

Also approved for Miami Township Fire-Rescue was the purchase of battery-powered hydraulic rescue equipment — also known as the “jaws of life” — for $50,030. The trustees went on to approve two large purchases brought forward for consideration by Chief James Cannell last year: a 2026 Ford Police Interceptor Utility Explorer, for $66,962, and a 2026 Ford F-250 XL pickup truck, for $80,249. Both vehicles will be purchased via five-year leases.

The new Explorer will be assigned to be used by the fire chief, and Cannell said MTFR plans to repurpose the current fire chief vehicle for use by MTFR’s newly hired community paramedic, Steffinie Brewer. The new pickup truck, once it arrives, will serve as an additional emergency response vehicle that can follow MTFR’s ambulance on calls, allowing some staff to return to the fire station quickly when not all staff are needed for ambulance transport.

The new vehicles, Cannell said, are part of MTFR’s ongoing effort to ensure the department can respond to more than one emergency call at a time; he noted that MTFR logged 1,038 runs in 2025.

The board also approved hiring Jax Lawrence as a part-time firefighter and EMT. Lawrence, who is certified as a Firefighter II and EMT-B, has completed the department’s screening and interview process, according to Cannell.

Near the end of the meeting, the trustees briefly discussed placing a moratorium on cemetery spending. Moir, who brought forward the motion, said she believes the Township needs clear budgeting and a more defined purchase approval process before further upgrades to the Township’s extant cemeteries are performed. The board voted 2–1 to limit cemetery spending to “vital maintenance and burials” until April 1, when budgeting and permanent appropriations for the year are expected to be finalized.

Mucher cast the dissenting vote, arguing that any agreed-upon spending moratorium should apply to MTFR and the road department as well, but the majority vote carried the motion forward.

The trustees’ next meeting will be held Wednesday, Jan. 21, in observance of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday on Monday, Jan. 19.

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