Yellow Springs News

12/26/2025

From this week's Village Police Report:

"On Saturday, Dec. 13, at 8:32 p.m., police received a call reporting that a truck was driving recklessly throughout Gaunt Park. The vehicle was reportedly doing donuts and creating rivets in the snow that covered the park’s field and baseball diamonds.

"The described truck was gone upon the arrival of YSPD, which has since been investigating the matter as an instance of criminal damage. According to Village Manager Johnnie Burns, the damage done may cost the Village $1,500 to $3,000 to repair — which crews must wait to do until the weather warms."

Burns said at the last Village Council meeting, Dec. 15, that the Village encourages anyone with information regarding the incident to come forward, and that perhaps the perpetrator could assist in repairing the damage they caused.

Photo courtesy of the Village of Yellow Springs

12/24/2025

Happy holidays, readers!

This week’s issue — the 2025 Year in Review — is off to the printers! It’s a 14-page retrospective on another eventful and news-packed year in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Owing to the holiday, the News office will be closed tomorrow and Friday, Dec. 25 and 26, and as such, newspaper delivery will be a day late this week.

As ever, thanks for reading and supporting local, indendent journalism.

12/24/2025

The final school board meeting of the year, held Thursday, Dec. 11, began festively with a performance from the YS High School choir, who sang “White Christmas,” “Chain of Fools” and “Bright Morning Star” under the direction of Lorrie Sparrow-Knapp.

It was a fitting send-off for longtime Mills Lawn music teacher JoFrannye Reichert, whose retirement this month after 21 years with the school district was marked during the meeting.

A Yellow Springs graduate, Reichert served the district as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional before being hired as the full-time music teacher for Mills Lawn in 2007.

Assistant Superintendent Megan Winston said during the meeting that Reichert had spent “years making sure the students of Mills Lawn didn’t just learn notes and sounds or just memorize lines for a play.”

“Her students have explored cultures, history, stories from around the world,” Winston said. “One of my favorites is her ability to use a cross-curricular approach to help students see that music can connect to everything.”

A Yellow Springs graduate, JoFrannye Reichert served the district as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional before being hired as the full-time music teacher for Mills Lawn in 2007.

12/23/2025

At the group’s final meeting of the year, Monday, Dec. 15, Village Council turned their attention again to the plans to build over 100 apartment units on two sites affiliated with the Antioch College campus.

Columbus-based real estate developer Windsor Companies intends to demolish the college’s former student union — which the developer purchased last summer for $500,000 — and in its place on the 2.16-acre site, build two three-story apartment buildings, with 48 rental units in each.

A block away, Windsor also seeks to purchase the Charles F. Kettering building from Antioch and redevelop it to accommodate 43 rental units for persons 55 and older.

To actualize those plans, Windsor representatives have been working with Village staff over the last several months to negotiate a tax abatement agreement — one that Windsor representatives claim would help offset development costs and make the project more financeable.

At Monday’s Council meeting, Windsor sought Council’s approval for two separate 15-year, 75% tax abatements on the former student union site and the Kettering building.

Read more:

Windsor representatives have been working with Village staff over the last several months to negotiate a tax abatement agreement — one that Windsor representatives claim would help offset development costs and make the project more financeable.

12/22/2025

For Springfield’s estimated 15,000 Haitian residents, their Temporary Protected Status designation is set to be revoked on Feb. 3, 2026.

In the meantime, Springfield’s Haitian Support Center, or HSC — which marked its two-year anniversary last week — has mobilized to meet needs for Haitian residents.

For Springfield’s estimated 15,000 Haitian residents, their Temporary Protected Status designation is set to be revoked on Feb. 3, 2026. In the meantime, Springfield’s Haitian Support Center, or HSC — which marked its two-year anniversary last week — has mobilized to meet needs for Haitian r...

12/19/2025

Need a date? Don't fret — the Yellow Springs News still has plenty of 2026 calendars for sale, just in time for the holidays.

The calendar features archival photos of "Twilight Zone" creator Rod Serling's time in Yellow Springs, as well as an original painting by village artist Travis Hotaling.

Calendars are for sale at Dark Star Books and Comics, Tom's Market, the YS News office and online at www.ysnews.com.

12/18/2025

The YSHS Athletic Department, in partnership with the YS Athletic Boosters, has opened the nomination window for the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class.

Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 29.

The YSHS Athletic Department, in partnership with the YS Athletic Boosters, has opened the nomination window for the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame class. Nominations will be accepted through Dec. 29.

12/18/2025

The Yellow Springs Kwanzaa Planning Committee has announced plans for the 2025 celebration, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 27, at the Foundry Theater.

The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a Kwanzaa Vendors Mart, followed at 7 p.m. by the annual Kwanzaa program.

Hosted by Basim Blunt, the program will include readings by young people of the seven Kwanzaa principles, the presentation of the Nguzo Saba award to a Yellow Springs resident and performances by local artists, followed by a potluck meal.

The Yellow Springs Kwanzaa Planning Committee has announced plans for the 2025 celebration, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 27, at the Foundry Theater.

12/17/2025

With the incoming warm front, snowy views like this will likely disappear in the coming days.

Earlier this month, villager and photographer Kathleen Galarza sent the YS News this lovely shot of the iconic covered bridge over the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail.

Galarza wrote that she and a fellow early-rising runner made the first impressions on the white blanket one morning — “a special gift,” she called it.

Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!

12/16/2025

When federal SNAP benefits stalled this fall, Yellow Springs’ safety nets snapped taut in an effort to catch as many affected folks as possible.

Among those nets, and often helping bind them together, are the YS Police Department’s Community Outreach Specialists Florence Randolph and Danny Steck.

Responding locally to a nationwide crisis is part of the work for Randolph and Steck — but as they said in a recent interview, most days, their job involves responding to individual needs and the kinds of emergencies that don’t necessarily make the news.

Read more:

When federal SNAP benefits stalled this fall, Yellow Springs’ safety nets snapped taut in an effort to catch as many affected folks as possible. Among those nets, and often helping bind them together, are the YS Police Department’s Community Outreach Specialists Florence Randolph and Danny Steck...

12/15/2025

Right around the turn of the new year, the Yellow Springs Development Corporation is expected to close on the purchase of two downtown buildings: 252 and 254 Xenia Ave.

Once a purchase agreement is finalized in the coming weeks, YSDC will buy the two adjoining properties for $630,000 — money loaned to the quasi-governmental nonprofit and certified community improvement corporation from the Yellow Springs Community Foundation.

The three-story building at 252 Xenia Ave. previously housed Yellow Springs Hardware on its ground floor until the business closed earlier this year; on the second floor are four apartment units; and the third story is uninhabited storage space.

Next door, in the building at 254 Xenia Ave., is the Yellow Springs Toy Company, and above, two more apartments.

These properties went up for sale earlier this year following the 2024 death of previous owner and local property magnate Bob Baldwin.

As previously reported, YSDC members say they want to acquire the mixed-use buildings ahead of any out-of-town developer, whose intentions for the properties may have been incongruent with local values and development goals for Yellow Springs’ downtown business corridor.

Read more:

Right around the turn of the new year, the Yellow Springs Development Corporation is expected to close on the purchase of two downtown buildings: 252 and 254 Xenia Ave.

12/12/2025

It's that time of year!