The Yellow Springs News • An Independent source of community news in Yellow Springs, Ohio since 1880

Get a whiff of this: Local flower farmers Evan Pitstick and Larissa Duprey recently started a new, 11-acre farm on Yellow Springs-Fairfield Road — Butter Flower Farm. The farmers are pictured here with their dog, Slug, atop their 1972 International Harvester tractor. (Photo by El Mele)

Butter Flower Farm blooms on Fairfield

Butter Flower Farm, or BFF, is an 11-acre sustainable farm currently specializing in dried flowers. The farm is owned and operated by local farmers Evan Pitstick and Larissa Duprey and florist Brenn Busker.

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Web Features

Take the wheel

Yellow Springs Pottery recently welcomed a new member: Spring Valley-based Noah Faler.
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LIHTC project ‘win-wins’ discussed

The latest update on the land, presented at the Nov. 14 school board meeting, is that Morgan Fields have been appraised at $339,000 by Cedarville-based real estate and auction company Sheridan & Associates.
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Agraria offers climate hope through biochar workshop

Agraria will host a biochar workshop Friday and Saturday, Dec. 6 and 7, at Agraria Farm. The hands-on workshop will be led by instructors Mark Cohen, Gary Gilmore and Dale Hendricks.
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Arts (archives)

Annual Winter Solstice Poetry Reading to return
Slated for Friday, Dec. 6, in Glen Helen’s Vernet Ecological Center, the 13th annual Solstice Poetry Reading will feature 10 area poets, each reading original works that meditate on stillness. Co-sponsored by Tecumseh Land Trust and Glen Helen, the event will also include an open mic, a wine reception and sales of publications from the featured poets.
Yellow Springs Youth Orchestra Association to host Fall Music Fest
As the village drifts into autumn and the days get colder, the Yellow Springs Youth Orchestra Association aims to bring area residents some musical warmth.
Dirty Dozen comes to Yellow Springs
New Orleans musical legends the Dirty Dozen Brass Band are slated to take the stage at the Foundry Theater at Antioch College Wednesday, Nov. 20, bringing 47 years of musical innovation to a Yellow Springs audience.

Village Schools (archives)

School board approves sale option for LIHTC project
Mirroring a decision made by Village Council earlier the same week, the YS Board of Education voted 3–2 during a special meeting Thursday, Nov. 21, to approve an option to purchase agreement with the Village of Yellow Springs.
YS School District talks ‘State of the Schools’
District enrollment is up from last year, breaking a several-year trend of declining student numbers; there are currently 634 students being educated in the district, with 436 being residents and 198 open-enrolled.
Antioch School to secure land
After months of uncertainty, The Antioch School — touted as the “oldest democratic school” in the country, with 50 students currently enrolled — is set to expand its footprint by over five acres.

Economy (archives)

YS Smokehouse takes it low and slow
Located in the former Calypso Grill space at 1535 Xenia Ave. — which closed after six years in October — the YS Smokehouse’s menu is slathered in classic southern Americana fare such as brisket, pulled pork, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, boiled peanuts and more.
First steps toward 128 more apartments in Yellow Springs
Tentatively dubbed “Unity Village” by Columbus-based real estate developer Windsor Companies, the planned buildings will be composed of 32 two-bedroom and 96 one-bedroom units — 128 in total — ranging from 650 to 1,100 square feet.
YS Home, Inc. breaks ground on The Cascades
Last week, local affordable housing nonprofit YS Home, Inc. broke ground on the first phase of The Cascades, a 32-unit development focused on rental housing for seniors.

Village Life (archives)

Down to Earth | October showers bring November flowers
"The severe drought we experienced in late summer this year has led to several interesting phenomena in the plant world."
The Briar Patch | A fork in the road
"On election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5, most voting Americans, particularly Protestant and Catholic white Christians, chose a vision of fascism and fear in the name of Jesus. Dietrich Bonhoeffer must be weeping in his grave."
When the pain doesn’t go away
Local resident Keith Grzelak, who was diagnosed two years ago with complex regional pain syndrome, or CRPS. Rare, little researched and little understood, CRPS is routinely described as one of the most painful chronic conditions known to medicine.

Government (archives)

Village of Yellow Springs says, ‘Slow down!’
In a concerted effort to curb those drivers who don’t slow down as quickly as the law mandates, Village leadership has, in recent weeks, instated new traffic calming measures and infrastructure on several local roads.
Village Council budgets $18.1 million for 2025
At their most recent regular meeting, Monday, Nov. 18, Village Council members gave first reading to the ordinance that will set the projected 2025 budget, which at this point totals $18,102,489.
Bleything pleads guilty to murder, sentenced to life in prison
On Monday, Nov. 18, Jackson Isaiah Bleything, 22, pleaded guilty to the March 14 murder of Yellow Springs resident Connie Vang. Judge Michael Buckwalter sentenced Bleything to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 30 years.

Obituaries (archives)

Geneva Brisbane
Geneva (Bradley) Brisbane, 96, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, passed away Saturday, Nov. 23, 2024, peacefully at the home of her daughter in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Beverly J. Lucas
Beverly J. Lucas, of Yellow Springs, Ohio, passed away peacefully Nov. 30, 2024, shortly after celebrating her 93rd birthday.
Linda Su Shook
We are saddened to announce the loss of our mother, Linda Su Shook.
Marsha Jane Bush
In Marsha’s obituary published in the Nov. 22 edition of YS News, the names of three of her 12 grandchildren were inadvertently omitted.
Dolores Sizemore
Dolores Marie Collier Sizemore passed away on Monday, Nov. 11, after a brief illness.

Higher Education (archives)

Emerge Springs | Addiction recovery services, housing at Antioch College
Emerge offers addiction recovery services, housing and job training. It was founded by three area business owners who work in the skilled trades, and who themselves are in long-term recovery.
Antioch College earns Federal Work College designation
The Federal Work College system is an evolution of the traditional work-study program. While the latter typically benefits students from lower-income backgrounds, the work college model mandates that every student living on campus must work, regardless of their financial background.
Apartments coming to Antioch College
Last month, Columbus-based real estate developer Windsor Companies purchased the vacant Antioch Student Union for $500,000.

Sports (archives)

Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Dec. 6, 2024
Though the Varsity Bulldogs played hard in their season-opening game against Southeastern Wednesday, Nov. 27, they ultimately fell to the Trojans, 41–55.
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Oct. 25, 2024
Kyle Johnston became the first YSHS male runner in more than 10 years to qualify for the Regional Cross-Country Championships, which will take place Saturday, Oct. 26, beginning at 10 a.m., at Troy Memorial Stadium.
Bulldog Sports Round-Up | Oct. 18, 2024
For the second year in a row, both the McKinney Middle School boys and girls cross-country teams won the Metro Buckeye Conference championships, held Friday, Oct. 11, at Emmanuel Christian Academy.