Author: Chad Williamson

The Marysville Board of Education honored the district’s Good Apple Award recipients recently. Staff in each building nominate an individual who supports operations in various ways. Those honored were, from left to right, in the front row: Kaye Howard, Tri-Academy; Mina Miller, Navin Elementary; Sarah Reichard, Northwood Elementary; Tracy Koski, Bunsold Middle School; Tiffany Wood, Marysville High School; Kassandra Bach, Edgewood Elementary; Erin Abele, Raymond Elementary; Leigh Ann Shepherd, board office; Nikki Hauenstein, Mill Valley Elementary; and Krista Fairchild, Creekview Elementary. In the back row, from left, are board of education members, Nan Savidge, Matt Keller, Jermaine Ferguson, Bill Keck…

With offerings like Cowboy Quesadillas and Beef and Noodle Sundaes, the food available to Marysville students today is very different from what was offered to their parents. That is a good thing for taste buds and the bottom line, according to Marysville Director of Food and Nutrition Lorie Pennington. She explained the complexities of running the districts breakfast and lunch program to the board of education Thursday night. Better food, better training and better tracking of ingredients were all on the menu in the three years she has led the district food operations. Pennington said the lunch purchases are running…

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the state of politics in America, even at the state and local levels. The political fabric of this country is torn. The machine is broken and somehow it keeps spiraling farther and farther away from a representative government of the people. Let’s be completely honest, it has been a long time since members of Congress could be considered common citizens, though that was the original idea. Sure, the founders of our government weren’t poor, but what set them apart from the common man was intelligence and vision for the future of America. They…

For the second time in two years a Marysville teacher has been asked to sign a last chance agreement with the district following allegations of inappropriate interactions with female students. At a recent Marysville Board of Education meeting the agreement with Chad Sines, a middle school math teacher and former football coach with 16 years of experience in the district, was approved. The move comes a year after a high school teacher in the district, Scott Hamilton, signed a similar agreement, ultimately leaving the district when additional allegations surfaced. A letter in Sines’ personnel file showed that he was placed…

Newly hired Navin Elementary Principal Katie Van Schoyck brings a message of hope to the district. The former elementary principal from the Groveport-Madison School District was approved by the Marysville Board of Education Thursday night to replace Lynette Lewis who will retire at the end of the school year. “I’ve really been thinking about hope as I’ve been working with our students the past few weeks,” Van Schoyck told the board Thursday after her hiring. She described sitting in recently on a meeting with a local family of a student dealing with autism, a situation that can prove overwhelming to…

The Marysville Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to put a 5.5-mill, 10-year emergency operating levy before voters in November. Discussion on the topic focused on two key areas – how much money would be needed to properly educate students versus what number people would vote to approve. In the early stages of the meeting, officials were discussing a 4.9-mill property tax. District Treasurer Todd Johnson said comments within the community had indicated that no levy above 5 mills would be supported. Board member Nan Savidge echoed those sentiments, saying the idea was especially prevalent among older voters. Board…

Tracy Richter, Vice President of Planning Services for HPM, describes the services his company can provide for members of the Marysville Board of Education during a recent special meeting. HPM is offering to provide long-term facility planning services for the district. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) — The Marysville School District has funded both enrollment studies and facility audits in the past. In the coming year, Marysville may be contracting with a company that can weave both functions into one analytical review of the district. At a recent special meeting, Tracy Richter, Vice President of Planning Services for HPM, presented…

This week we had to make a late pivot on our topic for the Journal-Tribune Podcast and landed on a topic about old school chain restaurants. The idea came after we learned reporter Michael Williamson and his family occasionally frequent the lone remaining York Steakhouse, on West Broad Street in Columbus. The podcast discussion meandered around the charm of York and Ponderosa steakhouses mostly, but also made its way to an existing restaurant that has undergone changes to its vibe. The ample windowed Pizza Hut currently standing on West Fifth Street in Marysville is a far cry from its dimly…

Above is Cameron Crane speaking to the Marysville Board of Education about alleged incidents of antisemitism his children have experienced at the Early College High School and Bunsold Middle School. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) — Cameron Crane, a father of two students in the Marysville School District, told the board of education Thursday night that his children have been subjected to brutal slurs from other students. But the rather than being tormented with words and acts rooted in hate for race or ethnicity, Crane’s said his children were facing religious harassment. “Really this despicable hate shouldn’t really be accepted…

On Saturday, a teen girl was injured by a loose dog in the Village of North Lewisburg and Mayor Ted Murphy has had enough. “We’re going to crack down on it,” Murphy told village council earlier this week. “One child getting attacked is enough.” According to North Lewisburg Police Chief Scott Bodey, a 13-year-old girl was injured by a German Shepherd Saturday. The injuries appear to have come from the animal’s claws and were treated with gauze and bandages. “I’m tired of it,” Murphy said. “We’ve had one child and that’s too many.” While Saturday’s incident didn’t result in severe…

A Dublin man could be facing nine decades in prison after allegedly raping a juvenile family member. The Union County Grand Jury has indicted Sai Praveen Lingam, 46, of 8391 Nemain Loop, Dublin. Lingam is charged with one count of kidnapping and five counts each of rape, gross sexual imposition and sexual battery. Union County Prosecutor Dave Phillips said that between Aug. 17, 2022 and Aug. 28, 2022, Lingam allegedly repeatedly had sex with a 16-year-old girl. He said Lingam and the girl “had a close relationship.” Court documents allege that on Aug. 19, the girl tried to get away.…

Aaron Lewis will bring his American Patriot Tour to Marysville on Thursday, Aug. 8, as part of the All Ohio Balloon Fest. Lewis previously appeared at the event in 2019. (Photo submitted) — With new music and a new tour planned, 2024 is set to be a big year for Aaron Lewis and the All Ohio Balloon Fest is going to be a part of it. “Aaron Lewis did well here in 2019 and has quite a following in Ohio, not only as a front man for Staind, but for his solo country music too,” All Ohio Balloon Fest (AOBF)…

Memorial Health will be purchasing a new device which promises better results in the treatment of enlarged prostate. On Thursday night, Memorial’s Board of Trustees approved the purchase of the Aquabeam Robotic System for $478,000 for the urology department. Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), also known as an enlarged prostate, affects as many as 14 million men in the United States annually. The prostate, a gland that produces semen, is located just below the bladder and grows over time. One-third of men older than 50, and 90% of men over 85, exhibit symptoms of BPH. An enlarged prostate can block the…

New Marysville City Council President/Mayor Donald Boerger told many residents exactly what they wanted to hear during the second meeting of 2024. “No longer will developers use valuable land while our residents must sacrifice open space and the beauty of our city,” Boerger said. He said the voters’ overwhelming support of him and his anti-growth platform, coupled with the ejection of the other three incumbent council members, is a clear indication that people were fed up with decisions that did not align with community values. He vowed to stop “rapid, unsustainable expansion of generic housing development as a primary means…