In this screen capture, Ryan Grose, right, and Kevin Brandfass, Co-Presidents of the Marysville Education Association, address the board of education Thursday night at Creekview Intermediate School. The union representatives said that a number of teachers said they would not feel safe with a full return to school at the present time. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) Teachers might not support such a move For the first time Marysville officials floated the idea of a full reopening, but that idea may not have the support of staff and likely will not involve five days in class. During Thursday night’s Marysville…
Author: Chad Williamson
About 11 months ago, I grew a beard. I don’t know why. I’d like to tell you it was to raise awareness for some cause or to keep my ample cheeks warm during winter shoveling, but I’m too vain to let social issues impact my appearance and it seems like we haven’t had enough snow to shovel in four years. Basically, I woke up on Thanksgiving morning last year and didn’t shave. Black Friday – same thing. Then came the weekend and I continued to let it go. So basically, the birth of my beard is rooted in laziness. But…
Exactly when residents of North Lewisburg will have natural gas largely depends on negotiations between an infrastructure supplier and Columbia Gas. The issue between the two sides is Columbia’s available capacity to service the village. Bob Smith of Legacy Pipeline Services of Westlake addressed North Lewisburg Village Council members at a Tuesday meeting about the prospects for bringing natural gas lines to the village. The non-profit company specializes in securing natural gas to small villages, recently providing service to DeGraff. Smith explained that negotiations with Columbia Gas have stalled over the cost of supplying the needed gas for the village.…
A trio of Monarch running backs each rushed for more than 100 yards during Friday’s 35-14 playoff victory over Dublin Jerome. They were Ryan Kern (top photo, left), Griffin Johnson (top photo, right) and Gabe Powers (36) in the bottom photo. (Journal-Tribune photos by Chad Williamson and Sam Dillon) One of the most difficult things a high school football squad can do is face a team for the second time in the same season. A coach has to wonder… what will the opposition do differently than the previous time? Will we be able to make adjustments to any changes in…
Ryan Kern of Marysville runs in for one of his three touchdowns against Olentangy on Friday. Kern rushed for 184 yards during the Monarchs’ 28-7 victory that gave them the OCC Cardinal Division title. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) The players on Marysville’s football team accomplished something Friday that hasn’t happened while they have been alive – the Monarchs earned an outright OCC title. With the Cardinal Division championship on the line, the Monarchs dominated Olentangy 28-7 and put to bed the ghost of teams from the past 20 years that were good, but never great enough to be the…
The players on Marysville’s football team accomplished something Friday that hasn’t happened while they have been alive – the Monarchs earned an outright OCC title. With the Cardinal Division championship on the line, the Monarchs dominated Olentangy 28-7 and put to bed the ghost of teams from the past 20 years that were good, but never great enough to be the league’s best. Marysville last claimed an outright OCC title during the undefeated regular season of 2000. It shared a title in 2007 during a 5-5 campaign. “It’s a big win for our program,” said MHS coach Brent Johnson. Since…
Marysville holds meeting to discuss correspondence from families, many urging return to five-day week With surrounding districts making changes, local parents are putting pressure on the Marysville Board of Education and administration to return to five-day per week classroom instruction. While the board remains committed to its hybrid model for the near future, there are signs that no plan is set in stone for district decision. The board held a special meeting Thursday night to read more than two dozen letters from citizens commenting on the district’s current hybrid model. The special meeting was called because the board realized the…
Marysville’s Ryan Kern wards off a tackler at Olentangy Berlin on Friday. Kern rushed for 188 yards during MHS’ 28-0 victory. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) No young boy ever signed up for his first year of youth football with dreams of being a dominant offensive lineman. In the NFL, their jerseys never sell, cameras never follow them when they arrive at the stadium and nobody is waiting to interview them when the game is over. Linemen work in anonymity and, generally, they like it that way. But after paving the way for more than 1,300 yards rushing in just…
My mom may have been the Journal-Tribune’s greatest source. She recently retired from the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, having worked there for 37 years. Through those years, Karen Williamson worked from five different buildings, but for only two prosecutors. Beginning in 1979, she worked for Larry Schneider for 22 years and later for Dave Phillips for 15 years. She was given the Administrative Assistant of the Year award from the Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association in 2015. The strange thing is that I have to look back at my mom’s career as a legal secretary/administrative assistant in two phases – when…
The Fairbanks Board of Education voted Monday night to move to five-day per week classroom instruction, despite the objections of two teachers earlier in the meeting. The board voted 4-1, with member Lisa Adkins voting no, to move to the learning level 1, which will have all students return to class full time beginning Oct. 5, with precautions such as physical barriers and masks in place. Parents continue to have the option to keep their students home, in a total remote learning educational plan. The vote came with no discussion on the matter and Adkins did not elaborate on her…
Ryan Kern of MHS (32) finds an opening in Thomas Worthington’s defense. Kern rushed for 125 yards during the Monarchs’ 31-0 victory. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) An abusive defense, paired with a hammering ground game, will get you a long way on the gridiron. For Marysville, the perfect pairing has the local squad out to a 3-1 record. Thomas Worthington put up little resistance Friday night, falling 31-0. Marysville’s defensive front dismantled the visiting Cardinals, holding them to 106 total yards of offense. “Our defense played lights out once again,” said MHS coach Brent Johnson. The Monarchs eclipsed 400…
The graphics above and below were shown to members of the Marysville Board of Education Thursday night to help them visualize the impact of social distancing within a classroom. The graphic above shows a theoretical coronavirus-positive student (in red) in a traditional full classroom, resulting in eight additional students being quarantined because of potential infection. The graphic below illustrates that under the current reduced capacity classroom model, the space between desks allows the surrounding students to remain in class because the potential for spread is reduced. (Graphics submitted) Marysville officials say it is too soon to explore move from hybrid…
Jeremiah McNeil (3) of Marysville powers through Dublin Jerome defenders Friday evening. The Monarchs turned back the Celtics, 31-12. (Journal-Tribune photo by Chad Williamson) Almost like a hockey team changing lines, the Marysville football team is diligent about running fresh defensive linemen into games. The idea is to keep supplying athletes with rested, explosive legs at the point of attack. Friday night coach Brent Johnson decided to apply that idea to his offensive backfield and the result was a 31-12 thrashing of Dublin Jerome. Five different ball carriers got at least six touches in the game and the result…
The Village of North Lewisburg and the Triad Junior Baseball and Softball Association (TJBSA) have pledged a new era of communication and, based on comments at Tuesday’s council meeting, anything would be an improvement. “I’ve been on council 13 years and this is probably the third time anyone has come here,” council member Ted Murphy told three board members of the organization. Upkeep on the diamonds, timely lease agreements and insurance policies are just some of the issues that crop up between the ball group and the village. While the village owns and is responsible for the park, the organization…
When you make mistakes early in a game, there is plenty of time for atonement. Errors made late often stay with you until the final gun. Marysville clawed its way back from a 17-point first quarter deficit created by a trio of miscues Friday night at Hilliard Darby. A fourth misstep late in the game delivered a kill shot as the Panthers came away with a wild 31-28 decision. “In my opinion that was two heavyweights going at it,” Marysville coach Brent Johnson said. Clinging to a four-point lead late, Marysville appeared to have the game wrapped up when Benjamin…