The Westerville News

Hydrant Flushing Clears Sediment

Gary Gardiner — Sat, 02 May 2026 10:30:58 GMT

A torrent of rust-colored water poured from Westerville fire hydrants this week as Public Service crews began their annual sweep to flush sediment from water lines and test hydrants and adjacent valves to make sure they’re ready for emergency use.

The City’s annual hydrant-flushing program began on Sunday, April 26, and is scheduled to continue through Friday, May 8. The work runs around the clock as crews flush more than 2,500 hydrants in the city’s water system.

Hydrant flushing is performed by systematically opening hydrants in a planned area, allowing a strong flow of water to move through the mains. That high-volume flow helps dislodge sediment, minerals, and other particulates that can build up in water lines over time.

Once loosened, the material is pushed out through the open hydrant, which can briefly send brown or orange-tinted water across nearby streets, curbs, or grassy areas. The City flushes each hydrant once a year to clear water lines and maintain the system.

In addition to clearing the lines, crews inspect hydrants and test nearby valves for operational issues. This work helps confirm that hydrants can open properly and deliver adequate flow for firefighters and other first responders.

Residents may notice a temporary drop in water pressure while flushing is underway in their area. In rare cases, water in nearby homes may appear discolored after nearby flushing. City officials say the water remains safe to drink during the work.

Residents who experience discolored water should run the cold water tap for a few minutes until the water clears, then remove any remaining sediment from the sink. The City advises avoiding hot water until the cold water runs clear, since sediment can clog filters, discolor laundry, or settle in a hot water tank.

Residents may also want to run their washing machine through a single rinse cycle before doing laundry.

Drivers are asked to exercise caution around flushing crews. When a hydrant valve is opened, water can gush out with considerable force, and runoff may create standing water or slick spots on nearby roads. Crews should be treated like any other construction or public works crew operating near traffic.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.

Reader funding, including subscribers, protects editorial independence, so coverage is guided by journalists rather than owners or corporate profit goals. It also reduces pressure to chase clicks, letting the newsroom focus on stories worth readers’ time. And it helps keep the site accessible to everyone, including people who can’t pay or live in places where a free press is under threat.

Explore more hyper-local reporting by subscribing to The Hilliard Beacon, Civic Capacity, Marysville Matters, The Ohio Roundtable, Shelby News Reporter, This Week in Toledo, and Into the Morning by Krista Steele.

Renovating, Repairing, Reusing, and Repotting

Gary Gardiner — Fri, 01 May 2026 10:31:25 GMT

Library Renovations Begin With Closed Entrance, Removed Marker, And Cleared Front Lawn

The Westerville Public Library’s State Street entrance is closed, the front lawn is fenced off, and one of Uptown’s small pieces of public history has been lifted from its longtime place.

Crews used an excavator and lifting straps on Thursday to remove a bronze marker mounted on a granite pillar near the library’s front entrance. The marker briefly recounts Westerville's status as the “Dry Capital of the World,” a reference to the city’s central role in the Anti-Saloon League and the national temperance movement.

Lifting straps snap during an attempt to move the granite marker near the library’s State Street entrance.

The job did not go smoothly at first. One set of lifting straps snapped under the weight of the granite pillar, sending the loose straps flying as the pillar settled back to the ground. Workers later secured the marker and continued the removal.

Nearby, two contractors stood along the edge of the library roof, inspecting it before repair work began next week.

The activity is one of the first visible signs of a larger set of library improvements planned for 2026.

Last week, crews also removed the large tree in front of the History Museum, opening a broad stretch of lawn between the 1850s brick building and the library’s State Street entrance.

According to a historic plaque at the site, the brick home was built by George Stoner in the 1850s. The home, along with an adjacent plot, was later given to the Anti-Saloon League by the Westerville Board of Trade for use as printing headquarters and offices. From there, the league printed anti-alcohol material for distribution across the United States and around the world.

In 1973, the building was given to the Westerville Public Library, which owns and manages the league’s historic collections. Previous owners included the Meyer family, whose daughter, Agnes Meyer Driscoll, became a pioneering cryptologist.

Signs posted at the site remind visitors that the library remains open during construction. One banner directs patrons to park behind the building and enter from East Walnut Street.

The front lawn project is scheduled from April 15 through September 30. The lawn, now about 20 years old, is being redesigned to better serve the library’s growing community and create more usable outdoor space.

Planned additions include permanent seating, shade structures, colorful murals, and interactive features such as giant cattail wind chimes, a log tunnel, and a stepping-stone path. The design also includes a performance area for library-hosted events.

Accessibility improvements are a major part of the project. Plans include step-free entry, widened sidewalks, ramp access to the stage, and illuminated handrails.

The roof, originally installed in 1980, is in the second phase of a four-part repair plan.

The first-floor restroom remodel is expected to begin in November and take about three months. The restrooms, built in 1997, will be updated to meet modern standards.

For now, the library remains open, but its front door is closed, its lawn is under construction, and a marker telling part of Westerville’s dry history has been moved out of the way as the next chapter begins.

It’s like a garage sale where everything is free.

Sustainable Westerville’s ReUseAPalooza on Saturday lets bargain hunters find what may be the best place to get free household items: the end of a neighbor’s driveway.

Just take what you want and wave “thank you” as you drive away. No haggling over prices. It’s all free.

The bi-annual curbside exchange returns Saturday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. across Westerville. Residents are invited to place clean, usable items they no longer need at the curb for others to take. Furniture, toys, clothing, tools, and other household items are welcome. The goal is to give reusable items a new home and purpose while helping extend the life of the landfill.

This is not a garage sale. Everything placed out for ReUseAPalooza is free.

Sustainable Westerville maintains an online map and lists showing where items are available. Residents can submit items, with or without a photo, to be added to the map. Submissions made after 9:30 a.m. Saturday may not appear on the map, and items shown on the map should not be picked up before the event begins at 8 a.m.

Participants should place items at the curb, avoid blocking sidewalks or traffic views, and put tall or unstable items in a safe position. Anything not taken by 6 p.m. should be brought back inside.

Treasure hunters should refresh the map often. The best finds may not last long, especially when the price is free.

Inniswood Plant Sale Offers Perennials, Natives, and Herbs This Weekend

The best selection at Inniswood Metro Gardens this weekend may go to the early gardeners.

The annual plant sale at Inniswood, 940 S. Hempstead Road, will be held Saturday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, May 3, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Shoppers can choose from premium plant stock, including perennials, native plants, herbs, new varieties, and old favorites. Volunteer master gardeners and other knowledgeable plant lovers will be available to answer questions and help visitors choose the right plants for their gardens.

All proceeds benefit Inniswood Metro Gardens.

Organizers encourage shoppers to come early for the best selection. Once the plants are gone, they’re gone.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Becoming A Journalist At the Westerville History Museum

Gary Gardiner — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 10:30:20 GMT

In an age of endless headlines, partisan news feeds, and information overload, the Westerville History Museum is asking visitors to slow down, pick up the tools of a journalist, and start asking their own questions.

That is the idea behind “Public Opinion: Beyond the Headlines in Westerville,” a new exhibit opening May 1 that gives visitors five stories from the city’s past to investigate, each with the power to complicate what they thought they knew about Westerville, the free press, and public debate.

The exhibit, curated by the Westerville History Museum, will be open through March 31, 2027. It was created to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States and uses that national milestone to explore one of the foundations of American democracy: the First Amendment protection of free speech, free press, and peaceful assembly.

But this is not an exhibit built only for reading.

On one wall, visitors are invited to “Become an Investigative Journalist.” Nearby are press passes, vintage newsroom tools, old cameras, rotary phones and displays that turn the gallery into a working space for questions. Visitors can collect a press pass or use QR codes as they move through the exhibit, gathering clues and testing the stories in front of them.

The assignment begins inside a temporary newsroom. The goal is to look beyond the first version of a story, ask what evidence supports it, and consider whose voices may have been missing when the story was first told.

Jackie Barton, manager of the Westerville History Museum, said the exhibit began with a simple connection: America 250, democracy, and the free press.

“Free press is an integral part of representative democracy and being able to function,” Barton said in an interview about the exhibit. Westerville, she said, has had a long tradition of local journalism and an engaged public life.

That history gave the museum its subject. The present gave it its method.

Barton said the exhibit also responds to how people consume information today, with news, opinion, and commentary arriving constantly from sources they often choose themselves.

“We have all this information coming in all the time from all these places,” she said. “People are self-selecting exactly what they want to know or want to hear.”

The museum’s answer is to let history become the instructor. Instead of simply presenting five Westerville stories as settled facts, the exhibit asks visitors to work through them as journalists might: checking sources, recognizing bias, asking follow-up questions, and looking for perspectives that may not have appeared in the public record.

The five stories begin with questions.

Was Westerville really “Bone Dry?” After Prohibition, a national article claimed the city was filled with speakeasies. Visitors are asked to investigate whether that image of Westerville was true, exaggerated, or shaped by the reputation of a town long associated with temperance.

In “Land of the Unfree,” the exhibit looks at Westerville’s connection to the Underground Railroad. The story asks whether reaching Westerville meant reaching freedom, or whether the Fugitive Slave Act meant freedom was still farther north, across the Canadian border.

In “The War of the Words,” visitors examine a 1957 debate over minstrel shows. Newspaper coverage showed public criticism of a minister who objected to the performances, but the exhibit asks what other voices existed beyond newspaper columns, including those who privately supported his stand or expressed it within Black churches.

In “Whose Kids Are These? Westerville School District Boundaries,” the exhibit explores arguments over whether Columbus students were being unfairly denied access to Westerville schools. Visitors are asked to look past the headlines and consider the history of the boundaries themselves.

And in “Westerville Takes to the Streets,” the exhibit studies protests in Westerville over time. The question there is not only how people protested, but what they were trying to change. Barton said journalists often focus on protest methods rather than the message behind them, and the exhibit asks visitors to consider both.

Together, the stories show how public opinion forms, hardens, and sometimes changes. They also show how easily a headline can become the version of events people remember, even when the fuller record is more complicated.

Barton said the point is not to teach people to distrust everything. It is to help them become more thoughtful readers, listeners, and citizens.

The exhibit includes a section on media bias, featuring a media bias chart from AllSides, and asks visitors to reflect on where their own news sources fall. The idea is not to tell visitors what to think, but to remind them that every source has limits, every story has a frame and every reader has a responsibility.

“This isn’t saying you never believe anything, no matter who’s saying it or how many people are saying it,” Barton said. “It’s more just being aware that bias exists.”

The exhibit also carries a content note. Some materials address racial tensions and include records that reflect the language and attitudes of the periods in which they were created. The exhibit also includes historical topics related to alcohol.

For Barton, the connection between history and media literacy is natural. In the history field, she said, it is often called historical thinking. In public life, it may be called media literacy or good citizenship.

But the habit is the same: read carefully, ask questions, and do not stop at the headline.

“Public Opinion: Beyond the Headlines in Westerville” opens May 1 at the Westerville History Museum and continues through March 31, 2027.

This message from THE REVEILLE, Westerville’s first newspaper on display at “Public Opinion: Beyond the Headlines in Westerville.”

LOCAL ITEMS. In order to make any local paper interesting and valuable to the subscriber, so far as the local department is concerned, it is absolutely necessary to pay thorough attention to the gathering of all interesting items, events, incidents and accidents occurring in localities where the paper is taken, making it replete with home intelligence. To do this well, we would request our friends to communicate, verbally or by writing, such items of interest that may come under their observation. Ministers and others will oblige us by furnishing marriage notices, deaths, &c.

We are determined to make THE REVEILLE an indispensable in every household by paying strict observance to those things that will please, instruct and interest; by giving news from all parts of the county, Columbus and Westerville especially; and filling each department with the choicest variety of reading.

Students practice CPR and emergency airway procedures on training mannequins during the COSI Science Festival biomedical engineering program at the Westerville Public Library. (My Final Photo for April 29, 2026, by Gary Gardiner)

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Highlands Preps For Summer - Metzger Park Gets Nature Upgrade - Business Briefs

Gary Gardiner — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 10:31:14 GMT

A worker sprays debris from the pool basin beneath the slide tower at Highlands Park Aquatic Center during pre-season cleanup.

Highlands Park Aquatic Center prepares for summer with cleanup work and 15% season pass sale

Westerville’s Highlands Park Aquatic Center is beginning to look toward summer, even while its pools are still empty.

City crews have been working through the annual pre-season cleanup at the outdoor aquatic center, clearing debris, washing pool surfaces, and preparing the facility’s slides, lazy river, toddler areas, and swimming pools before the start of the 2026 season. The work is part of the routine preparation needed before the pools can be filled, inspected, and opened to the public.

Highlands Park Aquatic Center, commonly known as HPAC, is scheduled to open for the season on Saturday, May 23. The facility is located at 245 S. Spring Road in Westerville.

This year’s opening comes with a promotion tied to the pool’s anniversary. The Westerville Parks and Recreation Department is offering a 15% discount on Highlands Park Aquatic Center season passes from Friday, May 1, through Friday, May 15, in honor of the facility’s 15th anniversary.

Season passes may be purchased or renewed online at westerville.org/registration or in person at the Westerville Community Center.

HPAC is one of Westerville’s major summer recreation destinations. The city describes the aquatic center as a natural, outdoor-feeling setting for family recreation, with enough attractions to keep visitors busy for an afternoon or for an entire summer.

The facility includes a speed and body slide tower, a zero-entry toddler pool with a simulated-rock slide, a spray playground, a lazy river, and an eight-lane, 25-meter pool with a diving well. The mix of features makes the pool suitable for young children, families, lap swimmers, and visitors seeking a full-day summer outing.

The work now underway is the less glamorous side of opening an outdoor pool, but it is essential. Photos from the facility show workers moving through the empty pool basins, dragging out winter debris, rinsing surfaces, and cleaning the edges of the lazy river and slide areas. Shade structures, ladders, railings, slides, and pool decks are already in place, while the basins remain dry during the maintenance period.

Once the cleanup and preparation work is complete, the pools will be readied for water, safety checks, and the start of the public season.

Crews clean the lazy river at Highlands Park Aquatic Center ahead of the May 23 opening day.

For 2026, HPAC season pass rates are:

Single pass, ages 3-64: $95 for residents, $190 for non-residents
Single senior pass, ages 65 and older: $60 for residents, $120 for non-residents
Family of two: $150 for residents, $300 for non-residents
Family of three: $185 for residents, $370 for non-residents
Family of four: $215 for residents, $430 for non-residents
Family of five: $230 for residents, $460 for non-residents
Additional family members: $15 each for residents, $30 each for non-residents
Family guest pass: $90 for residents, $180 for non-residents

Daily admission for 2026 is listed at $10 for residents and $20 for non-residents.

The city notes that individual ages for single passes are calculated based on the last day of the season. For family passes, each person listed on the pass must prove they live in the same household before the pass can be purchased. Additional residency and registration information is available through the city’s registration page.

The 15% discount period may be especially useful for families planning to visit HPAC multiple times during the summer. A family of four, for example, would pay the posted resident rate of $215 before any applicable sale discount, while non-resident pricing for the same pass is $430 before the sale.

A worker pulls debris from the empty pool deck at Highlands Park Aquatic Center as Westerville prepares the facility for its 2026 summer opening.

As opening day approaches, the empty pools and cleanup hoses will soon give way to filled basins, lifeguards, swimmers, and the familiar sounds of summer at Highlands. For now, the work continues behind the scenes so the facility can be ready when Westerville families return on May 23.

Volunteers plant 450 native trees and shrubs at Metzger Park

Volunteers spent Saturday morning planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs at Metzger Park, adding new growth to one of Westerville’s public green spaces.

The native tree planting took place on April 25 from 10 a.m. to noon. About 17 volunteers joined in, most from Vertiv, a local Westerville business. By the end of the event, they had planted about 450 native trees and understory shrubs in the park’s natural areas.

Among the trees planted was the Eastern red cedar, a species native to Ohio. Volunteers used shovels and planting tools to dig holes in the wooded area, placing young trees and shrubs among the existing plants, mulch, and spring growth.

The goal of the planting was to make the park’s natural landscape stronger over time. Native trees and shrubs fit local conditions and support birds, pollinators, and other wildlife. Understory shrubs, which grow under taller trees, also help create a more layered and resilient habitat.

Although the planting only took a morning, the results will appear over the coming years. As the new trees and shrubs take root and grow, they will provide shade, habitat, and structure for the park in the future.

The event also connected a local business to the project, as Vertiv volunteers provided much of the help. Their efforts helped small seedlings and shrubs begin the next stage of growth at Metzger Park.

Westerville Business News

Vertiv acquires Strategic Thermal Labs

Vertiv Holdings Co. has acquired Strategic Thermal Labs LLC, adding liquid-cooling engineering expertise as artificial intelligence and high-performance computing continue to drive denser and hotter data center systems.

The Westerville-based company announced the acquisition on April 27, saying STL specializes in cold-plate design, server-side liquid cooling, and high-density thermal validation. Vertiv said the acquisition strengthens its ability to simulate real high-density compute conditions and improve how cooling systems interact with power systems, controls, serviceability, and long-term reliability.

The deal is part of Vertiv’s broader strategy to expand its power, cooling, controls, and lifecycle services for data centers and other critical digital infrastructure. The company said the STL acquisition will support customers through design, integration, commissioning, and operations while preserving Vertiv’s open, server- and silicon-agnostic approach.

Vertiv said those capabilities are becoming increasingly important as AI and high-performance computing push chip-level heat and power densities higher, requiring more advanced cooling systems closer to the servers themselves.

DHL expands data center logistics capacity

DHL Group plans to add 10 dedicated warehouse sites and more than 7 million square feet of North American logistics capacity to support the growth of hyperscale data centers.

The facilities are expected to go live in 2026 and will serve companies building the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence and cloud computing. DHL said the expansion will include high-security warehousing, white-glove handling, rack configuration services, and specialized warehouse-to-site transportation for high-value IT hardware.

The company said the added capacity is intended to help large data center projects stay on schedule as demand for AI-related infrastructure grows. DHL also said the North American expansion is the first step in a broader data center logistics program, with additional regions scheduled for future capacity upgrades.

DHL cited a survey showing many data center decision-makers prefer a single end-to-end logistics partner, while fewer believe they currently have one. The company said its program is designed to connect global supply flows with local delivery, including the movement of GPUs, power modules, and oversized components used in large data center projects.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Sharp House Update At East of Africa - Yarnell Farm Planted In Soybeans

Gary Gardiner — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 10:31:01 GMT

Sharp House Restoration Continues

Restoration crews have finished tuckpointing the southern exposure of the Sharp House on Africa Road and have shifted their work to the western side of the historic brick home, continuing the first phase of repairs to one of Westerville’s few remaining structures directly tied to the Underground Railroad.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mid-19th-century house was built between 1857 and 1858 by Stephen Alfred Sharp and served as a sanctuary for freedom seekers traveling north through central Ohio.

The stabilization work is part of a $131,247 first phase funded by the City of Westerville. Plans call for masonry cleaning and repairs, asbestos and lead abatement, roof and gutter replacement, pest control and sanitation, HVAC inspection and repair, and structural work in the basement.

For now, the work is focused on stabilizing the house and protecting it from further deterioration.

The Sharp family was among the area’s earliest settlers. Stephen’s father, Garrit Sharp, was one of the first settlers in what was then known as Sharp’s Settlement in the early 1800s. A dedicated Methodist and outspoken abolitionist, he helped establish the community’s first church and contributed to the founding of what became Otterbein University.

His anti-slavery beliefs were more than words. They were values he and his sons acted on.

Several Sharp family homes along Africa Road and North State Street formed a small but important network of safe houses. From these homes, freedom seekers were guided north toward Alum Creek and Quaker communities in Morrow County.

Inside the Africa Road house, that history is part of the building itself. A stone-and-brick fireplace concealed a crawl space that led to a dugout, a hidden space that reflects the risks the family was willing to take.

Today, the Sharp House stands within the area of one of Westerville’s largest economic development projects.

In 2023, the city purchased 88 acres east of Africa Road as part of its East of Africa development plan, an expansion of the Westar business area intended to attract new companies and jobs. The Sharp House remains protected on a one-acre parcel within the larger development area.

More than $30 million in infrastructure improvements are underway nearby, including new roads, utilities, and green spaces. The broader East of Africa project is expected to be completed later this year, with developers preparing plans for individual portions of the property.

For many in Westerville, the house represents more than architecture. At a recent Westerville Historical Society event, former Mayor Kathy Cocuzzi reflected on its importance.

“This home stands as a witness to the kind of courage and conviction that shaped Westerville’s early identity,” she said.

Now, the city is working to balance that identity with growth. The East of Africa project represents a major investment in Westerville’s economic future, while the preservation of the Sharp House signals an effort to keep the city’s history visible within that growth.

Standing on the one acre that remains from the Sharp family’s original 450-acre farm, the meaning of the place is hard to miss. The work may be slow and sometimes quiet, but it serves a larger purpose: keeping one of Westerville’s most important historic homes standing for future generations.

Soybeans Planted Before Rain

McNamara Farms returned to the Yarnell Farm on Monday morning to plant soybeans in the upper and lower fields, taking advantage of the brief dry window before overnight rain moved through the area.

The family crew loaded seed into the planter, worked the rows across the open ground, and finished the planting in time for the rain to help moisten and settle the freshly seeded soil.

From Monday’s The Westerville News

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Planting Season Begins At Yarnell's - Westerville Jazz Orchestra Photos

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:31:36 GMT

Yarnell Farm Readied For Soybean Planting As Development Nears Completion

A McNamara Farms tractor quietly pulled into the Yarnell Farm field, extending its 60-foot sprayer arms to apply pre-emergent herbicide, preparing the land for planting.

Earlier, the McNamaras and Duane Yarnell worked the ground, leveling the field after winter rains and melting snow cut deep furrows through the bare soil.

Early this week, the McNamaras will plant soybeans on the land, beginning another growing season on one of Westerville’s last remaining active farm fields.

By the time the crops are harvested later this year, the adjacent 88-acre East of Africa development project is expected to be finished, completing a commercial and residential barrier around the farm.

The field sits off Africa Road in Delaware County, part of the remaining Yarnell Farm property that stretches between Cleveland Avenue and the Berkshire Commons condominiums. For decades, the land has stood as a reminder of Westerville’s rural past, even as office buildings, roads, housing, and commercial projects have grown around it.

Its history reaches back well before the Yarnell family.

The nearby property was once the home of Joseph Sharp, an abolitionist whose house, built around 1843, was part of the Underground Railroad. The Sharp family helped shelter enslaved people traveling north toward a Quaker settlement in Morrow County, placing the farm within a larger network of homes used by freedom seekers.

The Yarnell family later became stewards of the land, continuing its agricultural use as the surrounding area changed.

Many longtime residents remember the Yarnell farm market that operated from a metal pole barn on the property. In the 1970s, cattle crossing Africa Road to graze was still a familiar sight, a reminder of the rural character that once defined the area.

That setting began to change sharply in 1995, when the City of Westerville acquired 941 acres of Yarnell and other farm property through eminent domain for the Westar development and the extension of Cleveland Avenue to Polaris Parkway.

The Yarnells retained the remaining parcels, and Duane Yarnell has continued to resist pressure to develop, at times using signs along the property to make the family’s objections clear.

Today, grain crops are still grown on the farm, keeping the land in agricultural use while development closes in from every side. The East of Africa project marks last step in that transformation, adding to the commercial and residential growth that now frames the historic property.

For now, the work continues.

The field is leveled. The herbicide is down. Soybeans are next.

And when they are harvested later this year, they will come from a piece of land whose story stretches from the Underground Railroad to the edge of modern Westerville.

Westerville Jazz Orchestra Summer Concerts Begin

The Westerville Jazz Orchestra opened its summer concert series Sunday at the American Legion Hall on East College, where it performed an eclectic collection of big-band jazz and music composed and arranged by members of the group.

While one young fan took issue with the exuberance of the strong brass, she listened carefully as Dawn Eller performed with the group.

The orchestra’s next performance is June 14 at the Alum Creek Amphitheater as part of the Summer Concert Series sponsored by the city.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

This Week Westerville - April 27-May 3, 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:22:01 GMT

Monday, April 27, 2026

• The Extraordinary Caterpillar - 6:30–8:30 p.m. - The Point at Otterbein University, 60 Collegeview Rd.
• Student Recital. Vincent Bostick - 7:30 p.m. - Riley Auditorium, Otterbein University

Tuesday, April 28, 2026

• Intro to Membership - 9–10 a.m. - Westerville Area Chamber of Commerce, 99 Commerce Park Dr.
• Westerville BMX Practice - 6–8 p.m. - 535 Park Meadow Rd.
• Let’s Draw Together. Still Life Drawing - 6:30–8:30 p.m. - Daylight Artist Collective, 9 E. College Ave.

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

• Form5. NextGen BioMed - 5–8 p.m. - Westerville Public Library

Thursday, April 30, 2026

• STEM on Track. The Westerville BMX Experience - 3:30–6:30 p.m. - Westerville BMX, 535 Park Meadow Rd.
• Grease - 7–9:30 p.m. - Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave.
• Anything Goes - 7 p.m. - Westerville North High School, 950 County Line Rd.

Friday, May 1, 2026

• HPAC Season Pass Sale Begins - All day - City of Westerville
• Grease - 7 p.m. - Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave.
• Anything Goes - 7 p.m. - Westerville North High School, 950 County Line Rd.

Saturday, May 2, 2026

• Annual Plant Sale. Day 1 - 8 a.m.–4 p.m. - Inniswood Metro Gardens, 940 S. Hempstead Rd.
• Shredding Day - 9 a.m.–noon - City of Westerville
• The Heart of Concord Art Market - 1–4 p.m. - 700 Brooksedge Blvd.
• Grease - 7 p.m. - Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave.
• Anything Goes - 7 p.m. - Westerville North High School, 950 County Line Rd.
• Create & Sip Classes - 6:30–8:30 p.m. - Uptown Art & Clay, 13 1/2 E. College Ave.
• Live Music at Java Central - 7–9:30 p.m. - Java Central Café, 20 S. State St.

Sunday, May 3, 2026

• Columbus Cars and Coffee - 8–11 a.m. - Starbucks Westerville, 691 N. Cleveland Ave.
• Inniswood Metro Gardens Plant Sale - 11 a.m.–3 p.m. - Inniswood Metro Gardens, 940 S. Hempstead Rd.
• Grease - 2 p.m. - Westerville South High School, 303 S. Otterbein Ave.
• Anything Goes - 2 p.m. - Westerville North High School, 950 County Line Rd.
• 250 Years of American Music. Concert by the Westerville Concert Band - 3 p.m. - Westerville Central High School, 7118 Mount Royal Ave.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Central Ohio News Brief - April 21-26, 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:21:28 GMT

Dublin

Signal upgrades are underway at the U.S. 33 westbound ramp to northbound Avery-Muirfield Drive, with work including a truck apron, sidewalk, signal pole, new pavement, and video detection. Completion is expected in May.
Dublin City Schools posted a bid notice for the plumbing improvement project at Wyandot Elementary.
Transportation Equipment Network, headquartered in Dublin, announced an enterprise lease agreement with Shabad Transport Inc. to expand logistics operations in Canada.
A hotel property at 5100 Upper Metro Place transferred for $25.9 million, according to Franklin County transfer records published April 22.

Gahanna

Gahanna’s April 20 council meeting was canceled ahead of the Civic Center move.
The city’s Spring Litter Clean-Up was set for April 25 at Friendship Park.
The Creekside Blues and Jazz Festival remained on the calendar for June 19 to 21.
Applications for Seat 1 on the Gahanna New Community Authority Board of Trustees closed April 24.
DHC Chicken is moving into the former Hot Chicken Takeover site at 109 N. Hamilton Road, with a soft opening expected the week of April 27.

Galena

Ohio’s attorney general filed a brief supporting Melanie Leneghan’s removal from the Delaware County election board, with her voter registration updated to a home in Galena.

Grove City

At a special April 20 meeting, the council debated putting a 0.5% income tax increase on the ballot, which would be the city’s first income tax change since 1985.
Finance officials said expenses have doubled as the city has grown.
The same meeting approved rezonings at 4910 Hoover Road for a Grove City Church of the Nazarene field house and a LaQuinta hotel rebrand on Marlane Drive, along with an annexation and a $75,000 health care reimbursement pilot.
Council denied a 135-home development.
Council approved $1.14 million for the 2026 Street Maintenance program, including work on McDowell Road.
Grove City Police are seeking suspects in an April 11 theft at Bath & Body Works, with the notice posted April 24.
Operation Medicine Drop was scheduled for April 25.
Police issued a scam alert about a caller impersonating Lt. Gallo.
The chamber scheduled a Business Impact Conference on April 22.

Groveport

Groveport’s council and Rules Committee were scheduled to meet April 27.
A City Council meeting notice was posted for Monday, April 27.
The annual Community Garage Sale was announced for households within city limits.

Hilliard

The Hilliard Ohio Historical Society held its 2026 season opener, “Planes, Trains & Automobiles,” on April 25.
City Council was set to meet April 27.
Hilliard City Schools held the 2026 Roadrunner Run on April 24.
Cava is set to open its first central Ohio restaurant in Hilliard during the week of April 28.
The Columbus Food Truck Festival is slated for Aug. 14 and 15 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard.

Obetz

The Big Walnut Area Community Improvement Corporation held a special meeting April 22.
Obetz City Council’s next meeting is scheduled for April 27.

Powell

Powell’s development pipeline continued to move, including the Kroger Marketplace project and Ohio State Wexner Medical Center expansions.
The city hosted an Earth Day Celebration on April 22.
In the Delaware County election-board dispute, records showed Melanie Leneghan’s prior residence in Powell before her registration was updated elsewhere.

Reynoldsburg

Spring fire hydrant flushing began April 20 and runs through May 1.
A state-approved Grain Grading School is scheduled in Reynoldsburg on Sept. 3 under the authority of the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
The American Jersey Cattle Association announced more than $47,000 in scholarships and educational awards for Jersey youth in 2026.

Sunbury

Sunbury’s data-center moratorium drew fresh industry attention during the week.
An April 24 report highlighted the city’s pause on data-center development through January 2027 following community pushback over Amazon Web Services’ proposed $2 billion project.
The Events and Commemorations Committee met April 21 to plan Arbor Day, fishing derbies and an October festival.
A bid opening for the 2026 Street Improvement Program was held April 22.
A Planning and Zoning public hearing is scheduled for April 27 for a conditional use at 82 E. Granville St.

West Jefferson

Finance Committee and Regular Council met April 20, though no minutes were posted in the first weekly sweep.
Jefferson Local Schools issued a request for proposals for a Norwood Elementary roof replacement project aimed at improving safety, durability and energy efficiency.
ARC Burger LLC, a large Hardee’s franchisee, filed for Chapter 7.
One of its Ohio locations is in West Jefferson and remained open.

Worthington

Severe storms on April 22 brought large hail across Worthington, including damage near Worthington Kilbourne.
Wolf’s Ridge at Worthington Inn drew a first-look story ahead of its April 29 opening.
The Charter Review Commission met April 21.
The Cherry Blossom Festival and Drug Take-Back Day were scheduled for April 25.
Worthington Schools held kindergarten welcome nights April 22 and 23.
A public hearing is set for May 4 on a proposed $4.7 million bond issue, including up to $2.5 million for a new outdoor swim facility at 400 W. Dublin-Granville Road.
Kittie’s Cakes expanded its Old Worthington location.
Aubrey Hale was appointed communications director effective May 26.
The city released its first report on the targeted deer removal program, saying 100 deer were removed over eight nights at a cost of $119,113.86, with 4,249.3 pounds of venison donated to the Worthington Resource Pantry.
A Maryland man pleaded guilty in the 2021 Worthington-area double murder case.

Because this post is public, you’re encouraged to share it on social media.

Subscribe now

Westerville Obituaries - April 26, 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 02:18:14 GMT

Marlene Carol Lepley
November 25, 1932 – April 18, 2026

Marlene Carol Lepley, 93, originally of Mentor, Ohio, passed away April 18, 2026. She also lived in Westerville and, most recently, Massillon. She was born to Philip and Marcella Manis.

Marlene graduated from Mentor High School in 1953. That same year, she married Herman “Paul” Lepley, the love of her life. Together, they raised three children and shared many years of marriage.

She will be remembered as a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.

Subscribe now

Share The Westerville News

Police Continue Targeting Polaris Traffic - First Frog Friday

Gary Gardiner — Sat, 25 Apr 2026 10:30:24 GMT

Westerville police officer checks his computer after stopping a vehicle near the Sheetz.

Police stops dropped sharply during the second weekend of Westerville’s targeted enforcement along Polaris Parkway, even as officers continued a third weekend of increased patrols near the Sheetz gas station and surrounding businesses.

After making 75 traffic stops, i…

Kroger Robbery - Masterworks III Symphony 250 Celebration Rehearsal

Gary Gardiner — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 10:31:47 GMT

Police believe the suspect in a robbery Wednesday night at the Kroger on West Schrock Road is the same person involved in a series of robberies at other Kroger stores in the Columbus area, according to a Westerville police report.

The robbery was reported at 9:10 p.m. at the store at 55 W. Schrock Road.

Police said an unidentified white male wearing black…

Coffee Shop Approved For Historic Building

Gary Gardiner — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 10:30:54 GMT

From sermons to sinkers to espresso shots, the historic brick building at Sunbury and Central College is headed for a new life as a coffee shop after winning Westerville Planning Commission approval Wednesday night.

The long-vacant 1868 structure has been a Baptist church, a one-room schoolhouse, a private residence, and Harry & Dot’s Bait Store; now it’…

E-bikes Get Scrutiny By City and Police - Hempstead Road and Vine Street Paving Approved - Taxi and Ride-Sharing Rules Change

Gary Gardiner — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:30:56 GMT

Westerville’s growing e-bike problem took center stage at City Council on Tuesday night, as Police Chief Holly Murchland presented a plan to strengthen the city’s ability to enforce rules and laws governing the bikes, which officials said have become a mounting concern in Westerville and across Central Ohio. Complaints have centered on unsafe riding, in…

East of Africa Traffic Light Poles and Hay - New Polaris Intersection - Walnut Ridge Park Wetlands Begins

Gary Gardiner — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:31:31 GMT

The weather has been very cooperative for the final stages of construction at the East of Africa development project. The towers for streetlights and traffic signals have been installed on Polaris Parkway at the new intersection with the road through the 88-acre project. Work continues building the surface for asphalt bike paths and sidewalks on the roa…

Repair Cafe Photos - Worthington Steel Fire - F.A.C.T. Tree Nursery Planting

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:30:51 GMT

A lamp with a loose socket was one of many items that found a second chance at Westerville’s Repair Café.

Held Saturday at The Point at Otterbein University, the event brought residents face-to-face with volunteer fixers who worked on everything from lamps and clocks to bicycles, electronics, lawn equipment, and household gadgets.

More than a repair drop-…

This Week Westerville - April 20-26 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:39:13 GMT

Monday, April 20, 2026

• Rock’n the Otterbein Rain Garden - 4:30-6:30 p.m. - Otterbein Campus Center
• Family Storytime - 9:30-10 a.m. - Westerville Public Library
• Anime Club (Ages 12-18) - 6:30-7:30 p.m. - Westerville Public Library
• WeREAD 2026. Book Discussion (Online Meeting, 2 of 2) - 7-8:30 p.m. - Online
• Baby Clothing Swap. Accepting Donations - A…

Westerville Obituaries - April 19, 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:38:56 GMT

Rosa G. Lysaght
September 16, 1951 – April 11, 2026

Rosa G. Lysaght, known to family and friends as Rosi, 74, passed away April 11, 2026, after a brief battle with cancer. Born in Lima, Peru, she was the daughter of Victor G. Acuña and Gilda M. Foppiano Acuña.

Rosi studied in Peru and was certified as a bilingual secretary. She came to Ohio through the Rot…

Central Ohio News Briefs - April 12-19, 2026

Gary Gardiner — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 01:38:20 GMT

Sunbury — The I-71 northbound exit ramp to U.S. 36/Route 37 remained reduced to one lane as part of the $31 million ODOT Sunbury Parkway project following a fatal crash on April 11.

Dublin — Dublin’s Teen Buddy Program received a ServeOhio Award during Global Volunteer Month for its intergenerational volunteer work aimed at reducing loneliness.

Galena — A…

The week in photos - A gallery

Gary Gardiner — Sat, 18 Apr 2026 10:31:03 GMT

State and Schrock Landscaping Footers

A city crew worked Friday to complete the concrete footers for steel grates that will prevent decorative brick from compressing the soil in planters at the Schrock Road and State Street intersection. The previous bricks were laid directly on soil, compacting it and damaging the tree root system. This is the third yea…

New power on Africa Road - Celebrating wine and food anniversaries Uptown

Gary Gardiner — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:31:07 GMT

Westerville installs switch, seeks bids for Africa Road underground power work

Westerville has installed a new electric switch at County Line and Africa Roads and is seeking bids for underground conduit work along Africa Road as part of a project to route power underground to the East of Africa development.

The switch and conduit work are part of a broade…