The biggest stories in Marysville for the first half of 2025
Give us a few moments and we'll serve up what matters in Marysville on Thursday, July 3, 2025
In this edition, sponsored by 2nd Chances Thrift Stores
In this special holiday edition, we take a look back at some of the top stories so far in 2025
But first, a word from today's sponsor
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Some quick headlines and reminders
The traffic signal at E 5th and Plum will flash in yellow mode for through-traffic on 5th as the City demolishes the old Hometown Auto building. Drivers on 5th are advised to proceed with caution. The signal will return to normal once the demo project is complete.
The 4th of July Parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Friday. The parade will form at American Legion Park and proceed East on 5th Street, south on Plum, west on 6th, and conclude at the Courthouse. Next to the Christmas Parade, the 4th of July Parade is typically one of the better parades of the year in Marysville.
Fireworks for the City are planned for SATURDAY, July 5, at dusk at the Union County Fairgrounds. The gates open at 4 pm. Stay safe, y'all!
And now the Main Event: Biggest stories of 2025 so far
Today, we're taking a look back at some of the biggest stories that made news in Marysville and Union County.
MEVSD Levy passed by voters
The story with the most lasting significance to the community was voter approval of a 5.5 10-year emergency property tax levy for the Marysville Exempted Village School District.
Passage of the levy offset a series of devastating cuts that would have been implemented had voters rejected the package. It offset a nearly $7 million operating deficit and saved 30 staff roles, along with programs like unified arts, band, theater and AP college credit courses.
It also enables the district to bring pay-to-play fees down to where they were before last November’s levy defeat. The district’s latest five-year forecast, adopted by the Board in May, shows the district staying out of the red, but just barely.
And there is still a chance state lawmakers override a veto from Governor Mike DeWine on key property tax issues that could have a negative drag on school finances.
Amazon Data Center Unveiled
Coming into 2025, we knew a data center was being planned for the Innovation Park.
But we didn’t know who was behind the project. In early February, we found out that Amazon Web Services was behind the $1 billion proposal.
It’s part of Amazon’s $10 billion digital infrastructure investment in the state of Ohio.
Key to the deal is the promise to pay $13.5 million in payments in lieu of taxes to the Marysville school district for 15 years. No TIFS are involved in the deal, but a major tax abatement was used to lure the company to locate in Marysville. Also, as part of the deal, Amazon will be limited to using 50,000 gallons of City water a day.
The complex will include 5 huge water tanks to store water for use at the facility. Amazon wanted to build a bigger center, but the city negotiated a smaller layout.
Jermaine Ferguson arrest
This was a story no one predicted. School board member Jermaine Ferguson was censured by his fellow board members at last month’s meeting for an incident at Steven’s Lounge in which Ferguson—intoxicated at the time—interfered with a police officer and had to be wrestled to the ground.
The May 24th incident led to his arrest and a charge of obstruction of justice. Ferguson made a public apology regarding the incident and asked the community to give him a chance to demonstrate contrition and change.
Despite the apology, he entered a not guilty plea to the charges and is scheduled for trial in Marysville Municipal Court on August 1st.
As part of the school board censure, several members wanted him to resign, but they had no legal authority to force his departure. Ferguson was also stripped of his public policy position and other roles on the board.
Why it matters: With three other board seats up for re-election, it creates an extra layer of instability at the board level for the remainder of the year.
Violent crime hits 43040
Within about a month, two violent crimes unfolded in Marysville.
27-year-old Micaiah Swindler was indicted for the murder of his father, Joseph Swindler, on April 21st at their home in Mill Valley. The younger Swindler stabbed his father multiple times and then self-reported to the Marysville Police. He has since entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity and awaits testing to see if he is competent to stand trial in the case.
28-year-old Dustin Ohm was indicted for shooting at a Marysville Police officer at point-blank range during a standoff on May 30 in the Quail Hollow subdivision near the high school. He barely missed the officer and then fled the scene. He was then shot by a Union County Sheriff deputy when stopped on US 33 near Northwest Parkway. Ohm turned the gun on himself during the shootout with the deputy. Ohm faces multiple counts and continues to recover from his injuries at a Columbus hospital while he awaits prosecution.
Why these cases matter: Both cases were related to mental health, not growth, as some residents perceive. Both involved residents who were struggling with mental health issues that escalated into crimes of violence.
Marysville's first New Community Authority
Marysville city leaders have received the message loud and clear from residents on TIFs, or Tax Increment Finance districts.
TIFs have been used to divert property taxes from the schools and other local services to help finance infrastructure that benefits the public in general. TIFs are the way the City has upgraded its water system over the past 20 years. The City Council adopted a temporary moratorium in response to resident pushback.
At the same time, the City is leveraging a new mechanism that requires developers to pay for development. The City created its first New Community Authority earlier this year that will oversee infrastructure and maintenance for Marysville Southeast.
A New Community Authority is empowered under Ohio law to levy a fee on property owners to pay for roads, water and other infrastructure. The Marysville Southeast NCA is the City's first foray into leveraging the mechanism.
Why it matters: Look for additional NCAs to pop up for developments in the Marysville North and Marysville East projects. If created, it will be interesting to see how these authorities work on residential projects. There's no sympathy for commercial interests paying for infrastructure and maintenance.
But when leveraged for residential development, future homeowners will need a high level of transparency regarding the fees they will be required to pay. And how these additional fees play into support for future school levies and other public funding needs will also be of interest.
New superintendent at MEVSD
Dr. Zack Howard will have his hands full as he takes the helm of the Marysville Exempted Village School District. Dr. Howard has local roots and seems to have the skillset to meet the demands of the district in the days, months, and years to come. He comes to the district after serving as the superintendent of the Mt. Gilead school system in Morrow County.
He'll be inheriting a district that is still exhaling from a stressful levy election cycle. Building public trust will be one of his #1 jobs. He's already been building bridges, making connections at multiple levels across the community.
He'll be working to continue Marysville's legacy of quality public education and academic excellence while taking on a $3 million preschool service, formerly provided by the Union County Board of Developmental Disabilities; restoring School Resource officers to buildings across the district; and shepherding forward the district's long-term facilities strategy.
Wisty Rose disappearance
The body of a missing Marysville woman was recovered in a remote area of a state park in Alabama.
Ventura Wendy Rose had been reported missing last fall after not returning from a vacation in the state. Authorities in Cleburne County, Alabama, confirmed on March 18th that there was no foul play in the case.
Her body was located in early December after an extensive search, which captured national attention.
Thanks for reading Marysville Matters!
I’m sure I missed a topic or a storyline that was important to you. Let me know what you thought was the biggest story so far this year in Marysville.
Tomorrow, we'll be pulling out the crystal ball for a special 4th of July edition of the newsletter. I'll be sharing what I perceive to be some of the biggest story arcs I'll be following in the second half of 2025.
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A big thank you to our sponsor, 2nd Chances Thrift Stores in uptown Marysville!
Have a great Thursday!
-Joe C.