Ohio voters will not have a chance to vote to ban data centers in the November election. Conserve Ohio, the grassroots organization behind the proposed constitutional amendment, said they are now hoping to make the 2027 ballot.

Highland County commissioners Terry Britton and Brad Roades hosted the Ohio Regional Development Commission’s second-round caucus at the start of their Wednesday, June 17 meeting, where two grant applications were approved.

A Lynchburg woman indicted in connection with a Highland County Task Force investigation was sentenced last week to four years in prison after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.

A former Fayette County Sheriff’s deputy was found guilty of 124 child pornography-related charges following a jury trial in Fayette County Common Pleas Court this week, as announced by the Fayette County Prosecutor’s Office.

One of those seven targets, all of whom are Republican lawmakers, was whistleblower advocate and West Virginia House Delegate Tristan Leavitt.

Ten leaders have been selected to serve on the Ohio Beef Youth Council (OYBC) Leadership Team. Five members of the leadership team will begin their second year term as officers; the other five individuals will learn alongside the officers, serving a two-year term.

Gist Settlement Legacy Secretary Paige Green will present a program regarding the history of the Highland County Penn Township Gist Settlement on Tuesday, June 23 at the Highland County Historical Society Hodson House conference room at 7 p.m. 

A regular board meeting of the Highland County North Joint Fire and Ambulance District Board of Trustees will be held on Tuesday, June 23 at 200 South St., Leesburg, at 8 p.m. 

State Representative Bob Peterson (R-Sabina) last week voted in support of a comprehensive legislative package aimed at fighting fraud, waste and abuse within Ohio’s Medicaid program with the goal of protecting taxpayer dollars.

The Highland District Hospital Foundation is pleased to share the success of its annual golf outing, held on Friday, June 12 at Buckeye Hills Country Club. 

In late March, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a public-private partnership with SB Energy, a Japanese company and part of the SoftBank Group, to build the “world’s largest artificial intelligence data center” at the 3,700- acre Portsmouth, Ohio site near the village of Piketon.

Leesburg Friends Church is celebrating the remarkable ministry of Pastor John Fitzgerald along with his wife, Carolyn, as he retires after 40 years of dedicated service to the congregation and community.

The Hillsboro City Schools Board of Education will meet in special session at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, June 24 in the Hillsboro Board of Education Office, 39 Willettsville Pike.

Families from across Highland County are invited to attend National Night Out 2026, a free community event designed to bring residents together with local law enforcement officers, first responders and community organizations for an evening of fun, education and relationship-building.

“The death penalty is currently allowable under Ohio law, and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office will work with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors’ offices to uphold this law and support the families of victims who have suffered at the hands of society’s most violent offenders.”