CITY COUNCIL SAYS NOT TO DATA CENTER

At a marathon Pataskala City Council hearing Tuesday, dozens of residents voiced their concerns about a proposed 200-megawatt data center at the corner of Broad and Mink streets.

Councilwoman Mary Hite and the rest of council approved the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation to deny Aligned Data Centers' application to build the facility.

FATAL UTV CRASH

A 52-year-old Howard man was killed in a UTV crash in Knox County. According to the State Patrol, Tuesday around 4:45 a.m., Eric Carpenter, was traveling south on Harrisburg Road near Chapel Road went he went off the road, struck a fence and was ejected from the UTV. Carpenter was pronounced dead at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.

HEBRON WOMAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY

A 32-year-old Hebron woman accused of selling drugs has been indicted. Peyton Nichols has entered not guilty pleas to multiple charges including aggravated trafficking in drugs following her arrest earlier this month. Nichols remains held on $75,000 bond. She is scheduled to go to trial in November.

DISASTER RELIEF FUND

The United Way of Licking County is doing its part to help those experiencing flood damage.

Executive Director Deb Dingus said they also are accepting hygiene items at their offices on South Second Street in downtown Newark. For more information visit www.unitedwaylc.org.

HEBRON CLEAN UP

WIN Waste Innovations will be delivering a dumpster to Canal Park in Hebron today for residents who have items from the recent flooding that need to be discarded. For more information visit the Village of Hebron's Facebook page.

211 IN ALL 88 COUNTIES

Ohio 211 has announced the completion of a statewide expansion, bringing 211 services to all 88 Ohio counties. Ohio 211 is a free, 24/7 service that connects callers with local resources to help with everyday needs, including nutritional assistance, housing and shelter, and counseling. Between January 2025 and July 2026, Ohio 211 provided more than 1.4 million referrals to available services. The top unmet need category was housing.