The Johnstowner · Issue #1

Friday, October 23, 2026 · Johnstown & Monroe Township, Ohio

Hi neighbor 👋

Welcome to the first issue of The Johnstowner, a free Friday email about what's going on in Johnstown. Every week you'll get the weekend's events, who opened or closed, and the civic stuff worth knowing, with links so you can check everything yourself. Let's go.

🎃 This weekend

Fri, Oct 23 - Friends of the Mary E. Babcock Library Book Sale, 10 AM–2 PM (also Sat, 10 AM–2 PM). Books are priced by the bag; cash or check only. 320 N Main St. Details - AI for Business Leaders lunch, noon–1 PM at Atrium Corporation, 188 Commerce Blvd. Licking Park District opens with a 15-minute talk on its upcoming levy. Details

Sat, Oct 24 - Let's Talk Health 5K & Health Fair, 10 AM–noon at the Johnstown High School track. Free. Walk or run a 5K, try a 15-minute class, and hear short talks from local health experts. Hosted by Johnstown Lifestyle. Details - Edwards Athletics Trunk or Treat & Open House, 6–8 PM, 670 W Coshocton St. Details

Sun, Oct 25 - Trunk or Treat at Johnstown Skate n Swim, 5:30–8 PM, 103 Recreation Dr. Want to decorate a trunk? Message the rink to get on the lineup. Details

📅 Coming up

• Tue, Oct 27: Trick-or-Treat Story Time at the library, 10:30–11 AM. Details
• Thu, Oct 29: Johnstown Trick or Treat, 6–7:30 PM, city-wide. Porch lights on! Details
• Thu, Oct 29: "Ghouls" Night Out pottery painting (BYOB), 6:30–9 PM at Create Joy DIY Studio. Registration required. Details
• Sat, Oct 31: Tractor Supply Market Day & Trunk-or-Treat, 9 AM–2 PM, 659 W Coshocton St. Details
• Tue, Nov 3: General Election Day. Polls are open 6:30 AM–7:30 PM. Look up your sample ballot on the Licking County Board of Elections site. (The Reporting Project's voter FAQ) The data-center question is not on this ballot. See below.
• Thu, Nov 5: Chamber "Brewed for Business" fall mixer, 5–6:15 PM, upstairs at El Rey. Details
• Save the date, Sat, Dec 5: CCL Cookie Walk (9 AM), Santa Parade (5:30 PM), and the Chamber's Vintage Christmas & Tree Lighting on Main St. (4–8 PM).

Every week at the library: Read with Andrew the therapy dog (Mondays, 3:30 PM), Family Story Time (Tuesdays, 10:30 AM), After School Awesome (Tuesdays, 3:30 PM). Library calendar

🏪 Openings & closings

• Closed: Black Diamond Prime / Black Diamond Kitchen, 49½ S Main St. It closed in early October, about seven months after opening in March. The owners say the high-end steakhouse concept wasn't the right fit and they're moving to Obetz. (Columbus Business First, NBC4)
• Open: The UPS Store, 721 W Coshocton St, for shipping, printing and mailboxes. It opened this summer. (announcement)
• Open: El Rey Mexican Restaurant, 65 S Main St. Open daily from 11 AM. (El Rey)
• Open: KANSAI HELIOS America opened its industrial-coatings plant at 231 Commerce Blvd this spring. (KANSAI HELIOS)

Know about an opening or closing? Hit reply. That's how this section gets made.

🗳️ Explainer: the Jan. 5 data-center vote, in plain English

What's on the ballot? On Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027, Johnstown voters will decide whether to amend the city charter by adding Section 10.07 to Article X. The new section would prohibit certain types of data centers, including any facility with a combined monthly demand above 25 megawatts from any energy source. (The Reporting Project)

How did it get there? Through a citizen petition. A charter amendment needs signatures equal to 10% of the votes cast in the last general municipal election, which came to about 123 in Johnstown. Petitioners turned in 180, and the Licking County Board of Elections validated 133. The petition was verified two days before the Sept. 4 deadline for the Nov. 3 ballot, and council couldn't get a quorum in time. So on Sept. 10, council set a special election for Jan. 5. (The Reporting Project)

What would it change, and what wouldn't it? - It would put a ban on large data centers (as defined above) in the city charter. - It would not stop the Cologix data-center campus already under construction inside city limits. That project is planned for about 154 acres, with eight data centers, up to 800 MW of capacity, and 2.0 million sq ft. (Newark Earthworks Herald) - It applies only inside Johnstown's city limits. Projects in neighboring jurisdictions aren't affected.

What does the special election cost? About $15,000, according to Mayor Tiffany Hollis.

What are people saying? - Concerns behind the petition: Mayor Hollis said there have been overwhelming concerns in the community about environmental impacts. She also said roads are deteriorating from constant construction truck traffic tied to development in the area. - Questions officials have raised: Mayor Hollis noted that development is happening right at the edge of the city either way. A ban could mean Johnstown "just won't be annexing and we won't get any benefit from it." She asked: "Do you cut yourself out of… the piece of the pie?" She also said a petition signed by 123 people in a city of more than 5,000 didn't feel like the right basis for changing the charter, and that the extra time is meant for the community to get facts on both sides: "whether it's to support data centers or to support banning data centers." - (Quotes and paraphrases are from The Reporting Project.)

Bigger picture: Licking County has 49 data centers that are approved, under construction, or operating. Voters in Pataskala and Granville face similar ban amendments on Nov. 3, and about ten Ohio charter cities have similar questions this fall. (The Reporting Project, Newark Earthworks Herald)

What you can do: Read the petition language, go to a council meeting, and make sure you're registered. Ohio's registration deadline is 30 days before an election, so check the Licking County Board of Elections for the exact date. The Johnstowner doesn't take a side. We'll keep linking to the facts as Jan. 5 gets closer.

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📒 From the directory

New in town and need a plumber, dentist or pizza? The Johnstowner directory lists 220+ Johnstown businesses. Every listing links to its source, and we mark which ones we've verified. Browse the directory →

Own a local business? Add or fix your listing for free.

The Johnstowner is an independent local newsletter by Jared Rudolph, a Johnstown resident. It isn't affiliated with the City of Johnstown or the Johnstown Area Chamber of Commerce. Event details come from organizers' public calendars, so check their links before you go. Got a tip or a correction? Just reply.

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