HEATH — Sometimes a small city does the unglamorous work of governing well, and nobody notices. That shouldn't be the case with Heath.
City leaders didn't treat the Microsoft data center project as a political crisis or a fundraising opportunity to pad the palms of those who live on handouts to support causes. They took a look at the whole picture.
Believe it or not, they examined the resources the project would consume, the jobs and revenue it would bring back to the community, and whether the tradeoff made sense for the people who actually live there. They made a rational decision and stood behind it publicly as people on the other side threw a collective public tantrum — much like 3-year-olds do in supermarkets when their moms tell them they can't have a bag of Skittles.
This story would probably have gotten little attention if it wasn't for Ella Kitchens. Ella writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University's journalism program. Her on-the-ground coverage of Licking County's data center boom brought a level of maturity almost always missed by local outlets that love the preprinted signs accompanied by the City Council chants, which are perfect for the 6 and 11 rage-block news directors and algorithms can’t resist.
Her reporting was different because she didn't chase the rage. She explained tradeoffs, talked to residents, and let readers draw their own conclusions.
In other words, Ella did journalism. Imagine that.
Grove City, Pataskala, and Sunbury, and plenty of other Ohio communities still fighting over data centers through charter amendments and ballot warfare, could learn something here. Good government isn't flashy. It's a city council that does its homework, tells the public the truth, and makes the call that serves the community — not the loudest special interest in the room.
Oh, and good reporting helps both sides find truth. Thanks, Ella.
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