Anti-data center activist speaks

A public hearing on a proposed $10 billion data center project at the Van Wert Mega Site in Van Wert, Ohio, drew a significant crowd with 40 people speaking on Monday night. The gathering, held at the First Federal Lecture Hall, was largely orderly, with residents expressing views both in favor of and opposed to the re-zoning necessary for the project. Among the speakers was Will Hollingsworth, a librarian and known anti-data center activist from Ravenna, Ohio, who refused to give his name or address initially, identifying himself only as a concerned U.S. citizen. Hollingsworth passionately raised concerns about the data center's potential impact on water usage, energy costs, and job creation. His identity was later confirmed, revealing his history of protesting data centers in other Ohio cities like Ravenna and Twinsburg. A GoFundMe page for Hollingsworth, which mentioned his plans to attend meetings in western Ohio and possibly Scranton, Pennsylvania, had not received donations as of Tuesday morning. Another woman, identifying herself as "Mrs. Jackson" and also carrying a child, spoke against the project and was later observed leaving with Hollingsworth.