(This story has been updated with additional information.) Nearly two years ago, after the grisly discovery of an infant girl's body in the garbage, Plain City Police Chief Dale McKee made two promises to his community: the baby would get a proper burial he announced the fulfillment of that nearly two-year-old second promise McKee said DNA has confirmed Anuradha Manukonda, 26, of Greene County, gave birth to the baby girl and then placed her body in an exterior trash can at a home on the 100 block of Bluestem Lane a garbage company employee found the baby's body "It's been worked on every single day," McKee said faces a single charge of abuse of a corpse in Madison County Common Pleas Court She appeared Wednesday for an arraignment where she formally entered a not-guilty plea Following the discovery of the baby's remains the Plain City community named her "Madison Baby Doe." Community members came together to give the baby girl a funeral and burial attended by dozens Manukonda had been staying with a family member on Bluestem Lane when she gave birth but her family did not know she was pregnant McKee said additional evidence collected from the trash in the area where the baby was found including DNA from a Q-Tip and beer bottle She placed her daughter's remains in an exterior rollout trash can on the 100 block of Bluestem Lane The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation assisted Plain City police in identifying Manukonda through the DNA obtained Medical examiners were unable to determine how the baby died due to the extent of the injuries caused by the garbage truck compactor and the delay in the discovery there is no evidence to indicate the baby's death was a homicide "We don't have any evidence to prove the baby was alive," McKee said Manukonda faces a maximum of 12 months in prison if convicted Reporter Bethany Bruner can be reached at bbruner@gannett.com or on Bluesky at @bethanybruner.dispatch.com Ohio (WSYX) — Buckeye fans are all excited about OSU being crowned National Champions but they have an opportunity to see the big trophy up close The CFP Trophy will come to the Jerome Village Kroger Marketplace in Plain City this Wednesday Fans can come see the trophy and take pictures with it between 4 p.m The Jerome Village Kroger Marketplace is located at 12116 Sycamore Trace Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application She was born to Lance Hunting and Sherrie Ross Hunting on February 3 She was lucky enough to grow up next to her great grandparents whom she adored She graduated from Clearfield High in 1995 Melissa married Jeffrey Gideon on October 16 They were sealed in the Idaho Falls Temple on October 19 They got to raise their kids by moving back and forth from Woodruff Utah to Promontory on Deseret land and livestock where Jeff works Jeff dedicated his life to making her happy Melissa got to homeschool her children while living on the beautiful ranch As her kids got older Melissa went back to college and accomplished a lifelong dream of getting her nursing degree Melissa had a gift for caring for people in their final years As a young girl she helped take care of her great grandparents she also brought her grandmother to live with her and her family in her final months of life and took wonderful care of her She loved working at the VA while finishing nursing school and London dawn; her parents Lance and Sherrie Hunting Merika (Chad) Christiansen and brother Hadley (Leann) Hunting The family will meet with friends Wednesday 3333 West 5600 South and Thursday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m Funeral Services will be live-streamed and available on the day of the services by scrolling to the bottom of Melissa’s obituary page at: www.lindquistmortuary.com where condolences may also be shared ORDER VIDEOS Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors Utah (KUTV) — A house fire neighbors reported as an explosion caused $150,000 in damage to a home in Plain City The fire happened Thursday afternoon near 3700 West 2600 North in Plain City Chief Dennis Crezee with Plain City Fire said Crezee said neighbors hear loud popping and explosions coming from the garage of the home Most of the fire damage happened in the garage but due to firefighting efforts there was water damage throughout the house The estimated damage is worth at least $150,000 It was not specified if anyone was in the home when the fire started passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by family on Saturday The only child of Joseph Leigh and Martha Faye Jensen Williams Joe was Captain of his football and wrestling teams and Senior Class Vice President of the Malad High Dragons Joe then attended Ricks College where he finished his undefeated wrestling career by winning the Division 2 National Championship He graduated with an AAS degree from Ricks in 1962 and then honorably served a 2-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Western States Mission he enrolled at BYU where he met his sweetheart and eternal companion They were sealed for time and all eternity in the St Joe graduated from BYU with his master’s degree then attended the University of Texas in Galveston graduating with a degree in Physical Therapy principally working at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott Kansas and later McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden Joe was a passionate horseman and loved racing his quarter horses and thoroughbreds at Wyoming Downs where he participated for many years in the sport Joe was very service-oriented and active member of the Church Among his callings he loved serving as a scout leader Joe was a master gardener and maintained a massive garden at his Plain City home from which he shared an abundance of produce with his neighbors watching and cheering on his team to the very last He will be remembered most for his ability to make people laugh Joe was preceded in death by his father at a young age Friends may visit with family on Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m the family requests Memorial Contributions in Joe’s honor be made directly to the Huntsman Cancer Institute:  You could find him in the front row at every event she was involved in cheering the loudest His world revolved around her and he soaked up every minute they spent together Casey worked at Hill Air Force Base for almost 20 years where he made lifelong friends Casey had a huge heart and would do anything for anyone He was the life of the party and brought a smile to everyone’s face Whoever came into close contact with him became a friend for life.  Casey competed in team roping throughout high school rodeo he endured an ankle injury at a steer wrestling school which caused him several surgeries and lifelong pain he chose to undergo a below-the-knee amputation He had goals to walk pain-free and live a more active lifestyle He had a love for racehorses and chariot racing and could not wait to be back on the track helping out.  Casey is survived by his daughter Carsen Casper Casey has always been known as the “Fun Uncle” full of practical jokes and pranks He made sure every niece and nephew got to see the planes at Hill Air Force Base and of course Friends and relatives may visit with the family on Sunday In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Casey Casper Memorial account (913221-8) at America First Credit Union ORDER VIDEOS She was the first child of Amos and Ethel Brown Through a relative she met a man she considered "too old for me" shortly after graduation but changed her mind when "I got a little older myself" They were married on November 20,1959 and spent more than 50 years together Their marriage was later solemnized in the Ogden LDS Temple Kathy (Sheldon) Shimizu; Francene (Craig) Bielik They have 7 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren She was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints serving in several callings making most of her children's clothing when they were young Barbara was also skilled with crochet and had won several ribbons for her creations as she could prepare and cook everything very well She delighted in playing practical jokes - especially on her husband Barbara worked hard nearly all of her life She helped on her father's farm and had a job in a canning factory; was a babysitter; made and sold candy and cakes and had a long career as a tax examiner with the IRS in Ogden She retired in 2006 after more than 40 years of service She deeply loved her family and was especially fond of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband Barbara is now enjoying a joyful reunion with those she loved The family wishes to thank the staff of Seasons Assisted Living in Plain City for providing years of compassionate care for Barbara Funeral services will be held on Wednesday Friends may visit with family on Tuesday from 6 to 8 p.m Plain City is moving forward on a couple of connectivity projects on the south side of town Village Administrator Haley Lupton told council recently that two projects on West Avenue are making progress and one will likely start later this year The first project to have the more immediate action will.. KAYSVILLE — A documentary chronicling a Plain City teen’s journey to the Pacific Ocean via the Columbia River — entitled “Columbia River Canoe Project” — will be screening at 6 p.m directed by Fruit Heights native Neil Larson and the expedition that inspired it were projects hatched by professional skier/mountaineer Rob Lester who had become enamored with the idea of experiencing the river on a grander scale while growing up in Butte my cousin and I used to build these little wooden boats and we’d float them down the river,” Lester told the Standard-Examiner … We always wanted somebody from the ocean to call us but I just became kind of obsessed with this idea of That idea kicked around the back of Lester’s head for years until he recounted it to a friend who subsequently encouraged him to pursue the endeavor “I went home the next day and started emailing canoe companies,” Lester said Despite a relatively short run up to actually embarking on the journey Lester found himself in a scramble during the final weeks as two different people were forced to relinquish the spot next to him in the canoe he ended up finding an unlikely partner at a family reunion: his then-18-year-old cousin a Plain City boy who had never been canoeing in his life “I guess just a sense of adventure,” Mitchell told the Standard-Examiner of the decision to offer up his services “That’s what was appealing to it — being able to see things I’d never seen before experience hardships that I’ve never experienced And I thought that it would basically change me for the better.” Lester and Mitchell launched from Silver Bow Creek near Butte in the Columbia River Basin for what would be a 52-day journey to the Pacific Ocean “It was really challenging,” Mitchell said we just had to figure it out and get through it It taught me a lot about fortitude and just not giving up.” Lester and Mitchell traveled through four U.S states and parts of Canada during the expedition the duo portaged 19 of the roughly 40 hydroelectric dams they encountered carrying their canoe more than 175 miles over the course of the trip they found themselves carrying it for 15-plus miles in one shot we actually traveled well over 1,300 miles because as the river got large especially in the large reservoirs,” Lester said “Crossing the river for campsites or food also added a lot of miles.” their canoe was also tipped by rapids and both men were sent into the water kind of afraid of whitewater,'” Lester recalled I’ve been afraid of whitewater the whole time but I didn’t tell you because I was afraid you wouldn’t let me come.’ … It’s amazing that he wanted to go knowing he was afraid.” Those moments — when his cousin showed his courage and found new abilities and confidence within himself — are what Lester said he’ll carry with him “I look at life differently because of how hard the trip was and the challenges I went through,” Mitchell added The journey also allowed the pair to see firsthand the effects that non-Native human activity has had on the river and surrounding environment “We need to be careful about littering anywhere near a river — pollution There are a lot of animals and ecosystems that rely on the river for life,” Mitchell said There’s a lot of them that are out of order that are still left there that has these ponds that were full of chemicals that they used to break down the pulp to make things like cardboard and paper Lester and Mitchell visited the Hanford Site a decommissioned nuclear production complex in Benton County where historical practices resulted in the release of radioactive materials into the local environment “Columbia River Canoe Project” has screened and netted awards at a number of film festivals including the Twin Falls SANDWICHES Film Festival British Columbia Environmental Film Festival and more To purchase tickets for the Kaysville screening, go to https://mountain-king-industries.com/kaysville-tickets/ LLC | www.standard.net | 332 Standard Way This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Braxton Mitchell was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: to run the Columbia River from the Continental Divide in Butte set sail for his very first outdoor expedition The adventure he was about to embark on had a name and a purpose, and he wasn't doing it alone. The Columbia River Canoe Project was spearheaded by his cousin Robert Lester to make a documentary highlighting the critical role rivers play in ecosystems and what can be done to keep them healthy The entire trip was 1,300 miles and took the duo 52 days to complete Mitchell said he really didn't know what he was getting himself into but he's glad he did it canoed 1,300 miles along the path of the Columbia River to create awareness in the form of a documentary entitled "The Columbia River Canoe Project," which is now screening "I had never been on an outdoor adventure before," the Plain City resident said "I'm more into motorsports and action sports But I really liked the idea of all the great things I could see and experience on the trip that I wouldn't be able to in any other place The hard work included paddling down a river at night and carrying a heavy canoe on land to avoid dangerous rapids Mitchell recalled having to carry the canoe 24 miles in one day as being one of the most challenging parts of the trip "It wasn't supposed to be a fun camping trip; it was more of a huge challenge that we were trying to overcome and so there was a lot of hard work and the fun kind of came second," Mitchell said "Carrying the canoe was a big challenge and getting used to paddling at night to rest in the afternoon was really draining The longest stretch we carried the canoe was 24 miles in Hood River While the hard work and fun were both part of the excursion on top of their minds was showcasing the importance of the river and meeting people along the way who knew what it would take to keep the river running healthfully "We had three subgoals on this trip," Lester said "We wanted to focus on the overall health of the Columbia River but we wanted to talk a lot about natural resource extraction — things like mining and how it has affected the river and industry Damming is kind of a catch-22 because it's an ecological draw that is much better than putting out greenhouse gasses but it also has had a negative environmental impact on wildlife and our ecosystem which makes it a tough and interesting topic we wanted to look at Native Americans' connection to the river Connection was Lester's main driving force when setting out to complete this project and he said that from the time he was a child he has loved how rivers connect people to themselves "This is something that I have always wanted to do since I was a little kid," Lester said "Me and a different cousin of mine would build these little wooden boats and we'd float them down the river by my house all summer long We'd put notes in them like a message-in-a-bottle-style and we fell in love with this idea of water as a means of travel and connectivity." the trip was a way for Lester and Mitchell to send a message to anyone who may not know the critical role rivers play in the overall health of the surrounding and expanding ecosystems Their message has been turned into a documentary titled "The Columbia River Canoe Project," which premiers in Utah on Jan Touching all the states that the river does it has already debuted in Oregon and will play at theaters in Montana and Washington For more information on the film and to purchase tickets, go to the film's website; or follow The Columbia River Canoe Project on social media PLAIN CITY — If increasing the stock of starter homes is the right thing to do the JDC Ranch development on the west side of Plain City is well on its way to doing the right thing Spencer Cox and other local officials held a groundbreaking ceremony in the neighborhood to celebrate the construction of 275 starter homes as part of the expansive 1,000-home neighborhood The starter homes will be single-family detached homes with base prices below $400,000 The properties will come fully landscaped and fenced owner and president of Nilson Homes — the company developing the neighborhood — said adding to the housing stock is an element important to restoring the American dream in Utah “We’ve all grown up with the desire to achieve the American dream the American dream is slipping away and is especially not available in Utah,” he said “Many are having to leave the state to achieve that American dream We want to bring that American dream back to Utah so that Utahns can continue to live in Utah and stay close to their family and friends.” Weber County Commissioner Jim Harvey and Steve Waldrip the state’s senior advisor for housing strategy and innovation Waldrip said Cox’s goal of building 35,000 starter homes in the state over five years is no simple task “That’s 0.8 (houses) per hour for five straight years — that’ a lot,” he said it’s a difficult interest rate environment and there are challenges in the construction industry with labor and pricing He added that challenges also extend to the perception of additional housing coming to an area “Density is a bad word in Utah right now,” he said “This density is going to be wonderful and beautiful but it’s tough to convince your neighbors of that when everybody is afraid of the impacts of growth The Planning Commission for West Weber stood up and said We’re willing to stand up and do the right thing here.’ And they viewed it as their moral obligation.” “That road’s wide and it’s going to get busier There will be more infrastructure out here Cox said he’s not deterred from taking on the housing crisis It is the crisis of our time and we have to do something,” he said Every governor’s trying to figure this out and you’re not going to be able to solve it and you’re just going to look bad four years from now when you’re done.’ … We can’t look away.” Nilson told the Standard-Examiner that these starter homes will be move-in ready very soon “We’ve got some of these homes framed up already,” he said “We’ll for sure have people moving in in the first quarter of next year He said Nilson Homes is taking a direct approach to help keep the new homes affordable for families “We’ve basically agreed to take on the risk of continuing to build these homes at a below-market rate,” he said They will always be more fixed to what the costs are of the home That’s mainly the way that they’ll stay at this starter home pricing — because they don’t fluctuate with the market pricing.” Nilson called projects like this extraordinarily important at the present time “There’s an extreme housing shortage in the state of Utah and that’s caused home pricing to skyrocket,” he said “It’s made it so 80% of Utahans can’t afford a median-priced home in the state of Utah So we took this concept to the governor’s team and then we took it to the county here and they all agreed with the concept “I feel like it’s important because we have to fix the housing crisis in order for our state to continue to flourish If our own Utah children and grandchildren can’t afford to stay in Utah that will ruin the fabric of our state — families are the fabric of our state.” Daily HeraldEverett Kentrolis is pushed in a wheelchair by his dad through a cheering crowd at the Provo Airport ahead of the family's flight to Walt Disney World on Wednesday The trip took place through a newly formed partnership between Breeze Airways and Make-A-WIsh Utah to grant wishes for local children battling illnesses For families of children battling a critical illness or life-altering injury getting a call from the Make-A-Wish foundation letting them know a child’s wish has been granted can spark a sense of joy and hope Twelve-year-old Sophia Ostler and her family, of American Fork, were given the news that they’d be taking an all-expenses-paid trip to Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort in Florida during a special surprise ceremony at the Make-A-Wish Utah headquarters back in November 2024 Sophia suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the neck down after a car accident in July 2023 The seventh grader has displayed great resilience as she continues to endure pain amidst her healing journey Daily HeraldSophia Ostler is pushed in a wheelchair by her mother through a cheering crowd at the Provo Airport ahead of their flight to Walt Disney World on Wednesday a group of employees and volunteers from Make-A-Wish Utah and Breeze Airways greeted her with signs cheers and streamers as her family rolled Sophia along in her wheelchair inside the Provo Airport before boarding their flight to Orlando Her family was overcome with joy and emotion in seeing the smiles on Sophia’s and her little sister’s faces in anticipation of their journey to “the happiest place on earth.” “I’ve been looking forward to this with my kids for at least a year,” said Sophia’s father Sophia had quite a few ideas on the list of activities she hoped to check off during the nearly weeklong trip “I’m really excited to see what food is there and I’m really excited to go to Harry Potter World at Universal Studios,” she said “And I hope I get to see some animals at Disney World.” walk through a cheering crowd at the Provo Airport before their flight to Walt Disney World on Wednesday Sophia’s dad said the family previously explored making a trip to Disneyland Resort in Southern California After returning home and back to school at American Fork Junior High Sophia was contacted by Make-A-Wish early last year She was given the opportunity to pick her top three wishes ultimately choosing Disney World and Universal Sophia’s mom Mandy said seeing the day arrive where they get to make the trip to Florida felt like a dream come true sits next to her mother on an airplane as they await takeoff from the Provo Airport to Walt Disney World on Wednesday three other wish kids and their families flew to Orlando from Provo on Wednesday The trips represent a newly formed partnership between Breeze Airways and Make-A-Wish Utah The two organizations united to fulfill wishes for children who aspire to travel to some of the most requested destinations like Disneyland or Disney World said the efforts are the result of compassion and generosity from partnering staff members “It means so much to the wish kids and their families you see the faces of mom and dad in the siblings I think this is a culminating moment for them as they battled life-threatening medical challenges,” Dudley told the Daily Herald during Wednesday’s event “Today is a celebration about everything that they’ve been through and persevered through.” But the medical challenges weren’t enough to keep each wish kid from showing off their charismatic personalities during Wednesday’s send-off Daily HeraldA Make-A-Wish Utah staff member holds a sign that reads "dreams taking flight" during a celebration at the Provo Airport for kids and families flying to Walt Disney World on Wednesday When Everett Kentrolis was just 1 year old doctors diagnosed with him with cerebral palsy and epilepsy Now, at the age of 10, his mother, Ryan so we’re excited to be able to celebrate him,” she said The Kentrolis family of Plain City was also excited and grateful for the opportunity to have Everett’s wish become reality and just enjoy being a kid despite the current obstacles “This was a great way for him to forget about the diagnosis and some of the trials that he’s been through and just focus on being a 10-year-old,” Ryan Kentrolis said Daily HeraldStaff from Breeze Airways and Make-A-Wish Utah pose for a photo at the Provo Airport on Wednesday A wish fulfillment ceremony was held for four families flying to Orlando as part of a newly formed partnership between the organizations to grant wishes for local children battling illnesses Make-A-Wish Utah aims to grant at least 220 wishes this year Breeze Airways will provide up to 700 seats and flight accommodations for wish kids and accompanying family members Sophia’s dad Craig shared his gratitude for the volunteers and staff from both organizations for bringing the experience to life “The amount of work and effort to get to this point was a lot and I’m really excited to see the kids actually enjoy a little bit of more of a normal life,” he said “It’s amazing how many people can help and how many people are willing to help And I also love what American Fork High School did because they raised a lot of the money for me,” Sophia said 22 to celebrate the opening of Bundles Ultrasound Boutique independent 3D/4D ultrasound and baby boutique Owners Annie Park and Kristen Speed are experienced sonographers who help parents bond with their babies prior to their births and support the maternity experience through elective ultrasounds and website in this browser for the next time I comment Canal Winchester and South - Covering Canal Winchester and entire Canal Winchester School District Covering all of Obetz and Hamilton Township Groveport - Covering Groveport and the entire Groveport School District & Madison Twp Grove City - Covering all of Grove City and Commercial Point Madison - Covering Madison County including: London OGDEN — A fixture of the Northern Utah food scene for seven decades and an Ogden-area original will expand its myriad offerings to Plain City in the coming months a family restaurant chain owned by Kirk and Leigh Dean is slated to open a new location in the city early next year “We’re looking to open the first week or two in January,” Kirk Dean told the Standard-Examiner The Plain City location will be the Deans’ eighth operating restaurant There are currently Warrens restaurants in Roy in addition to Dylan’s restaurants in Ogden and Kaysville The couple also owns Warrens Craft Burger on Historic 25th Street in Ogden And while the newest location may have a different look quality food in a welcoming environment that has been a key ingredient to Warrens’ success will carry over The growth of Warrens as a veritable culinary institution in the region has been a generational journey Warrens was founded as Rusty’s Cafe in the 1950s by Doug Warren a longtime member of the Roy Police force and entrepreneur He eventually sold to Keith and Evelyn Combe — Leigh’s parents — who cut their teeth in the industry with Mason’s Drive-Inn and a number of Arctic Circle restaurants “He was a franchisee and a little stubborn … Sometimes he would butt heads with corporate because he just wanted everything a certain quality And he carried that through to Warrens as well,” Leigh Dean told the Standard-Examiner of her late father “I remember as a kid we’d go and check the restaurants at night and get ice cream cones.” Although he had been in the paint business for several years Kirk was eventually compelled to take the proverbial baton from his father-in-law Keith and I got along pretty well and we decided to build a third location Keith and I built one on 12th and Monroe that was a Warrens at the time I need to be an actual manager and know how to operate the building,” Kirk Dean said I spent four years as a store manager there learning the ins and outs of what Keith created.” the Deans bought Warrens from Leigh’s family and another generation is following in Keith’s footsteps “Our daughter works for us and she’s the manager at 12th Street right now and she’ll open up the new Plain City store the family has sought to maintain the same high standard for Warrens that was set by those who built it “I love what we do; it’s fresh and quality,” Kirk Dean said but we want to make sure we have the right product first clean kitchens.’ We really take a lot of pride in stuff that customers don’t see but we know that it’s taken care of properly.” Warrens’ menu features items ranging from their “Big W” burger to fish and chips to breakfast fare, salads, shakes and much more. For more information, go to https://mywarrens.com/ Rock the Clock is kicking it up a notch this year adding nationally renowned country artists Niko Moon and Lauren Watkins to the entertainment lineup a Marysville native who plays outlaw country earned his way into the lineup by winning the Showdown of the Bands blends many sounds across the musical spectrum to produce high-energy country music Lauren Watkins has a Tennessee limestone gravel in her voice • 9:30 p.m.–Headliner Niko Moon is a chart-topping country artist who’s all about making people feel good with his positive vibes and tunes 1 songs and over 40 major record label cuts for artists including Morgan Wallen Rock the Clock offers children’s activities Visit “Rock the Clock” on Facebook for more information, including a traffic flow and parking map. Information also is available at www.rocktheclock.org Morgan Harper is the director of policy and advocacy and Emma Freer is a senior policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project “I don't know what some of the (patients) are going to do,” a Plain City Druggist customer lamented early this year upon the central Ohio independent pharmacy’s closure. In an interview with ABC 6 the customer shared how older patients depend on independent pharmacists to dispense prescriptions and guidance The only pharmacies in Mechanicsburg and West Jefferson recently shut down. Chains are disappearing, too. In all, at least 173 pharmacies have closed in Ohio this year increasing the risk of pharmacy “deserts,” where the nearest location is more than 10 miles away Ask any pharmacist, or even the CEO of Walgreens and he will likely say pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) PBMs emerged in the 1960s to process prescription drug claims for health insurers and negotiate prices with manufacturers and pharmacies saving plan sponsors like employers and unions time and money In 2004, the largest PBMs accounted for 52% of U.S. prescription drug claims Cigna Group’s Express Scripts and UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx’s –– controlled 80% They are also vertically integrated with insurers that own pharmacies; two are even starting to manufacture drugs PBMs control every part of the pharmaceutical supply chain Ohioans must fight backAs detailed in a recent Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report the Big Three use this market power and vertical integration to determine which pharmacies get to dispense which drugs how much they are compensated and what patients owe at the counter or drive-thru window a PBM can require patients to use the PBM’s own with which the patient may have a relationship The FTC estimates PBMs are paying their own pharmacies 20% to 40% more than unaffiliated pharmacies making it impossible for independents like Plain City Druggist to compete and likely violating antitrust law Until recently, the government largely stayed on the sidelines as PBMs grew to dominate the prescription drug market. But in 2023 Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost became one of the first in his position to sue PBMs for overcharging the state’s Medicaid program Last month, the FTC sued the "big three" for artificially inflating insulin prices This week in Columbus, thousands of independent pharmacists are at the annual conference of the National Community Pharmacists Association a trade association leading the charge to expose PBMs’ market abuses Many of the attendees have devoted their careers to serving patients and advocating against PBMs’ lawlessness — alongside patient advocates elected officials and antitrust enforcers — as they fight for their economic lives Members of this coalition will participate in a discussion hosted by the American Economic Liberties Project a nonprofit research and advocacy organization The government is taking note of this advocacy Cigna healthcare just sued the FTC for defamation for daring to explain its PBM’s business model in its report But pharmacists alone cannot win against giants Ohioans must recognize the threat that vertically-integrated insurance conglomerates pose to our health and pocketbooks Fifteen counties in Ohio contain pharmacy deserts a trend that could accelerate as PBMs continue bleeding independent pharmacies dry Communicating the harms of PBMs to elected officials at the state and federal levels is critical Change may come too late for Plain City Druggists but an entire generation of pharmacists is counting on the public to join their fight to break up PBMs and keep retail pharmacies in our communities Morgan Harper is the director of policy and advocacy and Emma Freer is a senior policy analyst at the American Economic Liberties Project.