A notorious conservative speaker and an upcoming meeting between City Council and Student Senate were some of the top stories from the past week. Here are updates on those stories, and more.
City Council
The city will no longer build a connector road between East Park Drive and Home Street.
The decision to scrap the plans came after negative feedback from citizens, Athens Mayor Steve Patterson said.
“We received (complaints from) several concerned citizens who did not like the idea at all,” Patterson said. “The city will not be moving forward with the connector.”
The city is currently considering other options to improve traffic conditions on East State Street, including connecting East Park Drive with Community Center Drive.
Milo Yiannopoulos
Conservative speaker and journalist Milo Yiannopoulos will come to Ohio University in December to speak at an event organized by the OU College Republicans.
Yiannopoulos, a writer for Breitbart, gained notoriety after a Twitter confrontation with actress and comedian Leslie Jones.
David Parkhill, president of the OU College Republicans, said he was contacted by an organizer after OU made national news with the pro-Trump messages that were painted on the graffiti wall in the spring.
"It was a heat-of-the-moment decision to support a freedom of speech mindset," Parkhill said. "I think it's important to have guys like (Yiannopoulos) who can say ridiculous things and still be protected by the First Amendment."
Yiannopoulos will speak Dec. 2 at 7 p.m. in Nelson Commons.
Student Senate and City Council to meet
OU Student Senate and City Council will meet Friday at 12:30 p.m. in Baker 237 to discuss student issues.
Topics expected to be discussed at the meeting include single-use bags, texting and driving and the upcoming Halloween Block Party on Oct. 29.
This will be the first time that the current Student Senate will collaborate with the current City Council.
“I hope to create a precedent. We all have common interests,” senate Chief of Staff Landen Lama said. “We need to work with them and they need to work with us.”
Police Blotter
The OU Police Department recorded three alcohol-related arrests, 10 reports of theft, eight drug charges and two arrests for criminal mischief.
One of the alcohol-related events occurred Sunday between 2 and 3 in the morning and involved highly intoxicated males.
Five individuals were also charged with criminal trespassing after two OUPD officers noticed the group entering a restricted portion of The Ridges.
