School limits students' cell phone usage
By Avery St. George | Mar. 4, 2025Athens, Alexander, Belpre and Nelsonville school districts have all implemented a policy that involves limiting cell phone use.
LOCAL
School district's free lunch program faces threat
By Paige Fisher | Mar. 4, 2025Athens City Schools administration raises concerns about the disappearance of a program that provides district-wide free lunches.
OU hosts Scripps National Spelling Bee Regional Competition
By Sydney Myers | Mar. 2, 2025Thirteen elementary and middle school students from Southeast Ohio gathered Saturday morning to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee Regional Competition.
Cool Digs protests construction, sidewalk blockage with funeral march
By Drew Hoffmaster | Mar. 2, 2025At 4 p.m., Athens’ locals, business owners, students and local business supporters gathered in front of the Athens County Courthouse for a New Orleans-style funeral march.
Tablertown People of Color Museum relocating, expanding
By Zoe Weyand | Feb. 25, 2025The Tablertown People of Color Museum, a museum currently in Stewart, Ohio, focused on local POC history, is moving to Tablertown, formerly Kilvert, and expanding.
Athens wins EPA award encouraging environmental excellence
By Zoe Weyand | Feb. 25, 2025Athens was recently awarded the 2024 Gold Level Encouraging Environmental Excellence in Communities Award for the city’s efforts in operating sustainably.
Avalanche Pizza donates meals to food insecure in Athens County
By Lilia Santeramo | Feb. 21, 2025The Pizza restaurant has been donating meals for 10 years as part of a mission to help Athens County residents in need.
Brown groundwater at Lostro Building raises concerns, city responds
By Finn Smith | Feb. 18, 2025Lostro building construction brought concern with residents regarding groundwater supply.
Hocking County Jail transforms into women's-only facility
By Finn Smith | Feb. 17, 2025The Hocking Correctional Facility is currently being repurposed to serve as a women’s-only jail and drug treatment center.
Athens City Commission on Disabilities announces meeting times
By Carolyn Lewis | Feb. 6, 2025The Athens City Commission on Disabilities announces meeting times for various public meetings.
Ohio schools prepare for ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill’
By Mary Kate McNamee | Feb. 4, 2025Gov. Mike DeWine passed House Bill 8, commonly referred to as the ‘Don’t Say Gay Bill,’ affecting public school districts in Ohio.
Nelsonville charts course for charterless government
By Jack Solon | Feb. 4, 2025Nelsonville citizens voted to abolish its city charter of almost 30 years, a first in Ohio history.
Fracking explosion in Guernsey County causes fire, raises safety concerns
By Finn Smith | Jan. 27, 2025An explosion at a fracking pad in Guernsey County caused a fire which burned for 18 hours.
Heavy snow, cold weather hit Athens
By Drew Hoffmaster | Jan. 21, 2025Athens County received a total snowfall of 8-12 inches depending on the area between Jan. 5-7. The snow was caused by a low-pressure system, especially a mid-latitude cyclone over the Rocky Mountains.
Athens faces high living costs, low wages
By Drew Hoffmaster | Jan. 15, 2025A report from online-bill-payment company Doxo released in November found Athens ranked 73 out of 247 cities in Ohio.
City Council discusses affordable housing, new tennis courts
By Ashley Pomplas | Jan. 14, 2025Athens City Council discussed various items in committees including affordable housing, new tennis courts and traffic signals.
ADA concerns continue with repairs of bricks at Court, East Union Streets
By Madalyn Blair | Jan. 14, 2025Although the Athens City Commission on Disabilities has shown concern for bricks on heavily trafficked areas, the city maintains the bricks by releveling them in a turn of events.
Southeast Ohio parents struggle finding trained mental health professionals, services for children
By Madalyn Blair | Jan. 3, 2025Parents in Southeastern Ohio struggle to find trained mental health professionals and services for their children, with some traveling over 100 miles for care.
Athens receives $2 million to improve housing
By Finn Smith | Dec. 6, 2024Athens is receiving a $2 million grant from the Welcome Home Ohio program, a state initiative focused on affordable housing.
Food truck owner seeks changes on East Union Street
By Drew Hoffmaster | Dec. 5, 2024Brandon Buckley, the owner of the food trucks Rise and Grind and A-Town Pies and Fries, wants to work with the city to make the vending spots on East Union Street more accessible and user-friendly.
