Locally owned Star Chamber Arcade opens on Court Street
By Luke Viviano | Oct. 22The Star Chamber Arcade opened on Court Street Oct. 2, offering customers the chance to enjoy unlimited play at an hourly rate, drinks and ice cream.
LOCAL
City Council hears public debate over temporary housing shelters
By Avery St. George | Oct. 21The Athens City Council heard from over 25 community members with comments regarding an ordinance that provides temporary shelters for unhoused individuals on North Congress Street. The public comments expressed several concerns, including safety, winter weather, substance abuse and misinformation.
DeWine ensures no more ticket quotas, OUPD ticketing will not change
By Fiona Petticrew | Oct. 21Senate Bill 114, signed by Gov. Mike DeWine, ensures no law enforcement agency will be allowed to encourage officers to reach a quota on citations and arrests. The Ohio University Police Department will ticket as normal, as they did not have a quota before the bill, but will continue to hold high standards for parking violations.
Teachers' unions sue state over retirement board changes
By Avery St. George | Oct. 15The Ohio Education Association, Ohio Federation of Teachers and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Ohio Conference joined to sue the state over what they considered an “unconstitutional” effort to change the STRS board and deny Ohio teachers control over their retirements.
Bloom Dispensary opens seventh Ohio location in Athens
By Fiona Petticrew | Oct. 14Bloom Dispensary opened up its seventh location on Stimson Ave., available for medical card holders and those 21 and older, offering deals, promotions and guidance from knowledgeable employees. With the ban of intoxicating hemp signed by Gov. DeWine, only dispensaries can legally sell intoxicating hemp products, bringing potential for an influx of business at Bloom and other dispensaries.
Athens, OU fuel green energy, strive for carbon neutrality
By Finn Smith | Oct. 14The city of Athens is leading an initiative to reduce carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. The city has implemented various measures to increase renewable energy in municipal buildings and incentivize residents to do the same within their homes. Ohio University is also following a strict sustainability plan aimed at being carbon neutral by 2050.
Police blotter: Pig in the road, counterfeit money
By Kaitlin Hogg | Oct. 14Police blotter: Warrants of the week, kitten retrieval, protection orders.
City Council approves five ordinances, opioid education funding
By Laynee Eslich | Oct. 8Acting as council president Monday, Councilmember Micah McCarey led a meeting where Athens City Council unanimously passed five ordinances. Measures included joining the national opioid settlement, leasing the former fire department building and updating rental permit requirements.
Poverty continues to impact families, children in Athens County
By Finn Smith | Oct. 7Southeast Ohio is a region known for a long history of poverty. The region continues to suffer from this issue, with many families being food insecure, homeless or experiencing a lack of healthcare. Local organizations such as HAPCAP are battling this issue, offering support to struggling families.
Ohio University Press represents authors around the world
By Fiona Petticrew | Oct. 6Ohio University Press is Ohio’s oldest scholarly publishing press, organized by President Alden in 1964. The press publishes an array of different subjects, from monographs to creative fiction. The company has a global distribution system and offers an annual poetry award as well as a fund for first-time scholarly authors.
Bikeway to connect Athens to Chauncey, Baileys Trail System
By Alex Passero | Oct. 3ODOT is building a new bike path connecting Athens to Chauncey and the Baileys Trail System.
Nationwide Children's Hospital suspends gender affirming care
By Finn Smith | Sep. 30Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus has officially removed all gender affirming medication treatment for transgender patients. The decision was made to proactively plan for changing legislation. LGBTQIA+ advocates oppose the decision and cite this as another removal of important care for transgender individuals.
Safeguard Ohio app to report violent threats using AI
By Finn Smith | Sep. 30The Ohio Department of Homeland Security has officially launched a new suspicious activity reporting application that uses AI to gather reports of violent threats across the state. OHS hopes this new program will increase reports from Ohioans and help prevent serious crimes.
Police blotter: Goats on the loose, warrants of the week
By Kaitlin Hogg | Sep. 30Police blotter: The Athens County Sheriff’s Office responds to trees in the road, Halloween masks and a hit-and-run.
Weekender Briefs: Craft night, flea market and fair
By Ethan Herx | Sep. 29A mix of events will be going on in Athens this week, including multiple film screenings, sporting events and concerts.
Athena Grand’s closure brings customers to Athena Cinema
By Fiona Petticrew | Sep. 26With the closure of the Athena Grand, the Athena Cinema is seeing more business from the students at Ohio University and the community of Athens. The cinema is in the middle of their free Hispanic film series and have more events and movies to come.
City Council debates zoning change for temporary housing huts
By Laynee Eslich | Sep. 25At its Monday meeting, Athens City Council debated whether to approve a zoning change that would allow The Gathering Place, a peer support nonprofit, to install three temporary Conestoga Huts on its parking lot at 1, 5, 7 N. Congress St. The huts would provide overnight housing for people experiencing homelessness.
Teacher shortage continues, impacts schools statewide
By Finn Smith | Sep. 25A major teacher shortage continues to impact all regions of Ohio. Many teachers cite poor pay and a negative culture surrounding education as reasons for the decline. The lack of teachers often forces schools to hire individuals to teach subjects in which they are unqualified.
Climate change drives increase in Athens deer population
By Drew Roberts | Sep. 24The Athens deer population is on the rise as warmer temperatures extend mating cycles, threatening ecosystems.
Next Generation 911 program expands faster emergency relief
By Zoe Weyand | Sep. 23The Next Generation 911 program announces an expansion to 10 counties in Ohio, increasing technology to help first-responders receive emergency information quickly.
