Though it’s been more than a year since voters signed on for electric aggregation locally, the plan — which provides discounted electricity to Athens residents — is just now falling into place.
Officers with the Athens Police Department, Ohio University Police Department and Ohio State Highway Patrol showed dozens of Athens County children Sunday that Christmas can arrive in many forms.
The time between Election Day and the end of the year is known for its "lame-duck" politics — a time when state legislators pass more bills than usual in preparation for the general assembly.
An OU professor studies how imagining exercises and motions can help prevent muscle loss.
OU remembers alum Michel du Cille who died while on assignment in Liberia
Building use will be limited to students staying on campus during the university's closure
The Ohio Controlling Board approved several requests for funding on Monday, including some funds for Ohio University and an Athens-based organization.
City Council wrapped up its last meeting of 2014 Monday night, passing legislation that focused primarily on updating city employee wages and benefits for the next year.
Athens City Council tackled several legislative measures during Fall Semester that drummed up controversy, with ordinances enacted to regulate reckless partying, trash disposal and tobacco usage in city parks.“There have been some really high-profile ordinances on council, which has led to a lot more debate,” Councilman Steve Patterson, D-at large, said. “A lot more involvement, a lot more fact finding.”The legislative body reconvened Sept. 2 — a week after Fall Semester began at Ohio University — following its summer hiatus. Patterson soon began work on amending the Nuisance Party Ordinance.The amendment, which was designed to increase fines for rambunctious partying while reducing punishment to a civil offense, passed later in the fall.It was written in cooperation with the Athens-OU Joint Police Advisory Council, an organization that includes city officials, law enforcement officers and university students, and would have increased the fine for those hosting wild parties from $150 to $250.In the end, city Law Director Pat Lang determined that raising the fine to $250 for a civil offense would go against the Ohio Revised Code, so the fine was kept at $150.Council also received backlash from both city administration and residents in its attempt to amend the city’s trash ordinance.The amendment, which saw several revisions, increased fines for trash code violators from $20 to $50 and would have required residents to construct screens in front of their trash cans if their trash was not already entirely hidden from the street.The final draft of the ordinance, which passed Dec. 1, simply required trash cans to be out of view from the street of the residence's address. It also included a provision allowing for a waiver exempting disabled citizens from enforcement.Councilman Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, was the only dissenting vote on the measure.At the same meeting, council passed a measure prohibiting the use of tobacco in city parks. The measure also set a $50 fine for people discarding their cigarette butts on streets or sidewalks.City officials also passed some measures that had been in the works since late summer, including the purchase of a new fire pumper truck for the Athens Fire Department and the adoption of an ordinance that would better allow law enforcement officers to deal with complaints of noisy pets in late October.The body also faced the possibility of several administrative changes in December. Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl announced Dec. 1 he would not be running for reelection, prompting Patterson to announce his bid for the position on his personal Facebook page later that night.Council President Jim Sands also announced his resignation last week due to health complications, which had already kept him from council meetings for about a month.Butler said the past few months on council haven’t been easy but have nonetheless been rewarding.“On one level it’s business as usual,” he said. “But it’s also been very emotionally riddled with crests and troughs. It’s part of the community. It’s part of the lives we live here.”@wtperkinswp198712@ohio.edu
Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s national organization issued a ruling Friday closing its Ohio Gamma chapter at Ohio University, suspending its charter.
Athens City Council members have often said Kent Butler, the youngest on council at 44 years old, reminds them of a younger generation.
Construction on Park Place, Mulberry Street and Schoonover Center will continue over winter break.
In an attempt to better address opiate addiction in the area, Athens County Children Services received a state-funded grant Wednesday that will generate a total of $134,100 for the department.
Suspended Athens Sheriff Pat Kelly posted a status to his personal Facebook page Tuesday that seemed to reference news surrounding Eric Garner, an unarmed black man who was killed in July by an arresting police officer in New York City.
When Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl, 61, steps down from office at the end of 2016, a man more than 40 years his junior could take his place.
Amer Alshawa, a Turkish citizen, was detained on Oct. 2 at Dubai International Airport after arriving at the United Arab Emirates.
Peter Mather will step down from the part time position.
A female Ohio University student reported to OU police Monday that she was raped earlier this year, according to police reports.
Ohio University's smoking ban will prohibit use of tobacco products and e-cigarettes on all university property used to “carry the mission of the university,” including sidewalks and vehicles, said Judy Piercy, OU's interim ombudsperson.
Jim Sands has been a consistent presence in Athens City Council chambers for the last 16 years as a councilman and — in more recent years — as the president of council.But after months of absence, Sands announced his resignation last week, in an email to Clerk of Council Debbie Walker.“He’s choosing to move forward with his life away from council,” Kent Butler, D-1st Ward, said at Monday night's City Council meeting.Butler has been acting as president in Sands’ absence.“I have been honored to serve the population of Athens and work with other elected, appointed and hired individuals who also serve Athenians,” Sands said in the email.Sands cited various medical issues, which included a hospitalization in Columbus, as reasons for his resignation.“Jim is priceless,” Butler said. “(He adds) a ton of institutional memory… and a lot of experience.”Sands was elected to council in 1998 and was an active member until 2012, when he became president of council.“I hate it (that Sands is resigning),” Jeff Risner, D-2nd Ward said.Risner added Sands has been “great on council” and renowned for his ability to calmly handle situations.“There could’ve been a riot and the house could be on fire and he would have been calm,” Risner said.Also at the meeting were two prospective candidates for elected city positions.Republicans Aaron Dauterman and Andrew Looker, both juniors at Ohio University, said they would be running for an at-large position on council and for mayor, respectively.There has not been a Republican on City Council since 2003.Mayor Paul Wiehl announced last week at council’s meeting he would “probably not be seeking reelection.” Later that night, Councilman Steve Patterson, D-At Large, said he would be running.Looker, 20, said he considered running even before Wiehl made his announcement.“I’ve seen a lot of things that aren’t as good as they should be right now (in Athens),” Looker said.As a full-time student, Looker said if elected, he would continue on with his academics while maintaining duties as mayor.Dauterman echoed this sentiment.“Really, this is a part-time responsibility," Dauterman said. “It’ll be easy balancing going to school.”@emilybohatcheb346012@ohio.edu
Solutions by The State News