January
Our top photos from January 2025 include a picture taken by Keri Johnson of construction at the Lostro Building, whose contractors were accused by local business owners of monopolizing the sidewalk and causing their stores to suffer.
Dani Kington included a photo of orange acid mine drainage staining Sunday Creek juxtaposed against white snow as part of her coverage of the Truetown Acid Mine Drainage treatment facility. Tara Gilts dined at Gigi’s Country Kitchen and called it the “quintessential Midwest small-town diner experience.” Lastly, Al Maloney attended Hei Hei’s Lunar New Year Party at Jackie O’s Taproom snapping pictures of Lunar New Year festivities.
Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
February
February was full of protests, with many photographed by Eric Boll and Shiloh Antonuccio on Ohio University’s College Green. Crowds gathered in opposition to Senate Bill 1 and the conflict in Gaza. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
March
In March, Haylee Leasure covered the opening of Athens County’s brand new 911 center. Tara Gilts reviewed the Eclipse Company Store as spring weather meant that outdoor dining was back on the menu. Corrine Colbert was busy writing about the multiple controversies taking place at the Federal Hocking School District, including the school district’s superintendent posting a picture of himself as a “white knight” in response to a Facebook comment. Eric Boll covered the completion of the US 50 sewer project and the impact it was having on local residents, including a lawsuit between local residents and the construction company hired to do the project over damage sustained to their home. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
April
April was month full of iconic moments. Eric Boll photographed an Athens Veto 2025 protest; Dani Kington and Shiloh Antonuccio continued our coverage of the union effort at Ohio University; Eric documented the slow collapse of a house on Joneswood Drive after intense rain triggered a slow moving landslide; Shiloh took photos of the Nelsonville Tunnels to Towers 5K Run and Walk and also found time to write about the discovery of a mastodon tusk in a tributary of Federal Creek. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
May
The month of May was full of iconic poses! Eric Boll snapped photos of election night workers flexing their muscles as they hauled election results in the Athens County Board of Elections, dogs and musicians at Porchfest 2025 were loving the camera and Eric Boll and Dani Kington teamed up to capture a local effort to preserve the running buffalo clover. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
June
A year in pictures for Athens County isn’t complete without photos of the Nelsonville Music Festival. This years NMF photos were taken by Renae Hefty, one of the Independent’s summer interns. Dani Kington’s photo of the newly completed Chauncey mural was our photo of the week for June. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
July
July saw the completion of the Strouds Run State Park accessible playground and beach access project, Eric Boll snapped the above picture as our photo of the week. While it’s not a picture, the Independent began publishing it’s first comic strip in July called Cornertown written and illustrated by local artist Chris Monday! Lastly, Renae snapped a delicious looking photo of baked goods as part of their coverage of the Stewart Farmers Market. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
August
During August, the Independent’s Eric Boll was there on the ground capturing pictures during an hours-long standoff between police and a man who barricaded himself in his apartment. The 2025 Athens County Fair was full of intense races and a monster truck competition that saw the iconic monster truck Bigfoot catch on fire. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
September
Dani Kington started September by covering efforts to revitalize uptown Glouster and took a gorgeous photo of Sedalia Crossing Park. Eric Boll ran around the county visiting various art galleries that were participating in Rural Art Rules. Al Maloney wrote about the renovations to the Sunset Motel and photographed workers inspecting the iconic motel sign. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
October
Ethan Herx and Scotty Hall kicked off October by attending the 2025 Happy Hollow Hootenanny. Al Maloney took a photo of a wandering horse and also photographed the United Academics of Ohio University “cheer-in.” Freelance photographer Leah Nairn published her gorgeous photos of the Afterschool Music Program at Stuart’s Opera House. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
November
In November Eric Boll was there when Jackie O’s uptown restaurant caught fire. Chris Miles, a fall intern at the Independent, attended the 100th birthday of WWII United States Marine Corps veteran Don Slagle. Lastly, Soleil Woolard wrote about the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District’s Recycling Trail and photographed thrift store finds. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
Chris Miles ended the year by reporting on the status of emergency warming centers in the city of Athens. Haylee Leasure reported how materials from Ohio University’s Pride, Multicultural and Women’s centers are preserved in local archives. The final Cornertown of the year saw Chris Monday take aim at the roundabout and construction going on throughout the county. Click on any of the links below to view the stories these images come from.
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