Local
An Ohio appeals court upheld the conviction of Nelsonville man Donald Platt related to a 2021 incident in which his 14-year-old son accidentally shot and killed 11-year-old Nelsonville resident Eli Spangler. The court also affirmed a trial court’s decision to grant Platt judicial release after a year. (Logan Daily News)
- Indy context: Platt was released from prison in May 2023. The same month, attorneys reached a $101,000 settlement agreement in a civil suit related to Eli Spangler’s death.
Athens Rock Camp for Girls+ seeks applications for campers and volunteers to participate in and support its week-long musical empowerment summer day camp, to be held June 24-29 at Ohio University. The camp offers opportunities for girls and gender nonconforming youth to learn instruments and perform in a band. Camper applications are due this Thursday, April 25, while volunteer applications are due next Thursday, May 2. (Athens Rock Camp for Girls+)
Athens City Council is considering an ordinance to expand the city’s designated outdoor refreshment area, in which residents may consume alcoholic beverages outdoors during the summer months. (The New Political)
Over the past decade, Athens City School District Nurse Molly Wales revamped the district’s sex education curriculum, focusing on empowering and informing students with instruction and conversation on consent, media, healthy relationships, and more. (WOUB)
Lacey Rogers and the late Sara Gilfert were among the five recipients of the Jenco Foundation’s 2023 Jenco Awards for outstanding community service. Rogers, the city of Athens’ first DEIA training coordinator, was recognized for her work in nurturing safe and inclusive communities for all people. Gilfert, who died in March, was honored for her dedication to the preservation, advancement and celebration of the paper and book arts, including founding the Paper Circle in Nelsonville. (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio)
Jennifer Gwilym, chair of the Department of Primary Care at Ohio University’s Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, was named Outstanding Female Leader of the Year by the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians. Gwilym was raised in Glouster and graduated from HCOM in 2023; she is the first Ohioan to receive the award. (Ohio University)
Ohio University has named Don Leo as executive vice president and provost. Leo was the first dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Georgia and previously served as an associate dean at the Virginia Tech College of Engineering, where he worked on a program within the Department of Defense. He succeeds Elizabeth Sayrs, who served as provost from 2020 to 2024. (Ohio University)
State
Secretary of State Frank LaRose is among the supporters of a proposed bill that would close Ohio’s primary elections. House Bill 437 would require voters and candidates to declare a party affiliation 90 days before a primary election; currently, voters don’t have to choose a party until they vote. HB 437 is the fourth closed primary bill proposed in the current legislative session. (Statehouse News Bureau)
The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that the state’s database of information from death certificates is not a public record. The court ruled 5–2 that protections for privacy of health information continue after death. (Statehouse News Bureau)
Ohio ranks 43rd in preschool spending compared to other states. (Ohio Capital Journal)
