All information is current as of The Scoop’s production on Tuesday morning. Click the links for the most up-to-date information. The Athens County Independent believes the cited sources of information are reliable; however, these sources are responsible for the accuracy of their own reporting.
Submit news and information to info@athensindependent.com by noon on Mondays for inclusion in Tuesday’s issue of The Scoop.
Local
A former gas station on Columbus Road has been sold to the Athens Community Improvement Corporation, with plans underway to transform the site into an electric vehicle charging station after environmental cleanup. (WOUB)
Construction to expand U.S. 33 is underway, converting 25 miles of a two-lane stretch from just south of Athens through Meigs County to the Ravenswood Bridge, into a four-lane divided highway. There will be new interchanges at Pleasant Hill, Pleasanton Road, Rainbow Lake Road, and SR 681. (Ohio Department of Transportation)
Regional
A collaborative plan to restore and protect the Ohio River Basin has been released, citing issues and proposing solutions to threats facing humans, fish and wildlife who rely on the river and its tributaries, streams and lakes, which provide drinking water to 30 million people. (The Ohio Newsroom)
State
Recreational marijuana negotiations have stalled as Ohio Republican lawmakers have reached an impasse over proposed changes, delaying the anticipated vote to reform the law established by voters. A last-minute Senate proposal introduced 16 new provisions, including redirecting tax revenue and imposing stricter penalties for violations, which House leaders found unacceptable. As a result, the bill was pulled from the House agenda. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Freshman Republican lawmakers in the Ohio House plan to introduce legislation to overrule the state’s 2023 reproductive rights constitutional amendment, ban abortion from the moment of conception and define embryos as legal persons. Lawmakers argue the U.S. constitution allows them to bypass the voter-established state constitutional amendment.(Ohio Capital Journal)
Ohio could receive $198 million over 15 years from a $7.4 billion national settlement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, resolving claims related to the company’s role in the opioid epidemic. The funds would be distributed over time to local governments and organizations to support addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery programs. (The State Newshouse Bureau)
Security for Ohio lawmakers was boosted at the state capitol and around their private homes following the shooting of two Minnesota legislators earlier this month. (The Center Square)
Ohio Senate Bill 1, the controversial higher education law banning diversity efforts at public universities and community colleges, goes into effect Friday. A chapter of the Ohio Education Association announced it will try to get a referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot, and plan to submit petition signatures to Secretary of State Frank LaRose this week. (Ohio Capital Journal)
