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
Athens County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Lang sentenced Robert Collins of Glouster last week to the maximum time possible for each of 21 counts on which he was found guilty Sept. 23, related to sexual assault of children. (Athens County Prosecutor’s Office)
Athens County – and the rest of Ohio – had its driest August on record, according to data from the National Weather Service’s Cooperative Observer Program. Athens County received a third of an inch of rain during August after experiencing heavy rains earlier in the year. (Athens Messenger)
Construction at SRs 682 and 56 in Athens commenced with no warning from the city to surrounding business owners, some of whom worry that changed traffic patterns and road closures will impact customer experience and their bottom line as they recover from West Union Street construction. (WOUB/Report for America)
Bob Funk Jr., a 60-year volunteer firefighter and second-generation chief of the Glouster Fire Department, last week hosted a picnic to honor the first responders who saved his life following a near-fatal incident. (Athens Messenger)
The Village of Jacksonville has been awarded over $1 million in grants for varied projects throughout the community, and continues to seek grant funding. Some funded projects, such as paving and drainage work on community roads, are already complete. (The Village of Jacksonville)
Regional
Marietta City Council passed resolutions last week addressing concerns over injection wells near the city’s water supply. The three resolutions authorized legal action against state regulators, formed a task force to study the issue, and urged the Ohio Legislature to enact a statewide moratorium on new injection wells. (Marietta Times)
- Indy context: Particularly prompting the council’s concern is a well that has been permitted but not yet drilled. The ODNR Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management approved the permit to drill under outdated, less strict rules, because the initial application for the well came before the rules changed. The well is owned by a company with ties to a sitting state senator.
State
Enrollment in most Ohio public universities, including Ohio University, increased for the fall semester. International student enrollment declined at several campuses across the state, however. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Interest in Turning Point USA is up in Ohio following Charlie Kirk’s death, according to Jay Edwards, former state representative and candidate for Ohio Treasurer. Ohio University Southern Campus in Ironton and Shawnee State University in Portsmouth are among the campuses with new chapters. (NBC4i)
Bills introduced:
- Republican Rep. Melanie Miller introduced House Bill 485, the “Enact Baby Olivia Act,” which would require public schools to show a three-minute fetal development video starting in third grade. (Ohio Capital Journal)
- Proposed House Bill 262 would celebrate married mothers and fathers raising children by designating the weeks between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day as “Natural Family Month.” Opponents argue it excludes adoptive, single-parent and LGBTQ+ families. (WCMH)
Ohio Senate Republicans have joined the House in overriding Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a provision barring Ohio school districts from putting emergency or substitute levies on the ballot or requesting an increase to a current levy. (Ohio Capital Journal)
State lawmakers missed their first deadline for congressional redistricting, meaning the Ohio Redistricting Commission must take over, with an Oct. 31 deadline to pass a plan. Ohio Democrats have proposed a map that would generally result in an 8–7 Republican-to-Democrat split; Republicans have yet to present their own plan. (Statehouse News Bureau)
Ohio is among 29 states without a mother of a minor child serving in Congress, highlighting a significant gender and parental representation gap in the legislative body, according to a new study from Vote Mama Foundation. Ohio Reps. Greg Landsman, Max Miller and Mike Carey, along with Sen. Jon Husted, are fathers of minor children. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Ohio’s state parks beat out finalists Florida and Wyoming to earn the 2025 National Gold Medal Award for Excellence in Park and Recreation Management, awarded by two national groups to recognize the state’s top-tier recreation and conservation programs. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)
