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
Amid contract negotiations, the Ohio University faculty union has proposed increasing all union faculty members’ base pay by $4,000 with additional increases in 2026 and 2027. The proposal would make OU faculty pay on par with that at the University of Cincinnati. Currently, OU lags behind its peers at Ohio’s public research universities. (NBC4i)
Indy context: United Academics of Ohio University held a cheer-in to raise awareness of faculty bargaining efforts. Contract negotiations are taking place even as OU seeks to toss out the faculty vote to unionize through a legal fight in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas.
Local physical therapist Adrienne Nagy was honored with the 2025 Athena Award for her impactful work with children with disabilities by the Athens City Commission on Disabilities last week. Nagy works for the Athens County Early Intervention Program and is involved with the Athens chapter of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). (Athens Messenger)
A historic marker honoring Union Army chaplain Charles C. McCabe was installed Sunday at Ohio University’s Tupper Hall. The dedication ceremony featured the 73rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regimental Band. McCabe was born near the site in 1836 and popularized Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic” during the Civil War. (City of Athens)
Regional
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit last week dismissed the objections of five Ohioans challenging the $600 million settlement from the 2023 East Palestine train derailment. The residents missed a deadline and fell short on a court payment. Direct payments can now resume for the approximately 55,000 claimants who are being paid out for damages. (Marietta Times)
The Ohio Division of Wildlife will continue its release of more than 14,000 ring-necked pheasants at 41 public hunting areas this fall, including five locations in Southeast Ohio. (Ohio Country Journal)
Hundreds of families in Southeast Ohio are now without access to early‑childhood programs as several Head Start sites have closed due to delayed federal grant funding amid the government shutdown. (WOUB)
Logan paper manufacturer Tops Products will begin shutting down factory operations Dec. 1, eliminating 207 jobs. Logan’s mayor called the facility closure a “big loss.” (10TV)
Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio won the Ohio State Bar Foundation’s Outstanding Program or Organization Award for “expanding access to justice, sharing vital legal information, and driving meaningful improvements in Ohio’s legal system.” (Ohio State Bar Foundation)
State
State funding is reaching certain foodbanks throughout the state as partial SNAP benefit payments remain delayed. (Statehouse News Bureau)
Premiums for health plans sold on the marketplace under the Affordable Care Act are set to increase between 13% and 17% in 2026. Additionally, nearly 583,000 Ohioans will potentially lose subsidies that currently cover most of their costs. (Signal Ohio)
In the upcoming trial of former FirstEnergy executives over a $4.3 million bribery scheme, the defense is seeking broad secrecy measures, including blocking certain evidence and limiting testimony. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has called the case “the corruption case of the century.” (Signal Ohio)
The Ohio State Bar Association is encouraging the state’s law students to set up practices in underserved, rural areas to address a shortage of attorneys in rural parts of the state. (NBC4i)
A Senate bill and resolution to change child labor laws and allow 14‑ and 15‑year‑olds in Ohio to work until 9 p.m. on school nights with parental permission have been sent to Gov. Mike DeWine for consideration. (Statehouse News Bureau)
Bills introduced:
- Republicans have introduced House Bill 137, which would allow local taxing authorities in Ohio to block library levy requests from going to voters, ending the current requirement for a public vote. (Statehouse News Bureau)
- Bipartisan representatives have introduced House Bill 566, the “Break the Silence Act.” It would require new protocols for Ohio healthcare facilities regarding patients who may be experiencing intimate-partner violence. Facilities are only mandated to report certain types of injuries (like gunshot wounds or stabbings); HB 566 would require screenings for and documentation of signs of abuse, even if abuse is only suspected. (Statehouse News Bureau)
A community‑power pilot program, House Bill 303, and its Senate companion, Senate Bill 231, would allow small‑scale generators to supply the grid. Resident subscribers would receive monthly bill credits. (Ohio Capital Journal)
