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.comby noon on Mondays for inclusion in Tuesday’s issue of The Scoop.
Local
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit accusing OhioHealth, owner of O’Bleness Hospital in Athens, of anticompetitive practices that limit insurers’ ability to offer lower-cost health plans, driving up costs for patients and employers. (WOUB)
Ohio University Police Department announced Friday that it has completed its investigation of a social media threat against the university’s chapter of Turning Point USA. Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn is reviewing the results to determine if prosecution is warranted. (WCHS)
Team USA defeated Canada in women’s hockey last Thursday, making Athens’ own Gwyneth Philips an Olympic gold medalist. (WCMH)
Regional
Renovations at the Hotel McArthur will move forward after a July fire, thanks to about $5 million in new federal funding secured by the Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau. (WOUB)
Stewart Glass announced it has secured millions in additional investments to establish a flat glass production facility in Logan at the site of a former GE Lightbulb factory. (WTAP)
Japan will invest in a projected $33 billion natural gas plant near Portsmouth, which the Trump administration says it will be the largest natural gas facility in the world and could supply electricity for about 7.4 million homes. (WOUB)
A magnitude 2.5 earthquake was reported near Hillsboro early Sunday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake struck around 5:50 a.m. at a depth of approximately 6.4 kilometers, with no injuries or damage reported. (Scioto Post)
State
Ohio has launched a statewide quarantine to slow the spread of the invasive spotted lanternfly, expanding earlier county-level restrictions and requiring inspections of trees and nursery stock leaving the state to protect agricultural industries. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
State lawmakers are considering legislation to increase fines for drivers who ignore school crossing guards and create tougher penalties for those who harass or interfere with them. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
In an effort to prevent artificial intelligence systems from generating dangerous content, Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bipartisan bill that wouldbar people from creating AI models that encourage users to engage in self‑harm or harming others. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Ohio taxpayers are being credited with helping bring back the bald eagle population, which now has 964 active nests statewide. Growth has been promoted through conservation funding from excise taxes and public lands programs supporting rivers, wetlands and forests. (The Center Square)
