Local
The National Weather Service in Charleston has issued a heat advisory for southeast Ohio from noon today, Aug. 27, to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 28. Heat index values of up to 104 are expected. The City of Athens has designated the Athens Community Center as an emergency cooling station daily through Friday, Aug. 30, between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. (National Weather Service, City of Athens)
- Indy context: Athens County experienced extreme heat — which can be deadly — in June. The county is also experiencing a drought.
The Athens City Council approved a plan to build 50 townhouses in the University Estates region of Athens. (WOUB)
Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service has received two 2024 Impact Awards for university–community partnerships. The awards are presented by the National Association of Development Organizations. (Ohio University)
OU physics professor Saw Wai Hla received the 2024 Falling Walls Science Breakthrough of the Year Award for being the first to capture an image of a single atom. Hla was one of 10 winners in physical sciences for his discovery, made in 2023. (Ohio University)
Regional
A Hocking County jury convicted a 21-year-old Fairfield County man in a 2023 stabbing death at a rental cabin in the Hocking Hills. (Logan Daily News)
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio awarded nearly $659,000 in donor-established postsecondary scholarships to students across Appalachian Ohio — including six from Athens County. (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio)
State
Attorneys General from Ohio and Kansas filed a challenge with the U.S. Supreme Court against a new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that would require coal-fired power plants to contain and store 90% of carbon emissions or close within eight years. (Cleveland.com)
Recreational cannabis sales topped $11.5 million Aug. 6–10, the first week of legal adult use in Ohio. The state now has 120 dual-use dispensaries, including 22 licensed after Aug. 5. (Ohio Capital Journal)
- Indy context: Two Athens dual-use dispensaries opened for business on Aug. 6.
Facing rising case numbers and the upcoming flu season, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new COVID-19 vaccine for those 6 months and above. (Ohio Capital Journal)
The private equity funds that own the Gavin Power Plant in Cheshire — ranked the deadliest in the United States by the Sierra Club — are among the top 10 contributors to a political action committee affiliated with Ohio Sen. (and vice presidential candidate) J.D. Vance. The plant is the only one owned by private equity in the U.S. (Ohio Capital Journal)
A Franklin County judge issued an injunction blocking a 2021 law that requires a 24-hour waiting period before having an abortion. The ACLU of Ohio filed suit against the law on behalf of five clinics after voters in 2023 approved a constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights. (Statehouse News Bureau)
The group behind a citizens’ ballot initiative to reform Ohio’s redistricting process is suing the Ohio Ballot Board after the board inserted “partisan, misleading, and therefore unconstitutional” language describing the proposed amendment on the state’s official ballots. (Statehouse News Bureau)
The cities of Columbus and Dayton have settled their lawsuit against the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation over problems in conducting background checks for firearms purchases. BCI agreed to make background checks easier and more reliable. The cities’ 2020 lawsuit was the first in the U.S. challenging problems with background checks. (Statehouse News Bureau)
