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
Two elderly residents of Albany were killed Friday afternoon when their car collided with a Ohio State Highway Patrol cruiser. John G. Horton, 82, and LeAnn Horton, 72, were turning left from U.S. 50 onto Fisher Road (CR 19) when their car was struck by the OSHP cruiser, which was traveling eastbound in pursuit of a driver who committed a traffic violation. (WSAZ)
- Indy context: The Independent has requested dashcam video from the trooper’s cruiser. A crash report should be available later this week.
Shagbark Seed and Mill will lose about $500,000 this year following cuts to a federal program that allowed schools, food banks and food producers to buy food from local growers and producers at discount, according to founding partner Michelle Ajamian. Shagbark served all 12 Ohio food banks before funding was paused in March before ending entirely in June. (WOUB)
Rural Action and Community Food Initiatives successfully completed their Local Food for All campaign, exceeding its fundraising goal set to support the weekly share program to provide 20 food insecure-families with Ohio-grown fruits, vegetables and grain products. (Rural Action)
Regional
For at least 50 years, water use at Chillicothe’s Pixelle Specialty Solutions paper mill has helped to contain a toxic chemical plume resulting from a spill caused by the former WearEver cookware plant. When the mill closes later this month — eliminating about 800 jobs — the plume could migrate to contaminate nearby fields and the Scioto River with trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride. (NBCi4)
Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine said the state has invited “dozens” of companies to view the site but that there has been “no interest” in buying the property. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
Funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which supports 32 Ohiocounties, was restored in congressional committee and now moves to the full U.S. House for a vote. The federaldiscretionarybudget from the Trump administration proposed cutting 93% of funding for commission. (Ohio Capital Journal)
State
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost last week ruled county fairs in Ohio can’t ban firearms, citing previous court rulings and his own opinions that agriculture societies are political subdivisions. Ohio law bars political subdivisions from enacting gun bans. Yost hopes to take the question to the Ohio Supreme Court to settle questions about state law versus home rule. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
- Indy context: Questions about home rule also are at the heart of the state’s objections to a City of Athens ordinance banning single-use plastic bags.
Nearly one-third of Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives signed a circulating letter petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to limit federal district courts’ ability to issue injunctions. The letter claims that such injunctions represent judicial overreach. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
The Ohio General Assembly will begin the process of drawing new district maps for the state House of Representative this fall. Maps must be finalized by the 2026 primary elections. (Ohio Capital Journal)
- Indy context: The last round of redistricting split Athens County between Districts 94 and 95.
To curb fatigue-related crashes, Ohio is moving forward with a $150 million plan to double semi-truck parking spots on state-owned lands in 19 counties by 2027. Construction to create the 1,400 spots will begin next year. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
