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
The Athens County Board of Elections decided last week that six people can be elected in November as at-large members of the new Nelsonville City Council, with terms beginning in January 2026. The city’s government reorganization includes a council based on wards — but the wards themselves do not yet exist. Six people are currently running for a council seat, with additional write-in candidates accepted until Aug. 26. (WOUB)
After serving multiple leadership roles, Ari Faber has been appointed as the new Executive Director of United Campus Ministry Center (UCM) in Athens by its Board of Directors. (United Campus Ministry Center)
Melissa Wales is stepping down from her role as the Stuart’s Opera House executive director after nearly eight years, effective Oct. 17. No replacement has yet been named. (Stuart’s Opera House)
Regional
An official with the Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau said the fire at the iconic Hotel McArthur was the result of a power surge during a severe storm. The blaze began in the basement and spread to the building’s ceiling. (WOUB)
United Plant Savers held a groundbreaking ceremony in Rutland with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources July 18 to celebrate a $2.7 million project to create new camping areas and a lodge building that will support overnight stays at the nonprofit’s sanctuary. (Ohio Department of Natural Resources)
State
Ohio GOP lawmakers are making a last-ditch effort to override three of Gov. Mike DeWine’s line-item vetoes in the state biennium budget related to levies, including provisions that would restrict public school levies. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
Renters in Ohio need to make $22.51 an hour in order to afford a “modest” two-bedroom apartment, according to a new report from housing advocacy organizations. The state has nearly 1.6 million renter households. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Gov. DeWine told Secretary of Education Linda McMahon that he welcomes return of responsibility for public education to the states. The Department of Education is withholding $1.6 billion in funding, including $185 million for Ohio that goes to high-poverty school districts and college financial aid, among other programs. Ohio has not joined a multi-state lawsuit against the Trump administration for dismantling the department. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
Planned Parenthood will close reproductive health clinics in Springfield and Hamilton following federal and state budget cuts to Medicaid. Gender-affirming care and abortions are still accessible at Planned Parenthood’s still-open Dayton and Cincinnati locations in the region. (Ohio Capital Journal)
JobsOhio earlier this month awarded a 30-year contract and $310 million grant to Anduril Industries, a California-based defense contractor that produces military drones and autonomous air vehicles. Its Pickaway County production facility is scheduled to open in July 2026. (Associated Press)
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