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News roundup
Local
The Southeast Ohio Recycling Terminal Council of Governments will pay Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers for use of AHRC’s recycling and composting facilities, giving the nonprofit a reliable revenue stream to pay its employees. However, that revenue could be in jeopardy if Rumpke Waste & Recycling decides to take recycling it collects in Athens County to a new Rumpke-owned facility in Columbus. (WOUB)
- Indy context: A crisis precipitated when the city of Athens awarded its trash contract to Rumpke — severing a decades-old relationship with AHRC — has coincided with the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District’s planning process for the next 15 years, as well as formation of the solid waste council of governments.
A new book, “Young Voices from a Small Town,” features 115 essays on the effects of substance abuse written by students at Trimble Elementary/Middle School. The project arose from a contest during Red Ribbon Week, an annual substance misuse awareness campaign. (WOUB)
The Athens Bicycle Club maintains 120 miles of local bike trails, and they’re on the lookout for more volunteers. (WOUB)
Region
Two former employees of the Hocking County Prosecutor’s Office have dropped their federal sex discrimination lawsuit against the county and former county prosecutor Ryan Black. They had accused Black of creating a hostile work environment with offensive behavior, coercion, and threats, which they claimed forced them to resign. (The Logan Daily News)
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is accepting grant applications until Sept. 10 for projects serving local communities. The Nelsonville Community Foundation and African American Community Fund are both accepting applications for Athens County projects. (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio)
State
A federal court has overturned the restrictions in Ohio’s House Bill 458, which had limited assistance for voters with disabilities to only a few designated family members for absentee ballots. (ACLU)
A proposed anti-gerrymandering amendment in Ohio, aiming to replace the current redistricting process with a citizens commission and remove politicians from the equation, has gathered enough signatures to be put before voters in the November election. (Ohio Capital Journal)
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a man who ordered boneless wings should have anticipated the possibility of finding bones in them. His serious injuries led to multiple surgeries and two medically induced comas. State Senator Bill DeMora, outraged by the supreme court decision, plans to propose a bill to change the law. (News5Cleveland)
- Indy context: Retired Judge Tom Hodson explains the case in a new edition of Inside Courts.
Bernie Moreno, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat, used social media to assert that migrants have negatively impacted Ohio communities due to current administration policies. However, the campaign did not provide specific examples of Ohio cities affected by migration, the origins of the migrants, or the nature of the harm caused to these communities when asked for details. (Ohio Capital Journal)
A sales tax holiday means Ohioans can shop and eat out without paying sales tax on items less than $500 until Aug. 8. (Statehouse News Bureau)
