Local
Parcel fee public hearings: The first of three planned public hearings on a proposed parcel fee for solid waste management will be held today, June 25, at 6 p.m. at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St., Athens. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 2, at the Nelsonville Public Library, 95 W. Washington St., Nelsonville.
- Indy context: The parcel fee will be $24 per year per improved parcel (one with at least one temporary, portable or permanent building). The Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District’s policy committee recommended the parcel fee to generate revenue for the recycling center — but it must be approved by all six Athens and Hocking counties’ commissioners.
Athens residents who maintain their own yards can receive rebates from $50 to $200 to replace gas-powered lawn equipment with battery-powered or electric items. Push mowers, string trimmers and small equipment are eligible. The program is funded by a NOPEC Energized Community grant. (City of Athens)
Athens County is forming a local chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Temporary officers were elected at a June 3 organizational meeting: Aaron Thomas, president; Reggie Robinson, vice president; Dr. Carolyn Bailey Lewis, secretary; and Dr. Russell Morrow, treasurer. The Ohio Conference NAACP will oversee the group until it is chartered by the national board of directors in July or October. (Ohio NAACP)
Dawn Mollica, director of the Office of Rural and Underserved Programs at the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, received the 2024 Friend of Family Medicine Award from the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. (OAFP)
Abigail Lim of Athens won Athens Re-Think Plastics’ video contest, which sought videos to accompany a jingle written by Milena Miller. Second place went to sisters Scarlett and Stella Fried; third place winners were Marjorie and Samantha Lloyd of Columbus. View the winning entries on Athens ReThink Plastics’ Facebook page. (Athens ReThink Plastics)
The Mount Zion Baptist Church Preservation Society unveiled a mural depicting the church’s origins on Juneteenth. Part of the mural, designed by Keith Wilde and created at Passion Works, temporarily replaces the structure’s rose window. (WOUB)
Alexander Elementary School parents advocated for a new playground to enable children of all abilities to play together, addressing the shortage of play equipment accessible to children with mobility issues. (WOUB)
Athens High School administrators apologized to senior Bella Sutton, who was dropped from the school’s track team because she attended graduation instead of participating in a regional track meet. The school also will consider holding commencement ceremonies on Sundays to avoid future conflicts with state sports tournaments. (Athens Messenger)
What happens to the human body in space? Ohio University professor Nate Szewczyk coauthored seven articles on the subject, involving several of his trainees, including OU alums and current OU students. He examined impacts on reproduction, insulin, estrogen, aging and more. (Ohio University)
Regional
Encino Acquisition Partners, a Canadian company, received mineral rights for oil and gas extraction on four Ohio State Parks sites in Columbiana and Carroll counties. The state will receive 12.5% of the royalties from fracking in the parks. (The Post)
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio is accepting grant applications for environmental stewardship projects serving Appalachian Ohio communities, as well as additional communities in the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District’s service area. A total of $125,000 in funding is available. (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio)
State
Ohio legislators will likely vote this week on one of the largest capital bills in Ohio history. The more than $4 billion bill would support state prison renovations, state fairgrounds, parks, university buildings, and more. The bill also includes $717 million for local projects previously proposed by the Ohio House and Ohio Senate. (Statehouse News Bureau)
- Indy context: Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) played a major role in shaping the bill through his role as the House Finance Committee chair. The bill includes funding for several Athens County organizations and projects, including the Athens Regional Training Center, the Appalachian Center for Economic Networks food sector accelerator program, playground renovations at the Nelsonville-York Elementary School, and the York Township Volunteer Fire Department.
In the coming weeks, Rite Aid will close more than 300 locations in Ohio and Michigan. The closures will deprive many residents in small communities of access to health professionals. (Ohio Capital Journal)
- Indy context: After operating for decades, the Rite Aid location in The Plains closed last summer. The closure has left residents without a local pharmacy and increased the distance between many neighboring communities and the nearest pharmacy option.
Ohio Equal Rights is in the initial stages of developing a citizen-led ballot initiative to constitutionally safeguard Ohioans from discrimination. The initiative aims to protect against discrimination based on race, color, creed or religion, pregnancy status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, genetic information, recovery status, familial status, military status, ancestry, national origin, or disability. (Ohio Capital Journal)
