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.
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Local
Citing federal guidance on discrimination and a bill moving through the Ohio legislature, Ohio University has put its Celebrate Women conference on hold. Hundreds had registered for the annual event, which is held during Women’s History Month. This year’s event was scheduled for March 21 on the Lancaster campus. (WOUB)
Ohio University’s Black Alumni Reunion that was scheduled for April has also been put on hold, with the university cancelling programming. The university cited both federal discrimination rules and the anti-DEI state bill. The reunion has been held every three years since the 1980s, economically boosting local business with the return of hundreds of former students to Athens. (WOUB)
Fulbright recipients in the U.S. and abroad — including in Athens — are reporting confusion and frustration about the federal government’s freezing funding for the education scholarship, which is considered among the most prestigious in the world. The stipend payments failed to arrive on Friday, leaving thousands of students scrambling. (WOUB)
Regional
Highlighting the disparity in rural access, 10 counties in Ohio — including Vinton and Meigs — have no private schools, leaving families without options to access universal school vouchers intended to allow students from all income levels to use public funds for private tuition. (Ohio Capital Journal)
State
If a proposed bill passes, Ohio public school students may spend more time in the classroom, with lawmakers proposing to extend the state’s school year by 53 hours for seventh through 12th grade students. The legislation would put districts in charge of how to fill the time. (NBC4)
Intel’s semiconductor manufacturing plants in Licking County were expected to be operational this year, but the company announced its first fabrication plant is now set to be complete in 2030. State executives and businesses expressed disappointment in the delay but say they remain on-board for what is considered the largest-ever private investment in Ohio history, at $20 billion. (The Statehouse News Bureau)
