Local
Just because the city of Athens is en route to join the Southeast Ohio Recycling Terminal Council of Governments doesn’t mean those Rumpke cans are leaving anytime soon: the city has no intention of changing its trash provider. (WOUB)
- Indy context: On May 16, the Athens-Hocking Solid Waste District and village of Amesville founded the long-awaited COG, which will absorb Athens-Hocking Recycling Centers, Inc. However, just because a municipality joins the COG doesn’t mean it will receive services from it.
Once again the United States Army Corps of Engineers seeking to improve conditions of the Hocking River, per two Athens City Council ordinances. (The Post)
The Alexander Local School District Board of Education discussed putting its levy, which expires in December, up for vote again in November. (WOUB)
- Indy context: The levy failed in November 2023, with 53% of voters (a 187-vote margin) deciding against its renewal. It appeared on the ballot with an error; the tax is on earned income only, whereas the ballot incorrectly stated it was on unearned income and estates.
The Wayne National Forest planted a sweetgum sapling that flew thousands of miles beyond the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis I space mission. (Wayne National Forest)
The Foundation for Appalachian Ohio awarded civics education grants to organizations across the region, including Majestic Galleries for a student art contest based on civics; Rural Action to support its youth climate action teams; and Southeast Ohio History Center to develop a social studies program on the Fort Gower Resolves. (Foundation for Appalachian Ohio)
Regional
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice reached a $310 million settlement with Norfolk Southern, the company whose train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, releasing toxic chemicals into the air. If the settlement is approved, the company will have to improve rail safety, pay for health monitoring and mental health services for area residents and fund environmental monitoring. (Ohio Capital Journal)
Researchers have identified vast amounts of lithium, a highly valuable element used to make batteries for renewable energy storage, in Pennsylvania fracking waste. The discovery could have major economic and environmental implications. (Science Alert)
- Indy context: Pennsylvania fracking waste is frequently deposited into injection wells in southeast Ohio.
State
The Democratic National Committee will hold a special virtual vote to ensure President Joe Biden can appear on the Ohio ballot in November. The Ohio House, Senate, and Governor’s Office all agreed to change a law that could have prevented Biden from appearing — but the House and Senate have disagreed over how to do it. (News 5 Cleveland)
The League of Women Voters and the ACLU of Ohio are asking a federal judge to summarily strike down HB458, the 2023 measure that included changes to Ohio’s voting requirements. The law prohibits grandchildren, friends, caregivers and professional aides from returning absentee ballots on behalf of a person with disabilities. Anyone not on the list who returns a ballot could be charged with a fourth-degree felony. (Statehouse News Bureau)
The Ohio Supreme Court rejected a request by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost to institute Ohio’s ban on gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth and transgender female student athletes. A temporary restraining order blocking the law’s enforcement amid litigation runs through hearings scheduled on July 15. (Buckeye Flame)
The number of “unitization” orders issued by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources – which forces landowners to allow oil and gas drilling on their private properties – has surged in recent years, with over 100 orders issued last year alone. (Energy News Network)
