ATHENSR

This blog is no longer active. Please follow Athens' Neighborhoodr blog instead. Thanks!.

[neighborhoodr-athensohio]

[neighborhoodr-athensohio]

If you love Athens, Ohio University, and Tumblr, how would you like to run this blog?

You don’t have to post a minimum number of things per day or stick to any certain topic. The whole idea of the Neighborhoodr network is to be a snapshot of what’s happening in our community, and to allow that community to submit things as well, whether it’s news, tourism info, photos, sports, or upcoming events!

Some Neighborhoodr blogs have multiple editors, so this could be a cool blog to run with some friends! If you’d like to take over this blog, send us a message or email [email protected]!

[athensr-blog]

Remember, this blog has relocated to Neighborhoodr-AthensOhio. You should follow us there!

[athensr-blog]

Followers,

In the last month, keeping up with both Athensr and Neighborhoodr-AthensOhio has become increasingly overwhelming. I am busier than ever at work (which is great), but I am having trouble finding time to regularly update both blogs. What makes it even more frustrating is that Tumblr's queue rarely works correctly, so if I'm not sitting in front of a computer or the mobile app to hit "publish" 25-30 times per day, the posts will often not fire until overnight or the next day.

I want to continue to regularly update a local news aggregate blog, because for whatever reason it's a satisfying thing to do, but I will be scaling back while still trying to post things that are more relevant to you. Here's the plan:

Athensr will cease activity starting today (10/2/11). Hard news that is still relevant will be posted to Neighborhoodr-AthensOhio. I realize now that asking you to subscribe to two different blogs that basically did the same thing was a really "Netflix" thing to do.

I'll continue to scale down the geographic region I post about. I had originally intended to post news/features from the six counties that surround Athens County, but now I'm limiting myself to Athens County alone.

Similar posts will be grouped together on Neighbordhoodr-AthensOhio in roundup-style, but if it's a link from the Athens Messenger, I'll try to include more than just the headline since most of you don't subscribe.

Submissions will continue to be encouraged at Neighborhoodr-AthensOhio! Videos, photos, event flyers, and suggested follows (on Facebook/Twitter/Tumblr/that Google site no one's using) are all welcome here.

Thanks for following Athensr these last six months, and I hope you'll continue to follow our Neighborhoodr!

-Jason

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With 1,389 concealed-carry licenses issued since 2004, Athens County is no stranger to the Second Amendment.

But after a recent gun-range closing and a summer change in legislation allowing firearms in bars, area officials are making an effort to keep Athens safe.

The recently closed Strouds Run State Park gun range, 11661 State Park Rd., was where Hill Top Gun Club had been shooting since 1963, said Kevin Martin, the club’s chief instructor.

Read more from The Post.

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Even as the Ohio Supreme Court weighs whether to hear the case, both sides of State v. Abdi are already making their arguments.

Abdifatah Abdi was convicted of murder and aggravated robbery in Athens County Common Pleas Court in September 2009 and was sentenced to 28 years to life in prison on the murder charge and 10 years on the aggravated robbery charge. He has since successfully argued in the 4th District Court of Appeals that his prison sentences should not have been ordered to be served consecutively but rather concurrently on the basis that murder and aggravated robbery are allied offenses.

Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn has filed a request with the Ohio Supreme Court to overrule the appeals court’s decision. The court has yet to decide whether to hear the case, but Blackburn, the Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Association and defense attorney Russell Bensing are all arguing the merits of their case.

Read more from The Athens Messenger (subscription required).

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City officials are searching for possible improvements to the city bus system. Numerous candidates for oversight and bus route strategies are being considered in hope to provide a more efficient bus system.

The city has applied for both federal and state grants that will provide $316,000 of the $560,000 total bus budget. So far, the Ohio Department of Transportation has supplied a consultant to analyze the local bus system and suggest areas for improvement. This will be an ongoing process and any changes to the system must be held in public hearings.

Two possible strategies to implement would be a fixed route system and an on demand door to door system. According to Mayor Paul Wiehl, Athens would be best off with a door to door system because of the current ridership numbers. Wiehl hopes the ridership will increase after improvements are made.

Read more from The New Political.

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NELSONVILLE — William Inman Sr., a man accused of kidnapping and murdering his daughter-in-law, has been segregated from other inmates at Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail.

"He's under disciplinary action because he threw toilet water containing fecal matter and urine, and it came in contact with one of my officers," confirmed Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail Warden Jeremy Tolson.

An internal investigation is being conducted, and then the jail will coordinate with the Athens County Prosecutor's Office on the incident which reportedly occurred Saturday.

Read more from The Athens Messenger (subscription required).

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Ohio University has invested almost $180,000 to find replacements for three deans who left last year.

To expedite the replacement process for the deans of OU’s Arts and Sciences, Scripps, and Graduate colleges, Executive Vice President and Provost Pam Benoit hired search firms to assist the faculty committees conducting searches.

It is common to use firms for high-level academic administrative positions, said Ann Fidler, Benoit’s chief of staff, although she did not name the search firms OU is using.

Read more from The Post.

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Damage temporarily closes Palos bridge

GLOUSTER — One of Athens County’s three covered bridges was closed Monday due to damage possibly caused by a propane truck.

County Engineer Archie Stanley said closing of the Palos Covered Bridge is temporary, and repairs will be made by his employees after oak boards of the proper size are obtained. The bridge is located on Trimble Twp. Road 347 (Red Rock), north of Glouster.

Stanley said a local resident reported hearing a “loud crack sound,” went to investigate and discovered a broken floor board sticking up into the travel lane. He said the repair will cost less than $2,500, which is the insurance deductible, so an insurance claim won’t be filed.

Read more from The Athens Messenger (subscription required). | Photo credit: John Halley, The Athens Messenger.

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Athens police arrested a 25-year-old man after he allegedly robbed a gas station at knife-point early Friday morning.

Police responded to Speedway, 414 Richland Ave., after the clerk reported a robbery at 12:20 A.M. Friday morning, according to an Athens Police Department news release.

The suspect, Brian K. Hoffman, 25, of Athens, allegedly brandished a knife in the gas station, demanding cartons of cigarettes and the money in the register, according to the release. The clerk was not injured during the robbery.

Read more from The Post or from WOUB.

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New maps rip off Trimble Twp.

Trimble Twp. will no longer be in the same Ohio House or Senate district as the rest of Athens County, according to a revised legislative map approved Wednesday by the Ohio Apportionment Board. Also, part of Vinton County will be in the same districts as Athens County.

Before approving the new boundaries, the Republican-control board amended the maps its staff had prepared and that were made public last week. Athens County will be in the new 94th District, but the amended version approved Wednesday moves Trimble Twp. into the 78th District and puts the eastern part of Vinton County into the 94th.

“I don’t like it anytime the county is divided,” said Athens County Treasurer JaVon Kittle Cooper, who lives in Trimble Twp. and is president of the Trimble-Dover-York Democrat Club

Read more from The Athens Messenger (subscription required). | Map via The Athens Messenger.

[athensr-blog]

The city of Athens will receive more than half a million dollars to improve low-income housing as a part of an Ohio Department of Development grant to improve more than 70 eligible communities statewide.

The city plans to use the grant, totaling $522,400, to repair 13 and rehabilitate three owner-occupied homes in the city, said Paula Horan-Moseley, Athens’ Service Safety Director.

Funds will also be available to repair rental units, she said.

Read more from The Post.

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Even though Athens City Schools received an “excellent” rating from the state during the 2010–11 academic year, about 80 students living within the district are expected to enroll in online charter schools this year, taking almost $400,000 in state money with them.

Charter schools offer students an alternative to local public or private schools in “challenged school districts” statewide.

Because the Athens district is not classified as challenged, there have been no physical charter schools built, although six online schools are available to area students.

Read more from The Post.

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The village of Glouster has agreed to pay $16,500 to settle a lawsuit filed against two of its police officers by a man who was arrested in 2008. The federal civil-rights complaint by James M. Robinson of Glouster claimed that officers Michael Burba and Ryan Nagucki used excessive force when they arrested him in the Glouster community park.

The suit, filed in U.S. District Court last November, also alleged unconstitutional search and seizure, false arrest and retaliation. Robinson, who was 17 at the time of the arrest, claimed the officers searched his person and vehicle without a warrant or a valid reason, and then arrested him in retaliation after he challenged their right to search.

A court entry filed this week indicates that Robinson has agreed to dismiss the case with prejudice, meaning it can't be re-filed. Robinson's attorney, Sky Pettey of Athens, confirmed that the case was settled for a lump-sum payment of $16,500, without any additional payment of court costs or attorney fees.

Read more from The Athens NEWS.

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Ohio University's Dean of Students says the suspension of the men's club soccer team is being blown out of proportion.

Ryan Lombardi says there is no evidence at this point that any member of the team was participating in a hazing activity.

O.U. temporarily suspended the team after one member reported others had pressured him to drink alcohol and he ended up in the hospital with a gash on his head.

Read more from WOUB.

[athensr-blog]

OU students: Senate should decide where it stands on SB 5

More than 50 students and city officials marched last night brandishing signs, stickers and T-shirts pleading with Ohio University Student Senate members to take a stance on Senate Bill 5.

The students used senate’s “Student Speakout” session to protest senate President Kyle Triplett’s decision to not include a resolution condemning the bill’s wording in the agenda for last night’s meeting.

Tyler Barton, a senior studying chemistry and a student organizer for We Are Ohio, led the march and kicked off the presentations to senate.

Read more from The Post or from The New Political. | Photo credit: Maddie Meyer, The Post.

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A former Ohio University basketball player and a doorman for a local bar are set to go to trial next month to determine damages owed after the player broke the doorman’s nose last May.

Armon Bassett is accused of punching John Willis after Willis denied him entry into Courtside Pizza. Willis then sued Bassett for damages. In July, Willis was granted summary judgment against Bassett that ruled that the former basketball player was negligent in his actions.

Attorney Mark Preston represents Bassett while attorney Scott Oxley represents Willis. Both attorneys have filed their pretrial statements and both anticipate the trial, scheduled for Oct. 11, to take one day.

Read more from The Athens Messenger (subscription required).