The ripple of Kaitlin Bennett’s Ohio University visit is still being felt by the institution more than a week later because of the significant amount of national attention paid to her appearance. University departments, including Undergraduate Admissions, have received phone calls and emails from both concerned parents and critics of Ohio U’s handling of the controversial far-right activist’s visit. “The …

Graduate Student Senate election campaigns kicked off last week, and a group of candidates formed a coalition aiming to reduce graduate health care costs and increase the student body’s stipend pay. The collective goes by Coalition for Graduate Student Advancement (CGSA) and features presidential candidate Kaelyn Ferris, Brett Fredericksen vying for vice president, and Amid Vahedi who’s running an uncontested …

Uchenna Okwara, a presidential candidate for Graduate Student Senate’s (GSS) upcoming election, plans to raise awareness about GSS and increase graduate student interaction with the body. Okwara will contest Kaelyn Ferris, the body’s department representative for physics and astronomy, in the race for president. In an interview before the protest about graduate student health care at last week’s GSS meeting, …

Amal Shimir, a vice presidential candidate for Graduate Student Senate’s (GSS) upcoming election, hopes to increase graduate student involvement and increase safety on campus. Shimir will challenge Brett Fredericksen, the representative for the Environmental and Plant Biology Department, for the position. In an interview before a protest erupted at GSS last Tuesday, Shimir said her campaign’s top priorities are to …

Kaitlin Bennett, the controversial “Kent State gun girl,” was swiftly run off Ohio University’s campus Monday by hundreds of protesters displeased by her provocative first visit to Athens. Bennett, accompanied by a towering bodyguard and members of her conservative activist website Liberty Hangout, claimed the group dropped by Ohio U on President’s Day to film a video asking students “trivia” …

Student Senate urged Ohio University to voluntarily recognize the unionization of its classified staff, which includes clerical, library and administrative assistants, at the body’s Wednesday night meeting. Melanie Quolke, the chair-elect of Classified Senate — a governing body that represents classified staffers — discussed the staff’s role and its motivations for unionizing. She said that higher wages and better health …

Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown penned an op-ed in The New York Times Wednesday that shined a light on his Republican counterparts in the U.S. Senate who voted to acquit President Donald Trump, asserting they protected the president out of fear rather than principle. That fear, Brown wrote, led to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s efforts to dismiss the articles …

City Councilmember Peter Kotses won reelection to his at-large Athens City Council seat this past November, but shortly after the victory he announced his campaign for Athens County treasurer. Kotses, who is serving his third term on City Council, said he enjoys overseeing governmental functions of Athens more than crafting legislation, which is the primary reason he is running for …

A representative from the U.S. Census Bureau spoke to Student Senate about the need for better student representation in the upcoming census at the body’s meeting Wednesday night.  Representative Aaron Dagres said college students have been one of the most underrepresented populations during the administration of the U.S. Census. Students in off-campus housing under-report the population of their household or …

Graduate Student Senate’s executive board elections have been delayed at least two weeks amid confusion among members of the body concerning the application process required to run. A resolution presented to GSS aired several grievances senators have with the process. Members noted that applicants were not properly notified of the election process, the deadline or the scope of the positions …

Broadband access is an everyday necessity for many Ohioans, but for some residents in southeastern Ohio, access to high-speed internet connection is a luxury.  A report by the Athens County Economic Development Council, Ohio University and the Buckeye Hills Regional Council — a group of local governments dedicated to improving the lives of southeastern Ohio residents — found that 80-90% …

Throughout the contentious 2019 mayoral race between Democrat Steve Patterson and Independent, self-described socialist Damon Krane, Krane claimed that by running, he was bringing competition to a local political landscape stifled by uncompetitive elections.  Democrats have dominated Athens’ city government over the past 20 years of city elections. The blue wall that kept out the numerous Independent challengers in 2019 …

City Council reintroduced legislation Monday that would allow Athens to enter into an agreement to financially support the construction of the Baileys Trail System after the vote was delayed at its last full-body meeting. The proposed legislation would allow for Athens’ transient guest tax, a tax on rented rooms in hotels, to go toward the 80-mile long trail system’s construction …

Members of the the Ohio House of Representatives introduced a bill into committee late last week to outlaw abortion in the state with very few exceptions. If the bill were to pass, any medical provider that conducts an abortion procedure could be charged with murder, and women who receive an abortion could be criminally charged. The proposed legislation includes protections …

Following last week’s election, former Independent mayoral candidate Damon Krane attributed his landslide loss to Athens Democratic Mayor Steve Patterson to low voter turnout in the county. “(Turnout was) much lower than I expected it to be,” Krane told The New Political in a phone interview on election night. Though it’s unclear how many people planned to vote last Tuesday …

Lucy Thompson is a freshman studying geography and environmental studies. She is a member of the Ohio University College Democrats. The following article reflects the opinion and views of the author and does not present the thoughts of the Ohio University College Democrats.  This is a submitted column, and please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those …

After the election in Athens, we asked our opinion writers for their thoughts on the results of the mayoral and City Council races. Contributing are Charlotte Caldwell, a sophomore journalism major, Katie Nolan, a junior environmental studies major, Maddie Kramer, a junior political science major and Zach Richards, a sophomore education major. Please note that these views and opinions do …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens’ and state politics. Listeners can find new episodes every Friday at thenewpolitical.com, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, or wherever else podcasts can be downloaded. This week, Athens Happens is entirely dedicated to discussing this past week’s election in Athens. Coming up, we have three TNP …

Democratic Athens Mayor Steve Patterson will retain his seat after garnering three-fourths of the vote in the race against Independent, self-proclaimed democratic socialist, candidate Damon Krane. Patterson took the election by storm and received 75.62% of the vote, according to polling results with 99% of precincts reporting. Krane received 20.81% of the vote. Krane has been highly critical of Patterson, …

Editor’s Note: Story will be updated as results are announced by the Athens County Board of Elections. Today is Election Day and Athens residents voted on a series of city and township candidates and issues. Here are the results, live to readers as soon as they hit the newsroom. Mayoral election results: Democrat Steve Patterson defeated Independent candidate Damon Krane, …

Democrats Beth Clodfelter, Sarah Grace and Peter Kotses won the three contested At-Large City Council positions in a sweeping election for the Democratic Party in Athens, resulting in a body that will soon be controlled entirely by Democrats. Six candidates ran for the At-Large positions. The three candidates who earned the most votes won the seats. Clodfelter, who won 23.57% …

Today is election day. Here are the locations where Ohio University students can vote in accordance with where they live on campus. The polls are open between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Students who reside on West, East and South Greens report to Baker University Center — excluding students who reside in Voigt and Bromley Halls. They instead report to the …

The New Political obtained pre-general election campaign finance reports for most of the candidates running for City Council and mayor from the Athens County Board of Elections. The reports detail contributions candidates received and their campaign expenditures through Oct. 16. The general election in Athens is Tuesday. Damon Krane, Independent mayoral candidate: Damon Krane, a self-described democratic socialist and a …

A tax bill that aims to revise how tax levies are explained on ballots, making them more comprehensible to voters and homeowners was introduced in the Ohio Senate on Monday. House Bill 76 was introduced in February in the Ohio House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, and an amended version passed in the House late last week.  Fifty-four representatives …

Ohio University Police Department Chief Andrew Powers addressed Student Senate on Wednesday about programs the department implemented this year. OUPD’s “Start By Believing” campaign started a few years ago to help empower and support survivors of sexual assault. The campaign was started after Ohio U student Brie Sivy, a survivor of sexual assault, spoke out in a documentary about her …

Debate sparked among Graduate Student Senate members Tuesday night over the appointment of two committees. Representative Brett Fredericksen brought forward a resolution to create a concrete deadline to form a governance and budgeting committee within GSS, in addition to beginning a list of members interested in joining these committees.  Fredericksen was concerned that the committees, which help form resolutions and …

In less than a week, election day will be upon Athens County, and citizens will vote on a total of seven ballot initiatives when they visit their precinct. The initiatives either replace millage rates — a tax rate used to calculate property taxes — or create new taxes. A majority vote among citizens is required for each initiative to pass. …

Governor Mike Dewine is expected Friday to sign an Ohio Senate bill into law that improves state election security and authorizes the creation of a civilian task force that would protect against statewide cyber attacks. Senate Bill 52 was introduced this past February, passing unanimously in both the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives, according to the legislature’s website, meaning …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens’ and state politics. You can find new episodes every Friday at thenewpolitical.com, iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, or wherever else podcasts can be downloaded. This week, we examined the director of Sorority and Fraternity Life’s visit to Student Senate last week …

Before the 2018 midterm election, the Ohio University College Republicans made 300,000 phone calls from the organization’s call center — more than any other in the state of Ohio.  Ryan Evans, a 2018 Ohio U graduate and former president of the College Republicans, said the purpose of the call center is to contact voters and make them aware of the …

At-large candidates for the upcoming City Council election participated in a forum Thursday night at the Athens Community Center. They made their last remarks on issues like tourist housing and a permanent location for Athens Farmers Market before the election on Nov. 5.  The meeting was hosted by the Far Eastside Neighborhood Association (FENA) and moderated by former state legislator …

All three Athens City Council at-large positions are up for grabs on Nov. 5 . Our writers compiled features about the six candidates — three incumbents and three challengers — vying for the seats. Click on the buttons below to learn more about each candidate:                                   

Drug rehabilitation and prison reform are topics that have recently been brought up by candidates running for government positions in Athens, such as Independent Ellie Hamrick, and Democrats running in the 2020 presidential election. Many candidates throw around the terms “clean needle exchange program” and “supervised injection sites,” but what do they actually mean, and what evidence is there to …

State Rep. Jay Edwards and U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson’s wife, LeeAnn Johnson, addressed local members of the Athens County Republican Party and many members of the Ohio University College Republicans at the party’s annual fall dinner held Thursday evening in at the local headquarters of The American Legion, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that supports veterans. Edwards mingled with party members …

Candidates for Athens mayor and city council discussed and debated issues ranging from income inequality, to police brutality, to unlit pathways on the west side. Here’s the highlights of the three hour debate. Both mayoral candidates — incumbent Democratic Mayor Steve Patterson and Independent, self-described socialist and community organizer Damon Krane — participated in the debate. Afterward, City Council candidates …

Ohio University students may have recently received text messages from Athens mayoral Independent candidate Damon Krane or City Council Independent candidate Ellie Hamrick — even if they did not previously express interest in either candidates’ campaigns. The candidates, who are both running on socialist platforms, spent the past several weeks focused on promoting their platforms and encouraging voter registration through …

Opinion writer Maddie Kramer, a junior studying political science, says that Beth Clodfelter has the experience needed to be an ideal member of Athens City Council. While many are focused on national politics with the impending 2020 primaries and the presidential election, local Athens politicians are gearing up for an election this November. One of these important local elections is …

Ohio University College Democrats held an event over the weekend where 40 students from six universities across the state came to mingle with other college democrats. The day consisted of speakers mostly from Athens who spoke to attendees about the relationship between College Democrats and their work. Among the speakers were Athens Mayor Steve Patterson and Chris Scott, a member …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters who are dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens and state politics. You can find new episodes every Friday right here on thenewpolitical.com. The show is also available on Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as on YouTube in a video format. This week we discussed a forum that featured Athens’ incumbent Mayor …

Rep. Jay Edwards (R-Nelsonville) took to social media in recent weeks to criticize JobsOhio, the state’s non-profit economic development agency, for not providing enough economic aid to Southeast Ohio, particularly Athens and Meigs counties. The criticism came through a series of tweets that claimed JobsOhio,  a private, non-profit corporation with ties to the state government, and the Appalachian Partnership for …

The race for Athens City Council continues as six candidates participated in the first forum Thursday at the Athens Community Center where they discussed topics such as housing reform and city policing. The event, hosted by the League of Women Voters of Athens County, featured Independent Chris Monday, incumbent Democrat Peter Kotses, Socialist Ellie Hamrick, Democrat Beth Clodfelter, incumbent Independent …

President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign and the Republican National Committee trained Ohio University students Wednesday evening to organize and register voters prior to the 2020 presidential election. The event — coordinated by the Ohio College Republican Federation and the Ohio University College Republicans — attracted nearly 50 students to Copeland Hall. Students learned about how they can help Trump win …

Graduate Student Senate voted Tuesday evening to reaffirm its position as an autonomous and independent legislative body from Student Senate. The resolution arrived after a similar bill passed last year, which stated that Graduate Senate (GSS) no longer recognizes Student Senate as representatives for graduate students and declared GSS as the “sole voice of graduate students within the shared governance …

The Athens County Democratic Party held a campaign kick off celebration at Armory Park on Monday afternoon in support of Democratic Mayor Steve Patterson and a number of other candidates. The event, which was open to the public, gave candidates the ability to share their platforms with voters. Patterson was joined by incumbent Athens City Council President Chris Knisely, incumbent …

Athens Happens is a weekly news podcast brought to you by TNP reporters who are dedicated to explaining the nuances of Athens’ and state politics.  You can find new episodes every Friday right here on thenewpolitical.com. The show is also available on Spotify and SoundCloud, as well as on YouTube in a video format. Stories included in this episode: Uptown business, student …

Welcome to Athens Happens, a weekly news podcast brought to you by the The New Political featuring our reporters who explain the nuances of the weeks coverage. Included in this episode: Host: Ben Peters, News Editor, @BenPeters2 Cole Behrens, Managing Editor, @Colebehr_report – When the Hocking River Turned William Meyer, News Editor, @Azensoup – Battle of the Ohio University Senates Charlotte …

Socialist candidates running for local government positions claim City Council is negligent in punishing delinquent landlords. An Athens socialist candidate running for office took to the podium at City Council on Tuesday, charging that members of the body hijacked his progressive housing reform proposal for political gain. City Council heard a proposed ordinance during the meeting that would amend the …

A 68-year-old Central Ohio resident shares horror stories of physical torment he endured at the hands of the U.S. Government during the Vietnam War The U.S. military revealed last fall that human research experiments were performed on 70,000 troops from 1922 to 1975 after the living victims sought health care for related ailments in a successful lawsuit. As active members …

Arian Smedley returned to her hometown and intends to represent the city’s west side in council  Athens native, Ohio University graduate student and public servant Arian Smedley will soon be taking on a new role when she starts her tenure as the First Ward Representative for the Athens City Council. Smedley, the assistant superintendent of the Athens County Board of …

Editor’s Note: This is an abridgment and republishing of a longer Athens NEWS article that initially appeared in the 6/27 print edition and appears online HERE. The New Political has express permission from The Athens News to republish this article. Left-leaning candidates running for local offices engaged in a discussion forum at the Athens public library Thursday, June 20 where they …