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 …

When former Ohio Governor John Kasich took office in 2011, he went on to become the most pro-life governor in state history. Nearly one decade later, Ohio — and the entire country — faces a crossroads on what the future of abortion will look like. An enormous, heart-shaped balloon sat outside the Ohio statehouse in the summer of 2012, urging passersby …

City Council committee members discussed the Baileys bike trail, an ODOT grant, and various appropriations at its meeting Monday. Athens City Council committee members discussed the planned Baileys bike trail and its proposed council of governments at its meeting Monday night. The Baileys Mountain Bike Trail System would be around 88 miles long and cost around $10 million to build. …

Student Senate tickets have their budgets regulated every step of the way, from flyers to tabling snacks. This is how Forward Ohio collected and used their budget this year. As the race for Student Senate draws to a close, so does the financial record for this year’s race. But records of campaign donations and expenditures show more than a bottom …

Here’s how the Judicial Panel will run the Student Senate elections next week. Student Senate will hold its annual election for the student body to select who will represent them next year on April 2. This will be a single ticket election, with every candidate except one being part of the Forward ticket. One independent candidate is contesting the election …

Suspected Car Attacker James Alex Fields Jr. plead guilty to 29 counts of hate crimes. James Alex Fields Jr., suspected of killing one and injuring many, plead guilty to 29 federal hate crimes, including the death of Heather Heyer, and the injuring of dozens of others. Fields allegedly drove his car through a crowd of counter-protestors in Charlottesville on Aug. …

Planned Parenthood will lose their state funding and some federal funding before the end of April, after an appeals court ruled an Ohio law could be enforced. Planned Parenthood will no longer receive state funding after an appeals court upheld an Ohio law that restricts state and federal funding for abortion providers. Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of …

Despite an uncontested ticket for president, vice president and treasurer, Forward Ohio U hopes to raise campus awareness of Student Senate. When Student Senate voting opens this year, students will only have one option for who they want to lead the highest offices: Forward Ohio U, the ticket led by Lydia Ramlo, Alicia Lundy-Morse, and Jayden McAdams. All of Forward’s …

Student Senate discussed their relationship with Graduate Student Senate and passed multiple resolutions at their meeting Wednesday. Student Senate failed to enact a resolution that, if passed, would have officially separated Student Senate from Graduate Student Senate. Resolution 1819-103, subtitled “a resolution to change the constituency of Student Senate,” would change Student Senate’s constituency to represent only undergraduate students. Currently, …

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine released the proposed executive budget for the fiscal year of 2020-2021. The proposed budget is described as structurally balanced and void of any tax increases according to a news release from the governor’s office. Some of the priorities the governor mentioned in his State of the State address are highlighted in the budget. Increase in education …

Five governing bodies represent Ohio University. Here’s what they do and how they do it. Ohio University has five governing bodies, each representing a different portion of the student body: Student Senate, Graduate Student Senate, Faculty Senate, Administrative Senate, and Classified Senate. Each Senate acts on its own accord with its own constitution and constituents, but how do they interact …

Mike DeWine talked infrastructure, education, childcare and water quality at the annual State of the State Address. Changes in higher education Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that “we are going to embark on the most aggressive worker development and worker retraining in the history of the state of Ohio.” His plan involves bolstering support for tech schools and community colleges, …

Arian Smedley served on the Athens city council in 2017 by appointment, but she lost her campaign to keep her seat later that year. Now, she is running for a different position within the council. Arian Smedley hopes to get back on the Athens City Council by running in the only contested city council race of the May primary election. …