Firefighters from the city of Athens and The Plains and Richland Area volunteer fire departments responded to a fire at Jackie O's Public House restaurant this evening. The fire apparently started in the kitchen and was contained fairly quickly. Photos by Eric Boll.

The brothers — one of whom has Down syndrome — are asylum seekers from Venezuela. Arrested in a sting operation last month, they say they didn't know their courier job was with a criminal enterprise. Their case was still open in Athens County when ICE took them from the Southeast Ohio Regional Jail.

Proud to introduce a new community resource: a weather forecast video column ❄️☀️🌧️🌪️. If planning a family trip to the park, or just want to know when you can get outside to wrench the truck, Radar with Rachel has your back. ➡️ Check it out! youtu.be/2FXh2jWTLOs?...

3D-printed homes are popping up in Chauncey as a result of a partnership between Survivor Advocacy Outreach Program and Vitruvian, who are working to provide affordable housing options in the village. athensindependent.com/vitruvian-3d...

Job alert! Enjoy a worker-centered, life-friendly culture while making a difference for residents of southeast Ohio. We're on a mission to empower civic engagement through accessible public service journalism. Come join us! #jobs #journalism #fundraising

Hello, Bluesky!

Join us Friday to learn more about your First Amendment rights! @CWRU1stAmClinic will be hosting a FREE 1st Amendment training for journalists, students and the public. Co-hosted by @ThePost. Register and find more info here https://ohio.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bmv1rRCOkAtxdVc

In today's Indy: Athens County has lost three local radio DJs in recent months, amid changes following Total Media’s purchase of local radio stations WXTQ and WATH https://athensindependent.com/wath-wxtq-barticus-radio-changes/

Parties reached a tentative settlement agreement in a lawsuit over the 2018 death of Southeast Ohio Regional Jail pretrial detainee Jennifer Ohlinger https://athensindependent.com/jennifer-ohlinger-tentative-lawsuit-settlement/

ELECTION RESULTS: Athens County saw one of its highest off-year election turnouts in the 21st century on Tuesday, with 47.03% of registered voters participating https://athensindependent.com/athens-county-complete-election-results-2023/

ELECTION RESULTS: Athens County approved both issues with among the widest margins in the state https://athensindependent.com/athens-county-approves-state-issues-2023/

ELECTION RESULTS: The levy passed with 62% of votes cast for the tax levy, according to unofficial results from the Athens County Board of Elections Tuesday night https://athensindependent.com/acems-levy-2023/

ELECTION RESULTS: Newcomer Rita Nguyen and incumbents Nancy Sonick and Justin Booth defeated incumbents Tony Dunee, Doug Childs and Dan Sherman in the city’s contested race https://athensindependent.com/nelsonville-city-council-results/

ELECTION RESULTS: The bond issue passed with 58% of voters in favor. This follows a $60.5 million bond issue voters passed for the district in 2018 https://athensindependent.com/athens-bond-issue-passes-2023/

We're partnering with @ThePost on this FREE #FirstAmendment training for #journalists, featuring presentations by @CWRU1stAmClinic. Register today! #journalism

An intergenerational, multiracial crowd of about 250 students and community members showed support for Palestine outside the Athens County Courthouse on Thursday, Oct. 26 https://athensindependent.com/palestine-solidarity-demonstration-october-2023/

📢 Stay in the loop with your community! Don't miss out on what's happening this week in Athens County. Follow the link in bio to read today's Indy Bulletin Board https://athensindependent.com/the-indy-bulletin-board-nov-6-12/

Do you know what today is? (Other than the day we rush to the store for discounted Halloween treats 🍫.) Starting today, we are raising support for our independent journalism with #NewsMatch! They will match every dollar you give from now until Dec. 31!...

Election Day is one week away, on Tuesday, Nov. 7. Have you decided how to vote? Check out our voter guide, which compiles candidate interviews and forums from the League of Women Voters of Athens County and our original reporting. https://athensindependent.com/2023-voters-guide/

Athens County voters will decide this November whether to levy an additional tax to support Athens County Emergency Medical Services. https://athensindependent.com/ems-levy/

For the second time in six years, Athens and The Plains residents will decide whether to pass a multimillion-dollar bond issue for Athens City Schools. https://athensindependent.com/athens-city-schools-bond-issue-2023/

At its Oct. 9 meeting, Nelsonville City Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would establish an official policy for processing public records requests https://athensindependent.com/nelsonville-city-council-records/

New legislative district maps approved last month scoop out the city of Athens and three townships from Athens County’s center, splitting the county between two Ohio House districts Read more: https://athensindependent.com/new-district-maps/

Candidates for Nelsonville City Council in the upcoming general election largely agreed on key city issues during a League of Women Voters of Athens County election forum on Oct. 10 https://athensindependent.com/nelsonville-city-council-member-forum-2023/

Around 50 people attended a public meeting Wednesday night to learn more about and comment on the Ohio Department of Transportation’s plans to install two roundabouts at the intersection of on U.S. 33 and State Route 682 in The Plains...

A recent court decision allows the wrongful death lawsuit against former Hocking College police officer Cecil Morrison to move past initial pleadings. Morrison shot and killed Nelsonville resident Michael Whitmer while on duty in 2021....

More changes are coming to traffic patterns in The Plains. The Ohio Department of Transportation wants to build roundabouts at the intersection of U.S. Route 33 and State Route 682 https://athensindependent.com/us-33-exit-changes/

Our board member, Tom Hodson, wrote an op-ed for Crain's Cleveland Business on the importance of nonprofit local news for combatting and disinformation. https://www.crainscleveland.com/crains-forum-fighting-misinformation-and-disinformation/voters-northeast-ohio-have-reliable-sources

At the Athens Mayoral Forum Tuesday night, incumbent Steve Patterson, a Democrat, leaned on his record despite criticism from challenger Damon Krane, an independent democratic socialist https://athensindependent.com/athens-mayor-forum-2023/

The eighth annual Athens Area Stand Down will be held tomorrow, from 10 a.m. to noon at the Athens County Fairgrounds https://athensindependent.com/athens-area-stand-down-2023/

As the Independent previously reported, attorneys reached a $5 million settlement agreement in a federal class action lawsuit that alleged labor violations by Bob Evans Restaurants. On Sept. 25, that settlement agreement was officially approved...

LOCAL ELECTION COVERAGE ⚠️ Beginning this week, voters can directly engage with candidates for local elected office at forums and meet-and-greets hosted by the League of Women Voters of Athens County...

Happy Monday ☕ Be sure to read this week's Indy Bulletin Board, our digest of top headlines from other outlets plus a list of all public meetings, events, road closures, announcements and more! https://athensindependent.com/the-indy-bulletin-board-10-2-10-5/

After several years of falling enrollment, Ohio University welcomed its largest-ever first-year class this fall — but labor leaders say OU needs more staff to accommodate its rebounding student population. https://athensindependent.com/ohio-university-enrollment-staffing-2023/

In August, the forest service announced a proposal to change the name of the Wayne National Forest to Buckeye National Forest. State District 94 Rep. Jay Edwards opposes; the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma advocates for change https://athensindependent.com/wayne-name-change-update/

ICYMI: What the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Athens County lacks in candidate choice, it makes up for in local ballot issues. Most of the races on the Nov. 8 general election ballot in Athens County will be easy picks because they’re...

Officials at Hocking College say they were uninvolved in a statewide change to the technical college trustee appointment process that was central to a controversy at the college last year. Technical college boards will have more power in the new process....

Through a grant from the U.S. Forest Service, Rising Appalachia will take on a major expansion and launch an apprenticeship program fostering sustainable, forest-based businesses. https://athensindependent.com/rising-appalachia-apprenticeship-grant/

One way or another, Greg Smith is coming back to Nelsonville City Council https://athensindependent.com/greg-smith-election-2023/

Today, Little Wing will send off the final boxes for its third container shipment to Ukraine. The 40-foot container will arrive in Kyiv near the end of October. The first shipment went in 2022; the second was sent earlier this year Read more:...

Our work continues to reach a national audience. Inside Climate News republished our story on the recent suspensions of four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County. Check it out!...

One of Ohio’s oldest operating bars — now under new ownership — continues to be a beacon of community in Nelsonville, now under the ownership of the Norway family https://dir.lat/hWI3Sx (Photo by Keri Johnson / newspaper clipping from Lorinda LeClain)

Four fracking waste injection wells in Athens County have temporarily suspended operations by order of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, which says the wells present an “imminent danger” to drinking water. https://athensindependent.com/injection-wells-suspended/

We hope you had a happy Labor Day! ☀️ Our public bodies had the day off — find an up-to-date list of public meetings along with road closures, local news, events and more in today's Indy Bulletin Board....

For Athens resident Laura Gilmore, yesterssay, Ohio Overdose Awareness Day is a time to reflect on loss, destigmatize addiction and share recovery resources https://athensindependent.com/overdose-awareness-day-2023/

BREAKING: The U.S. Department of Justice announced a lawsuit yesterday against Athens County landlord Joseph Earl Lucas, of Amesville, for sexually harassing female tenants since at least 2004 https://athensindependent.com/joe-lucas-sexual-harassment-lawsuit/

In an appeal over the alleged menacing of former Hocking College football player Caden Cox, the defense filed a brief earlier this month explaining why the defendant’s conviction should be overturned https://athensindependent.com/cox-kmosko-criminal-appeal/

🎉 Anniversary campaign update! We’ve welcomed 15 new members so far 🌟 We're looking for 22 more to help us reach our new member goal for August! Join today to sustain the only community owned news operation created by and for the people of Athens County....

The 2023 Ohio State Old Time Fiddlers Contest took place at Stuart's Opera House, bringing together fiddlers of all ages and backgrounds https://athensindependent.com/fiddlers2023/

Former Ohio University police officer Robert Andrew Parsons is liable for his 2005 sexual abuse of then-teenaged Alison Arocho, an Athens County Court of Common Pleas judge found last week. https://athensindependent.com/alison-arocho-lawsuits-update/