APD still looking for driver from Friday hit and run
Athens Police are searching for the driver of an older model, white Jeep Cherokee after the driver hit a pedestrian Friday night near the intersection of Stimson Avenue and East State Street.
Kim Halter, 52, was struck by the vehicle at approximately 9:46 p.m. Friday, and was transported to Grant Hospital in Columbus early Saturday morning to receive treatment for her injuries. Halter, of Newark, Ohio, was released from the hospital Monday.
The Jeep Cherokee in question was being driven by a blonde-haired female, according to police. No other information was released as of press time.
Those with information on the case are advised to contact Lt. John Withers at (740) 592-3313 or at his email address, jwithers@ci.athens.oh.us.
Fire Chief: Fire caused $15,000 in damage to Timothy House
After a fire originating in a laundry room temporarily evacuated the Timothy House, officials are estimating the fire did $15,000 in damage.
The Timothy House, at 91 Central Ave. in Athens, is a homeless shelter run by local nonprofit Good Works. The laundry room fire was started by lint built up in one of the dryers, Athens Fire Chief Robert Rymer said.
The smoke damage was confined to one room, and there were only minor damages to the house, Rymer said.
After the fire broke out, utility companies shut off the electricity and gas lines to the house, according to a previous Post article.
The $15,000 estimate could change, as the Timothy House’s insurance company makes the final assessment of damage, Rymer said.
Good Works did not comment to The Post by press time.
Local man, indicted on sex charge, placed on $10,000 bond
Since his March 24 indictment, a Nelsonville man pleaded innocent to a sex charge at his Monday arraignment in the Athens County Municipal Court.
James Mohler, 33, pleaded not guilty to one charge of unlawful sexual conduct Monday with a minor, who was 15 years old at the time of the incident, between Sept. 1 and Nov. 14.
Judge L. Alan Goldsberry placed him on a $10,000 bond and ordered him to remain in Ohio and refrain from contact with the victim.
According to court documents, Mohler was aware of the minor’s age when the incident took place and he was “reckless in that regard.” The documents did not state, however, whether Mohler and the teenager knew each other prior to the incident.
Mohler’s charge is a felony of the third degree, which could land him in prison for up to three years if convicted, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
He is due back in court May 12. The jury trial is slated for June 17.
Expert: Athens might see Lunar Eclipse Monday
A “total lunar eclipse” is expected to take place April 13, according to the website of Fred Espenak, an American Goddard Space Flight Center astrophysicist who is best known for eclipse predictions.
This will be the first of two total lunar eclipses this year, and the first of a tetrad (four total lunar eclipses in series).
On his website, Espenak writes that “the Moon’s disk can take on a dramatically colorful appearance from bright orange to blood red and more rarely dark brown to very dark gray.”
However, it is currently unlikely that you could see the eclipse with the naked eye because of a grim weather forecast.
“It’s not looking real good,” said Tom Kines, senior meteorologist of AccuWeather, an American media company that provides for-profit weather forecasting services worldwide. “Some things will change, but right now, we see lots of clouds around Monday night, maybe even some rain.”
— Allan Smith, Lucas Daprile, Kelly Fisher and Su Park contributed to this report.
