Ahead of Union Street fire, bars sought to tackle assault
By Heather Hare | Nov. 18, 2014Safer Spaces is trying to reduce harassment situations by training bartenders to intervene.
LOCAL
Audio: Listen to 9-1-1 calls from fire on Union Street
Nov. 18, 2014The Post obtained audio files of several 9-1-1 calls related to the fire on Union Street.
Athens County poll workers receive donuts, coffee and a raise
By Matt Cudahy | Nov. 17, 2014The county commissioners met Tuesday morning to discuss the next years budget for many Athens County offices, resulting in two offices seeing their employees receive increased salaries.
In aftermath, OU organizations help displaced students
By Luke Furman | Nov. 17, 2014Members of OU organizations support member affected by West Union Street fire.
The 911 calls
Nov. 17, 2014The sounds of the coughs are chilling. Audio files of the 911 calls related to the massive Sunday fire across five structures on West Union Street detail what those in the buildings were experiencing. The calls, obtained by The Post, detail panic, worry and desperate pleas for help. Names of the callers were not obtained by Athens County 911 because they were fleeing the area when they called, authorities said in an email. The audio files are on our website. Here’s a partial transcription of those calls:
League of Women Voters: You should care about redistricting
By William T. Perkins | Nov. 17, 2014An event sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Athens County Monday night sought to tackle issues of unfair political representation in Ohio — or at least make them easier to understand.As the state prepares to redraw congressional and legislative districts, some say that the process, if not handled correctly, will result in further political bias by allowing the major party — which would be the Republicans — to construct districts in their favor. District maps are redrawn every ten years. The event featured Ann Henkener, a board member at the state chapter of the league. About 35 people attended the meeting at the Athens Community Center, 701 E. State St.“I look at Ohio as a very 50-50 state,” Henkener said, “I look at Ohio as a battleground state … Where did the battle go?”Henkener said that there has been a decrease in competitiveness in Ohio politics due to biased appropriation of congressional districts to favor the majority party in Congress — a technique known as gerrymandering.She explained that gerrymandering happens when members of the state’s appropriation board set up district lines so that there are more districts that will vote for the majority party, rather than the minority party. The board is composed of the governor, secretary of state, state auditor and a democratic and republican appointee.Henkener provided examples of several past attempts to prevent gerrymandering, including a plan proposed in 1981 by former Athens resident and Ohio State professor David Horn, which would have required that each party draw up their own district lines, with the most competitive party winning.The measure drew opposition from the state legislature, but Ellsworth Holden, a co-president of the League of Women Voters of Athens County, said he thinks it could have passed if there had been an interim period between when it was passed and when it was enacted.Mary Costello, a co-president of the League of Women Voters of Athens County, said she thought the event helped to clarify a murky issue to Athens locals.Henkener said that she wants to make the issue clear enough so that a person could have a conversation about it with someone on the way to his or her car in a parking lot, although she admitted that was no easy task.“You either have it done by people who are good and kind and generous … the bipartisan angels … or you have very strict regulation,” she said. “We’re working on the angles, but we haven’t found them yet.”@wtperkinswp198712@ohio.edu
Damaged West Union bars were set to undergo bystander intervention training
By Heather Hare | Nov. 17, 2014Safer Spaces is trying to reduce harassment situations by training bartenders to intervene.
Cause yet to be determined after fire investigation
By Will Drabold | Nov. 17, 2014The city gave an update on the fire aftermath Tuesday afternoon.
PoliceBlotter-Woman takes a tumble on Baker escalator
Nov. 17, 2014Last Thursday, a 52-year-old woman had too much to drink and paid the price on the escalators at Baker University Center.
Court diversion violation leaves man facing more time
By Chelsea Sick | Nov. 17, 2014Gates had been convicted of felonious assault in August.
Athens City Council extends thanks to first responders
By EMILY BOHATCH | Nov. 17, 2014Athens City Council extended thanks to first responders that arrived on scene Sunday morning to extinguish flames at West Union Street
Union Street fire first flared at Kismet
By Will Drabold | Nov. 17, 2014What caused the fire has not been determined.
Athens City Council Preview: Tobacco, trash ordinances to get second readings
By William T. Perkins | Nov. 17, 2014Two controversial ordinances will be read Monday night.
President McDavis encourages campus in wake of fire
Nov. 17, 2014President McDavis sent an email of thanks and encouragement to the university following the Union Street fire.
More than $12,200 raised for Union Street employees in under 24 hours
By Dina Berliner | Nov. 17, 2014A donation page for employees of the affected businesses from the West Union St. fire on Sunday has taken off.
Firefighters battled an early-morning blaze that destroyed numerous Uptown businesses, displaced dozens of OU students.
By Sam Howard | Nov. 16, 2014Throughout Sunday, firefighters battled an early-morning blaze that destroyed a handful of Uptown businesses and displaced dozens of OU students.
After many were affected by the Union Street fire, local companies helped out any way they could
By Julia Fair | Nov. 16, 2014After many were affected by the Union Street fire, local companies helped out any way they could.
What you need to know about the Uptown Athens fire
By SARA JERDE | Nov. 16, 2014Officials are investigating what started a fire that raged for hours, causing power outages throughout the city of Athens and significant damage to five buildings on Union Street.
Fire in Uptown Athens leaves 40 OU students displaced
By The Post Staff | Nov. 16, 2014Athens Uptown Fire
Woman reportedly raped on Main Green on Tuesday
By Olivia Hitchcock | Nov. 15, 2014A woman reportedly was raped by a male Tuesday on Main Green; the man fled after she sprayed pepper spray at him.
