Small note of personal news: tomorrow I end my nighttime coverage of public safety and begin a new beat - covering K-12 education in the Columbus area for
@DispatchAlerts
I look forward to starting my new beat, and if you have any tips or story ideas, feel free to reach out!
@NetflixFilm
I too often travel to Scotland looking to purchase a castle, only to encounter a prickly owner unwilling to sell, thus setting in motion a series of romantic progressions, ending with us falling in love.
Family is celebrating in the parking lot of Lowe's of Whitehall after someone has in Indianapolis has located the vehicle with Kason Thomas, alive and well. Family heard from a first-person source
"My tears have turned to joy," Fonda Thomas, his grandmother said.
Protestors have set up tents in the middle of a circle and
@OhioState
police have warned them they have five minutes before they move in and dismantle them:
At
@OhioState
student union where hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the green, following days of other university students protesting across the country in calling for a divestment of university financing from Israeli-led companies.
@DispatchAlerts
At
@OhioState
student union where hundreds of demonstrators have taken to the green, following days of other university students protesting across the country in calling for a divestment of university financing from Israeli-led companies.
@DispatchAlerts
While Joe Burrow has highlighted the food insecurity in Athens on national stage — hunger is by far the only acute need experienced by people in Athens County and the region:
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Reflecting at this time in 2017 when Athens double-booked a socialist demonstration and a meet-n-greet with Santa Claus at the Court House so they had to hold their events at the same time.
Maybe one of the more surreal student reporting experiences
Photo of infant Kason Thomas, who was recovered by Indianapolis metro police tonight after nearly four days missing. Family says he is well and they are on the way:
Two years ago, I was an intern
@DispatchAlerts
when the pandemic threw everyone a curveball.
Today, I am excited to share that starting next week, I will be returning to start a role at the Dispatch, covering breaking news and public safety in the evening.
Looks like Ohio State Highway Patrol has arrived with crowd control gear after demonstrators ignored multiple 15 minute warnings to disperse.
Police presence is overall increasing. Protestors are planning for arrests.
#HappeningNow
Supporters of Palestinians have taken over the grassy area across from the Ohio Union @ OSU. Has been peaceful so far with protesters chanting and praying in a big circle. At around 7:30 the OSU police ordered the crowd to disperse within 15 minutes.
Be sure to pick up a copy of
@TheAthensNEWS
today, for free, around town.
I have decided to step down as associate editor of the paper. My final day will be March 16.
I loved this paper and love the Athens community -- thanks for having me.
My former paper,
@TheAthensNEWS
, is in shambles days after editorial spoke out against
@PublishingAdams
management running a scam ad in print, which caused at least one reader to lose money.
Here is the thread that was made before editors were ordered to have it removed.
This is what food insecurity looks like in Athens County.
At the Athens County Fairgrounds, hundreds of cars line up for a box.
I talked to some who were here before the distribution started, and they've been waiting 2 hours.
@athensmessenger
A look into the newly-upgraded
@BagelStreetDeli
, which opens to the public tomorrow at 8 a.m.
The restaurant that became something of a pandemic favorite for Athenians and students now has a LOT more space
Athens and The Plains are getting decked out for Joe Burrow's Super Bowl appearance. The flowers on Court Street were designed by PassionWorks studio in Athens:
The suspect in the video was charged with 2 misdemeanors, for disorderly conduct and another for resisting arrest.
She pleaded not guilty to both charges, per the docket
Charging docs say she also refused to identify to police and tried to leave the scene, seen in another vid.
I'm excited to announce I will be accepting the position of associate editor at The
@athensmessenger
.
I'll also continue my studies (part-time) at
@ohiou
in pursuit of my journalism degree.
I am looking forward to covering Athens County!
Athens Mayor Steve Patterson just told me after council I needed to submit all future questions in writing due to his concerns about "inaccuracies."
Despite multiple attempts to press him and ask what inaccuracies I had reported, he was unable to provide me an answer ...
Athens Mayor Steve Patterson and I shared an observation this weekend he said APD noticed people "running in every direction" at the site of officers.
Patterson says it is due to the "limited historic knowledge" of "basically two freshman classes"
1/3
Unreal Athens City Council moment:
A dude just came on Council for public comment and when asked his name, he says : "Joe Mama"
Council Pres Chris Knisley: Address please?
Council member Crowl: I think that's a joke
Guy comes back on the mic:
"JOE MAMA"
I was honored today to have been named the Ohio APME 2023 Rising Star. I am truly humbled to have received this award, and thankful for the mentorship at
@DispatchAlerts
.
Hundreds have marched through Fort Mitchell and aren't done yet.
Some however, turned back as the temperature continues to climb here in Northern Kentucky.
EMT is on standby for heat-related injuries
I was recently towed by Athens Towing on request of the city. I was charged $194. The city maximum is $50, the state maximum is $120.
I raised this concern to the employee, who laughed at me and told me to sue them.
One wonders why these companies seem to act with impunity.
The practices of Curtis Auto Repair and Towing have been subject to complaints since 2019. Recently, two
@ohiou
students accused Curtis Towing of unreasonable practices when it came to retrieving their cars
Article from
@AnnaMillar16
Protestors have set up tents in the middle of a circle and
@OhioState
police have warned them they have five minutes before they move in and dismantle them:
Long has he waited --
It's special election day for the OH-15 and Pumpkin the election cat is standing vigilant at the Board of Elections.
The partisan primaries being held today feature 11 Republicans and two Democrats vying for a chance in the Nov. 2 general.
@TheAthensNEWS
Professor Justice Hill holding a sign outside the Sean Kingston. Also shouted at the line outside Baker to "not see a man who assaults women"
@TheNewPolitical
Ukrainian former Ohio University student Les Yakymychuk left Athens one year ago to aid his country in the war effort:
"This is our war,” he said. “We will finish it. We will end it someday, and we will drink a good beer somewhere in Athens (Ohio).”
It's my last at The
@DispatchAlerts
as part of the E.W. Scripps Statehouse Fellowship!
Despite (or in light of?) the coronavirus pandemic, I gained some invaluable experiences in public affairs reporting that I will carry throughout my life.
Just spoke to
@JayEdwardsOhio
outside the House Finance Committee (drove to Columbus) to ask about his vote not to expel Householder.
Edwards said he "would put out a statement" but said it would happen when he "feels like it."
Refused to give any timeline.
Latching onto this with a small update of my own:
Starting later this week, I will be taking
@NewsmanBen
's role as associate editor of
@TheAthensNEWS
.
It's a small change -- but I look forward to getting to continuing my work in Athens.
Drake Bell was supposed to perform at my high school as part of a court diversion. My entire school was assembled in the gym, only to find out he was actually in Mexico and would not be performing.
Anyways:
Since it's
@RandyLudlow
's last DeWine presser, I'd like to share this photo from back in Jan. when coronavirus wasn't even on anybody's radar.
Thanks for your definitive work over the years, and your mentorship of countless public affairs interns at The
@DispatchAlerts
Looks like Ohio State Highway Patrol has arrived with crowd control gear after demonstrators ignored multiple 15 minute warnings to disperse.
Police presence is overall increasing. Protestors are planning for arrests.
This morning, The Athens County Sheriff's posted to Facebook about a man who is wanted for multiple felony warrants.
He is in the comments defending his innocence and is now receiving a how-to from others on how to check the court systems for his own alleged crimes.
Fire Chief Rymer tells me they vacated Red Brick and Cat's Eye out of an abundance of caution due to reports from the engineer that the building may be unstable.
No more information until engineers look at it.
Sorry Red Brick goers 🥺
@athensmessenger
How to talk about mass shooting tragedies vs. how not to talk about mass shooting tragedies as a reporter.
Even if something as terrible as nine people being killed springboards your career, you might be wiser to accept humility in the face of so much death and trauma.
I just spoke to Mayor Steve Patterson on the phone -- he has rescinded his policy limiting me to written questions that he told me about on Monday.
#localjournalismmatters
Letter from Athens NEWS editor
@CorinneColbert
:
"The press does not exist to make public figures look good. As we say in the newsroom, “If you don’t want to look bad in the newspaper, don’t do stuff that makes you look bad.”"
.
@TheAthensNEWS
used to be alternative -- really alternative. This 1977 issue has drug price speculation and the paper once had a contest to guess how much pot was in a picture.
I'm at The Southeast Ohio Regional Jail, where law enforcement from across Athens County has responded to what the Sheriff said was a "disturbance" at the jail that serves 5 counties.
I've been asked to leave, and will share more as it becomes available.
@athensmessenger
I'm here at the Franklin County Board of Elections, where early voting is kicking off at 8. Campaigners for the Warren campaign are setting up a tent.
@OhioPoliticsNow
BREAKING: Athens Mayor Steve Patterson considering a primary bid for Steve Stivers 15th district Rep. seat when Stivers leaves his spot in May.
Patterson told
@athensmessenger
he "was giving a lot of serious thought" to the idea of running for the seat
Catherine Girvis travelled 40 minutes by bike to vote early for Elizabeth Warren - she and her family vote early every year and share a meal after they cast their ballot.
@DispatchAlerts