Jury finds ex-OU student innocent of rape, kidnapping
Written by Jim Phillips
Friday, 06 November 2009 16:20
After deliberating for about five and a half hours Friday, a jury in Athens County Common Pleas Court found 21-year-old Matthew Kulchar, a former Ohio University student, not guilty of rape or kidnapping in connection with an alleged sexual assault on a female student in September 2008.
The six-woman, six-man jury did find Kulchar guilty of complicity to evidence tampering, a third-degree felony.
State audit issues findings of recovering in Hocking College case
Written by Athens NEWS Staff
Thursday, 05 November 2009 10:43
In a special audit of Hocking College just released, the Ohio Auditor of State found that three HC officials – Roxanne DuVivier, Lynette Hull and Myriah Short – each improperly paid herself $9,224 in salaries from a grant fund.
The audit also found, among other problems, that the college had improperly paid $530 worth of miscellaneous travel expenses for then President John Light to travel to his second home in Shelter Island, N.Y., and $72 in personal expense reimbursements for two purchases on a college credit card.
The Athens County Commissioners discussed a series of changes to the county flood-plain regulations Tuesday with county Planner Bob Eichenberg after flood-plain maps for the area were altered.
The biggest factor in these changes, Eichenberg said, was for people who are going to be in a flood plain if they weren’t before. These people have a chance to save on insurance costs if they purchase their policies in time.
4th Ward winner Fahl hopes to continue working on code update
Written by Athens NEWS Staff
Thursday, 05 November 2009 00:07
Now that Democrat Christine Fahl looks to be heading back to Athens City Council to represent the Fourth Ward for two more years, she says she’ll continue working with the city planner to update city laws as they apply to development.
“Immediately, we have to look at the budget; that’s what we’re doing right now,” Fahl said Wednesday morning. “But a longer-term project is going to be updating the code to make it much more proactive and understandable by both developers and citizens of the city.”
The Athens City-County Health Department has received a shipment of more than 2,000 of H1N1 flu vaccine in various types, and is already busy distributing it to high-risk groups throughout the county.
Director Charles Hammer said that the department is holding vaccination clinics at area schools and is planning on holding two clinics next week for high-risk members of the community.
Apparently victorious Athens City Council member Christine Fahl said prior to Tuesday’s election that though she was serving on the board of the Athens Conservancy when she voted on a council resolution that potentially helped the non-profit, she believes there was no illegal or unethical conflict of interest in the vote.
The vote, she noted, involved no expenditure of city money, but merely put City Council on record that if the Conservancy managed to buy a piece of land off East State Street, behind Cook Drive, council would support granting the site a city right-of-way, because otherwise it would be landlocked.
Athens County Crime Solvers Anonymous has listed the below crimes as Crimes of the Month for November 2009. The information comes from a press release.
• During the past several years, Athens County has seen an increase in the use of heroin, and several deaths have occurred due to heroin overdoses. Athens County law enforcement agencies are requesting information regarding the person or persons responsible for transporting the heroin into Athens County and for those who are selling the heroin once it arrives in our county, according to the news release.
Walk this weekend to help Gathering Place, mental health
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 23:55
The Gathering Place and NAMI Athens are hosting the 10th annual Walk the Walk for Mental Health Awareness and Support this Saturday.
The walk will help fund the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and The Gathering Place while raising awareness about mental illness. Ohio Sen. Jimmy Stewart, state Rep. Debbie Phillips and Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl will speak at the event. The walk will begin at 10 a.m. with a rally at the Athens County Courthouse steps.
City Council mulls grant application for stimulus money
Written by David DeWitt
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 23:52
Athens City Council spoke about three ordinances Monday that would allow Mayor Paul Wiehl to submit grant applications to fund transportation and energy-conservation projects with funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
One ordinance would allow Wiehl to apply for stimulus grant funds through the U.S. Department of Energy in awards of $1 million to $5 million for a revolving-loan fund for the city to help pay for solar-energy and energy-efficiency for homeowners and perhaps commercial businesses as well, said at-large member Elahu Gosney.
As Kulchar testifies, dorm rape trial taking longer than expected
Written by Athens NEWS Staff
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 23:50
The trial of a former Ohio University student charged with raping a female student in her dorm room will go longer than expected, with closing arguments possibly not coming until Friday.
Defense attorney K. Robert Toy, who represents 21-year-old Matthew Kulchar, said Wednesday that the lawyers in the case “seriously underestimated” how long the trial would take.
Dem chair under fire for alleged student voting 'bounty'
Written by Emily Mullin and Terry Smith
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 23:01
Pressure is mounting on Athens County Democratic Party Chair Susan Gwinn to step down from her seat, in the wake of allegations that she and the county party encouraged a program where Ohio University student Democrats would receive a bounty for bringing “friends” to the polls for early voting last Friday.
The latest shot came Wednesday, when Athens City Law Director Patrick Lang submitted a Reader’s Forum to The Athens NEWS calling on Gwinn to resign.
State Dem leader calls on Susan Gwinn to resign as local party chair
Written by Terry Smith
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 20:54
A bad week for Athens County Democratic Party Chair Susan Gwinn got even worse Wednesday evening when the leader of the state Democratic Party called on her to resign from her seat.
In an e-mailed press release, Ohio Democratic Party Chair Chris Redfern stated, "I was saddened to hear the latest chapter in what has been a long series of questionable actions on the part of Susan Gwinn during her time as Athens County Democratic Party chairwoman. For the good of the party, I ask that she resign from her position effective immediately.”
Athens County's election results were all in as of around 10 Tuesday night. To see the summary of results, click here. To see precinct by precinct breakdowns, click here.
In the only contested Athens City Council race, council member Christine Fahl, a Democrat, defeated Republican challenger Randy Morris by 30 votes in the unofficial count.
The Athens County Board of Elections posted the results around 10 p.m. Tuesday.
Local Dem Party chair issues statement about voter fraud allegations
Written by Athens NEWS Staff
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 20:14
Athens County Democratic Party Chair Susan Gwinn issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon. While she addresses GOP allegations that the OU College Democrats sought to pay people for their votes Tuesday, she doesn't address the issue that the Athens County Prosecutor is investigating -- whether paying party canvassers $5 a head to bring "friends" to vote is illegal. That's what the student Democrats said the county party had encouraged them to do. -- Athens NEWS Editor Terry Smith
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- November 3, 2009
Democratic Chair Disavows Voter's were to Be Paid
"At no time has either myself or anyone in the local Democratic Party suggested that voters would be paid to vote in today's Election. No money has ever been paid to someone to vote or will be paid to someone to vote. The suggestion that there was a plan to pay voters is unfounded. To suggest that such illegal activity was planned by either College Democrats or the local Democratic Party is ludicrous." Susan Gwinn, Chair ACDP
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