First there were e-cigarettes. Then came the mods. E-cigarettes, short for "electronic cigarettes," are cigarette look-alikes that combine battery (the white part) with capsules of a flavored liquid and a heating element that turns the liquid to steam.

This year's Number Fest benefited the Athens area in the form of increased revenue for local businesses, despite complaints from local residents and officials about the negative impacts of the crowds before and after the event (see separate story).

Ohio University's plans to put a medium-pressure natural-gas pipeline under the Hocking River have been followed closely by Ohio University Climate Action Now (OUCAN), an environmental activist group.

A group of anti-fracking activists announced Tuesday they will be circulating petitions to turn Athens County into a charter government and ban the dumping of oil-and-gas hydraulic fracking waste, as well as use of water from sources in the county for fracking activities, on the November ballot.

The pushback against diverting local school district resources to private charter schools continues, with the group Know Your Charter sending a release saying that the Athens City School District lost half a million dollars last year.

A local architectural firm's assessment of 29 Park Place is expected to start soon in the wake of contentious public discourse over Ohio University President Roderick McDavis' move from that long-time official president's residence to new lodgings at 31 Coventry Lane in south Athens.

In this week's On Court Street, we ask, "How would you grade your housing situation from this past year? Explain your grade."

The group running electricity aggregation in Athens County has opened up a new early enrollment period for residents to participate in the program.

Rap icons the Ying Yang Twins tore up the grass and sand of Ohio University's South Beach last Thursday in conjunction with University Program Council's Throwback Thursday event. This was the last big student event before the end of Spring Semester.

Every generation of Ohio University student thinks its end-of-year blow-out festival is the best, and can't imagine prehistoric times when things were different.

With more than 15 "move-out drop-off" sites located throughout the city of Athens from April 30 to May 3, students leaving Athens have many opportunities to donate items rather than trashing them, according to a news release.