Good morning, Athens.

After nearly 50 years, The Athens News will stop its print editions and shift to an online-only format with weekly updates from its partner The Athens Messenger (as directed by Adams Multimedia) beginning this week.

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio helps local tenants challenge housing discrimination by representing residents who are charged illegal pet fees while advising on rights under fair housing laws.

The Athens office offers free services for low-income and veteran clients plus educates on legal remedies against unlawful landlord practices.

Athens Quilt Trail is an interactive community art project in Uptown with four stops, offering hands-on art-making with prizes until Feb.

27—completed works will be displayed from March 3 to May 1 with a catered reception at 5 p.m. on March 6.

The Union hosted a Locals Only night on Wednesday to give local bands a chance to perform as part of a series of four scheduled events.

Further shows are set for Feb. 25, March 25, and April 8 (entry is $5 each).

Ohio House Bill 96 requires public, community, and STEM schools to adopt an AI use policy by July 1, based on a model from the Department of Education; Ohio University supports course-specific policies with guidelines for students’ AI use (tailored for each discipline).

U.S. News and World Report ranked Ohio University’s online bachelor’s programs 29th nationally and third in Ohio, with its Veterans program rated 19th nationally and best in Ohio—highlighting a strong commitment to accessible, quality education.

29 students have received a total of $36,359 in fall awards from the Provost Undergraduate Research Fund administered by OHIO's Research Division.

The awards (ranging up to $1,500 per project) support original research and creative work in fields from Art to Biomedical Sciences.

A local letter criticizes county officials for not addressing dangerous conditions on U.S. 50/32, where 2 to 3 fatalities occur each year.

The letter recommends lowering speed limits and installing traffic lights at intersections such as Radford Road and Blackburn Road to treat the highway like a city street.

A bipartisan bill in the Ohio legislature would add chips to SNAP EBT cards to help protect families from cyber theft after over 30,000 cases resulted in lost benefits.

The measure remains stalled in committee while officials advise recipients to change their PINs using the ConnectEBT app.

Ohio Women’s Basketball lost 85-76 to UMass on Thursday, January 29 after a strong start and a faltering second half (coach Boldon said the team must improve ahead of the MAC Tournament).

Free Solar Photovoltaic Level One Certification

8 AM – 5 PM — COAD, 1 Pinchot Lane, Athens, OH — Free entry — Participate in a comprehensive certification course with online training and hands-on lab experience.

The Breakerspace Rage Room

11:00-11:15 a.m. — West End Storage — Book your session for stress relief and fun — Gear up and smash in Athens, Ohio's first ever rage room.

Kathy Mattea Concert

7-10 p.m. — Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium — Ticket prices vary — Experience an enchanting evening with renowned country artist Kathy Mattea live in Athens.