Good morning, Athens.

On Tuesday, May 20, three Athens County locals—Otis Crockron, Ginger Schmalenberg and Molly Wales—received the Wiseman Award at the League of Women Voters meeting for their work in strengthening child and family services, providing emergency housing and promoting youth education.

Crockron leads Athens County Children Services, Schmalenberg directs Athens Mental Health Inc. and Wales works as a school nurse who helped create a health program at Athens City Schools.

WOUB Public Media won 10 awards (with contributions from Ohio University students in the E.W.

Scripps School of Journalism and the School of Media Arts and Studies) at the 46th Annual Telly Awards that honor excellence in video and television among over 13,000 entries from around the world.

Four WOUB students received $1,000 each on April 25 for awards honoring former WOUB employees — Audrey Paquette and Addison Kearns earned the Edmund A.

Williams Technology Oriented Leadership Award and Haley Richardson with Donovan Varney received the Jeffrey R. Spalding Memorial Award.

Cora Farra, a recent sociology and anthropology graduate, earned national honors for her community-based research in Ecuador that used art to support local voices.

Working with Dr. Benjamin Bates, she won Top Paper Awards and was published in Communication Quarterly as she plans to pursue graduate studies in health communication.

Local organizations lost key AmeriCorps VISTA service members after the federal government cut funding to fight poverty; Rural Action lost its recent member on April 25 and local nonprofits are now helping affected workers find new assignments—plans to support the transition are underway.

Local government and community groups shared a busy schedule this week— the Athens County Board of Revision is meeting at 1 p.m. on May 29 at the courthouse and bids for a public safety project close at 2 p.m. on the same day, while road closures in Athens and Jacksonville along with ODOT projects affect local traffic. Community events also include Nelsonville’s aquatic center season, a feral cat TNR clinic today supported by Humane Society volunteers, free car safety check-ups on May 31, and an outdoor recreation conference running from July 22–24.

3rd Annual Starbrick Music Festival

3 PM to 11 PM — Hocking College — Ticket prices starting at $12.51 — Enjoy a nostalgic mix of Country and Classic rock music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

UpCycle Fest 2025

12-5 p.m. — Community Makerspace — Free entry — Celebrate creativity and sustainability through art, fashion, and hands-on activities at this vibrant community festival.

2025 Junior Bobcat Basketball Camp

9 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Charles J. Ping Recreation Center — Registration required — Enhance basketball skills with expert coaching and fun activities over three days.

Ocie Elliott Concert

3:45-7:45 p.m. — Snow Fork Event Center — Cost info unavailable — Experience the heartfelt tunes of Ocie Elliott as they share their life stories through music.

Ohio Baseball June Prospect Camp

10 AM – 4 PM — Bob Wren Stadium & Trautwein Field — Check out the summer prospects as they showcase their talent in front of the Ohio Bobcats coaching staff.