Athens County Independent

1 week ago | athensindependent.com | Dani Kington |Eric Boll

VINTON COUNTY, Ohio — A week after an industrial accident sent a chemical plume into the skies over Vinton County, officials have provided few answers regarding what exactly went wrong at the Austin Powder plant — which has a long history of violations. Cleveland-based Austin Powder Company manufactures explosives for mining operations worldwide. The Red Diamond facility in Vinton County is the company’s primary site in North America, according to its website.

1 week ago | athensindependent.com | Dani Kington

ATHENS, Ohio — When Athens resident Bonnie Edwards’ mother was dying, she sang to her. “My mother was a singer. We sang together a lot, and she was always really supportive of me as a singer,” Edwards said. “It was just a really wonderful way to connect with her – even in the last week of her life, when she wasn’t actually able to be present with me, I knew that she could hear.

2 weeks ago | athensindependent.com | Dani Kington

NELSONVILLE, Ohio — The city of Nelsonville agreed in November 2024 to pay $60,000 to settle a police racism lawsuit with residents Bobby Hunt and Ashley Klinedinst. The lawsuit argued that the city of Nelsonville and former city employees — including Nelsonville’s former city manager, former police chief and two former police officers — violated the civil rights of a Black resident and his family. The suit alleged racist harassment by former Nelsonville City Manager Scott Frank.

2 weeks ago | athensindependent.com | Dani Kington |Eric Boll

VINTON COUNTY, Ohio — Vinton County residents in Zaleski and nearby areas have been asked to evacuate their homes on Wednesday, June 11 after a tank began leaking at the Austin Powder factory, releasing a plume of nitric oxide into the sky. Jackson County Emergency Management Director Robert Czechlewski said in a press conference that a 5,000-gallon tank containing nitric acid leaked, creating nitric oxide as it came in contact with the air.

3 weeks ago | athensindependent.com | Dani Kington

ATHENS, Ohio — Athens City Council on Monday advanced the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $932,000 to cover the final payment of the new fire station headquarters on Stimson Avenue. Ordinance 0-63-25 approves the final payment to Pepper Construction for its work on the new fire station headquarters. The final payment includes $530,000 moved from the capital improvement fund to the safety services fund — of which $30,000 is new spending.