Issuu

Men’s Basketball loses hard-fought battle / pg. 6

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US Headlines ICE in Minnesota, backlash over Trump’s racist post FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER 2 Mon _________________________

Partial government shutdown continues, House split on immigration The partial government shutdown continues as House Democrats and Republicans fail to reach an agreement on the federal funding package President Donald Trump brokered with the Senate, according to The Associated Press. The stalemate is due to disagreements on immigration enforcement operations, with some Democrats refusing to vote for the package without increased restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Democrats are pushing for more regulations beyond the $20 million included for body cameras. According to Kristi Noem, secretary of Homeland Security, all ICE officers in Minneapolis will be issued body cameras and the program will be extended to the entire country as funding becomes available.

3 Tue _________________________

Clintons to testify in House as Epstein investigation continues Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton agreed to testify in the House investigation of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the AP reported. The announcement comes as the federal government continues to release the Epstein files, and as Rep. James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, pushed forward with the potential of charging the Clintons with criminal contempt of Congress charges. continued, pg. 3

THEPOSTATHENS.COM

FEBRUARY 10, 2026

VOLUME 116, ISSUE 22

FRESH HEADLINES DAILY

Athens Crokinole Club creates friendship / pg. 12

One city, two councils FINN SMITH NEWS STAFF WRITER Tensions continue in Nelsonville surrounding Issue 23, as both the statutory and charter city councils continue to hold meetings, while only one has real governance. Issue 23, a passed ballot initiative in Nelsonville intends to disband the Nelsonville City Charter and return to a statutory form of government, according to the proposal. The initiative passed in November 2024 with about 70% of the vote and was set to take effect Jan. 1, according to a previous report from The Post. Nelsonville City Council, however, passed an ordinance with a 5-1 vote Aug. 11, 2025, which repealed the initiative on the basis that it lacked transitory language. Nelsonville City Council President Cameron Peck initially voted for Issue 23 but decided the city council needed to repeal it after recognizing the problems. “When the folks who were trying to pass it came down and told me face to face,” Peck said. “What I listened to, what they told me it was going to be and what I ended up reading were two separate things.” Since the repeal, the decision has been contested in court, with a case rising in the Fourth District Court of Appeals, according to an Ohio Official Report.

According to Peck, the court agreed the municipality of Nelsonville maintained the right to repeal Issue 23 because there were potential future issues and the city was able to act on behalf of the people. Charlene Pickett, a Nelsonville resident, voted for Issue 23 and commented on the charter council’s reasoning for repealing the ballot initiative. “To me, that’s petty,” Pickett said. “What are they talking about? We didn’t want them there. We voted them out. I don’t care how it was worded. We made this decision as a community, we decided we wanted a mayor back, and people had different various reasons for that. I had my reasons. Some people agreed with me, some people had other reasons for it, but ultimately, that’s what we did.” The mayor, city auditor, city treasurer, city law director, seven city council members and council president were all voted in last year. Elected mayor, Jonathan Flowers, declined an interview with The Post but provided a short statement. “Our city attorney, Mr. Garry Hunter, has advised the elected council, council president and me, the elected mayor, to let the courts settle this and mudslinging isn’t doing any good for our case,” Flowers wrote. continued, pg 3

Pledge of Allegiance conversation hits city council, Athens citizens KAITLIN HOGG NEWS STAFF WRITER In recent weeks, the Pledge of Allegiance became a significant topic of discussion among the Athens City Council. The Council distinguishes itself from neighboring councils like Gallipolis, Marietta, Cambridge, Portsmouth, Zanesville, Lancaster and Circleville, as it is the only one that does not recite the pledge before its meetings. In Athens, the school board and the Democratic Central Committee both recite the pledge at the start of their meetings. Additionally, the Ohio University College Republicans also include the pledge in their meetings, and several members were present at the Council meeting Jan. 20. continued, pg. 2

Athens residents wait outside the Athens City Building prior to a city council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2025, after the meeting room had reached capacity.(HG BIGGS | FOR THE POST)

Ohio stays hot, shuts out Canisius CAMDEN PAELTZ FOR THE POST Ohio DI Hockey steamrolled Canisius in a 7-0 shutout Friday night, outshooting its opponents a staggering 64-18 to dominate every inch of the ice. The first period hit fast, with Ohio stuck defending for the opening ten minutes as Canisius controlled possession, but once the Bobcats finally broke clean through the neutral zone, they flipped the script and piled on shot after shot to seize momentum. “We didn’t take care of the puck as well last weekend,” Ohio head coach Barry Schutte said.

continued, pg. 7

Ohio forward Luc Reeve (8) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against Canisius at Bird Arena in Athens, Feb. 6, 2026. Reeve scored two goals and had two assists to help lead the Bobcats to a 7-0 shutout of the Golden Griffins. (ETHAN HERX| FOR THE POST)

Remaning game days

Feb 13 vs Liberty 7 p.m.

Feb 14 vs Liberty 7 p.m.

Feb 20 @ Liberty 7 p.m.

Feb 21 @ Liberty 7 p.m.

March 12 - 17 @ ACHA National Tournamnet

Bird Arena, Athens

Lynchburg, VA

St. Louis, Mo

STATE OF THE

ATHENS CITY & COUNTY ADDRESS

Join the Athens Area Chamber for a 2025 year-in-review from Athens city and county leaders, Ohio University, law enforcement and public works.

Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 Athens Community Center 11: 00 am - 1:00 pm Buffet Lunch Included This event is open to all - AACC membership not required