Eat more chicken: necessary or overkill? ... PG. 3 Too far to deliver: Ohio maternity deserts, explained ... PG. 5 A pledge, a protest and a public debate at City Council ... PG. 16
DRIVERS WANTED
15
immediate openings $ email: DeLucaVending@yahoo.com to apply see page 13 for details
THEPOSTATHENS.COM
JANUARY 27, 2026
VOLUME 116, ISSUE 20
per hou r starting wage
SNOW MUCH FUN! When it snows, Jeff Hill turns students into kids again Ohio University students ski and sled down Jeff Hill on East Union Street as part of an event called “Snowday at Jeff Hill,“ organized by Ohio Snowcats, Jan. 25, 2026. (JOHN FOUSS | FOR THE POST)
DREW HOFFMASTER FOR THE POST
S
unday at noon, Jeff Hill turned into a snow-covered playground as students grabbed actual and makeshift sleds to make the most of the fresh snowfall. The event, dubbed “Snowday at Jeff Hill,” was organized by Ohio Snowcats, Ohio University’s ski and snowboarding club, and announced the night before on Instagram. By Sunday afternoon, students were flying down the hill, momentarily turning it into a winter playground. “We were assuming a bunch of (people) were gonna come out either way,” Ben Pirain, the president of Ohio Snowcats and senior studying restaurant, hotel and tourism, said. “But, we did organize this. We did the same thing about two years ago.” With plenty of snow on the ground, Snowcats took the opportunity to lean into the moment. just about anything they could get their hands on, including sleds, snow tubes, boxes, lids, bags, skis and even dorm mattresses. “I saw someone go down in a dorm bed, like a dorm mattress,” Pirain said. “That was good. I think the mattress was pretty funny.” Pirain said the snow was icy and sticky, making it tricky to steer, especially on skis. Still, that didn’t stop him from strapping in. “I’m using skis to go down and shred the gnar,” Pirain said. Cole Burton, a junior studying engineering, said the snowfall felt like a blast from the past.
“(Going down that hill) was actually so crazy,” Burton said. “We were flying down the hill. It was so sweet. It was fun.” By 2 p.m., Athens had accumulated just under five inches of snow as part of Winter Storm Fern, an unusually large winter system affecting much of the country, according to the Scalia Laboratory, OU’s official weather forecasting service. Snow continued into the evening, with temperatures and wind chills expected to create temperatures as low as -13 degrees Fahrenheit through this week Ohio University Police Department officers arrived around noon to warn students against sledding down East Union Street, the road running alongside Jeff Hill. About an hour later, officers returned and shut down the event. “I was talking to them, and it kind of sounds like they’re going to come back,” Burton said before the event ended. “We’re trying to keep it open for as long as possible so it doesn’t get shut down, because this is so fun.” The event wrapped up around 1 p.m., after students had already spent an hour racing down Jeff Hill and soaking up a rare snow day.
To see the full photo gallary, visit thepostathens.com or scan the QR code.
‘Operation Buckeye’ raises concerns for OU students LAYNEE ESLICH FOR THE POST Other than being the state’s official tree, “Buckeye” refers to the Ohio State University’s mascot, a peanut butter and chocolate candy, a lake, a town and a trail, according to the state of Ohio website. However, the name has most recently been adopted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, launching “Operation Buckeye.” On Dec. 16, ICE deployed officers throughout Ohio. ICE’s intentions include arresting “the worst of the worst from Ohio, with convictions including felony drug possession, assault, DUIs and more,” according to ICE’s website. Columbus city leaders addressed the federal operation on Dec. 18, according to a video from the City of Columbus’s YouTube channel. “While some may say they’re here to make Columbus safer, the fact is, Columbus is already safe,” Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther said in the address. “We have not asked for and do not need this unwelcome intervention.” The mayor highlighted the decreasing crime rates of 2025, addressing the city as safer than it has been in years. Ginther fears trust between citizens and the city’s first responders may be broken. “We want people who urgently need
help to seek it,” Ginther said. “People suffering from domestic violence or witnesses of crime or individuals in need of an ambulance might not call for help because of fear that this operation isn’t intended to inspire.” The Ohio Immigrant Alliance released an analysis conducted by ICE during the detention raids in Columbus. According to the analysis, more than 214 people were arrested and are currently in Ohio and Michigan prisons. “Citizens, legally-authorized immigrants and people with legal work permits and pending immigration cases are among those detained,” OIA wrote. “Agents aren’t actually looking for specific people. They are racially profiling anyone they come across.” During the Ohio State University career fair, held on Jan. 20, three people were arrested for protesting the Border Patrol’s attendance. Two of the people were students, according to The Lantern, OSU’s student newspaper, protesting outside of the event at the Ohio Union. The Ohio State University Student Association has made many statements through its social media and during protests opposing the arrests. In an Instagram post, the association wrote, “ICE, DHS, CBP and any and all other institutions that uphold structural continued pg. 3