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Ohio (WOUB) — A former Nelsonville City Council president was arrested after interrupting Monday night’s meeting
Two minutes into the meeting
the council was preparing to swear in two new council members to fill vacant seats
former council President Rita Nguyen began to speak while making her way to the front of the room
Nguyen was asked to wait until the citizen comments time
warning the new council members they could be sued
“I’m trying to let them know what they’re getting into before they get them in there,” Nguyen said
Nguyen and another council member sued the city last April
claiming they were wrongfully ousted from their council seats
and Nguyen said she wanted to warn the two appointees they could be added as defendants in the case
Police Chief Devon Tolliver approached Nguyen and informed her multiple times she was interrupting a public meeting
while also instructing her to leave the room
leading Tolliver to tell her she was under arrest
Tolliver pinned Nguyen’s arms behind her back
and after a brief struggle he escorted her out of the council chambers
Tolliver took Nguyen next door to the police station
where she was issued a citation for disturbing a lawful meeting
She was told to appear in court on April 24
The Nelsonville Music Festival Production program catered to several media interests and provided students with a laid-back environment to first experience working a live event
The experience at NMF catered to several media interests
A video team captured and is editing performance footage
an audio team captured audio and oversaw the recording of music and an artist relations team worked with artists on site and behind the scenes—producing promotional content
confirming setlists and taking photographs. Some ambitious students worked on multiple teams for an even more holistic look at the industry
Scarlett Fried is a media arts production major going into her junior year at Ohio University. Fried worked on the video team at the 2023 NMF and enjoyed it so much she decided to come back to work on this summer’s program as well
The opportunity to work in new and more consequential roles at the laid-back setting of the Creekside Stage is part of what drew Fried back
tech director and I will be editing in post-production,” she explained
Fried said she did not have many opportunities to pursue her media interests in high school
so she was especially excited to work at NMF
Her favorite part of NMF this year was filming special intros for some of the Sycamore Sessions episodes
but she also enjoyed working in new roles and using new equipment
“I gained knowledge of how to be a director for live broadcasting
how to be a tech director—honestly all the new roles I worked in I learned a lot from,” she said
We used Blackmagic cameras this year which are different from what we used last year.”
Fried felt her experience at NMF and working on the Sycamore Sessions will certainly give her an edge in the job market after graduation
but she also emphasized the friendliness of the environment for media students with limited experience to learn
I still had questions and it's just a very safe environment for beginners
and you will learn a lot,” Fried explained
“I think it'll help me with my experience after I graduate college
especially adding the roles I did this year and showing my commitment that I’ve done it two years in a row and had a lot of fun doing it.”
“I was able to get live recordings of the performances and then I’ll be helping to mix and master the final products for the Sycamore Sessions videos,” he said
but I had a lot of fun being there—even when our equipment wasn’t cooperative.”
Armstrong said the Creekside Stage was one of the more complicated setups he’s been a part of
OHIO music production and recording industry alumnus Nathan Cain led the audio team
Cain was able to help guide Armstrong and other media students through equipment difficulties
Armstrong noted that adapting and persevering despite uncooperative equipment is a valuable experience for anyone working live events
because the band is going to start no matter what,” he explained
you have to make sure you're ready beforehand.”
he was also assigned a stagehand role helping the stage manager prepare the stage and place microphones that would best capture the different artists
Like most people who attended NMF this year
for Armstrong the environment of the Creekside Stage was a major stand out
“I’d just like to talk about the atmosphere
“It was so nice to see everyone just hanging out together and listening to the music.”
The NMF Production program was an important on-site experience for Haley Loveless
a senior at Ohio University studying the recording industry side of MPRI
Loveless learned about the program the same way many other participants did
Loveless immediately wanted to be involved and gain experience beyond the classroom
“I didn't really have anything else experience-wise on my resume as far as working on site,” said Loveless
Loveless was part of the artist relations team at the Creekside Stage
She and her classmates worked directly with artists to ensure they had everything they needed to perform
Loveless worked behind the scenes taking notes for articles and promoting the event
“Our main role was—when the artists got there—we introduced ourselves, got everyone's names and roles, what they were playing and who was in the band. We were the information gatherers,” explained Loveless. “We would also run and get anything if they needed it, and, then we worked in collaboration with WOUB to put out articles on all of this.”
With the variety of roles the artist relations team experienced
Loveless was thankful to be a part of NMF and the Sycamore Sessions and recommended the program to future media students who may be looking for their first experience working in the music industry
“It's a good setting to start out working at a festival for anyone who's interested in any part—film
“I definitely think this will look good on a resume
and it's opened my eyes up more to what working in the festival environment is really like.”
For junior music production and recording industry major Cali Christian
working on the hybrid audio and video team provided unique insights to two different facets of the live event industry
Christian is involved with AVW Productions
an OHIO student organization that creates narrative films
NMF was the perfect place for her to gain professional experience with audio and film production
“[On the video team] I was in charge of taking notes on what could be improved during production and I was also a camera person
but I was more involved with audio,” said Christian
“I helped make sure levels were correctly set so we didn't have any distortion in the audio
and I had to generally make sure that everything sounded good
We also had to make sure that we had backup recordings in case of any problems.”
Through the NMF and Sycamore Sessions experience
Christian said she learned a lot about working a live event
Part of her learning was overcoming unpredictable challenges that came as a result of working in a fast-paced
parts of the Creekside Stage became dusty which made the ventilation system on one of the audio team’s computers malfunction and overheat
“We ended up losing the recording of that set
we had a few backup recordings,” Christian said
“We tried to stay calm and work through the problems together
and it was really easy since it was an easygoing group
Christian said she plans to have a career in live event production after graduating and knows this experience will help build her resume
Her experience creating this year’s Sycamore Sessions made her excited to see where the future takes her
“I made a few connections with my classmates
and with a few of the professionals who were there conducting the stage
I met the stage manager of the Creekside Stage
“It's a really fun thing to do over the summer in Athens
and even if you don't get to enjoy all the stages
there is still a lot of music to discover.”
Haleigh Jankowski is a media and social change major going into her senior year at OHIO
Jankowski wanted more hands-on production experience with both audio and video
Working on the hybrid team at the Creekside Stage was the perfect situation for her to experience a live event environment and work with new equipment
“After NMF I gained a new perspective and appreciation for live music production as a whole,” Jankowski said
“I feel I have a much better understanding of what goes on behind the scenes and how to be better prepared for projects like this in the future.”
working on two very different aspects of a live event production contributed to Jankowski’s comprehensive understanding of media
Having skills in audio and video will provide Jankowski with more opportunities post-graduation and a valuable perspective
Jankowski also lauded the laid-back environment of the Creekside Stage which she said took some pressure off her as she learned by experience
“A big plus to this experience is not just the resume addition
but also the skills to be successful in these fields,” she said
“This wasn’t the kind of learning that could be taught in the classroom
building connections and confidence to be a part of a team like this is beyond valuable.”
Jankowski emphasized the importance of the NMF Production program for her career
especially in deciding what areas of media she might like to work in
I don’t think I would have been able to realize how much I enjoyed working in this environment had I not applied,” she said
“I made a lot of new connections with my peers and instructors
as well as other event staff at the festival and the artists I met in passing were all awesome.”
Most Ohio University students at the Nelsonville Musical Festival had a media background and were involved in producing the Sycamore Sessions, but some education students also volunteered at NMF’s Kids Area. The Kids Area is run by Stuart’s Opera House and provides activities relating to visual arts
theater and more for the festival’s younger audience
OHIO has worked with Stuart’s Opera House and been a partner in the NMF Kids Area for several years
CARE (Creative, Active, and Reflective Educators) students from the Gladys W. and David H. Patton College of Education are often selected as volunteers in the Kids Area
These Ohio University students help create activities for the children and staff the tent during all of NMF
Stuart’s Opera House Education Director and double OHIO alumni Devin Sudman says that his team meets with the CARE students prior to NMF to see what skills and assets they have to bring to the Kids Area
“We work with the students to make their projects and ideas come to life,” said Sudman
“I think its great that the CARE students
are getting hands-on experience teaching outside of the classroom in a unique setting.”
the CARE students are also playing their part in building community relationships
Sudman emphasized the importance of connecting the entire community
“It is important to the future of not only Stuart's but our region
that we continue to come together as a community to create
educate and inspire the next generation of doers in our region,” he said
“By collaborating with Ohio University and members of our community at NMF we are creating an event that is for our community and produced by our community
When our community members and OHIO students come together
we all get to see the value of our region.”
© 2025 Ohio University
Ohio (WOUB) — The Ohio Supreme Court has declined to take up an appeal challenging a ballot initiative that calls for a new government in Nelsonville
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]The City Council knew the appeal was a long shot. The city attorney said it was unlikely the court would want to get involved given the initiative has already passed
will repeal the city charter at the end of this year and return Nelsonville to the form of government it had 30 years ago
with power shared between the City Council and an elected mayor
The council fought and lost a monthslong legal battle to keep Issue 23 off the ballot last year
The initiative passed in November with more than 70 percent of the vote
The council is now placing on the May ballot a proposed charter amendment that would repeal Issue 23 and set in motion its own process for creating a new government. If that passes, it could face a legal challenge
Had the state Supreme Court taken up the City Council’s appeal
the issue before it would have been whether the backers of Issue 23 followed the right procedure to get it on the ballot
Issue 23 was proposed under a section of the city charter that allows citizens to put initiatives on the ballot
The City Council argued the city charter does not allow initiatives that call for the dissolution of the charter itself
The council said the initiative should have been pursued under a section of the state constitution that provides for amending charters
the county Board of Elections voted to place the initiative on the ballot under the terms of the constitution
while the proponents had pursued the initiative under the city charter
the board determined they had met the conditions spelled out in the constitution for amending a charter
It was for this reason the attorney representing proponents of Issue 23 argued the Supreme Court should not take up the city’s appeal
He said there was nothing left for the court to decide since the initiative ended up on the ballot under the procedure the council argued was the proper one
The whole process has put the city of Nelsonville in some uncharted legal territory
There is no specific guidance in state law for how to abolish a city charter
And it appears that no city has before gone from being a charter city back to a statutory city
where the structure of government is determined by state law
Ohio (WOUB) — Two Nelsonville women who filed a legal action claiming they were improperly removed from the City Council have won a preliminary victory
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a state appeals court decision that dismissed their claim on the grounds they did not file it in time
The case involves Margarita Nguyen and Carol Powell
Nguyen was elected to a Nelsonville council seat in November 2023 and was chosen as council president
She resigned three months later over a council dispute but then rescinded her resignation the following morning
She continued to serve as council president for several meetings in February and March and appointed Powell to a vacant council seat
a group of council members chose someone else to fill that vacant council seat and appointed someone to replace Nguyen
The ensuing conflict over who were the rightful Nelsonville council members came to a head at two council meetings in April
when Powell and then Nguyen were blocked by police officers from taking a seat on the council
The two went to court to get their seats back
The council members chosen to replace them argued Nguyen and Powell did not file their legal claim soon enough and had lost their right to object to losing their seats
Under what is known as the doctrine of laches
people making certain legal claims have to do so without too much delay otherwise they lose their right to go to court
How long is too long is for a court to decide
an appellate court said it was up to Nguyen and Powell to show they acted quickly enough and concluded they had not
It said the appellate court was wrong to put the burden on Nguyen and Powell with respect to laches
it should have been up to the replacement council members to demonstrate that the two women did not file their claim in time
The court also said that based on the evidence presented
Nguyen sent her resignation email to her fellow council members on Feb
She followed up the next morning with another email rescinding her resignation
she received emails from three council members accepting her resignation
The appeals court said this was the point at which Nguyen was put on notice her seat was in jeopardy
She and Powell filed their legal complaint two months later
The Supreme Court disagreed the clock started ticking on Feb
The court noted that Nguyen continued to attend council meetings through March and sit as president
four council members voted to put someone else in her seat
it wasn’t until the April 22 meeting that she was prevented from taking her seat
there was a conflict over who should occupy the vacant council seat: the person chosen by three council members or Powell
who was chosen by Nguyen as council president
The Supreme Court said that as with Nguyen
Powell’s status did not become clear until she was blocked from taking her seat at the April 8 meeting
the April 26 court filing did not come too late
The only issue before the Supreme Court was laches
The court did not decide whether Nguyen and Powell should be put back on the council
The case now goes back to the court of appeals to address that issue
Ohio (WOUB) — Nelsonville is supposed to begin next year with a new government
but it may not have much government to start with
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]So far only four people are running for office in the May primary election
including just one candidate for City Council
The deadline for partisan candidates to declare their candidacy was last week
but there’s still time for others to get in the race
The scarcity of candidates raises the question of whether a city government could function
What’s for certain is Nelsonville is in some uncharted territory as it changes governments
Elections are being held for all city positions under a ballot initiative approved by voters in November
abolishes the city charter at the end of this year and returns the city to the form of government it had before the charter was adopted 30 years ago
the city had what’s known as a statutory form of government
which is the default in Ohio unless a city draws up its own government through a charter
It appears that no other city in Ohio has transitioned from a charter government back to a statutory one
power was shared between the City Council and an elected mayor who is independent of the council
The charter replaced the mayor with a city manager who answers to the council
The City Council fought and lost a monthslong legal battle to keep Issue 23 off the ballot
arguing its supporters were following the wrong procedure to abolish the charter
The council is still trying to prevent Issue 23 from being implemented. It voted to put on the May ballot an amendment to the city charter that would make similar changes to the city’s government as Issue 23 calls for
Some council members say Issue 23 is unworkable because it didn’t provide enough direction on how to make the transition back to a statutory government
The same Nelsonville resident who sued the city to get Issue 23 on the ballot is now suing to keep the proposed charter amendment off the ballot
said he expects more people will be running for office
Write-in candidates for the May primary have until Feb
24 to file their paperwork with the Athens County Board of Elections
The primary is for partisan candidates only and the winners will move on to the November general election
Those wishing to run as independent candidates in the November election have until May 5 to file their paperwork
at most only three of the seven City Council seats can be filled
This is because four of the council members will represent wards and the current council voted down an ordinance that would have established temporary wards
The city attorney has advised council members they lack the power to establish wards under the charter
Smith said even if only one council member is elected in November
that’s enough to get things started next Jan
That appears to be correct. Section 705.15 of the Ohio Revised Code says in part that “a majority of all members of the legislative authority of a municipal corporation constitutes a quorum.” Section 731.44 says in part that “a majority of all the members elected shall be a quorum.”
The Ohio Supreme Court said in an 1899 decision that when there is a vacancy on a council
the vacant seat should not be counted when determining a quorum
This part of the decision has been cited over the years in several decisions by Ohio appellate courts
It also was cited in an opinion by the state attorney general
which said in part that “where a vacancy exists in the membership of council of a village
a quorum will consist of a majority of all the members elected and remaining qualified.” This arguably could be applied to city councils as well
So if a seven-seat city council ends up with just one person elected to it, or two or three, it appears as long as a majority of those elected show up, that would constitute a quorum. And Section 731.43 of the code says the council can fill vacancies
The code also provides for filling other vacancies in elected office
Councilmember Jonathan Flowers is running for mayor
former Councilmember Dan Sherman is running for council president
former City Council Clerk Andrea Thompson-Hashman is running for auditor and Jessica Hollenbaugh is running for one of the three at-large council seats
No one is yet running for treasurer or law director
One possible wrinkle in all of this is if the proposed charter amendment the City Council is seeking to place on the ballot survives Smith’s legal challenge and is passed by voters in May
The amendment would set in motion its own process for choosing new council members and a mayor
It’s unclear what this would mean for the candidates in the May primary who if they win — and unopposed candidates will automatically win — would move on to the November general election
Nelsonville City Attorney Jonathan Robe said this would once again place Nelsonville in uncharted legal territory
if the May primary winners are not placed on the November ballot because Issue 23 was repealed in the same election
and there is another slate of candidates running under the provisions of the charter amendment
the May winners might file a lawsuit arguing the results of an election cannot simply be ignored
“Honestly I don’t know how to resolve that other than having court orders,” Robe said
and then I’ll decide and I’ll let the other side do the same thing.’ Maybe that’s what will wind up happening
Ohio (WOUB) — Nelsonville voters are supposed to choose candidates for a new City Council in a few months
but only three of the seven seats may be on the ballot
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]If this happens
the city might have to call for a special election to choose the other four
and this could cost the city a lot of money
The city has less than three weeks to avoid this scenario
Nelsonville voters in November overwhelmingly approved an initiative that returns the city to the form of government it had 30 years ago
power was split between a mayor and the City Council
The city switched to a new form of government that got rid of the mayor
which hired a city manager to run the city
all new council members and a few other positions
The problem is four of the new council members will represent wards; the other three will be at-large
Under the charter that created the government the city has now
wards were abolished and all council members were made at-large positions
told the council it has no authority under the charter to do this
Robe also said the council cannot set salaries for the incoming elected officials
which he said means they will have to work for free for four years
the county board of elections is planning for the May primary election
and people wanting to run for office in Nelsonville are gathering petition signatures
it’s impossible for the elections board to certify candidates for four of the council seats
because the signatures are only supposed to be from residents of the ward they would be representing
we can’t check their petitions because we won’t know what ward they’re in,” said Debbie Quivey
director of the Athens County Board of Elections
The deadline for filing candidate petitions is Feb
four of the council seats could not appear on the May 6 primary ballot
This could require a special election later to elect these positions
Robe told council members earlier this week
Quivey met with Robe this week and said she suggested the council use the city’s four voting precincts as the wards
The new council members could then draw up new wards after they take office for the next election
“The most logical thing would be to follow the Board of Elections precincts,” she said
Quivey also questioned whether the council has the authority to call for a special election
WOUB was unable to reach Robe Friday afternoon to get his response to Quivey’s precinct suggestion and his legal opinion on whether a new council could function with just three members if all seven seats do not end up on the May ballot and the city cannot call for a special election
The salary issue is also something that may need to go on the May ballot for voters to decide
The newly elected council members could not simply set the salaries for elected officials when they take office next Jan
because state law prohibits changing salaries during a term in office
“The elected mayor will have to serve for free,” Robe told the council
“The reason that’s an issue is being mayor requires an enormous amount of work
And if that person is not going to be paid
This would be true of the other full-time elected positions as well
It’s unknown whether a legal argument could be made that because there is no salary for these officials
setting a salary after they take office would not be a change but instead establishing a salary for the first time
WOUB reached out to find municipal law experts who could offer an opinion on this
but did not receive a response by the time this story was published
Ohio (WOUB) — Nelsonville’s City Council has had little consistency in membership over the last few years
resignations of council members and the occasional lack of quorum leaves residents to wonder how anything gets done
Host Hailey Hollinger breaks down the different removals and resignations
Ohio (WOUB) — A Nelsonville resident has dropped the lawsuit he filed last week against the City Council
the latest development in an ongoing legal saga over conflicting efforts to change the city’s government
Greg Smith, who filed the lawsuit on Friday
said he dropped the case Thursday because his attorney has suggested a different legal strategy
The lawsuit was an attempt to keep off the May primary ballot a proposed amendment to the city charter that would repeal Issue 23
a ballot initiative approved by Nelsonville voters in the November election
Smith fought a monthslong legal battle with the city last year to get Issue 23 on the ballot
The initiative set in motion a process to return the city to the form of government it had 30 years ago
This includes electing a new council and a mayor
who would run the city’s day-to-day operations instead of a city manager appointed by the council
The City Council three weeks ago voted to put the proposed charter amendment on the ballot
which along with repealing Issue 23 would set in motion its own process to elect a new council and a mayor
Some council members say Issue 23 is unworkable because it didn’t provide enough direction on how to make the transition to a new government
said although the lawsuit was withdrawn six days after it was filed
a lawsuit can be dismissed if a court determines the plaintiff did not move quickly enough to take action
Klos said the lawsuit was filed in part to “get something in front of the court to avoid any argument that we did not act with timeliness or due diligence.”
in case Smith wants to take legal action later
The decision to withdraw the lawsuit was also a strategic move for a couple of reasons
the City Council has filed an appeal with the Ohio Supreme Court over its loss in the case Smith filed last year to get Issue 23 on the ballot
If the court decides to take up that appeal
he will need to focus his legal efforts there
“That’s a significant use of time and expertise,” he said
rather than fight a legal battle to keep the proposed charter amendment off the May ballot
it would cost much less to simply try to defeat it
Issue 23 passed with more than 70 percent of the vote
Klos said there’s good reason to think many of these same voters will oppose the charter amendment
which Smith argues is an attempt to do an end run around Issue 23
“We wouldn’t have to file any more lawsuits.”
Overturning the results of an election is something a judge might be very hesitant to do
but Klos said he believes there is a way to challenge “a vote of the people to do away with Issue 23 if it comes to that.”
ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — A state appeals court said in a decision Wednesday that Nelsonville residents have a right under the city charter to abolish the charter
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]The court affirmed a decision by an Athens County judge
who ordered the Nelsonville City Council to place an initiative on the ballot that would change the city’s form of government
The initiative would abolish the city charter and return the city to the government it had before the charter was adopted 30 years ago
the city’s day-to-day operations are run by a city manager who is hired
the city was run by an elected mayor independent of the council
The council tried to stop the initiative from getting on the ballot, leading to a flurry of legal activity
The council argued the initiative process under the charter cannot be used to abolish the charter itself
The council argued a section of the Ohio Constitution for amending charters should have been followed instead
Ohio citizens have a right under the state constitution to choose their own form of government
This includes adopting charters and abolishing them
while the constitution spells out how to adopt a charter
This isn’t addressed in any Ohio law either
The Nelsonville city charter includes a section that allows residents to propose initiatives for the ballot
The appeals court said a proposal to abolish a charter most closely fits the definition of an initiative
The court cited two Ohio Supreme Court decisions that said amending a charter is not the same as abolishing or abandoning one
the proper way to abolish the Nelsonville charter is through the charter’s own initiative process
Nelsonville City Attorney Jonathan Robe said the council is evaluating its options on whether to appeal the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court
No appeal will happen before the election on Tuesday
Ohio (WOUB) — Nelsonville is supposed to begin next year with a new City Council and
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]But the process for making that happen may get complicated
The City Council in a special meeting Tuesday night voted to put on the May ballot an amendment to the city charter that would create a new government
it would create a conflict with a ballot initiative approved by Nelsonville voters in November
Both Issue 23 and the proposed charter amendment would return the city to the form of government it had three decades ago
with power shared between the council and an elected mayor
The problem is that if both Issue 23 and the charter amendment are in place
there would be two separate processes in motion for electing a new City Council and a mayor
A decision would have to be made which one to follow
otherwise there could be candidates running under Issue 23 and candidates running under the charter amendment
“I don’t think there’s any way given council’s action to avoid a confusing situation,” said Jonathan Robe
“I don’t know how the Board of Elections resolves that,” he said
“I don’t think that they can have competing elections on the same ballot.”
said she’s not sure how this would get resolved
The City Council fought a monthslong legal battle to keep Issue 23 off the November ballot
It argued the people behind the initiative did not follow the right procedure for placing it on the ballot
and a judge ordered the initiative be placed before voters
But Issue 23 did not provide much detail on how to make the transition back to the previous form of government
under the city charter that took effect 30 years ago
all of the City Council members are at large
meaning they each represent the entire city
four of the seven council members represented wards and were elected by the voters who resided in those wards
Robe told council members after the November election that they do not have the authority under the charter to draw wards
and Issue 23 did not empower the council to do this
the Board of Elections cannot certify candidates for those four council seats
Quivey had suggested the council agree to use the city’s four voting precincts as the wards for this election
The newly elected council could then draw ward boundaries for the next election
The council voted against this option Tuesday night
A representative of the League of Women Voters of Ohio told the council it could be opening itself up to a lawsuit if it adopted the precincts as wards
The league has suggested another option to avoid this issue with the wards: All candidates for council could run as at-large members and the new council could then draw up wards for the next election
The council is trying to get around the wards problem and some other transition issues not addressed in Issue 23 through the proposed charter amendment
The amendment would give the current council “authority to effectuate all necessary steps to implement these changes,” which would include creating wards
“I think this is a far better way to accomplish what the citizens said they want,” said Councilmember Cory Taylor
Councilmember Tony Dunfee said he and other council members are not trying to prevent the switch to a new form of government
“I agree there needs to be a change,” he said
“I don’t think there’s anybody disputing this on this council.”
But while Issue 23 and the proposed charter amendment would both create the same type of government
there are differences between the two that would create conflicts if both are in place
This means candidates for these offices will first run in the May primary
and the winners for each political party represented will move on to the general election in November
the mayor and council positions would be nonpartisan
The charter does not address the other elected offices
the amendment calls for eight council members
This becomes a problem because at the same time Nelsonville voters are deciding the fate of the proposed amendment in May
they will also be voting for candidates running for office under the terms of Issue 23
Resolving this conflict could potentially present a choice of rejecting the will of the voters
either with respect to the candidates they voted for or for the charter amendment they approved
This conflict could be avoided if no Nelsonville candidates end up running for office in the May primary
Quivey said Wednesday afternoon that so far no candidates had filed petitions with her office
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Ohio (WOUB) — The Nelsonville-York Buckeyes (14-9) drove an hour west to take on the Zane Trace Pioneers (19-4) in the first round of the OHSAA tournament
Zane Trace ran away with it in the fourth quarter
The start of the game was extremely fast paced
Nelsonville-York was able to get out to an early lead
Zane Trace then held the Buckeyes to only six points in the second quarter
which allowed the Pioneers to turn things around
It was clear Nelsonville-York had to make some changes at half
considering Zane Trace essentially shut them down the entirety of the second quarter
and the Buckeyes had a strong team effort that kept things close going into the fourth quarter
The score sat at 48-42 Pioneers after three
Zane Trace pulled away with the win thanks to the outside shooting effort from Grady Stewart and Landon Robinson
This is the end of the road for the 2024-2025 Nelsonville-York Buckeyes squad
but Coach Gabriel and his team feel confident moving forward
With most of the team returning to Nelsonville next season
there’s plenty of hope for the future of the program
The Styrofoam Winos are among the acts announced for the 2025 Nelsonville Music Festival
NELSONVILLE — The first round of artists in the 2025 Nelsonville Music Festival have been announced by the Stuart’s Opera House
will be held June 20-22 at the Snow Fork Event Center in Nelsonville
The complete lineup and schedules will be announced in the coming months
including additional headliners and more than 30 more artists
Tier 2 weekend passes are on sale for $190
Prices will increase as the festival approaches
Weekend passes for teens ages 13-17 are available for $85 and kids 12 and under can attend for free with a ticketed adult
Tickets and more information can be found at nelsonvillefest.org or by calling (740) 753-1924
The Nelsonville Music Festival is a production of and fundraiser for Stuart’s Opera House
a non-profit theater and performing arts center in Nelsonville
The opera house holds more than 75 events a year that include live music
All proceeds raised at the festival support year-round programming at the the opera house, including its tuition-free Arts Education programs. More information is available at stuartsoperahouse.org
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The OHIO students who worked at Nelsonville Music Festival's Creekside Stage were instrumental in its production and will essentially make or break the resulting Sycamore Sessions this fall
Applying to a first job can be stressful, especially for recent graduates entering an industry like media production where experience holds a lot of value. Daunting as it can be, securing a job after graduation will certainly be easier for the 25 Ohio University students who participated in this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival Production program
These dedicated students produced a live event
gained resume-ready experience and will receive engineering and production credit for their work
Although NMF isn’t the largest festival, the event’s scaled-down size provides audiences with a more intimate experience while still bringing some of music’s biggest names. Billboard has even called NMF “one of the best-kept secrets of the U.S
School of Media Arts and Studies Director Josh Antonuccio has been running a version of this experience and bringing Ohio University students to NMF since 2014
In the process he has helped both the festival and OHIO program grow
more stripped-down set known as the Gladden House Sessions which was separate from official NMF programming
Antonuccio and Festival Director Tim Peacock created the Sycamore Sessions—a new phase of the series that would capture full performances and highlight what makes NMF so special
“The Sycamore sessions now take place on the Creekside stage
which is a part of the official festival schedule,” said Antonuccio
“It's been a great way to showcase artists
we've expanded the scope of production and increased the number of students who join the program.”
Andie Walla is an associate professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies who first became involved with a virtual iteration of NMF during the pandemic
Walla believes the Creekside Stage is a great environment for students interested in music or video production to first experience working at a live event
“It's kind of nice because I feel like we have our own stage and everything that's happening there is students,” Walla said
“There were a few professionals who were there doing live sound for the stage
everyone you saw back there running around on stage and operating cameras were all students
Three teams of students made up this year’s NMF Production program
A video team captured and will be editing performance footage
an audio team captured audio and oversaw the recording of music and an artist and publicity team worked with artists on site and behind the scenes—producing promotional material
confirming setlists and taking photographs
A few students rotated in on both audio and video crews to experience different aspects of production
The students who worked at the Creekside Stage were instrumental in its production and will essentially make or break the resulting Sycamore Sessions
meaning that it's beyond the classroom experience,” said Antonuccio
Bad grade.’ We rely on these students to make this series run
capture it well and create a great product.”
Producing the Creekside Stage performances quickly introduced students to the chaos and pressure of working at a live event
but collaboration allowed them to rise to the occasion
The three teams worked together to overcome equipment malfunctions and the scorching July weather
“It is a great partnership because the students learn the vocabulary of another team and how to communicate with them
and that’s hard to get in the classroom sometimes,” said Walla
“The audio and video teams specifically have to make each other aware that we both have needs in the same space and figure out what we can do to make the best product possible.”
Students will continue to work on Creekside Stage post-production well into the fall semester. The footage and audio recordings will be edited, rough drafts will be made and feedback will be given. With some performances being 45 minutes to an hour long, this is no small task. The Sycamore Sessions episodes will then be distributed to the public through WOUB Public Media this fall
This is now the ninth season for the series
which has garnered millions of views across more than 120 episodes
Past episodes have included major artists such as Tyler Childers
Antonuccio says being involved with NMF and the Sycamore Sessions not only gave students valuable professional experience
but it also provided a good atmosphere for them to do so
“Music festivals are a really fun and exciting environment,” he said
“I think it’s cool to be a part of that—recording and working with great artists
the students are also a part of something that’s getting a global audience
and it’s great for them to see their names on it and be proud of what they worked on.”
This year’s NMF Production program and Sycamore Sessions added Gahanna-based OHD Studios to the partnership along with Ohio University and WOUB
OHD Studios rents gear and provides personnel for small-scale and large-scale shoots
OHD Studios Rental Manager Alex Nowak graduated from OHIO in 2012 and was happy to mentor current Bobcats and supplement the Creekside Stage’s student production with additional equipment
“I wish I had this kind of experience when I was in school,” said Nowak
“It's great working with students like this because they're just so sharp and they're all so eager
To have the broadcast experience of how to listen to a technical director in your earphones and how to react is invaluable.”
OHD Studios supplied advanced camera equipment and worked at the Creekside Stage pro bono
Students got to experience working with new equipment beyond their usual equipment room and made local connections in their industry
Nowak and his team enjoyed the experience and he said the partnership fit well with OHD’s culture of teaching and imparting knowledge
but his OHIO experience is what cemented the connection
“You'll find Bobcats everywhere,” said Nowak
I got plenty of experience—like I said I wish I had more like this—but there’s just a camaraderie with Ohio University.”
An OHIO student films a performance on the Creekside Stage using a camera with a weighted gimbal to stabilize the footage
Students direct and monitor the different camera angles of the Creekside Stage from the broadcasting truck
Walla was grateful for OHD Studios’ involvement
feels a similar responsibility of paying it forward to the next generation of Bobcats
She echoed Nowak’s words about wishing she had the NMF production experience available to her as a student and added that it also informs students whether they are passionate about working at live events before seeking employment
“It's a good way for me to give back to the next generation of students and prepare them for the workforce,” said Walla
“Some students just really love it and are searching for more opportunities to do live things—it’s a very big job market—or they figure out ‘maybe this isn't for me,’ but either way
Faith Caplinger an analyst for Warner Music Group and a recent Ohio University alumna is a testament to OHIO’s experiential learning opportunities translating to value in the job market. Caplinger was a Music Production and Recording Industry student who graduated from OHIO in December 2023
She credits her participation in the NMF Sycamore Sessions to helping her thrive as a professional in the music industry
“I definitely gained a better sense of what it feels like to work with a team on a project that has so many moving parts
and how to communicate and serve the team better
all the while prioritizing different needs,” Caplinger said of her 2023 experience at NMF
“It really helped me to learn the kind of patience
and open-mindedness that is needed to be successful and to contribute to meaningful work within the music industry.”
Firsthand accounts from students who worked on the 2024 Sycamore Sessions will be published in the coming weeks. The Sycamore Sessions are slated to return this fall and are available on WOUB. For more information or to view the work last year’s Nelsonville Music Festival Production students created, visit: https://woub.org/tag/2023-sycamore-sessions/
Ohio (WOUB) — The city of Nelsonville has been sued again over an effort to change its form of government
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]The lawsuit seeks to undo a decision by the City Council to place on the May ballot a proposed amendment to the city charter
This amendment would return the city to having an elected mayor running day-to-day operations instead of a city manager
It also would make some changes to the City Council
the city’s voters passed overwhelmingly in November that calls for similar changes to city government
Nelsonville resident Greg Smith, who sued the City Council last year to force it to put Issue 23 on the ballot
is now suing the city to keep its proposed charter amendment off the ballot
Smith accuses council members of trying to make an end run around the initiative by proposing the charter amendment
Issue 23 calls for abolishing the city charter at the end of this year and returning the city to the form of government it had before the charter was adopted 30 years ago
“They’re coming up with any damn reason in the world not to do what the voters wanted them to do,” Smith said
Smith’s lawsuit claims the ordinance the council passed two weeks ago to place the proposed charter amendment on the ballot is flawed because it violates a rule that limits ordinances to a single subject
If the council wants to take steps to both amend the charter and repeal Issue 23
it needs to do so with separate ordinances
The lawsuit also alleges the council did not follow the proper procedure when it approved the ordinance
An ordinance intended to repeal another ordinance should include the language of that ordinance
The ordinance passed by the council did not include the language of Issue 23
The ordinance was not properly read at the council meeting before it was passed
The reading should have included the language of the proposed charter amendment
The ordinance directs the city attorney to “prepare language for the complete charter amendment” for placement on the ballot
the proposed amendment was submitted to the Board of Elections as written by the acting city manager
who suggested the idea of amending the charter
The lawsuit is asking the court to order the City Council to withdraw the proposed charter amendment from the ballot
to order the Board of Elections to not place it on the ballot
Nelsonville City Attorney Jonathan Robe said he could not comment on Smith’s lawsuit because it is pending litigation
The council will likely discuss the lawsuit during executive session at its meeting Monday night
The Athens County Board of Elections discovered a ballot printing error for Nelsonville voters that did not include an issue to abolish the city charter and return it to a statutory form of government
Precinct officials discovered the misprint and reported it to the elections board
Athens County Board of Elections Director Tony Brooks confirmed that 98 voters had cast paper ballots before the printing error was discovered
Brooks told WOSU that his office has been contacting the voters by phone to let them know they can return to vote on Issue 23
The board switched voters to electronic voting machines
Voters who believe their ballots were affected can go to their voting precinct or call the elections board at 740-592-3201
Nelsonville City Law Director Jonathan Robe said if you put 10 lawyers in a room and ask them the same question
since the passing of Issue 23 to abolish the Nelsonville City Charter of almost 30 years
Robe has found himself racking his brain for even one answer
The case is the first of its kind in the history of the State of Ohio
250 cities in the state have charters and the Ohio Constitution provides a framework for cities to establish them
and there is no state legal protocol to guide officials through the transition
a citizen-led issue to abolish the charter in favor of the state’s mayor-based government blueprint
passed with 70% of the vote in November 2024
The charter will remain in effect until Jan
at which point the city will default to the statutory mayoral government
Robe said the language of Issue 23 means the transition will not be so simple
The most notable difference in the timeline is the statutory form of government requires three readings to pass an ordinance
then a month after the third reading for the ordinance to take effect
while the city’s current charter only requires two
Robe said his biggest concern was the implication of the extra reading on reinstating certain city services such as the police and fire departments
the charter very cleverly solved that transition problem by saying
‘The police department as it now exists shall continue to exist,’” Robe said
“Issue 23 doesn’t have any of that language in reverse … so the council’s only authority that they have right now is under the chart.”
Robe said police and fire departments cannot exist under both the charter and the statutory law
those departments also are abolished until they are officially reinstated by the new mayoral government.
The process requires three readings and a wait period of one month after the third reading to go into effect
Robe said it would be around mid-February before police and fire departments would be properly up and running again unless the City Council is able to put a special election on the ballot to amend Issue 23 to include some transitory “magical legal language.”
Nelsonville City Council President Gregg Clement has taken the initiative to put forth a different solution
the Nelsonville City Council passed an ordinance to hold a special election May 6 to amend the city charter to include a mayoral position
Ordinance 06-25 was enacted by a special council vote in just a single reading under emergency rule to meet the Feb
5 deadline for the municipal primary election
All but one member of the council voted in favor of the ordinance.
Clement said he believes Ordinance 06-25 offers a different path that preserves the home rule of Nelsonville’s charter and grants the wishes of the 70% of voters in favor of Issue 23
Clement said he also believes the charter sours the appetite of the council and citizenry to speak to more pressing matters.
Nelsonville barely made the 2020 Census’s 5,000-person requirement to be considered a city and not just a village
Clement said with his only desired term coming to a close at the end of 2025
less headway than he wanted had been made on a city economic planning committee.
He questioned whether the abolition of the charter is the best way to address the issues Nelsonville is facing and doubts it will meet the requirements of a city by the 2030 Census
made the statement that citizens in the city were not happy with members of the current council
so instead of voting those people out of office
they chose to upheaval the government and go back to a mayoral form of government,” Clement said
“Why didn’t some of those 70% of people run for office to vote out the members they didn’t want?”
Robe said he is sending the case up to the Ohio Supreme Court
and Clement said the next council meeting will see a special advisory board sworn in to facilitate the transition
when Nelsonville’s government remains slated to return to how it was in 1993
@jack_solon
js573521@ohio.edu
It was a hot three days at this year’s Nelsonville Music Festival (July 25-28)
But with plenty of free water and lots of shade trees and hospitality tents
there were many ways to escape the glaring afternoon sun
This was the fest’s third year at its new home at the Snow Fork Event Center on the appropriately named Happy Hollow Road
just minutes away from downtown Nelsonville
With the growing pains of the previous two years having dissipated
Nestled among the soft hills of southeast Ohio
the machinations of the outside world ceased to exist
along with roots regulars such as Eilen Jewell
my favorite takeaway is more on the quiet side
that’s both the most comfortable and intriguing to me
It is unique among all the fests I’ve ever attended
Situated at the bottom of a modestly sloped hill surrounded by the shaded woods
fans — and often entire families — spread out blankets
Those hammocks permitted fans not only to hear the music in the most relaxed of manners
What you didn’t see were cell phones or other electronic crap
folks at this stage were reverential to what the artists were sharing just a few feet away
On the fest’s last day I spoke with several fans who told me this stage is why they came
and ventured out to the other stages only after the evening’s last set ended
when darkness enveloped the minimally lit stage
As befitting the Creekside Stage’s physical setting
the music played there was mostly introspective
Be it Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s “I See a Darkness,” SUSS’s ambient country
fest regular Michael Hurley’s outsider take on folk music
the mesmerizing guitar work of Yasmin Willams and Laurel Premo
or the vignettes of life in rural Kentucky by The Local Honeys
you could call what I heard “soundscapes,” music you could get lost in
You were continuously being taken to places (all different) you never knew existed
Click on any photo below to view the gallery as a full-size slide show
By Amos Perrine on July 25
By Amos Perrine on September 6
FRESH TRACK: Steve Bardwil Band – “Send ‘Em Love”Check it outSPONSORED BY Steve Bardwil Band
Ohio (WOUB) — A judge has given the Nelsonville City Council until Monday afternoon to take action to put an initiative on the ballot that would change the city’s form of government
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]This is the second time Athens County Judge George McCarthy has directed the city to act on the initiative
The last time was in late July and the city appealed the judge’s decision
The city may also appeal the judge’s decision on Friday but must act quickly if it plans to do so
(Read the Nelsonville initiative ruling here)
The initiative would return the city to a government with day-to-day operations run by an elected mayor who is independent of the City Council
This is the form of government the city had until it adopted a charter in 1994 under which the city is run by city manager who is hired
The Monday deadline set by the judge is significant because one of the residents behind the initiative said in a court filing that any later would be too late to get the initiative on the Nov
A group of Nelsonville residents proposed the initiative under a section of the city charter that allows residents to submit initiatives to the ballot
The Athens County Board of Elections determined in June the initiative received enough signatures
and under the charter the City Council was required to pass an ordinance directing the board to place the initiative on the ballot
McCarthy noted in his decision Friday this provision in the state Constitution only mentions amending charters
But the judge said it could include dissolving them
The judge said there must be some way for citizens to abolish a charter
“The citizens previously voted to replace the statutory form of government with a charter form of government,” McCarthy wrote
“It is axiomatic that the citizens can also (choose) to go back to a statutory form of government.”
a petition to amend a city charter requires signatures equal to at least 10 percent of the number of people in the city who voted in the last gubernatorial election
the signature requirement to get an initiative on the ballot is 15 percent
Because of this conflict between the charter and the Constitution regarding the required number of signatures
Because the Board of Elections already found the Nelsonville initiative received more than enough signatures to meet the 15 percent threshold under the charter
McCarthy ordered the council pass an ordinance sending it to the Board of Elections no later than 3 p.m
The board will then verify the initiative has enough signatures to meet the 10 percent threshold under the Constitution
Ohio (WOUB) — The dispute over a proposed ballot initiative that would abolish the Nelsonville city charter raises questions about how Ohioans can exercise their constitutional right to choose their own government
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]The case is now before a state appeals court after two residents accused the Nelsonville City Council of obstructing the effort
One of the residents is part of the group behind the initiative that would return the city to the form of government it had 30 years ago
The initiative would do this by abolishing the city charter adopted in 1994
which established the current government structure in Nelsonville
The group behind the initiative says the charter gives residents the right to abolish it
and it refused to take action to put the initiative on the November ballot
day-to-day management of the city is handled by the city manager
who is hired by the council and can be fired by the council
the city was run by an elected mayor who was independent of the council
The council argues the right to abolish the charter comes from the Ohio Constitution
Whether the initiative is done under the city charter or the state constitution matters because the constitution requires more signatures to get the initiative on the ballot — more signatures than the group behind the initiative got
the group got more than enough signatures to meet the requirements for initiatives done under the charter
And the charter says if an initiative meets all other requirements and gets enough signatures
the council must pass an ordinance directing the county elections board to put it on the ballot
The council didn’t do that, and one of the residents behind the initiative took the City Council to court
joined by another resident who signed the petition to put the initiative on the ballot
They asked the judge to order the council to pass the ordinance
rather than let the case work its way through the usual process with a decision at the end
so the council would have time to act before the deadline for getting initiatives placed on the November ballot
The judge granted the request. The City Council asked the judge to stay his order, a request he was required to grant. The two residents appealed
the council is pressing its argument that the city charter does not permit initiatives to abolish the charter
They cite language in the charter that says initiatives can be used to put ordinances or resolutions on the ballot
But the charter doesn’t say anything about using an initiative to abolish the charter itself
means it was not intended to be used for this purpose
The Athens County Board of Elections is also part of the case and raises similar arguments
saying it wouldn’t make sense to allow residents to abolish the charter while also requiring the City Council to pass an ordinance to put the proposal on the ballot
“This is because it would be incongruous for the city government founded by the charter to certify its own dissolution,” the board argues in a document filed last week with the appellate court
The elections board and the council both argue that if residents want to dissolve the charter they need to do it through Article 18, Section 9 of the Ohio Constitution
It says: “Amendments to any charter framed and adopted as herein provided may be submitted to the electors of a municipality by a two-thirds vote of the legislative authority thereof
upon petitions signed by ten per centum of the electors of the municipality setting forth any such proposed amendment
shall be submitted by such legislative authority.”
This appears to require a two-thirds vote by the City Council — the legislative authority for the city — in order to place an amendment on the ballot
And this seems to run afoul of the argument the elections board and the council are making against using the charter
because it puts the city government in the position of certifying its own dissolution
It also would seem to undermine the purpose of an initiative
which is to give citizens a way to take matters into their own hands if they feel their government leaders are not being responsive
Nelsonville City Attorney Jonathan Robe acknowledged the language in the constitution could be read this way
But his argument is for another interpretation that hinges on the words “may” and “and.”
Robe argues the word “may” means a city council has the option to submit an amendment by two-thirds majority
He said the word “and” should instead be read as “or,” meaning an amendment also can be placed before voters with a petition with the required number of signatures
had the initiative in this case gotten the number of signatures required under Section 9
it would be going on the ballot — or at least the City Council would be powerless to stop it,” he said
the attorney representing the residents who brought the legal action
argues Section 9 is for amending city charters
It doesn’t say anything about abolishing them
And even if it could be used for this purpose
it’s common practice when interpreting laws to be guided by the plain meaning of the words used
when the authors used the word “and,” they meant “and,” not “or.”
but he’s not aware of any court decisions that have done so regarding Section 9
but that doesn’t mean he cannot try to persuade the court of appeals in this case to accept his interpretation of the language
Klos also argues that while the city charter does not expressly say its initiative process can be used to abolish the charter
it also doesn’t limit what initiatives can be used for
The charter does specifically say initiatives can be used to place ordinances and resolutions on the ballot
but Klos argues that doesn’t mean this is all they can be used for
Klos also questions why city leaders are trying so hard to keep this initiative off the ballot
“Why is there such a vehement opposition to allowing citizens to choose what type of government they have?” he asked
Why not just put the issue before Nelsonville residents on the ballot
and let them exercise their constitutional right to decide whether they want to keep the charter or go with a different form of government
Robe argues the problem with this is if the initiative goes on the ballot and passes
and it’s later determined by a court the city charter did not allow for this
someone who voted against the initiative could raise a legal challenge
which could call into question what form of government the city has
Ohio (WOUB) — Now that Nelsonville voters have called for a new government
The town square in Nelsonville [WOUB]But there may be a problem
The city’s attorney says the City Council has no authority to call for an election
Officials with the Athens County Board of Elections say they cannot simply schedule the election on their own
But if the city cannot direct them to do so
which created its current form of government
there may be no one in place to run the city at the start of 2026
the City Council may vote soon to continue its legal challenge against the ballot initiative that passed with overwhelming support last month
The council fought for months to keep the initiative off the ballot in the first place but lost that battle in a state court of appeals
The initiative returns the city to the form of government it had 30 years ago
when the city’s administration was run by an elected mayor who is independent of the council instead of a city manager who is hired
The council’s Judiciary Committee voted earlier this week to recommend the council appeal its case to the Ohio Supreme Court
The council is expected to make a decision when it meets on Monday
cautioned committee members it is highly unlikely the Supreme Court would agree to hear an appeal
He also said the city’s insurance company might not cover the legal costs
especially if the court could provide the council with some guidance on making the transition to a different form of government
“Right now it’s going to be a cluster and there is no guidance,” he said
If the Supreme Court were to agree to take up an appeal from the city
the only question before the court would be whether the court of appeals made the right decision
Ohio residents have a constitutional right to choose their form of government and change it if they want
The City Council’s argument is the people behind the initiative went about it the wrong way
The initiative was proposed under the city’s charter
which was adopted 30 years ago and established its current form of government
but the council argued this cannot be used to abolish the charter itself — in other words
the charter does not provide for its own demise
The council argued instead that the proper way to abolish a charter is under a section of the state constitution that specifies how to amend charters
The appeals court disagreed and allowed the initiative to go on the ballot
Robe said this is the main reason it’s so unlikely the Supreme Court would agree to hear an appeal from the city
But even if the city appeals and court were to take the case
it’s unlikely any decision would extend beyond upholding or overturning the appeals court decision
The council and the Board of Elections are in need of guidance because
as Robe explained to the Judiciary Committee
there is no roadmap for making the change the initiative calls for
Ohio cities have two basic options when it comes to their government: They can follow one of the templates spelled out in state law — a statutory form of government
Or they can draw up a charter creating their own government
Plenty of cities have gone from a statutory government to a charter
But Robe said he could find no examples going the other way
“We’re in totally uncharted territory in terms of where to go from here,” he said
“It’s never been done before in the history of our state
Robe said that under his reading of the law
there’s little the council can do to help with the transition
the initiative calls for an election next year of all city officials that were elected positions before the charter
This would include a mayor and all council members
And the council positions will now be partisan
which means there would need to be a primary election first
has no authority to make any of this happen
council does not have authority to pass an ordinance telling the Board of Elections there are partisan primaries that need to be held in May for council seats,” he said
Municipal elections will be held in Ohio next year as they are in all odd-numbered years
But this doesn’t mean the Nelsonville elections would just automatically happen
“I’m assuming that they will have an election,” said Debbie Quivey
“They have to go back to a statutory government whether they want to or not
“I don’t know 100 percent that Nelsonville will have an election next year.”
This is because someone needs to direct the board to schedule Nelsonville elections and for what positions
“We’re not sure what the city needs to provide to us to hold an election,” said Tony Brooks
The board has reached out to its attorneys for guidance
including what to do if the Nelsonville council
Another issue is some of the new council members will represent wards and will be elected by the residents of those wards
Robe told the Judiciary Committee he doesn’t believe the council has the authority to draw ward boundaries
“They would have to tell us what their wards are,” Quivey said
the board would not be able to certify candidates for council seats because it wouldn’t know what wards they are running in
It was clear at the Judiciary Committee meeting that some council members remain highly critical of the ballot initiative
Members Opha Lawson and Tony Dunfee both said they believe the city’s residents did not understand what they were voting for
thought it was going to be an easy thing for us just to throw everything back and move over to the statutory and things will go all hunky dory and all that,” Lawson said
a former council member and one of two residents who sued the city to get the initiative on the ballot
said he believes council members are still focusing on ways to block it
“the (Judiciary Committee) meeting was just political cover for council to vote to spend more tax dollars to appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court
even though the citizens have voted by 71 percent for what they desire.”
Ohio (WOUB) – The Meigs Marauders (12-0) hosted the Nelsonville-York Buckeyes (6-30 in a Tri-Valley Conference-Ohio matchup
The Marauders would go home with a 92-47 win against the Buckeyes
Meigs got on the board first with an exciting three-point basket
Cayden Green would lead the Marauders in the first quarter with three baskets behind the arc
Meigs kept Nelsonville-York at bay with intense defense
The Marauders only had a few turnovers in the first quarter
The Buckeyes and Marauders would trade baskets for the remainder of the first quarter
The Marauders began the second quarter with a nine-point drive
forcing the Buckeyes to call a timeout with 6:40 on the clock
The Marauders kept their momentum out of the timeout by stealing the ball and driving layups
Landon DeWees had a thrilling play of stealing the ball at mid-court and a driving layup under the rim
Owen Tracy had another steal at mid-court to add another layup to the scoreboard
An 18-point run by Meigs forced Nelsonville-York to call another timeout
Cayden Gheen sank a three-point basket for Meigs to open the second half
Gheen kept his momentum going with two more three-point baskets to keep Meigs ahead
The Marauders pressed on defense where the Buckeyes only scored six points in the quarter
Meigs was ahead by 43 points going into the last quarter of the game
The Marauders ended the game with a victory of 92-47
Head Coach Ryan Davis accredited the chemistry between the players for their win
“It’s important for any team (to have chemistry) to be good,” Davis said
these guys from the time we got together in the summer have been very supportive of each other
It’s much easier to coach that than a team that’s worried about themselves.”
Up next for the Meigs Marauders they will be traveling to Beverly
to take on the Fort Frye Cadets on Tuesday