WOUB News & Culture, Ohio University/Radio Television Building/35 S College Street, Athens, OH (2026)

01/09/2026

More Ohioans are suffering with flu this year than last. And health experts are pointing to a specific strain of “superflu” that’s wreaking havoc in the Buckeye State.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said more people than usual are getting sick with flu and ending up in the hospital.

“Our most recent data for the week that ended Jan. 3 showed that we had this flu season 1,911 patients hospitalized here in Ohio,” Vanderhoff said in a call with reporters. “That’s up from last year, which was a more severe flu year itself.”

Vanderhoff said there 1,305 in the same week last year.

Vanderhoff said there’s usually a spike in flu cases over the holiday season and the illness will continue into February. But he said a new strain of flu circulating now called H3N2 Clade K, referred to by some as the “superflu”, is behind some of the increase. He said while most Ohioans have not encountered this strain before and not all strains of the flu are covered in this year’s vaccine, Ohioans should still get the shot.

“It’s not very good at protecting us necessarily from contracting the flu in the first place, but it appears nevertheless to still be good at helping to prevent your flu illness from becoming very severe and potentially landing you in the hospital,” Vanderhof said.

More Ohioans are suffering with flu this year than last. And health experts are pointing to a specific strain of "superflu."

01/08/2026

If you’ve encountered prolonged construction on your morning commute, you may find yourself wondering: Why are they tearing up the road? Why is it taking so long? How have they not found a better way to do this?

Aging pipes were likely the source of your frustrations. Right now, when a pipe deteriorates, the most common solution is to dig it out and replace it in a costly – and traffic-inducing – process. But, Shad Sargand, head of the Ohio Research Institute for Transportation and the Environment (ORITE), said it’s a flawed system.

“When you do construction and you dig the road and you’re putting in a new pipe, it takes time. That means you take the traffic detour to go to another route. Generally that’s not a very good situation because the chance that you get in an accident or something goes wrong [increases],” Sargand said.

That’s led Ohio University researchers to conduct a national study. They want to keep those pipes in better shape and lessen the risk for the public in the process.

Ohio University researchers conducted a national study. They want to keep pipes in better shape and lessen the risk for the public.

01/08/2026

Dr. Gordon Briggs examines the gritty, high-anxiety cinema of the Safdie Brothers in the latest edition of Now Playing.�

The column looks back at the filmmaking duo’s signature New York–set crime stories centered on characters living on society’s margins.�

Briggs highlights "Heaven Knows What," a raw and abrasive portrait of addiction grounded in an unfiltered sense of realism.�

He also revisits "Good Time," praising its propulsive pacing, synth-driven score, and Robert Pattinson’s intense lead performance.�

The column concludes with "Uncut Gems," a film Briggs describes as sustained, organized chaos powered by Adam Sandler’s career-defining turn.�

Across all three films, Briggs emphasizes the brothers’ camerawork and immersive, anxiety-inducing style.�He notes how the Safdies use tension and immediacy to place viewers directly inside their characters’ desperation.�

A look at the Safdie Brothers’ gritty New York films—Heaven Knows What, Good Time, and Uncut Gems—defined by chaos, addiction, and urgency.

01/08/2026

The leading candidates for Ohio governor have picked their running mates a little less than a month before they have to file their official candidate paperwork. And tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton appeared with them Wednesday in events just hours apart.

Ramaswamy’s campaign confirmed Tuesday night that he would introduce Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) as his running mate this evening in Cleveland. McColley, who also served in the Ohio House, is term limited and had been talked about as a candidate for Congress in the crowded May primary in the newly redrawn 9th Congressional district, to face longtime U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH 9) in the fall. The Republican-proposed map that was approved unanimously by the Ohio Redistricting Commission is expected to tip the district toward a Republican candidate.

Wednesday morning, Acton’s campaign confirmed that former Ohio Democratic Party chair David Pepper is her choice for lieutenant governor, and they’ll appear together at a Columbus-area event Wednesday afternoon, a few hours before Ramaswamy introduces McColley at their event. Pepper ran unsuccessfully for auditor in 2010 and attorney general in 2014, and chaired the ODP from 2015 to 2020, resigning after big Democratic losses in that election. He’s become known for commentary and criticism of Republicans on social media. He’s interviewed and written about Acton on his Substack, but much of his writing has attacked Ramaswamy.

Vivek Ramaswamy and former Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton will appear with them Wednesday.

01/08/2026

Two opposing city councils met in Nelsonville this week in different locations and at different times, each claiming to be the rightful government.

On Monday, candidates who ran under a ballot initiative to change the city’s form of government met at the Hocking College Inn for their first meeting, while the charter council from last year held a special meeting in City Hall on Tuesday night.

The reason for the rival meetings is because the charter council repealed the ballot initiative, known as Issue 23, in August, citing the lack of a transition plan. That repeal has been challenged in court, but a judge has yet to rule on its validity, which allowed Issue 23 candidates to remain on the November ballot.

Two opposing city councils met in Nelsonville this week in different locations and at different times.

01/07/2026

Authorities have released security footage of a person of interest in the killing of a Columbus couple who were found shot to death in their home last week.

Police in Columbus found Dr. Spencer Tepe, a 37-year-old dentist, and Monique Tepe, 39, with gunshot wounds on the second floor of their home at about 10 a.m. on Dec. 30 after officers were asked to conduct a wellness check, authorities said. Medical personnel later pronounced them dead.

The couple’s two young children were also in the home but were unharmed, police said.

Many questions remain about the case, including who might have killed the couple and why.

On Monday, police released security footage of a person of interest that shows the person walking in an alley near the couple’s home during the three hours in which investigators believe they were attacked. The person was wearing light colored pants and a dark hooded jacket, and police asked for the public’s help in identifying them.

“We know there are questions and concerns surrounding this tragic incident,” police said in a statement. “Detectives are working diligently to solve this case.”

uthorities have released security footage of a person of interest in the killing of a Columbus couple who were found shot to death.

01/07/2026

In Teacher Maria Burris’ classroom at the Spanish Immersion School in Mansfield, second grader Lucia answers a math problem about how many stones Lewis and Clark have, entirely in Spanish.

“Lewis y Clark tienen trece piedras,” she begins, speaking carefully.

Michael Brennan, principal of the Spanish Immersion School, one of two magnet public schools in Mansfield, looks proudly into the classroom.

“All the instruction from kindergarten to second [grade] is done totally in Spanish. So the reading, the writing, the math, the social studies, everything is done in Spanish. And then in third grade … we introduce English into the curriculum, but everything else is done, for the most part, in Spanish,” he said.

Even non-immersive foreign language instruction is rare for public school students in the U.S., with just 20% of those schools offering non-English language instruction in 2017. Mansfield’s Spanish immersion program is one of few in Ohio. But even this high-performing school that draws in students from around the region is not immune to the headwinds facing other Ohio public schools.

Mansfield’s Spanish immersion program is one of few in Ohio. But even this high-performing school faces challenges.

01/07/2026

Athens County Public Libraries have launched a free Creative Aging art series for adults 55 and older at the Coolville and Nelsonville branches. This series is currently full and no longer accepting students.

The eight-week program is led by local teaching artist Jessica Held and is fully funded through an Ohio Arts Council ArtsRISE grant.

The series focuses on hands-on artmaking while prioritizing social connection, well-being, and lifelong learning.

Participants explore artistic processes including suminagashi monoprints, cyanotype photograms, and wet-on-wet watercolor painting.

Held designed the classes to be accessible to all skill levels and welcoming to those who may not see themselves as artists.

The program reflects the library’s evolving role as a community-centered space that supports creative engagement.

The series will conclude with a public exhibition of participant artwork later this winter.

This winter the Athens County Libraries hosts free Creative Aging art lesson series for adults 55 and older, offering hands-on classes, community connection, and a public art display.

01/07/2026

Gov. Mike DeWine defended the state’s existing safeguards currently vetting child care centers Monday afternoon, amid viral accusations of fraud at facilities getting federal and state funding.

In 2025, the Ohio Department of Children and Youth conducted more than 10,000 unannounced health and safety visits at the nearly 5,200 facilities statewide, resulting in 38 closures, DeWine said. Twelve closures came from fraud referrals.

“Fraud does occur, and if we think fraud doesn’t occur, we’re wrong,” he said.

Child care centers in Ohio receive subsidies based on attendance rather than enrollment, figures verified through personal identification numbers, headshots and location-based QR codes, DeWine said.

But the recent flurry of online videos targeting daycares run by Somali Americans and immigrants are not immediately indicative of fraud, he said, because centers are required to follow certain safety and security measures.

“There shouldn’t be a shock, when you see something on social media, and someone is going, ‘I can’t get into this (facility), no one will let me in,’” DeWine said. “Well, hell no, no one should let them in.”

Gov. Mike DeWine defended the state’s existing safeguards currently vetting child care centers Monday afternoon.

01/07/2026

In his latest Now Playing column for WOUB News, film scholar Dr. Gordon Briggs writes that "Marty Supreme" stands out as one of the most entertaining films of 2025, delivering chaos, charisma, and relentless momentum.

Directed by Josh Safdie, the film follows fast-talking 1950s New York hustler Marty Ma**er as he schemes his way toward becoming a world-class Ping-Pong champion.

Timothée Chalamet anchors the film with a manic, magnetic performance that drives its pace and tension.

Safdie pairs that energy with kinetic editing and a propulsive score by Daniel Lopatin, creating an increasingly anxious, high-stress viewing experience.

The film’s gritty New York settings and escalating set pieces echo the director’s earlier work on "Good Time" and "Uncut Gems."

Josh Safdie’s "Marty Supreme" is a manic ride powered by Timothée Chalamet’s chaos-fueled turn as a charming hustler spiraling toward glory.

01/06/2026

Child care providers in the region say they’re experiencing strains after the state’s publicly funded child care system saw changes to its reimbursement model.

The state budget, which took effect Nov. 1, adjusted the number of hours a child must spend in child care to be considered full time or part time.

That matters for child care providers receiving publicly funded child care (PFCC) reimbursements, who receive a different rate depending on whether a child is considered full time, part time or hourly.

Some child care providers say keeping students who were previously considered full time has left them with financial challenges.

“Budget-wise we’re taking a hit … because we feel we have a connection to those families and we don’t want to lose them,” said Heather Thompson, owner of Stages Early Learning Center in Athens.

The change comes as another anticipated Biden-era federal policy was rescinded Monday, which would have required enrollment-based reimbursements for public child care.

Child care providers like Thompson believe the change would have provided some financial relief. They would have received payment even on days when enrolled children were absent because of sickness or another reason.

She said margins for child care centers are already extremely challenging — one of many reasons the region sees a shortage in child care options.

Child care providers in the region say they’re experiencing strains after the state’s publicly funded child care system saw changes.

01/06/2026

Recorded during the 2025 Nelsonville Music Festival, the latest Sycamore Session features a performance from Duluth-based singer-songwriter Charlie Parr.

Parr is widely regarded as one of the most vital contemporary voices in American roots music, drawing deeply from folk and blues traditions shaped by early masters of the genre.

His set includes “817 Oakland Avenue” and “Last of the Better Days Ahead” from his 2021 album "Last of the Better Days Ahead," released on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. He also performs “Cheap Wine” from his 2005 album "Rooster" and “Falcon” from his 2015 release "Stumpjumper."

Parr concludes the session with two covers that honor the lineage of American folk music. He first performs “Running, Jumping, Standing Still,” paying tribute to the late "Spider" John Koerner and his enduring influence on generations of musicians. The session closes with an a ca****la rendition of the traditional gospel song “Ain’t No Grave,” often attributed to Appalachian musician and preacher Claude Ely.

The Sycamore Sessions are presented by the Nelsonville Music Festival in collaboration with WOUB Public Media and the Ohio University School of Media Arts & Studies. The videos are created by Media Arts and Studies students under the guidance of Producer and Host Josh Antonuccio, Audio Supervisor Adam Rich, WOUB Arts and Culture Editor Emily Votaw, and Director of Photography Andie Walla. All performances were filmed during the 2025 Nelsonville Music Festival, a production of Stuart's Opera House.

Charlie Parr delivers a rootsy Sycamore Session, blending three originals with a tribute to the late "Spider" John Koerner plus an a ca****la version of a traditional gospel song.

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