WOUB News & Culture, Ohio University/Radio Television Building/35 S College Street, Athens, OH (2025)

12/18/2025

The opening of the Sunset Motel emergency shelter will face a delay after construction bids for the project came in at more than $1 million over budget.

While the shelter did not have an official opening date, it was expected to be completed next summer. A new estimated timeline has not yet been determined.

The Sunset Motel Project, led by Hocking Athens Perry Community Action (HAPCAP), is an initiative to turn a former Athens motel into an emergency shelter. Current plans for the shelter include 27 units that can house up to 48 individuals, as well as wraparound support and services.

The project was first put out to bid in October after lead abatement on the motel property was completed in early fall. The resulting two bids were both over budget.

In response to that first round, the shelter project team designated some aspects of their plan as optional, which included paving the parking lot, a playground and a solar array.

Before putting it out to bid again, the team also hosted a pre-bid walk-through to ensure bidders understood the scope of the project.

However, Valerie Stillson, public relations coordinator for HAPCAP, said the closest bid received during the second round remained more than $1.5 million above their budget.

The opening of the Sunset Motel emergency shelter will face a delay after construction bids came in at more than $1 million over budget.

12/17/2025

The lunch crowd is trickling into the Triple Nickel Diner in Chesterhill on a crisp fall afternoon.

Rosie Berardi sits at a small corner table. She’s explaining why, after running the popular diner with her mother for nearly a decade, they now plan to sell it or close for good in the spring.

Berardi had no plans to run a restaurant. She just sort of fell into it. And then, she fell in love with what it became.

“I feel proud of what we’ve done here,” she said. “We’re not just serving food.”

Berardi and her mom eventually gave up their nursing jobs to focus all their efforts on the diner. Things were going so well, they even considered expanding into Amesville, another small village not far from Chesterhill.

This would have put even more demands on their time just as Berardi was adjusting to another big change in her life.

“I have a 2-year-old son. I want to grow my family. My mom is 74. She really needs to retire,” she said.

“I think I was in total denial for a long time because of how much I love doing this. And then I just … really came to terms with the fact that the things that weren’t working for my personal life weren’t really going to change in the restaurant business. And because I love this so much, it was just really hard for me to accept that and really hard for my mom to accept that for herself, too.”

Berardi and her mom are hoping to sell the diner to someone who will keep up the traditions they have built. Several people have expressed interest. If they cannot find a buyer in time, they will close the diner near the end of March.

Berardi said the Triple Nickel Diner might not have beat the odds without the support of their extended family.

12/17/2025

WOUB Culture’s Suggested Listening series highlights the music that resonated most with contributors and regional artists in 2025, and this installment spotlights longtime WOUB Culture contributor Nicholas Kobe.

Kobe, who has interviewed artists ranging from Judas Priest to GWAR, turns his focus to a year he sees as a quieter one for mainstream releases but a particularly strong one for underground metal.

His list underscores the continued vitality of extreme and heavy music, with Blackbraid’s "Blackbraid III" standing out as another assured statement from one of modern black metal’s most consistent voices.

Metalcore also earns a place through Spiritbox’s "Tsunami Sea," which Kobe frames as a release that finally fulfills the band’s long-discussed potential while retaining a clear identity.

Veteran acts appear alongside newer names, including Arch Enemy’s "Blood Dynasty" as a capstone to an era and Testament’s "Para Bellum" as a late-career record willing to take real risks.

The list also highlights the breadth of contemporary heaviness, from Faetooth’s atmospheric doom and Sanguisugabogg’s blunt-force death metal to Drain’s high-energy crossover thrash.

Nicholas Kobe spotlights 2025’s metal standouts, from black metal and death metal to crossover thrash and doom.

12/17/2025

Ohio University has terminated the contract of Head Football Coach Brian Smith “for cause.”

“The termination follows an administrative review of allegations that Smith violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably on the University,” the university said in a press release Wednesday.

On Dec. 1, the university had announced Smith was on leave of an undetermined period of time and defensive coordinator John Hauser has been named the team’s interim head coach. They did not release a reason for the move at the time.

Interim head coach John Hauser will continue to lead Ohio University football as the Bobcats take on the University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels in the 2025 Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, December 23.

A search for a permanent head coach for Ohio football will begin immediately.

"The termination follows an administrative review of allegations that Smith violated the terms of his employment agreement by engaging in serious professional misconduct..."

12/17/2025

WOUB film scholar Dr. Gordon Briggs highlights three standout horror films from 2025 in the latest edition of Now Playing.

Briggs writes that the year’s strongest horror releases pushed beyond jump scares, blending the genre with family drama, fantasy, and musical storytelling.

He points to "The Ugly Stepsister" as a dark fairy tale that reframes a familiar story through graphic body horror and questions of beauty and survival.

The column also examines "Bring Her Back," a modern Hansel and Gretel–inspired film that grounds its terror in character development and unsettling performances. Briggs singles out Sally Hawkins’ turn as both chilling and emotionally complex.

Rounding out the list is "Sinners," a blues-infused vampire film set in 1930s Mississippi that he names one of the year’s best.

Three standout 2025 horror films reimagine the genre through dark fairy tales, family trauma, and a blues-soaked vampire story.

12/17/2025

WOUB’s Ian Saint speaks with singer-songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper ahead of her show tomorrow night at the The Beachland Ballroom and Tavern in Cleveland as a part of JD McPherson’s “Socks: A Rock ’N’ Roll Christmas Tour."

In the Q&A, Carper discusses "A Very Carper Christmas," her first Christmas album, which features mostly original songs that lean into humor, memory, and everyday practicality.

She explains how early exposure to old country music, jazz standards, and blues helped shape her vintage vocal style and songwriting approach.

Carper also reflects on co-writing sessions that helped her generate a full batch of new Christmas material, and on building a record that moves across country, blues, soul, and more.

Melissa Carper talks her first Christmas album, roots influences, and touring with JD McPherson ahead of a Cleveland holiday show.

12/16/2025

Temporary emergency shelters will now be permitted in Athens’ multifamily housing zones, after council approved a change to city zoning code during its final meeting of 2025.

The vote came after council passed a related ordinance last month, allowing for The Gathering Place to build three temporary shelters in its adjacent lot on North Congress Street as part of its Conestoga Hut pilot project. The organization serves those in recovery from trauma, a mental health issue or substance use disorder.

The ordinance approved this week would allow similar shelters to be built in any R-3 or B-3 zones, which includes multifamily housing and businesses. The shelters are described as temporary in reference to their structure, which lack a permanent foundation and are otherwise unattached to property.

However, the change is not without conditions. The shelters will be required to have one sink and one toilet for every three units, and any proposals will be subject to the approval of the Board of Zoning Appeals. Shelters will also require annual approval from the service-safety director.

Gathering Place Director Ginger Schmalenberg said during the meeting the ordinance’s passage will be critical to using newly received funding for a more permanent micro-shelter project elsewhere in the city.

Temporary emergency shelters will now be permitted in Athens’ multifamily housing zones, after council approved a change to city zoning code.

12/16/2025

WOUB Culture continues its annual Suggested Listening series with selections from West Virginia–based songwriter and playwright Todd Burge.

The list highlights folk and Americana touchstones such as Jeff Tweedy's expansive indie rock work, and Bonnie Prince Billy’s experimental folk album "The Purple Bird."

Burge points to art-rock icon David Byrne and indie folk singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham for their inventive approaches to melody and arrangement.

He also spotlights Appalachian and roots-oriented artists including Tyler Childers’ Rick Rubin–produced Americana record "Snipe Hunter."

Regional and folk traditions appear throughout the list, from West Virginia legend Mike Morningstar to Charleston-based folk-rock group The Carpenter Ants.

Todd Burge reflects on the songs and albums that shaped his year, including favorites from folk, rock, soul, and Americana.

12/16/2025

WOUB Culture continues its annual Suggested Listening series with picks from Brandon Thompson, also known as DJ B-Funk.

His 2025 list reflects a year of musical discovery rooted in dance music, electronic experimentation, and film soundtracks.

Thompson highlights progressive house selections from artists like Eric Prydz, Oliver Smith, Estiva, and Yotto.

The list also reaches into classic and contemporary electronic styles, including acid house from Ecstasy Club and Detroit ghetto tech from HiTech.

Jazz and cross-genre collaboration appear through Tony Allen and Jeff Mills’ boundary-pushing work.
Thompson includes soundtrack selections from Ludwig Göransson and Nine Inch Nails, emphasizing the emotional power of music in film.

DJ B-Funk shares his favorite 2025 musical discoveries, spanning house, electro, soundtracks, and dance-floor classics old and new.

12/16/2025

WOUB Culture presents a new Sycamore Session featuring Athens, Ohio–based acoustic Americana duo Mill Creek Mile.

The duo, made up of Jerrod Goggans and Bailey Ries, blends bluegrass, blues, and folk influences into songs that balance driving rhythms with reflective songwriting.

Recorded during the 2025 Nelsonville Music Festival, the session captures Mill Creek Mile performing selections from their "Sand Ridge Sessions" EP along with several unreleased tracks.

The performance highlights the duo’s roots-driven sound and close musical interplay.

The Sycamore Sessions showcase artists recorded live onstage at the Nelsonville Music Festival. New Sycamore Session videos are released through early March 2026.

The series is a collaboration between WOUB Public Media, Ohio University’s School of Media Arts and Studies, and the Nelsonville Music Festival, which is a production of Stuart's Opera House.

Mill Creek Mile’s Sycamore Session captures the duo’s bluegrass- and folk-rooted songs, featuring tracks from their "Sand Ridge Sessions" EP.

12/16/2025

WOUB Culture’s Suggested Listening series highlights the music that resonated most with contributors and regional artists over the past year.

In his latest installment, WOUB contributor Bradley Cunningham shares a set of songs shaped by winter moods, emotional release and sonic discovery. He begins with Tears for Fears, the British new wave and synth-pop band, selecting a track that feels stark and atmospheric, well suited for reflective walks.

Cunningham also highlights “Nail in Your Hand” by Citizen, pointing to the Michigan alternative rock band’s industrial-tinged intensity.

Laurel’s “Life Worth Living,” rooted in indie pop, stands out for pairing lyrical sadness with an uplifting, physical groove. He includes “Watchin” by Nicholas Creus, an instrumental ambient piece popular on TikTok that invites listeners to attach their own memories.

The list closes with “Cut” by Sweet Pill, a Philadelphia emo and indie rock band known for raw, cathartic songwriting.

Bradley Cunningham’s Suggested Listening explores cathartic rock and reflective tracks that balance sadness with release.

12/15/2025

After two years of fits and starts, extensive legislation changing recreational cannabis laws and banning so-called intoxicating h**p, including h**p-derived beverages, will head to Gov. Mike DeWine.

If signed, the final version of Senate Bill 56 that cleared the Ohio Senate on Tuesday afternoon will ban most intoxicating h**p within 90 days, but give THC and CBD beverages more runway—mirroring the timeline of recent federal action against h**p.

As for adult-use ma*****na legalized by voters in 2023, SB 56 will enable the state to distribute more than $80 million in tax revenue over the next two fiscal years, through what’s known as the Host Community Cannabis Fund, to local governments with dispensaries in their jurisdiction.

“For two years, municipalities have worked in good faith,” Ohio Municipal League Executive Director Kent Scarrett said in an email Tuesday, “based on the promise that a share of the adult-use cannabis excise tax would return to the communities hosting dispensaries.”

Democrats in both chambers took issue with the final version of SB 56 recriminalizing ma*****na possession, like by making it a state crime to store edibles outside their original packaging or possess any product bought legally in another state.

“This final agreement between the Republicans in the House and the Republicans in the Senate, what you see are elements of them being totally out of touch with everyday Ohioans,” Senate Minority Leader Nickie Antonio (D-Lakewood) told reporters.

Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon) defended SB 56, saying it brings cannabis statute more in line with to***co and alcohol.

“It’s not something that’s going to be heavily penalized, but it’s something that we need to make sure that (law enforcement has) the tools necessary in the event that they need to be able to enforce that,” McColley told reporters.

Extensive legislation changing recreational cannabis laws and banning so-called intoxicating h**p will head to Gov. Mike DeWine.

WOUB News & Culture

12/18/2025

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/17/2025

12/16/2025

12/16/2025

12/16/2025

12/16/2025

12/16/2025

12/15/2025

Address

Telephone

Website

Alerts

Contact The Business

Shortcuts

Share

Category