Athens area woman attacked during jog

A 42-year-old Athens-area woman was attacked while jogging on Long View Heights Road at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Monday.

The woman's attacker was a white male in his late 20s. He was 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs about 160 to 175 pounds. He was clean-shaven with short blond hair that stood up.

The man pulled alongside the victim in a faded red Ford Ranger with ladder racks, a ladder and a loud exhaust system. He asked the woman for directions to a nonexisting road and then left politely, only to return a few minutes later to confront the woman and demand a sexual act. The woman was able to escape the attacker.

Anyone with information regarding the incident should contact the Athens County Sheriff's Office at 593-6633.

OU files for Dysart

OU has filed a petition with the Ohio Division of Mines and Reclamation seeking state protection for an old-growth forest in Belmont County owned by the university.

If the petition is granted, the 55-acre forest in the Dysart Woods Laboratory and a 1,500-foot surrounding buffer zone would be declared unsuitable for mining.

OU purchased this area from the Nature Conservancy in 1966. Some of the trees in the area are thought to be between 300 and 400 years old and make up one of the state's last remaining stands of virgin forest.

County offers help for flood damages

The Athens County Department of Human Services is offering a one-time cash payment of up to $1,500 to families whose permanent home and/or household possessions have sustained damage from the recent floods.

Assistance is available through the federally funded Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which limits assistance only to families with minors in the household.

Families interested in applying for assistance can apply at the Department of Human Services offices during normal business hours or at the Rural Action office in Trimble between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. For more information, contact the Athens County Department of Human Services at 592-4477 or 797-2523.

Fire scare at Chubb

A fire scare was caused when someone tossed a cigarette onto mulch behind Chubb Hall. It led to the evacuation of the building Friday afternoon.

A member of campus safety pulled the fire alarm, and the situation was under control before two Athens Fire Department trucks arrived on the scene. No damage was reported.

Ohioans drive safely

According to a recent Buckeye State Poll, Ohioans feel relatively safe when the are behind the wheel of their vehicle.

But Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers want them to realize that they are twice as likely to die in a motor vehicle accident than to be murdered.

Last year, 17 people were killed over the Fourth of July weekend. Two-thirds of these people were not wearing safety belts or did not have one available to them.

Since 1990, two out of every five traffic deaths during the Fourth of July weekend have been alcohol-related. Last year, state troopers arrested more than 500 drivers for driving under the influence during this holiday weekend.

Motorists can report drunk or dangerous drivers by dialing 1-800-GRAB-DUI (1-800-472-2384) or *DUI (*384) on a cellular telephone, or by providing the description and location of the driver to their local patrol post.