Now is a great time to earn your GED!

All area residents interested in taking the GED exam may want to do so before the end of the year, as the cost to take the test will increase significantly in 2014.

Currently, Ohio residents pay $40 to take the test. In January, the price of the test will increase to $120.

Citizen Circle to host reunion/open house on Nov. 13

The Athens County Citizen Circle program will host a special event at The Plains Public Library on Wednesday, Nov. 13 for all past participants and for anyone who is interested in learning more about the organization.

The reunion/open house will be held from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. and food and drinks will be served.

Food Stamps benefits to decrease in November

All U.S. residents who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits will see a cut in their benefits in November.

'What Welfare to work?'

A recent Toledo Blade article examined the Ohio Works First cash assistance program and pointed out that it has been more successful at purging poor people from the rolls than helping them find work.
Click here to read the article.

Two new reports examine the huge drop in the welfare caseloads in Ohio

Two reports released in the last month both call attention to the fact that the state of Ohio has been removing welfare recipients from the caseloads in order to meet its federal work requirements.

Ohio's overall welfare caseload has dropped by more than 100,000 people since January of 2011.   The reports state that the goal was not to put people back to work or to help them live independently, but rather only to meet the statistical goals as set by the federal work requirements.

Click here to read the first report, which was commissioned by the state of Ohio and points out how Athens County handled its welfare caseload and work requirements differently from the rest of the state.

Click here to read the second report, which was completed by the Center For Community Solutions.