Driving out East State Street in Athens, sheriff’s deputy Shannon Sheridan’s cameras capture a picture and record the license plate number of nearly every car that passes by.

The picture is as clear as day, even in the dark of night, and the recording is astoundingly accurate. A computer mounted in the car crosschecks each license plate against a nationwide database of stolen vehicles and cars connected with wanted individuals, Amber Alerts, missing persons and known drug traffickers, sounding an alarm if there is a match.

The hazing allegations against the Delta Ta Delta fraternity at Ohio University reminded me of all the times in the past when I’ve heard Greek supporters assure anyone who will listen that their particular chapter is different from all the others.

The first time I heard this was in the ’60s when my oldest brother was pledging Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Bowling Green State University. At the dinner table, he assured our parents that SAE was different from “all the other frats,” and that they didn’t go in for excessive drinking or hazing. “We’re all about academics, philanthropy and community service,” he declared soberly.

Any enrollment growth must take into account the university's instructional capacity, Pam Benoit, executive vice president and provost of Ohio University, told Faculty Senate Monday night.

As OU saw a decrease in its state share of instruction (SSI) in part due to its static enrollment over the last few years, the university's Board of Trustees has asked university leadership to look at ways to strategically increase enrollment. Benoit has commissioned a committee to examine how the university can increase enrollment, and that committee is preparing a report that will be completed mid-December and presented to the board in January.

The report will analyze five areas — instruction, student experience, regional campuses, commuter and adult student populations, and facilities and housing, Benoit said.

"The report recognizes that there have been reductions in instructional capacity and student support," Benoit said. "These reductions have made it more difficult to meet the needs of students and have limited the institution's ability to respond to emerging enrollment opportunities."

Enrollment across the university grew by almost 2,000 students this year after years of nearly static growth.

In an effort to raise $100 million for homeless youth in America, Tellman Knudson is aiming to be the first known person to ever run across the country barefoot.

Due to a foot injury, Knudson stopped in Athens over the weekend while taking a brief hiatus from his journey from New York City to the Santa Monica, Calif., Pier, which he had planned to accomplish in 99 days after leaving New York City on Sept. 9.

With only two games left on their schedule, the Ohio University football team has put itself in a good position. The pre-season hype about the Bobcats seems warranted as they control their own destiny on the path to a Mid-American Conference East Division title and a bowl bid.

Now it all comes down to how they finish.

Ohio University's Faculty Senate unanimously voted Monday night to approve a sense of the Senate resolution that outlines the body's current priorities.

The body’s Executive Committee hopes this resolution will help guide Senate's decision-making throughout the upcoming budget cuts, another issue Faculty Senate dealt with Monday in a separate resolution calling for zero cuts to academic programs. That resolution is still pending, however.

Today in “Wearing Thin,” I will attempt to solve all the problems currently faced by the Obama administration. I will do it simply and without regard for statistical or documentary backup.

One hundred percent of my finite mental faculties will be devoted to cold, hard (albeit whimsical) logic, unencumbered by facts or statistics. On the other hand, if you’re fixated on such things, I’m sure you can go on the Web and easily find substantiation for anything I say (or anything anyone says, for that matter).

Ohio University students may have the opportunity this winter to literally give the clothes off their backs, and then run down Court Street.

Representatives from OU’s Student Alumni Board approached Athens City Council Monday with an idea that would shut down Court Street for a “Nearly Naked Mile” race to provide free clothing for the needy.

It’s been a couple of weeks since the high school football season has ended, and we still have a little bit of time before the start of high school hoops, so I figured this would be the perfect time to reflect on the 2009 season.

This was one of the most entertaining, competitive and difficult-to-predict seasons for Athens County football in recent memory. The level of local competition took a significant step up this year, and that made for some entertaining Friday nights.

To break down the season, I pulled out 10 points that stuck out to me from this season.

The venerable uptown Burrito Buggy will close for winter quarter and then reopen in the spring, owner Paul Wildeck confirmed on Monday.

Wildeck, who has owned the popular vending business for 25 years, said that he is trying to sell the Burrito Buggy to someone who will carry on the tradition.