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Two months into the job, Olney’s new police chief, Brian Barrett, says he is still listening — to officers, city staff and residents — as he settles into a department he describes as quieter than he expected and a community that has been unusually welcoming.

Less than six months after obstetrics services ended at Olney Hamilton Hospital, two Olney women experienced harrowing deliveries that nearly occurred on the side of the road — including one baby born inside an ambulance parked across the street from the hospital.

After nearly two years of debate and delay, the Olney City Council unanimously approved the creation of Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 2 on Dec. 22 — just under the wire to capture new tax revenue that supporters said would give the long-sought zone a crucial early boost. The vote came at the council’s final meeting of 2025 and followed months — and in some cases years — of sometimes tortuous discussion over the merits, risks and boundaries of the proposed tax zone. By contrast, Monday’s meeting was notable for its brevity. Olney Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Tom Parker was present to answer questions about the zone’s footprint and how the tax increment funds could be used, but there was little discussion from council members before the unanimous vote.