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  • Public Safety

    Nightmare Roommate: Woman Wakes to Sexual Assault in Her Own Bed 

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    💥 Brawl at Rehab: Man Left Bloody, One Jailed After Fight at McDermott Facility 

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    OD Scare Outside Funeral Home: Deputies Step In, Urge Public to Call for Help

    Jennifer Walsh

    Portsmouth Mom Busted After Child Shows Up Alone at Hospice — Again! 

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    BREAKING: Allegation of Child Sex Assault Reported in Portsmouth – Here’s What You Need to Know 

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    🚓 Busted After a Police Ride?! Car Theft Suspect Claims Unusual Chauffeur 

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    From ER to Aisle 3: Walker-Wielding Wanderer Bounced Between Stores 

    👊 Daughter Busted After Alleged Attack on Mom — History of Violence Comes Back to Haunt Her 

    Timothy McKinney

    60 Days for a Brutal Beating? Man Who Killed Dog With 2×4 Gets Slap on the Wrist 

    New Federal Homelessness Order Calls for Tougher Measures, But Will It Help Cities Like Portsmouth? 

    Justice Delayed: Court Stalls in Walmart Ambush Case That Left Teen Fighting for Life 

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    Teen’s Tall Tale Unravels: Bizarre 911 Call Leads Deputies to Franklin Furnace 

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    Good Neighbor Nabs Wanted Man: Deputies Bust Suspicious Visitor at Vacant Home 

    Man Missing for 24 Hours Found on Stranger’s Porch

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    Scottie Powell

    “Run on Vision, Not Attacks”: Powell Offers Advice to Candidates Vying for Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    🌿 Bamboo Gets Fast-Tracked at City Hall — But the Homeless Crisis? Still Stuck in Neutral 

    Who Will Carry Cathy’s Torch? GOP to Choose Coleman’s Replacement July 29 

    Cathy Coleman

    Commissioners Back Senior Housing Project Championed by Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    “Bad and Quirky” Lucasville House Targeted for Demolition as County Cracks Down on Blighted Properties 

    ‘A Great Addition to Heaven’: Commissioners Honor Cathy Coleman, Reflect on Her Legacy and Who Might Carry It Forward 

    Cathy Coleman

    Scioto County Mourns Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    🚨TRIAL TWIST! Horton Corruption Case on Ice—For Now 

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    Remembering Scioto County Commissioner Cathy Coleman

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    🏥 Scioto County Approves Hospital Tax to Keep Medicaid Dollars Local 

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    Scioto Dems Snort at “Well-Funded” No Kings Protest Claim

    Cathy Coleman

    Cathy Coleman Still Fighting: Family Shuts Down Hospice Rumors, Says Recovery Still Underway

    County May Tap Opioid Settlement Funds to Finish MARCS Tower Project 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘Small Steps, Big Faith’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Edges Closer to Recovery 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘Praise God!’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Remarkable Progress After Harrowing Weeks

    Cathy Coleman

    Cautious Hope and Harsh Realities: New Details Emerge on Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Condition 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel This Week’s Meeting 

    Robert Horton

    Sudden Twist: Horton Court Dates Scrapped Ahead of Trial 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘A Sign of Hope’: Commissioner Cathy Coleman Shows Small Improvements Amid Ongoing Critical Condition 

    Recorder Gary Jenkins

    Scioto County Recorder Gary Jenkins Unveils New Office Website 

  • Feel Good
    A family of two parents and a young boy and girl are playing laser tag with vests and laser blasters in an arena.

    What Activities To Offer at a Family Fun Center

    Shawnee State University SSU

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    BREAKING: Commissioners Make Shocking Decision—Halloween to Remain on Halloween 

    Escape to the Hills: A Summer Reading List Set in Appalachia 

    Scioto County Champs: Lady Trojans and Word Wizards Bring Home the Gold 

    “I Held Those Keys Tight” — One Man’s Harrowing Journey from Addiction to Hope 

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    Night Fishing: Who Is It for and How Do You Start?

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    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

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    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

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    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

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    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

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    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

  • Obituaries
    Kyle E. Redoutey

    Kyle E. Redoutey, 30

    Myrtle Maxine Carver Boggs

    Myrtle Maxine Carver Boggs, 85 of South Portsmouth

    Patricia Ann Robinson

    Patricia Ann Robinson 73 McDermott

    Barbara Williams

    Shirley Jean Hackworth, 89 of Franklin Furnace,

    Judith Marie Fox

    Judith Marie Fox 81 of Wetumpka

    Janet Sue (Brisker) Risner

    Janet Sue (Brisker) Risner, 83 of Minford

    Prudence Ruth West

    Prudence Ruth West, 82 of Portsmouth,

    Kaitlyn Nicole Murphy

    Kaitlyn Nicole Murphy, 22 of Newcomerstown

    Ricky Edwin Johnson

    Ricky Edwin Johnson 72 of Portsmouth

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene, 32 of Portsmouth

    Estel C. Harr, 68 of Portsmouth

    James L. Slone, 86, of South Webster

    James L. Slone, 86 of South Webster

    Gary Lee Meade,70 of West Portsmouth

    Lilly Ann Elliott

    Lilly Ann Elliott, 53 of Portsmouth

    James D. Hannah

    James D. Hannah, 60 of Greenup

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    Bristol Rafalowski, 3, of Wheelersburg

    Walter Logan

    Walter Logan 56 of Portsmouth

    Paul H. Parker

    Paul H. Parker 85 of Portsmouth

    Ralph Burton Speck

    Ralph Burton Speck, 90 of West Portsmouth

    Barbara Williams

    Betty Lou Little Mullins, 91 of Franklin Furnace

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Fake Portsmouth News Goes Viral

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
5 years ago
in Feel Good
Fake Portsmouth news goes viral
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Fake news is real and this week Portsmouth has gone viral with a bit of it. This Facebook post from a site that calls itself Portsmouth Ohio Offical went up two days ago and has already been shared almost 40,000 times. That translates into millions and millions of views all over the world on Facebook alone. An Illinois TV station actually picked up the story but has since deleted it from their website.

According to the alleged “Fugitive Alert,” police are searching for a Sciotoville resident who convinced three local churches that he was British pop singer Ed Sheeran and performed one of his hits in front of Christ Community Search for $35 and a sandwich. It includes a photo of an unknown individual that is clearly not Ed Sheeran. It could be a mugshot. It could be some guy’s driver’s license photo.

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“Run on Vision, Not Attacks”: Powell Offers Advice to Candidates Vying for Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

OD Scare Outside Funeral Home: Deputies Step In, Urge Public to Call for Help

I learned about this viral photo when a former coworker of mine who lives in Texas shared it. He’s never been to Portsmouth. Might not even know about it exists. And humorously enough he’s a former news anchor and news director. The post has drawn close to 20,000 comments. Some of them get that it’s a joke, but most are furiously angry that anyone would call the police on this poor homeless Ed Sheeran impersonator.

One woman wrote, “This is the least Christian thing I’ve ever read.”

Tom Boutwood said, “Of course an American church is going to get the police involved because they accidentally gave a homeless person money.”

Others pointed out that churches don’t have to pay taxes and the least they could do was help this poor homeless guy.

The catch is, none of this is real. Portsmouth Ohio Official is a humor site with made-up stories that has nothing to do with any government agency. It says so right at the top of their page if you care to look.

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For me, the first tip-off was how funny and well-written the press release is. Police officials are usually too busy fighting crime to write good linear stories.

While this is all in good fun, even if it does make us look kind of mean down here, parody and satire sites like these are important to keep in mind during an election year. A lot of times you will find outrageous stories about candidates from these sites shared by people who absolutely believe they are real. I’ve even seen things like this picked up by news sites that aren’t careful to verify.

Tags: funPortsmouth OhioScioto County
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