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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
    BAD BEHAVIOR

    Neighbor Accuses Boy of Torturing Cats

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    Police Investigate Multiple Reports of Sexual Assault 

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    Fired and Flustered: Man Refuses to Leave Tim Hortons After Getting the Boot 

    Hot Wheels: Truck Catches Fire—Twice—After Driver Tries to Restart It 

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    Buck-Naked and Breaking Point: Wild Morning at Four Keys Inn 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/11/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Busy Day for First Responders in Scioto County: EMS Runs High, Crime Stays Steady 

    Donald Sharp

    From Park Panic to Aldi Alley: Donald Sharp Arrested Again 

    Midnight Madness: Cops Respond to Back-to-Back Assaults at PMHA Properties 

    Portsmouth Kroger

    KROGER CHAOS! Shoplifting, Warrants & Methadone Mayhem

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    Gunfire, Stick Fights, and a Royal Rumble Leave Cops Scrambling 

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    PUFF PUFF PASS… THE BUCK! Pot Complaint at Tracy Park Highlights Sticky Rules Around Public Toking 

    Tammy Harmon

    Threats and Felonies: Woman Busted for Witness Intimidation 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/10/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    “Next Time, I Won’t Call Police” 

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    🚓 From Disturbance to Compassion: Portsmouth Police Step Up to Help Woman in Need 

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    🚨 SCAM ALERT: Fake Cop Wants Your Cash – Don’t Fall for It! 🚨 

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    Domestic Disputes, Prowlers, and Pileups: Busy Sunday for Scioto County First Responders 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/09/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    Illustrative Photo

    🔥“I’ll Burn It Down!” — Landlord Reports Scary Comment After Eviction Hearing 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    Cathy Coleman

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

    ‘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 

    ‘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 

    Staggering 236 Recovery Houses in Area — and the Fight for Reform Faces Pushback 

    Cathy Coleman

    Community Urged to Pray For Cathy Coleman as Family Faces Devastating Update 

    Scottie Powell

    Commissioner Scottie Powell on Trans Sanctuary Resolution: “Symbolic, Not Substantive” 

    Cathy Coleman

    Update from the Scioto County Commissioners on Commissioner Cathy Coleman 

    What Did Portsmouth’s LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Resolution Really Say? 

    Portsmouth Rehab

    Portsmouth Rejects LGBTQ+ Sanctuary City Status in Heated Council Vote 

    Cathy Coleman

    It’s a Miracle! – Scioto County Rallies Around Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Medical Crisis Turnaround 

    Scioto County Rallies in Prayer for Commissioner Cathy Coleman After Tragic Crash 

    Risky Business? City Wants to Sell $4.5 Million in Bonds

    Portsmouth LGBT Sanctuary City Proposal Scrapped – New Resolution Coming

    Portsmouth Council Takes First Step Toward Homelessness Task Force 

    Scioto County Commissioners Cancel Without Explanation 

    Davis Ready for Flying Cars: Scioto Commissioner Eyes Future of Air Mobility at County Airport 

  • Feel Good

    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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    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

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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 

    A group of people stands outside with their arms in the air. They hold their hands together, making a pyramid shape.

    Hidden Gems: Community Strategies for Mental Wellness

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    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

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    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

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    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

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    Tips for Making Your New House Feel Like a Home

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    The Best Freshwater Fish To Catch This Summer

    A man approaching the bowling lane with a red bowling ball as his three friends in the background cheer him on.

    How Bowling Can Improve Your Mental Health

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    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

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    Backyard Adventure: Unforgettable Family Camping

    Sunshine or Snowflakes: Which Season Wins America’s Heart?

  • Obituaries
    Barbara Williams

    Julie Kay Johnson, 50 of Portsmouth

    Lloyd Logan

    Lloyd Logan, 98 of South Shore

    William McGinnis

    William McGinnis, Jr., 84, of Wheelersburg

    Harvey A. Ruel

    Harvey A. Ruel, 75 of Portsmouth

    Patricia A. Lewis

    Patricia A. Lewis, 72 of West Portsmouth

    Martha Byers Yost

    Martha Byers Yost, 84, of Portsmouth

    Patricia Ann Burchett

    Patricia Ann Burchett, 83 of Hillsboro

    Constance V. McQuay

    Constance V. McQuay, 89, of Waverly

    Jerry Paul Igaz

    Jerry Paul Igaz Sr. 55, of West Portsmouth

    Barbara Williams

    Lori Smith, 56 of McDermott

    Tina Marie Gollihue

    Tina Marie Gollihue, 61 of Franklin Furnace,

    Nichole Leigh Blanton

    Nichole Leigh Blanton, 41 of Portsmouth

    Deborah Sue Ratliff Bell

    Deborah Sue Ratliff Bell, 66 of Portsmouth

    Brenda K. Bentley

    Brenda K. Bentley 75 of West Portsmouth

    Rex Fitzgerald

    Rex Fitzgerald, 67 of Portsmouth

    Diana Lynn Redden

    Diana Lynn Redden, 57 of Vanceburg

    Richard Lee Biggers jjr

    Richard Lee Biggers, Jr.75 of Wheelersburg

    Ruth Evelyn Burns

    Ruth Evelyn Burns, 83 of Grove City

    Carolyn Sue Martin

    Carolyn Sue Martin, 77 of Portsmouth

    William McGinnis

    Paul White Wagner, 99 of Wheelersburg

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Meet Virginia: My Aunt Jenny

Dale Powell by Dale Powell
5 years ago
in Opinion
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Virginia (Jenny) Powell is my 93-year old-aunt. She never had children. She quit school in 1940 while in the ninth grade to help raise her nine siblings, one of those being my father. Aunt Jenny was the first woman I knew who actually had a job- it was not common for women to work outside of the home when I was born in the early 1960s, but Aunt Jenny had a job.

And it was by no means her first job. She had left home to work as a boarder in Lucasville in 1940. She stayed with her employer throughout the week since traveling from Lucasville to Otway was impractical at that time. She had to stay away even longer when she found jobs in Portsmouth, working as a waitress in the coffee shop at the local Woolworths and later, at the Shelby and Williams Shoe Factories. In fact, one of her best stories comes from when she worked at Williams in 1950 and got snowed in during the Thanksgiving snow.

Aunt Jenny was stuck in Portsmouth with no way of getting in touch with her family since telephones were scarce everywhere and non-existent in the rural Otway area. According to the Dayton Daily News, “The Great Appalachian Storm” impacted 22 states, killed 353 people, and created, in 1950 dollars, almost $67 million in damage. Nearly the entire state of Ohio was covered in a foot of snow- the Portsmouth area had drifts of five feet.”

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Yes, Aunt Jenny survived the Great Depression, saw her brother go to and thankfully return from World War 2, suffered the isolation of living and working alone in 1950 and other times, began driving in 1957 and drove to and from Portsmouth daily while returning home to take care of her aging parents at night. She cared for her father until his death in 1971 and also her mother, whom she lost in 1983.
But she quietly did something else.

In the early 1980s, going to college was not a given for anyone. No one on the Powell side of my family had gone to college. I wanted to and was determined to get through, but the Reagan administration made drastic cuts to student aid. I didn’t see how I was going to make it working at grocery stores, pizza shops, and fast food in between classes. I needed a book that cost $ 70 for one of my classes (adjusted for inflation, that’s $202 in today’s money). I still don’t know how Aunt Jenny found out I needed it, but one day when I walked out of her house she shared with my grandmother, she slipped 250 dollars in my pocket, that’s over $700 in today’s money. And that wasn’t the only time she did it. I’m sure that I’m not the only person she has helped.

So why am I writing about this now?
Well, you see Aunt Jenny can no longer take care of herself. She has Alzheimer’s Disease and hasn’t been completely incoherent for the past four years.
The only people she recognizes by sight are one of my aunts and her husband- and me. She knows I have a son, and even though she has seen him, she thinks he’s a little boy (he’s 28).

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I am forever grateful to the staff at Minford Retirement Center, who take great care of her. I used to go to see her weekly, but the visits became difficult since there was little that I could talk to her about. She often believes my father, as well as her own parents, are still alive. I had never let a month go by that I didn’t visit at least once until March when I was no longer allowed to visit her.
And I understand. If I had COVID-19 and walked into the retirement center, I could wipe out the population of the center. I completely understand that. But it’s still not a perfect answer.

The last time I spoke to her by phone (the only way I can), I am not sure she really knew it was me or even who I am. It’s hard. But how much harder is it for her than me? Does she think I abandoned her- does she even remember me? Truthfully, I may never know the answer to these questions, but Aunt Jenny, I remember you and know that you are the one who got me to the places I have gone and gave me the opportunities I have had.
The state has no plans for people to be able to visit their loved ones in retirement and nursing homes. I understand the plan completely, and I couldn’t make a more perfect one, but best-laid plans aren’t perfect.

Aunt Jenny
Dale Powell, Aunt Jenny Powell, and Nathan Powell at Christmas 2019
Tags: CoronavirusFamilyHealthLawMinfordNewsletter
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