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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
    Union Township EMS

    Union Township Cuts Off EMS to Rarden – Here’s Why 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 10/02/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Semi Smashes Pole on Marshall Avenue, Flees Scene 

    BAD BEHAVIOR

    Man Pops a Squat in Church Fountain as Portsmouth Police Confront Wave of Trouble 

    Shots Fired at Teen Near 16th Street: Juvenile Suspect Detained 

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    Sharp-Eyed Deputies Spot Stolen Truck in Wheelersburg Lot 

    Rehab

    Man Leaves Rehab, Makes Threats: Another Glimpse at Scioto County’s Treatment Struggles 

    Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost

    135 Arrested in Statewide Human Trafficking Crackdown — Southern Ohio at the Center 

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    Fence-Jumping Fugitive: McDermott Man Bolts From Grandma’s, Busted After Wild Chase 

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    CPS Raises Alarm Over Child Bruises, Police Called to Investigate 

    sheriff cruiser 23

    “I Bet It’ll Cut Through You Guys”: Sam’s Club Worker’s Knife Talk Terrifies Co-Workers 

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    Deer Stand Surprise: Half-Naked Man Sparks Two-Hour Search in West Portsmouth Woods 

    Mark Craycraft

    SCDN Names First Suspect in Explosive Human Trafficking Case: Attorney Gene Meadows 

    Bad Mom

    Portsmouth Mom Accused of Stirring Chaos Again After Summer Sports Feud 

    Homeless Man With 70 Arrests Highlights Portsmouth’s Mental Health Crisis 

    Shawnee State University SSU

    Pre-Teen Fight Breaks Out at Notre Dame Football Game, Police Step In 

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    ppd-315

    Chicken Coop Clash on Summit Street Ends With Gun Threat 

    Grandview Avenue Chaos: Woman Crashes, Spits at Officers, and Lands in Jail 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics

    Democrats Blast Bryan Davis: “Quit Collecting a Paycheck You’re Not Earning” 

    Robert Horton

    Update in Robert Horton Corruption Case 

    Davis Commish

    No Updates, Just an Empty Seat: Powell and Smith Say Davis Drama is Out of Their Hands

    weird strange absurd

    Parking, Murals, and an Indicted Commissioner: Sparks Fly at Portsmouth City Manager’s Conference 

    Bryan Davis Due Back In Court October 21 

    Sean Dunne Next Mayor of Portsmouth?

    Dunne: “It’s Time for Portsmouth to Speak Up” on Davis Resignation 

    confused woman

    Portsmouth Council Weighs Asking Davis to Resign 

    Turning Point USA

    Student Democrats Deny Role in Petition to Ban Turning Point USA at SSU 

    Turning Point USA

    Portsmouth Politics Escalate: SSU Students Petition to Ban Turning Point USA

    Recorder Gary Jenkins

    Scioto County Recorder’s Office Increases Fees 

    Scottie Powell

    Commissioner Powell Responds to Conflict of Interest Questions 

    FOP Endorses Malone, Neff in Portsmouth City Election 

    Bryan Davis

    Where’s Bryan Davis? GOP Says Step Down — Court Says Suspended

    SCDN File Photo

    Where’s Bryan Davis? After Two Missed Meetings, GOP Says It’s Time to Step Down 

    This bench is a different bench located near Jim Dandy's

    Exclusive: The Bench Is Back — But the Political Drama Isn’t Over 

    crisis question

    Where’s Bryan Davis? Commissioners, Citizens Ask the Same Question 

    Scioto County Commissioner Bryan Davis

    Bryan Davis Arraignment Set, New Judge Assigned 

    Bryan Davis

    Why Commissioner Davis Staying in Office Raises Big Problems 

    Scottie Powell

    Powell Calls on Commissioner Davis to Resign 

    Scioto County Bryan Davis Scandal

    🗓 Timeline of a Scandal: How Scioto County’s Economic Development Crisis Unfolded 

  • Feel Good
    A sleek blue sedan parked on concrete. Behind the vehicle is a view of the sky with a setting sun over a body of water.

    How To Make Your Daily Driver Feel Like a Sports Car

    A person's hand is holding a miniature wooden house with a green roof and a budding plant on top against a green background.

    How To Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

    A man sitting in a vehicle is handing over an ID card to a female police officer standing by his window.

    Tips for Staying Calm During Police Encounters

    Cyn Mackley

    Cyn Mackley Channels Haunted Appalachia

    A group of friends stand around a table, smiling, laughing, and drinking. There are plates of food on the table.

    Creative Ways To Host Outdoor Events This Summer

    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

    Shawnee State University Joins New Athletic Conference, Adds Football to Lineup 

    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 

    Three girls in quinceañera dresses stand beside one another. The one in middle has a gold dress while the other two wear pink.

    Tips for Selecting the Color of a Quinceañera Dress

    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

    An angler standing at the edge of a lake just after sunset with three fishing rods resting on the ground next to him.

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

    good cops

    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 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

  • Obituaries
    Barbara Williams

    Beth Ann Fite, 68 of Wheelersburg

    Barbara Williams

    Linda Kay Percell, 77 of Wheelersburg,

    William Emanuel Redoutey Sr

    William Emanuel Redoutey Sr., 80 of Portsmouth

    R. Eugene O. Collins

    R. Eugene O. Collins, 93 of West Portsmouth

    James E. Armstrong

    James E. Armstrong, 81 of Russell

    Leander Workman, Sr.

    Leander Workman, Sr., age 90, of South Portsmouth

    Phyllis Ann Murphy Picklesimer

    Phyllis Ann Murphy Picklesimer, 70 formerly of Lafollette

    Barbara Williams

    Deborah Sue Arnett, 73 of Wheelersburg

    Barbara Williams

    Phyllis Jean Porter, 81 of Wheelersburg

    James Taylor

    James Franklin Taylor, 94 of Wheelersburg

    Brian Keith Cogar, 68 of South Webster

    Patricia Salmons Smith 78 of McDermott

    Billy Ray White

    Billy Ray White, 66 of Portsmouth

    Leatha S. Queen

    Leatha S. Queen, 67 of Rosemount

    Timothy Eugene Coldiron

    Timothy Eugene Coldiron, 55 of Wheelersburg

    Penny Sue (Scaggs) Henthorn

    Penny Sue Henthorn

    Eric Vaughn “Bubba” Kratzer II

    Eric Vaughn “Bubba” Kratzer II, 35, of Otway

    Richard L. Phillips

    Richard L. Phillips, 88 of McDermott

    Barbara Williams

    Diana Marie Clark, 43 of Lucasville

    The Reverend Donald Henry Moeser” 90 of Powellsville,

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Burner Phones, Faked Records, and Ambulance Cash?! Unraveling Horton’s Wild Web of Corruption Amid EMS Crisis 

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
8 months ago
in Politics
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Scioto County is in the middle of an EMS crisis—but while residents were scrambling for emergency services, one of the county’s top officials was allegedly lining his pockets with cash meant for ambulances. 

Economic Development Director Robert Horton, who also heads the Southern Ohio Port Authority (SOPA), has been hit with a bombshell indictment, along with his wife Lioubov Horton, over an elaborate scheme involving kickbacks, falsified records, burner phones, and secret meetings. 

According to prosecutors, Horton promised the Minford Emergency Ambulance Service, a nonprofit organization, that he would manage their new building project for free. But behind closed doors, he rigged the bidding process to steer contracts toward a business that paid him off under the table. The bribes were disguised as “sales commissions” to his wife’s company, RPL Consulting Management, Sales LLC—a classic case of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” 

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When investigators started sniffing around, Horton and his co-conspirators didn’t just deny everything—they allegedly rewrote history. A year after official Port Authority meeting minutes were created, Horton secretly altered them to make it look like he had disclosed his shady deals all along. Then, when businesses involved got slapped with subpoenas, Horton ordered them to destroy incriminating records and even had fake documents created to throw investigators off the trail. 

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And if that wasn’t enough, prosecutors say the whole crew—including Horton, his wife, and a group of unnamed accomplices—used burner phones to coordinate their cover-up, ensuring their dirty dealings stayed in the shadows. 

Now, with 15 charges against Robert Horton and 12 against Lioubov Horton, the county is left wondering: How deep does this corruption go? And more importantly—what will it take to clean up this mess? 

While the unknown accomplices haven’t been indicted yet, sources tell us that’s coming soon. In fact, publicly filed documents strongly hint at who they might be, but we’ll hold off on naming names—for now. Stay tuned, because this scandal is far from over. 

Tags: MinfordNewsletterScioto County
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