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Monday, September 15
Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
    Overdose Death

    Another Life Lost: Fatal Overdose 

    Warrants, Camps & Chaos: Portsmouth’s Homeless Crisis Plays Out Across the City 

    PPD Night

    Marathon Madness: Late-Night Disturbance Lands Portsmouth Woman in Jail 

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    Deputies Keep Cool in West Portsmouth Domestic Crisis 

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    Weekend Jail Log Shows Spike in OVI-Related Bookings 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 09/15/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Vacant Children Services Building May Get New Life as Youth Mental Health Center 

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    Police Called Three Times in Two Hours to Gallia Street Gas Station, McDonald’s 

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    He Won’t Stop Talking While I’m Cooking! Deputies Play Family Counselor in Domestic Disputes

    Officer Injured

    Inmate Attacks Jail Staff During Intake, Officer Injured 

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    Check Fraud Scheme: Victim Says Niece “Washed” and Reused Check 

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    Chaos in the Checkout Line: Police Break Up Kroger Meltdown

    Police Probe Back-to-Back Reports of Explosions in Portsmouth 

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    Mom Calls 911 on Teen — Ends Up in Handcuffs Herself 

    A Parent Reports Possible Child Abuse Years Later, Police Say It’s Never Too Late to Speak Up 

    Woman in Crisis Tries to Jump From Moving Ambulance, Saved by First Responders 

    Ohio House Bill 247

    Loose Dog Bites Man — Leads to Arrest in Wheelersburg 

    Police Turn to Facebook to Nab Rural King Thieves 

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    Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    28 New Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    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

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

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

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    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 

    Bryan Davis

    Commissioner Bryan Davis and Wife Indicted in Scioto Scandal 

    Joey Sandlin

    Joey Sandlin Announces Inauguration Ceremony  

    Erie Canal Lock 50

    After Nearly a Decade of Talk, Scioto County Moves Closer to Restoring Historic Lock 50 

    Portsmouth City Council 2023

    Portsmouth City Council Considers More Cash for Lawsuit Defense 

    West Virginia SNAP

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    We Don’t Do Roads!: Scioto Commissioners Clarify Who’s Really in Charge of Road Repairs 

    “I’m Not Here to Replace Cathy”: New Commissioner Merit Smith Says He’ll Lead with Life Experience 

    Merit Smith

    Merit Smith Chosen to Fill Late Commissioner Cathy Coleman’s Seat 

    Scottie Powell

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

  • Feel Good
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    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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    Kid Misses Bus, Deputy to the Rescue 

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    Man Says He’s Trapped in Armory 

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  • Obituaries
    Joan Hair

    Joan Hair 80 of Lucasville

    Donald Lee Jamison

    Donald Lee Jamison 73 of McDermott

    Joan Dunham

    Joan Dunham, 89 of Sciotoville

    Philip Coles Penn, 79 of Otway

    Patricia Ann Brammer

    Patricia Ann Brammer, 94 of West Liberty

    Jack R. Jenkins

    Jack R. Jenkins, 78 of Waverly

    Christopher Lee Parker

    Christopher Lee Parker, 48 of Piketon

     Ronald Lee Clay

     Ronald Lee Clay, 69 of Wheelersburg

    Norma Jean Walls

    Norma Jean Walls, 90 of Waverly

    Dwight Lee Shoemaker

    Dwight Lee Shoemaker, 83 of Portsmouth

    Matthew Carson

    Matthew Carson Little, 35 of Portsmouth

    Barbara Jeanette Bretz

    Barbara Jeanette Bretz, 76 of South Shore

    Walter Skaggs

    Walter Skaggs, 83 Wheelersburg

    Timothy E. Borders

    Timothy E. Borders, 66 of Portsmouth

    Harry W. Ketter, 89 of West Portsmouth,

    Edgar Adams, 89 of Rarden

    Donald Gilliam

    Donald Lee “Sock” Gilliam, 71, of South Shore

    Barbara Lyons

    Barbara A. (Ray) Lyons, 80, of South Shore

    Patricia A. Tarr Wheeler

    Patricia A. Tarr Wheeler, 80 of Rubyville

    Pamela Sue Mowery

    Pamela Sue Mowery, 74 of Sciotoville

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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
7 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. 

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. 

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