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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety
    Neighbor Reports Toddler in the Street

    Babysitting Blunders: Two Scares in One Day Prompt Police Warning to Parents

    BAD BEHAVIOR

    Allegations of Choking, Biting — and Abuse in Front of a Baby

    💥 SCAM ALERT: “Fake Banks, Real Bills!” 💸 

    PPD 1522

    Two Bizarre Break-In Blowups Just an Hour Apart—Both During Moving Day Meltdowns 

    We’re Failing Them: Another Arrest Highlights Portsmouth’s Mental Health Crisis 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/21/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    Back on Dope and Spiraling: A Troubled Evening Highlights the Pain of Relapse 

    PPD Night

    Brawls, Break-Ins, and Boxing Ghosts: A Wild Night in Portsmouth 

    Children in Danger

    Indicted Again: Portsmouth Mom Facing New Child Endangerment Charges 

    Sheriff sticker

    Crimes, Crashes, and Chaos: Scioto County’s Emergency Services Respond to 70 Calls in One Day 

    🚨 Tracking a Monster: Cops Brave the Night to Rescue Woman from Camper Nightmare🚨 

    Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    13 New Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/20/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    good cops

    Above and Beyond: Officer Helps Injured Man Find His Way Home 

    Train Trouble: Duo Busted for Late-Night Trespass in Rail Yard 

    Discipline or Danger? Grandma Accused of Going Too Far in Punishing Child 

    Angry Woman

    Late, Loud, and Locked Out: Mom Trespassed After Dental Office Meltdown Over Tardiness 

    Catch and Release

    Gallia Street Gone Wild: A Day of Chaos, Confusion, and Catch-and-Release in Portsmouth 

    Eric A Froe

    🚨 “Repeat Panhandler Busted Again—But Released Again” 🚨 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 06/19/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics

    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 

    ‘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 

  • 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 

    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 

    good cops

    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

    good cops

    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! 

    A bearded man is sitting on the floor and comforting his dog in a wheelchair. The dog has his ears pinned back.

    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

    U.S. housing market

    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

    good cops

    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

    Backyard camping

    Backyard Adventure: Unforgettable Family Camping

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

  • Obituaries
     Deborah Sue ‘Susie’ Dingus

     Deborah Sue ‘Susie’ Dingus, 74 of Portsmouth

    Mary Ada McClaskey

    Mary Ada McClaskey, 78 of Port Saint Lucie

    Freddie L Hodge

    Freddie L Hodge, 75 of Portsmouth

    Willa Mae Parker

     Willa Mae Parker Ivory, 91 of Portsmouth

    Cynthia Darby Royster

    Cynthia Darby Royster, 70, of Wheelersburg

    William McGinnis

    Noah Hall, 54 of Lucasville

    James Arthur Williams

    James Arthur Williams, 93 of Portsmouth

    Lawton Triplett Jeanette

    Lawton Triplett 94 & Jeannette Triplett, 87

    Pauline Rupert

    Pauline Rupert, 81 of Portsmouth,

    Russell Wayne Phipps, 71 of Scioto Furnace

    Kenneth Carver

    Kenneth Carver, 63, of Lucasville

    Donald E. Nourse

    Donald E. Nourse, 81, of Lucasville

    Bonnie Louise Faulkner

    Bonnie Louise Faulkner, 80 of South Webster

    Alicia "Allie" Renee Wiebe

    Alicia Renee Wiebe 42 of Wheelersburg

    William McGinnis

    Norman Edward Welty, 91 of Portsmouth

    Thelma Mae McCullough

    Thelma Mae McCullough, 93 of Stout

    Linda Lou Mullins

    Linda Lou Mullins, 78 Wheelersburg

    Alicia "Allie" Renee Wiebe

    Alicia “Allie” Renee Wiebe, aged 42

    Lilly Mae Rowe

    Lilly Mae Rowe, 87 of South Shore

    Carolyn Mae Conklin

    Carolyn Mae Conklin, 82 of Minford,

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Commissioners Grapple With “Clearly Criminal” Economic Development Investigations 

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
10 months ago
in Politics
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“I spoke to an investigator on Monday. It is clear we are dealing with a criminal investigation,” Scioto County Commissioner Scottie Powell said at today’s meeting.  

Scioto County Commissioners are trying to figure out what to do about the State Auditor’s investigation that’s resulted in the state serving search warrants on the commissioners and the Scioto County Economic Development Director and whether or not they should remove the person under investigation from the Southern Ohio Port Authority Board.  

Commissioners Scottie Powell, Bryan Davis, and Cathy Coleman don’t disagree on much, but the trio was split on how the county should handle economic development business in the wake of the investigation.  

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Emerging from a nearly 90-minute executive session, Commissioner Bryan Davis said commissioners had sought the opinion of legal counsel and deliberated about what to do next about the economic development director’s leave of absence in the wake of the investigation. “This is a very difficult gray area that the county is dealing with.  We’re dealing with Scioto County Economic Development, a government agency, and Southern Ohio Port Authority, a quasi-governmental organization.”  

Davis said the commissioners’ jurisdiction regarding the Port Authority was limited to appointing board members and removing individuals from the board in case of impropriety. He said that had only happened once during his time as a commissioner.  

“What we’re faced with now is a situation where a county employee has been put on leave of absence pending an investigation,” Davis said.  He said the leave happened because the state issued search warrants and subpoenas regarding the individual. “With that in mind, one of the discussions we’ve had is that we have to be very careful not to overstep our boundaries on limiting the Port Authority’s power. They are a separate entity. They have a board. That board appoints people. They select their leadership, and they have done that.” 

Davis said the Port Authority has important business to conduct for the county, including issuing bonds. “They literally act as a business. They take in lease payments. They pay bills. They operate much like a business.” The commissioner said that the Port Authority was busier than ever.  

Davis said that Port Authority had given the board member in question certain responsibilities crucial for economic development in the county. “The concern is to get clarification on how to make sure that we separate ourselves from any perceived interference in their operations. I don’t want this to fall back on the county and for us to be liable for possible damages.”  

The commissioner said the legal counsel for the Port Authority contacted the commissioners’ counsel to see what they planned to do next about the situation. 

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“I personally feel that there should be limitations placed on SOPA as far as their contact with county employees. The person on leave should not have any contact with county employees who have nothing to do with SOPA. I think it’s fair and prudent to not show any interference in that business.”  

Commissioner Scottie Powell disagreed, “I don’t see why we would put ourselves and the county at risk by figuring out a way to make this work and frankly protecting the employee by putting them in a situation. I’ve also brought up a potential conflict of interest this board may have in this matter. I would call that out at this point.” 

Powell said that while there had been no indictments, the investigation had been going on for over a year. He also argued that while SOPA and the Economic Development Office were two separate entities, “This board, through our own actions over the past couple of years, has conflated those two things. Essentially, in my opinion, those two things are one and the same.”  Powell argued that the employee should stay on leave without interacting with county employees. 

Commissioner Cathy Coleman said that HR had told commissioners they could wait to see if charges were filed against the employee under investigation or put that person on administrative leave with the condition they would not contact any county employees. “Because the employee who was put on leave is also the chair of the Southern Ohio Port Authority and the treasurer is a county employee, would SOPA be able to continue with their operation effectively?” 

Commissioner Coleman said they were advised they could allow the employee to attend meetings, sign checks, and things of that nature if they put in firm guardrails involving contact with the employee on leave.   

Davis and Coleman were in favor of establishing those guardrails and Commissioner Powell was opposed. The board voted two to one in favor of adjourning to work on what those contact rules.  

Get caught up on our reporting on this evolving story.

County Commissioners “Fully Cooperating” with Investigators After Search Warrants Served 

Commissioners Skip Meeting, Investigation Continues 

Commissioners Don’t Know What Search Warrants Are About Either 

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