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Scioto County Daily News
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  • Public Safety

    🚨 Not What It Looked Like: Deputies Step Into Social Worker Role in West Portsmouth 

    Portsmouth Fire Department PFD

    🚨 “I’m Dying!” Woman Storms Portsmouth Fire Station — First Responders Step Up in Mental Health Crisis 

    Eric A Froe

    🚨 Repeat Trespasser Back Behind Bars — But For How Long?

    🚨 McCall Road Meltdown: Stepfather Jailed After Violent Domestic Attack 

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    Missing Person Call Erupts Into Threats, Taser Standoff, and Dead Body! 

    🐶🍉 Watermelon Brawl? Portsmouth Police Called to “Fight” on Highland Avenue 

    💥🚬 Boom on the Block: Cigarette + Oxygen = Disaster in Portsmouth Home 

    😱 “I’ll Bring a Gun!” Patient’s Chilling Threat Shakes Local Medical Facility 

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    🐶 Left Behind: Dog Abandoned After Eviction Sparks Police Investigation 

    Nuisance Properties

    The Cash Register’s Ringing—But So Are the Sirens 

    Radioactive Shrimp

    🚨 Radioactive Shrimp Recall EXPANDS at Walmart and Beyond! 🚨 

    Portsmouth Scioto County

    49 Felony Counts! Portsmouth & Wheelersburg Suspects Busted in Multi-County Crime Sweep — Wanted Parolee Nabbed 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

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    Elder Safety

    Elder Abuse or Just Stubbornness? 

    SCDN File Photo

    Hammer Horror in Otway! Man Barricades Himself After Alleged Attack on Stepfather 

    SCDN File Photo

    🚨 Child Knocks Van Into Gear — Woman Pinned Against Building on Scioto Trail 

    Trinida Castro

    🎂 Murder Suspect Turns 18—Now Facing Big-Time Charges in Adult Jail 

    Sticker Shock: $2,500 a Day Foster Case Highlights Broken System in Scioto County 

    Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    14 New Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

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  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    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

    🚨No More Free Pop? West Virginia Bans Soda from SNAP—Should Ohio Be Next?🚨 

    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 

    🌿 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 

    Cathy Coleman

    Remembering Scioto County Commissioner Cathy Coleman

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    🏥 Scioto County Approves Hospital Tax to Keep Medicaid Dollars Local 

  • Feel Good
    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.

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    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 

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    The Day the Streak Ended: Lakers’ 1987 Record Broken

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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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    Good Neighbor and Officer to the Rescue 

    Portsmouth Flood Wall Stars

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    U.S. housing market

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  • Obituaries

    Thaddeus Matthew Blizzard, 58, of Fort Worth

    Barbara Williams

    Connie Jane Viars Snyder, 76 of South Shore

    Garry E. Adkins

    Garry E. Adkins, 74 of South Webster

    Leeroy William Bush

    Leeroy William Bush “Bill”,81 of Casstown

    Jean Faye Lauro

    Jean Faye Lauro, 91, of Wheelersburg

    Donald Richard Aeh

    Donald Richard Aeh, 89, of Portsmouth

    Ethel Marlene Teeters

    Ethel Marlene Teeters, 64 of Portsmouth

    Norma Jean Cole

    Norma Jean Cole 88, of South Webster

    was a 1974 graduate of Minford High School. Albert worked as a mechanic most of his life, starting at Standard Oil/ Sohio in 1974 and moved to Meenach's Garage in 1991. He was saved May 23, 2021, and attended Cedar Street Church, Church of Christ in Christian Union. 

    Albert E. Potters, 69 of Wheelersburg,

    Evelyn Angela Galloway, 89 of New Boston

    William McGinnis

    Stephen Ray Lucas, 53 of Piketon

    Wanda Lou Payton

    Wanda Lou Payton, 80 of Minford

    Marjorie K. Bloomfield

    Marjorie K. Bloomfield, 96 of Portsmouth

    Daisy Janell Hall

    Daisy Janell Hall, 45 of Minford

    William McGinnis

    Vaughn Ray Chamberlin, 86 of Wheelersburg

    Barbara Williams

    Daisy Janell Hall, 45 of Minford

    David M. Bussa

    David M. Bussa, 74 of Sciotoville

    Rebecca Schumacher

    Rebecca Schumacher, 43 of Jackson

    Jackie M. Shaw

    Jackie M. Shaw age 80 of Portsmouth

    Elizabeth Broom

    Elizabeth Broom, 83 of Ironton

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Commissioners Grapple With “Clearly Criminal” Economic Development Investigations 

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
12 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.”  

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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. 

“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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