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  • Public Safety

    Bad Medicine: Why Mixing Caregiving and Loans Can Lead to Heartbreak (and Empty Pockets) 

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    Busted! 06/02/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Deputies Revive Overdose Victim After Multiple Narcan Doses: Heroes on the Front Line of the Drug Crisis 

    67 Kids Went Missing From Scioto County in 2023, New Report Shows 

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    Karl Meincke

    LOCKED OUT AND LEFT OUT: Man Busted After Shoving Mom Out of Her Home  

    🚨 Catch and Release: The Teflon Troublemaker Strikes Again! 🚨 

    “I’ll Pop a Cap in Your A**!”  

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    🚨 BUSY THURSDAY IN SCIOTO COUNTY: EMS RUNS, THEFTS, AND ALARM DROPS KEEP FIRST RESPONDERS ON THEIR TOES 🚨

    Scioto County Grand Jury Indictments

    18 New Scioto Grand Jury Indictments

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    Teen Accused of Assaulting Grandfather in Heated Fight Over Cell Phone 

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    🚨 Busy Day in Scioto County: Fires, Theft, and Emergency Runs Keep First Responders on the Move 

    Two More Teens Indicted in Brutal Walmart Attack That Left Victim Fighting for His Life 

    Michael Bishop

    Grand Jury Slaps Bishop with Supersized Indictment For Shooting Deputy 

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    🚨 “Snakes Are Coming Out of Me!”: Drug-Fueled Crisis Rocks Kroger Parking Lot  

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics
    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 

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    Ohio Governor Mike DeWine

    News publisher sues Ohio Gov. to block bodycam fees

  • Feel Good

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  • Obituaries
    Thomas Ray Crabtree

    Thomas Ray Crabtree, 55 of Lucasville

    Ernest Cleve Enz

    Ernest Cleve Enz, 80 of Rarden

    Edward Arnold Roberts

    Edward Arnold Roberts, 79 of Waverly

    Joe Justice JR

    Joe Justice JR., 82 South Shore

    Larry Vincent

    Michael Anthony Kapitanovich, 77 of Wheelersburg

    Bridget A. Bonzo

    Bridget A. Bonzo 87 of Sciotoville

    Ronald W. Clark

    Ronald W. Clark, 82 of South Shore

    Larry Vincent

    Roger Buster Hargis Arnett, 45 of Wheelersburg

    Arnold Richard Robinson 89 of Rarden

    Walter Frese Applegate

    Walter Frese Applegate, 82, of Rubyville

     Bessie Ann Hill Hobstetter

     Bessie Ann Hill Hobstetter

    Barbara Williams

    Myrtle May Barber, 69, of Wheelersburg

    Roy Acel Dixon

    Roy Acel Dixon, 78 of Franklin Furnace

    Virginia B. Sisco,

    Virginia B. Sisco, 93 of Wheelersburg

    Chad David McHenry

    Chad David McHenry, 47 of Minford

     Jacqueline Marie McDermott

     Jacqueline Marie McDermott, 81 of Friendship

    Catherine Helen Noles

    Catherine Helen Noles, 72 of Portsmouth

    Jeanetta Ruth Mershon

    Jeanetta Ruth Mershon, 85 of Portsmouth

    Andrew Harrison Daugherty

    Andrew Harrison Daugherty, 82 of Frankfort

    Donald ‘Spook” Sparks

    Donald ‘Spook” Sparks, 73 of South Shore,

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Justin Pizzulli Controversy: Ohio 90th District State Representative in Divides GOP

Mark Craycraft by Mark Craycraft
2 years ago
in Politics, Regional
Justin Pizzulli Ohio State Representative
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A firestorm of controversy surrounds Justin Pizzulli’s nomination for the Ohio 90th District State Representative. The controversy runs so deep and wide that his proposed appointment was withdrawn from last week’s House of Representatives session because, sources tell SCDN, there were not enough votes within the Ohio House Republican Caucus. This selection comes after the resignation of Brian Baldridge, who was appointed Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture by Governor Mike DeWine.

Pizzulli is a political operative and a realtor. He has also worked as a conductor for Norfolk Southern Railroad. Articles allegedly bought and paid for in large metropolitan areas like Cleveland have greatly overblown this detail. Those articles focused on elevating Pizzulli as the face of an industry under severe scrutiny following the derailment in East Palestine. 

Justin Pizzulli could likely be the first appointee in Ohio history to receive opposition from his own party in a vote filling a vacancy. Pizzulli sought the 90th District seat in 2018, coming in third place to Brian Baldridge and Gina Collinsworth.

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The appointment of Pizzulli was controversial among statewide and local Republicans. According to documents obtained exclusively by SCDN, Pizzulli has been active in supporting left-wing causes despite his registration as a Republican. The Facebook posts from Pizzulli’s personal page demonstrate that he has supported many agenda items that are typically endorsed by the far left.

Local Republicans also voiced disappointment about the fact that the Ohio House Democrat Leader Allison Russo introduced Pizzulli’s nomination to the Rules and Reference Committee. Documents obtained from the Ohio House website confirm this.

Others locally are concerned about the negative push Pizzulli made to obtain this seat. According to documents obtained exclusively by SCDN, Scioto County Republican Party Chairman Rodney Barnett wrote a letter supporting Pizzulli and disparaging Gina Collinsworth. In his letter, Barnett claimed that Pizzulli hadn’t attacked his opponents in 2018, and asserted that Collinsworth went negative. 

In fact, many sources have reported that Pizzulli repeatedly targeted and contacted Collinsworth supporters and requested extended conversations with them.

Moreover, endorsement letters generally don’t take potshots at the other candidates. SCDN has obtained every endorsement letter for all 9 original applicants for the position. Not a single other endorsement letter mentioned the other candidates in any form or fashion.

Previously, Barnett served as chair of Scioto County Board of Children’s Services, which was plagued with problems culminating in the deaths of children that attracted mass media attention.

In addition to his real estate and railroad endeavors, Pizzulli was the Scioto County director for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Gibbons in 2022. Gibbons received the Scioto County Republican Party endorsement ahead of the primary, but received a mere 10% of the vote.

According to our sources, the 6-member committee was mostly stacked with supporters of Speaker Jason Stephens, who came to power after 22 House Republicans voted with the entire Democrat caucus to elect Stephens as speaker. Included in that committee was Ohio Representative Jay Edwards, who made headlines after his “slave” comment on the House Floor.

Of the mountain of information SCDN has on file, we looked at the submissions of each of the 9 applicants. Portsmouth City Councilperson Joey Sandlin’s packet (referred as Applicant #5) contained 13 pages. This packet included Sandlin’s resume, followed by letters of support.

Justin Pizzulli’s packet (referred as Applicant #2) contained 32 pages. Gina Collinsworth’s packet (referred as Applicant #4) contained 71 pages with letters of support. This was the largest show of public support among any of the 9 applicants.

With the vote stalled last week, the House will again attempt to put forward a Candidate for this position. We are told a new committee has been selected. We do not know if these committee members have been approached with sweetheart deals to support Pizzulli. However, we are told that the previous committee will not be involved in the process.

Please Support This Local Business

SCDN along with USA Today have reviewed all of the information and have decided to publish the details we’ve been sitting on for some time.

The House was set to meet again on Tuesday, March 8th, at 2pm to try this vote again. However, that has been cancelled. Once there is a firm date, we will provide a live link to that meeting so you can see it unfold live.  

Justin Pizzulli Ohio State Representative,Justin Pizzulli Ohio State Representative
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