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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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Main Street Portsmouth: What Do They Do?

SCDN Exclusive

Mark Craycraft by Mark Craycraft
5 years ago
in Feel Good
Main Street Portsmouth
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Main Street Portsmouth: What Do They Do?

Joseph Pratt of Main Street Portsmouth took some time out of his day to speak to us about their involvement in the community. I will give you the conversation starter I asked and then his detailed response. You will find this information compelling and eye-opening.

Under your Building Improvement Grant section, Main Street vows to award “a minimum of $25,000” each year “to improve the structural integrity, longevity, and overall physical appearance of commercial buildings”, what grants and amounts have been approved in the last 12 months?

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535 2nd Street Courtyard

We took a very dangerous space, preserved the historic facade after the building collapsed 10 years ago and it went wild and we developed Portsmouth’s first pocket park. It was about $70,000 and much, much donated time and labor. The city gave the property to us, but it was worth very little and the tax base wasn’t worth keeping private. We took ownership, made it public, and established a park without the city spending one dime. We even paid for legal fees to transfer.

This year’s recipients of the Building Improvement Grant

  • Bill and Marcia Spradlin, who received $6,500 for a roof and work valued at $18,675
  • Jeremy and Maddie Burnside, for steel reinforcements at $7,000, when the overall project is $50,000 (not counting the complete building renovation cost)
  • Trent Millison, for $5,000, for a roof valued at $10,750
  • 440 Group, for $6,500 to assist in a $25,800 roofing job

We do 55+ events a year

Everything from the Chocolate Walk to Wine and Dine, Farmers Market to Street Sales, Cut-Throat Karaoke to Tour of Lofts, Farm to Table to Celebrate Portsmouth. We do A LOT in the event category, too. Plus, we plan on bringing 3+ events next year to the calendar that includes a cookie crawl around Winterfest time, a big-budget Halloween dance called Glamour and Gore, and we are looking at turning a hit television show into a local event.


Christmas Lights

We took an extra $10,000 from the city this year and used it on Christmas lights, but leveraged it to get two other foundations to donate and dozens of businesses. We ended up providing the Tracy Park light show and the pole lights, valued at over $40,000 for just $10,000 invested by the city.

Please Support This Local Business

Main Street Portsmouth manages nearly every flower and decorative element downtown

The group developed the latest Alexandria Park design and continues to maintain it, assists the Portsmouth Shade Tree Commission in maintaining the city tree population, assists in odd jobs circled around Tracy Park, and oversees the maintenance of the Roy Roger’s Esplanade. They also maintain public hotspots, such as the Front Street pots along the floodwall, the City Building, and flower pots around the County Courthouse. Their work also includes the planting and maintenance of 64 hanging baskets; 63 flower pots and urns in public spaces, another 47 floral pots in front of local businesses; tree wells; parks, and hotspots. There are seasonal holiday displays on the Esplanade, Tracy Park, and in front of the City Building.

All of this works towards a beautiful and inviting downtown Portsmouth and made possible due to donors and volunteers.

What’s Next?

We also just received $60,000 to build a new public gym on the riverfront next year. The city will assist us in installation, but it, also, will cost taxpayers nothing, since we manage the project and received a grant to fund it from the Scioto Foundation. After that, we are looking at developing a public classroom on the riverfront for people to meet, churches to have bible study, schools to take children, counseling centers, and clinics to meet and have therapy sessions, etc.

Cost does not equal value

We get a set amount from the city, and we then utilize that budget to leverage more funding. We accomplish work with volunteer labor, to provide something of far greater value than the cost.

Tags: Choose Your PortsmouthexclusiveFeaturedLawNewsletterPortsmouth Ohio
Please Support This Local Business

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