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  • Public Safety
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    Busted! 07/25/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

    Bridge Fight Turns into Mental Health Crisis—Quick Action by Officers Gets Man Help

    BURGLAR BUSTED: WILD FOOT CHASE-SUSPECT @ GUNPOINT 

    PPD Night

    Midnight Mayhem: Car Crashes into Power Poles, Knocks Out Lights from Clay to Grandview 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 07/24/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Teen’s Tall Tale Unravels: Bizarre 911 Call Leads Deputies to Franklin Furnace 

    Good Samaritan 2

    Good Neighbor Nabs Wanted Man: Deputies Bust Suspicious Visitor at Vacant Home 

    Man Missing for 24 Hours Found on Stranger’s Porch

    DRUNK SON FIRES GUN AT DAD IN LATE-NIGHT DOMESTIC MELTDOWN  

    “Someone Out There Got Away With It” 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 07/23/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    Stranger on the Porch: Midnight Door Jiggle Lands Minford Woman in Jail 

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    Double Tragedy Strikes Portsmouth as Two Found Dead Just Hours Apart 

    Portsmouth Boy Punches Dog In Stomach

    🐾 DOG DRAMA AT THE POUND! 

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    High-Speed Chase Ends in the Woods — Suspect Now Tied to Another Stolen Car at Speedway 

    Ryan Joseph Miller

    “Didn’t Take the Hint!” – Man Busted After Allegedly Trying to Kick In Door in South Webster 

    Elder Safety

    🚨 “Mom Needs Protection” — West Portsmouth Man Busted for Violating Protective Order Meant to Shield Elderly Mother 

    Busted Arrests Portsmouth Scioto County Mugshots

    Busted! 07/22/25 New Arrests in Portsmouth, Ohio – Scioto County Mugshots

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    The Gallia Street Incident — One Mom’s Love Shines Through 

    🚨 ‘She Hits Us With Sticks’ — Brave Girls Speak Out About Alleged Abuse 

  • Lawrence County
  • Politics

    🌿 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

    somc 2

    🏥 Scioto County Approves Hospital Tax to Keep Medicaid Dollars Local 

    No Kings

    Scioto Dems Snort at “Well-Funded” No Kings Protest Claim

    Cathy Coleman

    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 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘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 

    Cathy Coleman

    ‘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 

  • Feel Good
    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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    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?

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    Cops Rescue Lost Man 

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    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

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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

    Meet the New Flood Wall Stars! 

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    Training Tips To Help Your Dog Get Used to Their Wheelchair

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    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.

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    Lost Kid Calls Cops for Help 

  • Obituaries
    Ricky Edwin Johnson

    Ricky Edwin Johnson 72 of Portsmouth

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene

    Alana Dustianna Meshelle Greene, 32 of Portsmouth

    Estel C. Harr, 68 of Portsmouth

    James L. Slone, 86, of South Webster

    James L. Slone, 86 of South Webster

    Gary Lee Meade,70 of West Portsmouth

    Lilly Ann Elliott

    Lilly Ann Elliott, 53 of Portsmouth

    James D. Hannah

    James D. Hannah, 60 of Greenup

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    Bristol Rafalowski, 3, of Wheelersburg

    Walter Logan

    Walter Logan 56 of Portsmouth

    Paul H. Parker

    Paul H. Parker 85 of Portsmouth

    Ralph Burton Speck

    Ralph Burton Speck, 90 of West Portsmouth

    Barbara Williams

    Betty Lou Little Mullins, 91 of Franklin Furnace

    Shirley Ann Wheeler

    Shirley Ann Wheeler, 88, of Minford

    Betty Lou Ratliff

    Betty Lou Ratliff, 82 of South Shore

    Katherine Kay Bates

    Katherine Kay Bates, 76, formerly of Sciotoville

    Carl D. Cook

    Carl D. “Pork” Cook, 64 of South Webster

    Rachele Lynne McLaughlin, 44 of Minford

    Carol Lorraine Schmid

    Carol Lorraine (Meenach) Schmid 88 of Wheelersburg

    Darrell Kevin Lore

    Darrell Kevin Lore, age 69 of Portsmouth

    Helen Waughtel

    Helen F. Waughtel, 84 of Portsmouth

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Mom Convicted For Shooting Baby

Cyn Mackley by Cyn Mackley
5 years ago
in Regional
ruane
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A Gallia County, Ohio mom could spend the rest of her life in prison after being convicted of the murder of her baby. Gallia County Prosecuting Attorney, Jason D. Holdren, announced the conviction. And it turns out this was not her first violent crime.
Back on July 23, officers arrested the Crown City, Ohio woman after an incident at a home on Double Creek Road in Ohio Township. That afternoon, a call came into the Gallia Count 911 Center about an infant with a gunshot wound.
When first responders arrived on the scene they discovered a 16-month-old girl with a gunshot wound to the head. The child was still breathing. Gallia County Sheriff’s Deputies rendered aid until Gallia County EMS arrived on the scene. An ambulance transported the child to a Huntington, West Virginia trauma center.

Made A Plan To Shoot Baby

Investigators said the child’s mother, Joyceann Louise Ruane, 25, admitted to shooting the child after an argument with the child’s father. Ruane acknowledged that she’d put together a plan, retrieved the weapon, and shot the little girl. The prosecutor initially charged Ruane with attempted aggravated murder and held on a $2 million bond.
At the time, Gallia County Sheriff Matt Champlin said, ” Our hearts are broken today as we continue to push forward and seek justice for this innocent and beautiful young child. I ask that you continue to pray for this little girl as well as for our first responders who have worked and will continue to work this investigation.”
The infant died from her injuries the next day.  Prosecutors upgraded the charges to aggravated murder with a firearm specification and having weapons while under a disability.  Ruane was convicted of both charges in Gallia County Common Pleas Court on Thursday.



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Stabbed Man In The Back

Incredibly, this was not Ruane’s first conviction for a violent crime. Four years ago, when she was just 21,  Ruane stabbed a man in the back at a homeless camp in Ashtabula.  She faced charges of felonious assault for an attack on Steven Dratwa, 56, of Ashtabula.  At the time, she told police she was defending her husband.
Ruane pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of attempted felonious assault. Ashtabula County Common Pleas Judge Gary Yost sentenced Ruane to two years of intensive supervision.”
She’s due back in Gallia County Common Pleas Court on February 17, 2021 for sentencing. Judge Margaret Evans could impose up to life without parole on the aggravated murder charge.
The State of Ohio said it will seek the maximum penalty.


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