jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Left to right: Assistant Prosecutor Joe Derkin, Defense Counsel Rolf Baumgartel and Defendant Crystal Burke appear for arraignment proceedings Thursday in Washington County Common Pleas Court. (Photo by Janelle Patterson)
The former Marietta Middle School basketball coach accused of rape and unlawful sexual conduct with minors was granted a personal recognizance bond in Washington County Common Pleas Court on Thursday.
Crystal Burke, 41, of 6625 State Route 60, Lowell, faces nine felony counts in the case of four alleged minor victims.
“I think I’ve added correctly, the longest prison term you face if you’re convicted of everything and the court running the (sentences) consecutively is 56.5 years,” explained Washington County Common Pleas Judge Mark Kerenyi in arraignment Thursday.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Screen capture courtesy of The Ohio Channel
Fort Frye Local Schools Superintendent Dr. Stephanie Starcher testifies before members of the Ohio House of Representatives this week.
By Janelle Patterson
Staff Reporter
“We wouldn’t do this in medicine, we wouldn’t do this in business, so why are we doing this in education?” asked Dr. Stephanie Starcher, Fort Frye Local Schools superintendent, as she explained deficiencies in the state’s present public school report card and school accountability system used for public school districts in Ohio.
She was testifying in favor of House Bill 200, a 151-page piece of legislation she helped to write, alongside State Rep. Don Jones, R, of Freeport, as she spoke before the Ohio House of Representatives Primary and Secondary Education Committee this week.
⤠Ground will be broken after school ends for the summer.
⤠The hope is to have renovations done by the start of school in the fall.
⤠Approximately $100,000 will be used for the project.
Source: Times research.
After a four-year delay, the Northwest Territory Playground at Washington School in Marietta will finally be renovated.
The original design plans in 2017 had a projected cost of $1.5 million on the city-owned park.
“We’ve raised a little over $100,000,” said LeeAnn Johnson, a Fountain Foundation member. “(But) we have completely condensed the project from the original design in 2017.
The Fountain Foundation formed as a fundraising nonprofit with eyes on the playground, including the renaming of the city asset after momentum from 2017.