jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
County jail safety was the topic of discussion both in Columbus and in Marietta on Tuesday.
Protocols are under scrutiny at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office following an outbreak of coronavirus at the Washington County Jail at the close of January.
Meanwhile, State Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, also spoke at an afternoon press conference concerning a proposed remodel of funding for county jails.
¯ COVID Outbreak
Chief Deputy Mark Warden confirmed Tuesday that the county jail has experienced recent confirmed cases of the coronavirus making its way through pods of the jail.
“We’ve got a rash if it in the pods,” explained Warden. “The problem is when they are asymptomatic and we don’t have places to isolate.”
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Vincent Roberts, 40, of 1920 Roberts Road, Amesville, appears in Washington County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday via teleconference from the Washington County Jail.
(Photo by Janelle Patterson)
An Amesville man was sentenced to a year in prison Tuesday in Washington County Common Pleas Court following a plea deal to a third-degree felony.
Vincent Roberts, 40, of 1920 Roberts Road, appeared in Judge John Halliday’s courtroom via teleconference from the Washington County Jail.
Roberts had previously pleaded to one count of having a weapon under disability.
The foundational case, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, saw a manhunt for Roberts in 2018 on attempted murder and aggravated burglary charges, both first-degree felonies.
¯ First-degree felony : Three to 11 years; $20,000.
¯ Second-degree felony: Two to eight years; $15,000.
¯ Third-degree felony: One to three years; $10,000.
¯ Third-degree felony involving an act of sex or violence: One to five years; $10,000.
Bennett
¯ Fifth-degree felony: Six months to one year; $2,500.
Source: Washington County Common Pleas Court. Graphic by Janelle Patterson Photo Provided
The Martins Ferry Volunteer Fire Departmentâs ladder truck was present Thursday to help commemorate the reopening of East Ohio Regional Hospital. Bennett Early Photo by Michele Newbanks
The bridge near the intersection of County Road 9 and County Road 20 in Cornersville will soon be replaced.
Two of the four men arrested on weapons and drugs charges on Oct. 1 in New Matamoras were indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Marietta City Council took a stance on mending bridges of trust Wednesday before canceling a scheduled special business meeting Thursday morning.
“I want to use this as an opportunity to point out one final thing and I want us all, all of us who are present, to keep this in mind,” prefaced Councilman Geoff Schenkel, D, fourth ward, at the close of committee discussion Wednesday. “What we’re experiencing today with rushing at the last minute, and the resistance that is clearly there as a result of that, underscores the importance of engaging council early on ideas.”
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com The Ohio Supreme Court has prohibited a trial in Washington County Common Pleas Court that was previously scheduled for March 2021. The high court prohibited Washington County Common Pleas Judge John Halliday from taking action in the case. The high court upheld landowners’ rights of appeal to be completed before further action in the case. This prohibition delays Ohio Power Company’s request to compensate landowners for seizure of property under eminent domain, pending the outcome of the appeal before the Fourth District Court.
The Supreme Court of Ohio announced Wednesday after close of business that it has ruled against both Washington County Common Pleas Judge John Halliday and Ohio Power Company in favor of Washington County landowners’ rights to appeal.