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Murder trial in rental cabin stabbing case set to start Monday
LOGAN — With his trial on murder and other felony charges set to begin Monday, a Fairfield County man has gotten permission from a judge to come to court wearing civilian clothes instead of a jail uniform, and with no visible restraints. Isaac Pence, 21, is facing charges of murder, felonious assault, obstructing justice and tampering with evidence. He is alleged to have fatally stabbed a 22-year-old Lancaster man, Charles D. Starner, during a fight in the aftermath of a party at a Hocking County...
GOP picks Linton to run for commission seat he was re-appointed to
LOGAN — Following last week's re-appointment to office, the Hocking County Republican Party voted Tuesday evening to solidify Michael Linton's position as county commissioner. The vote was without much drama or discussion. Party chair Mike Harris called Linton's appointment a "99% likelihood" last week, and the result followed suit. What was a matter of more uncertainty was whom the party would nominate for the unexpired term of resigning commissioner Jessica...
Correction
An article in the Aug. 15 Logan Daily News about an upcoming program at the Hocking County Historical and Genealogical Society contained an error. It described the scheduled speaker, Dr. Tom Price, as a long-time local dentist. Price was actually an optometrist. On Saturday, Aug. 24 at 7 p.m., he will speak about local history in a program at the Society’s main museum at 64 N. Culver St. in Logan.
Tourism association sounds alarm on bill to limit short-term rental regs
LOGAN — An Ohio State Senator has sponsored a bill which, if voted into effect, could severely hinder local governments’ ability to regulate short term rentals (STRs). It’s getting serious pushback from tourism officials here in Hocking County. Andrew Brenner, a Republican from Delaware, Ohio, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 299, which in its current form states that “no local government shall adopt or enforce a regulation, requirement, restriction, or other resolution or ordinance relating to short term rentals,” excepting a few basic requirements...
Man charged in connection with shootout wants sanity evaluation
LOGAN ¬ The defense attorney for a Logan man who’s scheduled to go on trial this month, in connection with an alleged exchange of gunfire with police, has asked for a delay of the trial to allow a specialized assessment of whether he was legally insane at the time of the incident. Steven D. Hardbarger, 46, has been in jail without bond since last October. He was arrested on July 30, 2023 after an episode in which he allegedly barricaded himself in his Bremen Road...
Hocking County real estate transfers
Aug. 5–9. Listed prices do not necessarily reflect actual property values. • Angela L. Scarberry and David and Susan McLean, 18959 Wagner Road, to Gary L. and Bethany L. Garrett, $160,000. • Steven, Mary and Thomas Hewitt, 44417 Carbon Hill-Buchtel Road, to Thomas L. Hewitt, $60,000. • Steven L. and Roberta Hunsicker, 229 Deer Slayer...
Interim commissioner re-appointed to seat vacated by Dicken
LOGAN — The Hocking County Commissioners’ meeting Thursday, originally scheduled for the morning, was postponed until four in the afternoon due to a lack of quorum stemming from Commissioner Jason D’Onofrio’s absence and Jessica Dicken’s resignation from her post earlier this week. The situation came about as result of an interesting legal technicality. Since late January, Michael Linton had been serving in place of Dicken. The latter was suspended in that month by a panel of three judges appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court, based...
Chamber co-working space steadily taking shape
LOGAN — “But I have promises to keep/and miles to go before I sleep,” the poet Robert Frost once wrote about something completely unrelated to the Hocking Hills Chamber of Commerce co-working space — though it provides an apt entry into a project far along, but still with a ways to go.
Ex-county commissioner pleads guilty to theft from fair group
(The Center Square) – A former Ohio county commission admitted to racking up thousands of dollars worth of personal credit card charges in the name of a group that runs the county fair. State Auditor Keith Faber said former Hocking County Commissioner Jessica Dicken pleaded guilty to two felony charges and one misdemeanor for misusing more than $19,000 in public funds while serving as secretary of the Hocking County Agricultural Society. ...
Dicken pleads, may avoid jail time with $25K restitution
LOGAN — On the day her trial had been set to begin, former Hocking County Commissioner Jessica Dicken, indicted on several charges related to theft while serving as Hocking County Agricultural Society treasurer, pled guilty on three charges, in exchange for having four others dropped. The case, which has yet to enter a pre-sentence investigation, is being presided over by visiting judge Randy Deering; Thomas Anger of the Ohio Auditor of State’s office is representing the prosecution, and Dicken’s attorney is Katherine Clark of Samuel...
Commissioners review proposed contract for zoning consultant
LOGAN — Audie Wykle, Hocking County’s regional planner and the head of its zoning commission, appeared last Thursday before the county commissioners with a prepared contract to move forward with a consultant on its eventual zoning ordinance. The document, he said, has been looked over by county Assistant Prosecutor Jeff Catri, who approved it with some addendums. The contract was not approved by the commissioners Thursday, but will likely come...
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