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Pike County News Watchman
Waverly Council discusses adding stop signs
Waverly Village Council met in regular session Wednesday and had an extensive discussion about an emergency item on the agenda. Ordinance #75-2024 Sought to create a three-way stop at the intersection of Clough Street and Walnut Street. The ordinance was declared in part due to the beginning of the school creating “a necessity for the three-way stop.” ...
New health plan partnership provides employers flexibility in exploring customizable options for their employees
CHILLICOTHE — Employers across a 10-county area of south central and southern Ohio now have access to a new, competitively priced, customized health network for their employees providing high-quality, comprehensive care close to home at a lower cost. The new High-Performance Health Network, a partnership between Adena Health and The Ohio State University Health Plan Solutions, is a health network providing access to quality primary care and advance specialty providers who deliver seamless care to network participants. The network provides access to more than 400...
Attorneys argue for and against Ohio 24-hour abortion care waiting period pause
Attorneys challenging Ohio’s 24-hour abortion waiting period and minimum in-person visit regulations made their arguments Friday as to why enforcement of the laws should be paused as they fight to get them eliminated entirely. Jessie Hill represented the ACLU of Ohio, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, abortion clinics, and a physician in the Franklin County case, and said the constitutional amendment passed last November that legalized reproductive rights statewide “is expansive and clear,” protecting the rights that she says the state laws hinder. ...
Governor DeWine announces COVID-19 diagnosis
(COLUMBUS)—This morning, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Governor Mike DeWine tested positive for COVID-19. He started experiencing mild, cold-like symptoms yesterday, including sneezing and a runny nose. His symptoms worsened slightly during the night, but the Governor is working remotely from home today. Planning to get together with family over the weekend, he took a cautionary test on Sunday before he developed any symptoms. The test was negative. The Governor has...
Car vs. pickup wreck on state Route 32
According to Trooper Newman of the Portsmouth Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, a Honda Accord and a Ford pick up truck were both westbound on state Route 32 Friday afternoon when the Accord impacted the pick up from behind. Newman described it as a “typical failure to assure a clear distance” situation. Nobody was injured in the accident and alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the accident. The Pike County Sheriff’s Office, Portsmouth Ambulance and the Piketon Seal Township Fire Department as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to the scene.
Investigators seek public help in suspicious Lucasville fires
LUCASVILLE — Investigators with the Ohio Department of Commerce Division of State Fire Marshal (SFM) consider two recent fires in Lucasville, Ohio (Scioto County) to be suspicious, and believe they are connected. Investigators with SFM’s Fire and Explosion Investigation Bureau are now seeking tips from the public to help identify individuals who may be responsible. On Aug. 7, 2024, the Jefferson Township Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 542A Burns Hollow Rd. Three days later, on Aug. 10, the Jefferson Township Fire Department...
VA awards over $17 million in grants to help homeless and at-risk Ohio Veterans and their families
WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced it will award $17 million in grants to help homeless and at-risk Ohio Veterans — along with an additional $3.6 million to benefit Veterans from Ohio and surrounding states — through the Supportive Services for Veteran Families and Homeless Providers Grant and Per Diem programs. A total of $806.4 million will be awarded through the two programs nationally. Supportive Services for Veteran Families: Through the SSVF program, VA is awarding 239 grants nationally totaling approximately...
Ohio Ballot Board approves controversial language to describe anti-gerrymandering amendment
The Ohio Ballot Board passed controversial language written by Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Friday as the ballot summary that will explain to voters November’s anti-gerrymandering amendment. Supporters of the amendment have called the language deceptive and unconstitutional and have said they would challenge it in court. The board met on Friday morning to determine the summary that will appear on individual ballots, the final words Ohioans will see before they choose to accept or deny the measure. ...
Road construction will close roads in Pike County
Per the Ohio Department of Transportation State Route 104 at the 6.14 mile marker has one lane traffic open with usage of temporary signals.State route 335 at the 20.78 mile marker is closed.Pleasant Hill Road (County Road 36) has an upcoming project at the 4.35 mile marker.Beaver Pike (County Road 57) will be closed at the 0.62 mile marker from 08/12/24 to 09/10/24.US Route 23 at the 23.42 mile marker is reduced to one lane of traffic in each direction from 07/08/24 to 08/30/24. Per the county engineerDenver Road will be closed at the 4.68 mile marker for slip repair. Closure will begins Monday, August 19 and expected to last for 90 days
Sixteenth “super load” heads out August 22
COLUMBUS — The sixteenth of nearly two dozen “super loads” will depart the dock site in Adams County on Thursday, August 22. The convoy will head to New Albany to deliver the load to the site of the new Intel plant in Licking County. The 16th load is a tank. It measures 19’1” tall, 16’1” wide, and 197’ long. It weighs 395,450 pounds. It will stop in Chillicothe on Thursday and at Rickenbacker in Franklin County on Friday before being delivered to New Albany on...
Contractors at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant hit safety milestone
PIKETON — Fluor-BWXT (FBP), contractors for the Department of Energy (DOE) at the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant not only work productively to decontaminate and decommission (D&D) the site but do so with a prominent safety record. The contractors reached a milestone of eight million safe work hours without a recordable injury — the first time in the site’s history that this has been achieved. “I am extremely proud of...
Broadband Ohio investing $50 million to support multi-county expansion project
COLUMBUS — Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lt. Governor Jon Husted and Ohio Department of Development Director Lydia Mihalik today announced a state investment of $50 million in support of a broadband expansion project designed to improve internet coverage at approximately 38,000 addressable locations in Southwest Ohio — serving 13,000 households and over 30,000 people who have no service today. BroadbandOhio, a division of the Department of Development, is partnering with altafiber to provide high-speed, affordable internet in Adams, Brown, and Clermont counties as part of...
Box truck catches on fire in the Waverly Heights
At 4:20 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 10, the Waverly Fire Department was dispatched to the area of 421 Gordon Ave. in the Waverly Heights, according to a report from the Waverly Fire Department. Upon arrival, firefighters found a commercial box truck fully involved with fire in the roadway. According to the report, WFD personnel deployed handlines to extinguish the fire. Fire Department personnel overhauled the vehicle to extinguish hot spots. One residence, 425 Gordon Ave., had exposure damage to its vinyl siding. Once the fire was determined to be out, WFD personnel departed the scene and returned to station after being on scene for 48 minutes, according to the report.
Ohio man sentenced for Scioto River pollution
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife was part of an investigation that resulted in Mark Shepherd, 73, of Kenton, being sentenced in federal court today for violating the Clean Water Act by dumping pollutants and hazardous substances into waterways, killing thousands of fish in the Scioto River. In April 2021, Shepherd, the owner and operator of Cessna Transport Inc. and A.G. Bradley Inc., unlawfully discharged 7,000 gallons of a substance containing ammonia into the Scioto River. The substance...
News of Record
GRAND JURYJuly 19 Terry Carlisle Delen Swiger was indicted for the charges of receiving stolen property, a felony of the fourth degree and theft, a felony of the fifth degree. Steven K. Richards was indicted for the charge of theft, a felony of the fifth degree. William Richard Cundiff was indicted for the charge of...
Adena Pike Medical Center’s stroke ready care recognized with certification renewal
Pike County residents experiencing the signs of stroke can feel confident they will receive the time-critical level of care they need at Adena Pike Medical Center (APMC), according to a leading national health care accreditation and certification organization. Following a rigorous review process, APMC has been awarded a renewal of The Joint Commission’s Acute Stroke Ready Gold Seal of Approval® certification and the American Stroke Association’s Heart Check Mark for Stroke certification. ...
Appalachian Ohio Tick Project workshop highlights the hidden dangers of Lyme disease
ZANESVILLE — Ohio University Zanesville hosted a teacher workshop focusing on a growing environmental threat — the spread of Lyme disease through ticks. This educational initiative, titled “Exploring the Ecology of Lyme Disease,” was part of the broader Appalachian Ohio Tick Project, aimed at engaging high school students and their teachers in vital research into tick-borne illnesses. The workshop, led by Kip and Jody Brady from New Philadelphia High School and Dr. Risa Pesapane from The Ohio State University, provided a deep dive into the...
Weekly construction update
The following construction projects are anticipated to affect highways in Pike County next week. All outlined work is weather permitting. Projects with active or future traffic impacts are linked to OHGO.com. NEW County Road 57 Culvert ReplacementWork is set to begin on August 12 for a culvert replacement project on C.R. 57 (Beaver Pike) between Meadow Run Road and Bumgardner Road. Work will occur daily for this construction. C.R. 57...
Fatal accident In PIke County
Newton Township — On August 5, 2024, at approximately 5:34 p.m. the Portsmouth Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol responded to a two-vehicle fatal crash on state Route 32 at Smokey Hollow Road. Valerie L. Hagan, age 42, of Beaver, Ohio, was a passenger in a vehicle that was traveling on Smokey Hollow Road. The vehicle was attempting to cross state Route 32, when they were struck by a vehicle traveling eastbound. Mrs. Hagan succumbed to her injuries as a result of the crash. Impairment of the driver is not suspected and the crash remains under investigation at this time. State Route 32 eastbound was closed for a limited time while the crash was being investigated. Troopers were assisted on scene by the Elm Grove Fire Department and Portsmouth Ambulance.
Pickup truck submerged in pond after leaving road
According to a report from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, a 2018 Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck driven by Steven Soale, 49, of Sabina, was traveling southeast on Lapperell Road when it drove off the left side of the roadway and then submerged in a pond. According to a Facebook post by the Piketon Seal Township Fire Department, on Saturday, Aug. 3 at 10:24 p.m., a crew was dispatched to assist the Benton Township Fire Department with a pickup truck that had an accident and...
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The seed that yielded The Pike County News Watchman was planted in the early 1800s, perhaps as early as the founding of Jefferson (present-day Piketon, which served as the first Pike County government seat) in 1814, though this very early portion of Pike County history is not altogether clear. The earliest publication known to have existed is the Waverly Democrat, which was first printed in 1832 and served, as its name implies, as a staple for the early Democratic settlers in the county. In 1861 name of the publication changed from the Waverly Democrat to the somewhat conventional Waverly News. The name would remain until the early 1900s when yet another change, this time reflecting the opinion of another political party, took place. The Republican Herald served as the county's news source. In this incarnation, the paper would keep people abreast of news concerning births, deaths, and perhaps most importantly, the happening of soldiers fighting overseas in two world wars. In 1954, the publication adopted the name of the Waverly Watchman, though Republican Herald was still printed on the header of the front page. Finally, around the year 1960, a variation of the present name was set in place; the Waverly Watchman. This paper, like the current Pike County News Watchman, was published twice weekly and focused on the local news and personal interest stories of citizens of that time. The Pike County News Watchman is available online at newswatchman.com
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