I myself have been divorced and have known many people who have been divorced as well. Judge Spears rarely hears divorce cases. He often places the parties in the law library for “agreed entries.” He then holds a five-minute hearing awarding the divorce.
He seems to have forgotten that he was placed in a position to oversee divorces of parties who can get along as husband and wife, yet he is forcing many of them to “agree” on their divorce, even on contested divorces the story is the same.
His magistrate often hears the cases for him, however the attorneys are the ones who type the entries, not the court. Judge Spears is failing to serve Scioto County in the manner that is needed.
On the other hand, I have been divorced for seven years. During the seven years of court hearings, I have observed Maria Hoover with her clients. She seems caring and sympathetic to them. She explains the laws to them and their options. This is something that I have never seen another attorney do in this county.
Mrs. Hoover is knowledgeable of the laws of Domestic Court and desires to serve the people of Scioto County the way a judge should. She is open to public opinion and does not hide from the people of this county the way some current elected officials do.
It should be an easy choice as you approach the polls in making your decisions.
Erin Mullins
Wheelersburg
Reader says Montgomery is clear choice for attorney general
Would you prefer Ohio's next attorney general to be a proven crime fighter or a criminal defender? The contrast between the candidates for this important office is that stark: crime fighter vs. criminal defender.
Ohio needs a proven law enforcement leader at the helm in the attorney general's office, and that's exactly what we will have if we elect Betty Montgomery on Nov. 7. As a former criminal prosecutor and attorney general, she brings a law enforcement perspective to this office that her opponent simply can't provide.
Betty Montgomery has prosecuted criminals and advocated for victims, but her opponent's experience is on the other side of the courtroom. And while I know that every person has the right to a proper defense, I just don't think the perspective of a criminal defender is what we need in our state's top lawyer.
If you, too, want an attorney general who is tough on crime and has a working knowledge of law enforcement, vote for the only proven criminal justice professional in this race - Betty Montgomery.
W.E. “Mac” McFarland
Wheelersburg
Citizens should look closely at Commissioners' spending
Anybody unsure as to why they should elect George Crumm just needs to take a trip down memory lane.
Not long ago, the Portsmouth Daily Times ran an article about the commissioners and their employment of a disbarred attorney as their legal counsel for a price of $83,200 a year. In that article, Commissioner Skip Riffe denied that the attorney was their legal counsel and said he was no longer on the payroll.
Both claims are in contrast to statements by the Ohio Supreme Court and Auditor David Green, a fellow Democrat. Riffe appears to be almost desperate to put this latest issue behind him, but even without this controversy he has a lot of mistakes to answer for.
Four years ago, for example, the commissioners sought to turn the old Jenkins Elementary School into a prison. They entered into a three-year lease with the owner of the school, blew through approximately $125,000 of our money, and ultimately accomplished nothing. The project was scrapped and the Commissioners had to write another check to back out of the lease.
Furthermore, even if they had completed the project, the state would never have signed off on the prison because its lack of a sprinkler system would be a huge liability.
Before that was the Shelton Industries mess, which we will continue to pay for until 2025. In this incident, Shelton Industries claimed they could create a handful of new jobs in Scioto County if they were given a loan for one million dollars. The Commissioners didn't have that much, so they handed over $500,000 even though they were repeatedly advised not to. The whole thing turned out to be a scam, and Shelton Industries left the county without ever paying us back for the loan.
Commissioner Riffe's refusal to listen to the very credible advice he was given, and his eagerness to spend taxpayer money, is just one example of the poor judgement he routinely exhibits. Riffe's 16-year career includes many more mistakes and missteps, but hopefully this is enough to make my point. But in case it isn't, allow me to sum it up like this:
The William Shaw scandal - $83,000 annually.
The Jenkins Elementary scandal - $125,000.
The Shelton Industries scandal - $500,000.
The re-election promises of a Commissioner involved in all of it - Worthless.
Jessica Kingery
Wheelersburg
Madison Township trustee endorses Norman for treasurer
Like anyone else who has met Chris Norman will tell you, he is an intensely impressive individual. He has a truly worthwhile vision for Scioto County and the determination to make it a reality.
As a Madison Township trustee, I feel confident that Chris Norman is the kind of man that can handle the job of treasurer and surpass all conventional expectations. As Nile Township fiscal officer, he's already shown his ability to perform the task at hand and is undeniably the most qualified, experienced and capable candidate in the race.
I'm proud to give him my endorsement and I'm anxious to give him my vote.
Dave Conkey
Lucasville
RC flying club thanks Commissioners for help
In the spring, the Southern Ohio RC (Radio Controlled) Flying Club lost the lease on its flying field which was located just off U.S. 23 north of Lucasville.
While searching for a new place, we learned that a field at Earl Thomas Conley Riverside Park was large enough for our RC planes and the Scioto County Commissioners owned and operated the park. We scheduled a meeting with the Commissioners where they gave us the approval we needed to use the tract of land.
We, the members of the Southern Ohio RC Flying Club, would like to express our gratitude to our county commissioners: Mike Crabtree, Tom Reiser and Skip Riffe; and park employees: Tim Knittel, Mark Thacher, Andy Copley and seasonal employees, Tom Thacker and Jay Springs for getting our field ready for us and allowing us to use the field for our club.
Jim Parlin and 10 others
Wheelersburg
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