Page 857 – Portsmouth Daily Times

Legal complaint filed against BOE

By
Portsmouth Daily Times
-

June 8, 2015

By Frank Lewis

[email protected]

Two citizens of Valley Township have filed a court case against the Scioto County Board of Elections and the Valley Township Board of Trustees charging fraud in the May primary election in which voters passed by one vote a 2.85 mills bond levy totalling $1.8 million for the purpose of constructing a community services building and furnishing and equipping that facility. The complaint was filed on Friday afternoon.

The two residents, Dwayne Hood and Clyde E. Gilliland, produced a petition containing 42 signatures challenging the outcome of the election. The plaintiffs in the case charge there was fraud and irregularity at the election in that one or more votes were cast illegally at the election “because the person or persons who cast them were not qualified electors of Valley Township.”

Following the May election, the final tally was within the one-half of one percent, which triggered an automatic recount and the final margin in the recount which was certified by the Board of Elections was 196-195.

The plaintiffs went on to charge that the fraudulently cast vote or votes were in favor of the resolution and without the invalid vote or votes the resolution would not have passed.

“The plaintiffs/contestors state that the fraud was so great and flagrant as to render the election resolution doubtful, as just one or more fraudulent votes cast in favor of passage caused the resolution to pass when it otherwise would have failed,” the complaint stated.

“They filed a lawsuit saying one of the people voted fraudulently, and I can assure you when it is all said and done he did not,” Valley Township Volunteer Fire Department Chief Teri Horton said. “We had two public meetings and it was all written out from the get-go. We have had legal counsel that does nothing but this kind of stuff and we paid lots of money — thousands of dollars — for them to walk us through this election. It put it all out there in black and white.”

Horton said if the election is thrown out the township will have to spend more money to have it put back on the ballot.

‘My fire department is broken. They are broken,” Horton said. “I don’t know what they’ll do from here on out.”

Horton said one of the objections to the levy came as a result of people not believing the ISO ratings. The ISO ratings help establish appropriate fire insurance premiums for residential and commercial properties, insurance companies need reliable, up-to-date information about a community’s fire-protection services.

“If you don’t have what’s required by the Insurance Service Office your ISO rating goes up and that means not matter who you are or who you have insurance with your insurance will increase if our fire department doesn’t meet their standards,” Horton said.

As of Monday afternoon the Board of Elections had not seen the complaint filed in the Scioto County Clerk of Courts Office.

“We’ve not been formally notified,” Scioto County Board of Elections Deputy Director Teresa Knittel said. “Just from heresay we are hearing that there was a man they’re saying that voted illegally and that he does not live in Valley Township. Until we get a formal notification I really don’t know that much about it. All I know is they said something was filed.”

The legal document calls for the election to be set aside and was filed by Portsmouth attorney Eddie Edwards on behalf of the plaintiffs, and no date for a hearing has been set.

Reach Frank Lewis at 740-353-3101, ext. 1928, or on Twitter @franklewis.

‘Dinner on the Bridge’ set for June 20

By
Portsmouth Daily Times
-

June 8, 2015

.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}

File photo Photo taken from the 2014 Dinner on the Bridge event.

By Portia Williams

[email protected]

SOUTH SHORE, Ky. —The Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge Historical Society is gearing up to host the ninth annual ‘Dinner on the Bridge,’ on Saturday, June 20, beginning at 6 p.m. The event offers a unique experience of history, delicious food, music and wine tasting.

According to the The Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge Society, the bridge is the oldest, longest, single span, covered bridge open to traffic, in the world. William Seacrest, acting chairperson for The Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge Historical Society, said they are expecting another successful event this year.

“We are looking forward to it, and hoping to have a full house this year,” Seacrest said. “We have been using the Facebook page to solicit more people, so we will see how it goes.”

There will be a free wine tasting from 5 to 6 p.m., by local wineries including Rock Springs Winery at Carter City and the CCC Trail Vineyard at Morehead. According to Seacrest, there will be live entertainment at the Dinner on the Bridge event, and the details regarding it are forthcoming.

Participants are encouraged to arrive via the East Tygart Road off the AA highway – Ky. Rt. 10 (3 miles from US 23) as this gives access to ample parking in the nearby fields. There is limited parking on the Ky. Rt. 7 entrance side of the bridge. Dinner will be served come rain or shine.

The cost for the dinner is $25 per person, and participants are encouraged to make their reservations as there is a bridge weight restriction programmed at 125 participants. Reservations may be made by calling Dixie at 606-420-4008. Payment will be made at the bridge using a check or cash in return for an entrance wristband. Reservations may also be made online at www.facebook.com/events/1451222448511887.

The Bennett’s Mill Covered Bridge Historical Bridge Society will allocate proceeds from the event for the continued preservation of the Greenup County Covered bridges.

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

Jar of honey gets the honey hole

By
Portsmouth Daily Times
-

June 8, 2015

.neFileBlock {
margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
padding-bottom: 5px;
padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
font-size: 85%;
}

G. Sam Piatt

PDT Outdoors Columnist

They are both, father and son, good Kinniconick smallmouth fishermen, having followed up and down most of the course of the stream all of their fishing lives.

Both have caught smallmouth from the stream bordering on the four-pound mark.

And so they arose early yesterday morning from the bunkhouse to go and fish a remote section of the creek where it bends far back from the road.

At first Tom Clay, some time back, had been denied permission by the landowner to cross over his farmland bordering the stream.

Kinniconick Creek is a public waterway and no one can prevent people from floating down it or wading in it.

Bur crossing the private land to get there requires permission.

The landowner finally told Tommy he could fish if he agreed not to take anyone with him.

And so he fished it and did well, well enough that he wanted to return. When he returned to the farmhouse he brought a token of his appreciation with him – a jar of honey straight from the hives of a local beekeeper.

When he found nobody home, he left the honey behind the door with a note of thanks.

When he came back sometime later the farmer was home. He told Tom, “You’re the guy who left the honey? Well, let me tell you, that is the best honey I’ve ever tasted. You go back there and fish all you want to.”

The permission carried the implication that he could bring his father.

And so Saturday morning, as I said, Tom and Soc Clay were up early and off wearing their wading shoes and shorts.

At least that was the plan when I talked to them around the campfire Friday night before Creighton Stephens and I returned home. I’ve no way to contact them and find out if they did and how they did.

The place they were staying, on the banks of Kinni,is named The Farm. For years it was run by a Catholic Church organization out of Milwaukee as a place where youth could spend some of their summer vacation and learn about the Great Outdoors.

For some reason that use has been discontinued and The Farm – consisting of the two-story bunkhouse, a two-story church/cabin, the caretaker’s house, and approximately 20 acres of land along the banks of the stream – is for sale.

Some members of the Kentucky Outdoor Press Association, of which Tom is president, gained permission to use the facility for its spring outing.

Also spending the night in the bunkhouse was Soc’s wife, Wanda, and Chris Erwin and his wife, Linda, who labored to make some wonderful Bar-B-Q and coleslaw, and not one but two pineapple upside down cakes – the best in the nation.

RIVER FISHING SLOW

The Ohio River is in beautiful shape – just a little above normal summer level and running fairly clear.

But looks were deceiving on Friday – as far as fishing it goes – as Creighton and I launched my bass boat on the Portsmouth waterfront and motored upstream to the mouth of Tygarts Creek.

We fished minnows and jigs, working hard (yes, fishing is work) but all we got was sunburn on our faces and arms.

AT GARRISON

On Thursday, John Vinson Euton and I launched my boat at the Garrison ramp and cast both sides of Kinniconick Creek down to where it empties into the Ohio River. Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and surface lures produced no action.

Another shutout.

Earlier this year one of my legion of fans (harumph, cough cough) told me he had been reading my column for years.

“And I’ve noticed one thing,” he said.

“What’s that,” I asked.

“You never catch any fish.”

Well, I will. You wait, you watch, you’ll see.

G. SAM PIATT can be reached at (606) 932-3619 or [email protected]. Visit his web page at gsampiattbooks.com.

Conley pulls off shocker

By
Portsmouth Daily Times
-

June 8, 2015

Sports Release

Surprise.

That seemed to be the general feeling among Portsmouth Raceway Park fans at the conclusion of the 4th Annual Boone Coleman Memorial ‘Gator 50’ on Saturday after Rod Conley pulled off a shocker.

“I’d rather be lucky than good any day,” Conley said following the race.

The Wheelersburg native proved that a race is never over until the checkered flag waves, and no matter how slim your chance to win might appear, good drivers keep digging all the way to the finish.

Rod Conley, Todd Robinson, Mike Meyers, and Zack Pendleton all recorded feature wins Saturday in their respective divisions, but no race had more of an unsuspecting conclusion than the Late Model A-Main.

Conley appeared to be heading toward a commendable second-place performance in the Late Model Feature. Like everyone else in the race, he was following Grayson, KY’s Jackie Boggs, who was setting a blistering pace.

Boggs posted fast time, led every lap of his heat, and dominated nearly the entire feature. However, to the chagrin of Boggs and his faithful fans, Saturday evening’s race was 50 laps and not 48.

With a commanding lead and only five other cars on the lead lap, the three-time winner of The Boone Coleman Memorial ‘Gator 50’ appeared to be destined to take the checkers. His lap times were staggering with average speeds over 100 miles per hour, but Boggs’ car began to slow with just two laps remaining. Initial reports were that his vehicle’s rear end broke.

With Boggs off the pace, Conley motored around to take the lead and the victory. For Conley, the win marked his first of the year at PRP, and it was certainly a nice one to capture. In addition to earning $5,000, the 2013 PRP champ also earned a highly-coveted provisional ensuring himself a spot in the starting grid of this October’s Dirt Track World Championship which will pay $2,000 to start and $100,000 to win.

Conley became the third different PRP Late Model Feature winner in three races so far this season. Jason Montgomery placed second in Saturday’s race. Mark Frazier finished third. Delmas Conley drove from 16th to fourth to earn The Keaton’s Collison Center Hard Charger Award, and Kevin Wagner rounded out the top five.

Nick Bocook, Boggs, Shannon Thornsberry, Billy Gullion, and Jake Keaton made up the rest of the top five.

Delmas Conley walked away from the race leading the points in PRP’s Giovanni’s Pizza Late Model Division. He and Wagner have yet to finish outside of the top five this year.

The R.W. Rental and Supplies Modifieds featured some intense racing all night. The heats were competitive as was the A-Main. South Point’s Todd Robinson and West Portsmouth’s Doug Adkins battled hard for the lead over the first eight laps of the feature before getting together in Turn One. Adkins’ suffered suspension damage and was unable to continue. Robinson went on to win for the second straight week.

Brian Skaggs finished second. Jeremy Hayes, Jody Puckett, and Cody Gool made up the rest of the top five. Brianna Robinson, Emily Jordan, Brett Kennard, Michael Cooper, and Doug Adkins rounded out the top 10.

Gool advanced six positions to earn The Markwest Ranger Pipeline Hard Charger Award. What was perhaps more impressive was that Saturday evening marked the young man’s first ever night in a race car of any sort.

Brianna Robinson and Emily Jordan represented female drivers well. They were the only two female racers in Saturday’s lineup, and both wound up in the top seven.

The O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Late Model Feature had three different leaders in 15 laps. John Melvin led the first five before retiring from the race. Evyian Terry led lap six, and Mike Meyers led all the rest.

After Meyers got by Terry to take the lead, he never looked back. The Fayetteville driver won for the second time in as many weeks. The rest of the top 10 consisted of Evyian Terry, Dillon Huron, Kenny McCann, Billy Staker, Matt Melvin, Joe Whitt, Kevin Terry, Randy Ross, and Ronnie Whitt.

The M & M Inflatables Bomber Division was dominated by defending track champion Zack Pendleton. The 20 year-old from Stout led every lap of his heat and every lap of the feature to win for the second Saturday in a row.

Jason Spillman, Rick Butler, Corey Lewis, Mike Drake, Matt King, Jonathan Cook, and Casey Black made up the rest of the field.

Action will return to PRP this coming Saturday, June 13th. It will be Kids Night presented by www.vallerychevy.com. Kids ages 12 and under will receive free general admission and there will be a bicycle giveaway. On the card will be Giovanni’s Pizza Late Models, R.W. Rental and Supplies Modifieds, O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Lates, as well as M & M Inflatables Bombers. Gates open at 4 p.m. Racing begins at 7:30.

Greenup Health to offer Rabies Clinic

By
Portsmouth Daily Times
-

June 8, 2015

By Portia Williams

[email protected]

GREENUP, Ky. — With the summer season comes an increase in outdoor activities, and for pets this could mean becoming infected with rabies. For this reason, The Greenup County Health Department (GCHD) will host a rabies clinic on Saturday, June 13, from 1-4 p.m. GCHD has been hosting these clinics for ten years and more than 300 participate each year.

GCHD hosts the rabies vaccination clinic to vaccinate more pets against the deadly disease, and to comply with Kentucky law which requires all cats, dogs, and ferrets that are more than four months old to be vaccinated for rabies.

Chris Crum, director of GCHD, the rabies clinics helps residence maintain a consistent vaccination schedule.

“Normally, we like to host the rabies clinic twice a year, usually in the early summer and then again in the fall,” Crum said. “A lot of people are on a regular maintenance schedule of trying to get their dogs and cats vaccinated, and this gives them more opportunities, plus it alleviates some of the rush if we only host it once each year.”

The numbers typically increase in summer as it pertains to people being bitten by animals.

“There are going to be more bites during the summer, there are more people out and about, and there are more opportunities to be bitten by a stray, or at least a dog or a cat that they are not familiar with,” Crum said. “And, we want to make sure that we head off anyone would have to go through the series of rabies shots, to make sure that all of our residents are protected against any incidences of rabies.”

Rabies vaccine will be available for dogs and cats more than four months old. One year vaccine is $5 and a three year booster is $15. Dogs can receive a distemper vaccine for $25. Toe nail clipping will also be offered for $10 a dog or $15 for cats.

This rabies clinic is open to the public, and participants do not have to be a resident of Greenup County. A rabies tag and certificate will be issued on site as proof of vaccination.

Cassie Mace, a GCHD health educator, said rabies has to propensity to impact communities in a very harmful manner.

“Rabies is a disease that could have catastrophic consequences in our community. By offering a lower cost option, many cats and dogs will be protected from this fatal disease,” Mace said.

According to the GCHD, the majority of rabies cases occur in wildlife, most humans are exposed to the virus as a result of an encounter with an infected domestic animal. Keeping pets, including cats and dogs, up-to-date on vaccinations, is a primary means of helping to prevent rabies in humans and domestic animals.

“For many people, pets are cherished and loved members of the family,”she said. “Speaking with a veterinarian about keeping current with vaccination not only helps to make sure they are free from disease, but also reduces the risk of exposure for all family members,” Mace said.

For additional information on the rabies clinic, contact the GCHD at 606- 473-9838.

Reach Portia Williams at 740-353-3101, ext. 1929, or on Twitter @PortiaWillPDT.

1...856857858...868 Page 857 of 868