Primary results released in Guernsey, Noble, surrounding counties
Pivotal levies pass in the Caldwell EVSD, East Muskingum School districts
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: May 8, 2013
The ballots have been tallied , and local primary election results have been issued by local boards of elections.
The Guernsey County Board of Elections released its unofficial results at around 9:00pm Tuesday. Incumbent Art Clemenson won the Democratic nomination for Cambridge City Council’s First Ward race, beating challenger Darcel Fultz 57.8 percent to 42.2 percent.
Guernsey and Muskingum County voters overwhelmingly passed the East Muskingum Local School District levy, 77.9 percent (1384 votes for) to 22.1 percent (393 votes against). East Muskingum had asked for the 1.3-mill renewal levy for emergency requirements.
The Noble County Board of Elections announced around 8:40pm that the Caldwell Exempted Village Schools levy has passed with 57.2 percent for (1018 votes), and 42.8 percent against (759 votes). School offcials say the 12-mill replacement levy and 7-mill additional levy will prevent more than $920,000 in budget cuts that would have occurred, if the levy failed.
Results of the primary election do not bode well, however, for many school districts in Belmont and Monroe Counties.
According to unofficial results from the Noble, Belmont, and Monroe County Boards of Elections, the Switzerland of Ohio Schools levy failed, with 48.1 percent voting for (2239 votes) and 52.9 percent voting against (2419 votes). The additional, five-year levy had been set at 6.44 mills.
Belmont County elections officials say that only one school levy - that of the St. Clairsville-Richland City District - was approved by voters on Tuesday. Levies for the Bellaire, Bridgeport, and Buckeye Local School Districts, as well as the Jefferson JVS, were all voted down.
In Bethesda, voters approved two issues: An ongoing, 3-mill levy for the Police Department was overwhelmingly approved by 68.5 percent of voters. A five-year, 1.5-mill levy for general construction passed by an even greater margin, garnering 79 percent of the vote.
For a more detailed look at election results, visit the Belmont County Board of Elections website.
Primary election results will be certified by Secretary of State Jon Husted two weeks after election day, on May 21.
Local counties among top ten, for oil and gas
Guernsey, Noble, Belmont cited among most promising
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: May 7, 2013
As the oil and gas exploration boom continues in Ohio, one business analyst has cited five area counties among the ten most promising in the state.
Jeff Bell, a staff writer for Columbus' Business First journal, recently released his "Top Ten" areas that will likely see the greatest economic impact from oil and gas drilling. With more than 250 permits issued, to date, Carroll County was ranked first among Ohio's counties. Nearby Harrison County came in second, with Columbiana County rounding out the top three.
However, much of our listening area was included in the ranks of the most promising drill sites. Guernsey County, with its 35 drilling permits, ranked fourth. And Noble, Monroe, and Belmont County took spots number six, seven, and eight. Bell said that the number of drilling permits issued in Harrison, Guernsey, Belmont, and Noble Counties has more than doubled in the last nine months.
Tom Stewart, Vice President of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, recently reiterated that southeastern Ohio is proving rich in so-called "wet gases," such as ethane, propane, and butane.
To date, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources has issued 627 permits for wells in the Utica Shale formation. Of those, 310 have been developed, and 89 are in production.
Take a closer look at Jeff Bell's report at the Columbus Business First website.
April In-Review - Thus far, Utica Shale permits have been issued in the following 22 counties:
Ashland –1
Belmont – 22
Carroll – 249
Columbiana – 68
Coshocton – 5
Geauga – 1
Guernsey – 34
Harrison – 80
Holmes – 3
Jefferson – 33
Knox – 2
Mahoning – 17
Medina – 1
Monroe – 27
Muskingum – 3
Noble – 32
Portage – 14
Stark – 13
Trumbull – 4
Tuscarawas – 13
Washington – 4
Wayne – 1
"Craigslist Killings" mastermind sentenced to death
Beasley to pay for murders in Noble & Summit Co. with his life
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: April 4, 2013
The mastermind of the "Craigslist Killings," previously convicted in the deaths of three men and the wounding of a fourth, will pay for his crimes with his life.
Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Lynn Callahan handed down the death sentence to 53-year-old Richard Beasley in an Akron courtroom on Thursday morning. The jurors which convicted Beasley in March recommended the death penalty. Judge Callahan did not opt for a sentence of life imprisonment, which was on the table.
Beasley and a teenaged co-conspirator lured their down-on-their-luck victims to Noble and Summit Counties in late 2011 with fake ads for a farm job in rural southeast Ohio, then robbed them. The lone survivor of the attacks, Scott Davis, played a key role in prosecutors' case when he testified against both Beasley and his accomplice.
Brogan Rafferty, who was 16 years old at the time of the plot, was too young to face the death penalty. Judge Callahan sentenced Rafferty to life behind bars on his conviction last year.
Caldwell man convicted, sentenced for July murder
25-year-old Jared Morrison will serve 15 years-to-life
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: March 25, 2013
A Caldwell man, charged with the July murder of his wife, was convicted and sentenced on Wednesday.
25-year-old Jerad M. Morrison entered a negotiated "guilty" plea to a single count of murder when he appeared in Noble County Common Pleas Court. Upon the recommendation of Special Prosecutor Daniel G. Padden, Morrison was immediately sentenced to 15 years-to-life in prison.
According to Noble County Sheriff Stephen S. Hannum, Morrison was arrested in the early morning hours of July 9th, after allegedly shooting his wife of 18 months at their Miller Street home. Upon arrival at the scene, Hannum and his deputies reportedly discovered the body of Tiffany Dawn Morrison on the floor of the residence, with the suspect laying next to her. Noble County Coroner Allen Spencer pronounced the victim dead at the scene.
Prosecutor Padden said that the negotiated plea was appropriate in this case, as it spared the victim's family the details of the night of her murder.
Morrison will now serve his sentence at the Orient Correction Center.
Noble Co. businesses, organizations gather Thursday
Sherri Archer honored at annual Chamber of Commerce Dinner
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: March 22, 2013
Officials and business owners gathered to honor several Noble County residents and organizations at Thursday night's Chamber of Commerce Dinner.
Noble County native Sherri Archer was post-humously honored with the Joyce M. Davis Memorial Award. Sherri, who succumbed to leukemia in July 2012, served her community as a registered nurse, through her work at the Archwood Family Restaurant in Caldwell, and with her dedication to supporting area children in need in various ways. Sherri's husband, Sherman, and children Sheldon and Sheridan (pictured) accepted the award, in her memory.
Shenandoah Elementary school teacher Marcy Murphy was honored as Educator of the Year. Farmers & Merchants Bank received the Business of the Year award, while the Noble County Community Foundation received the Organization of the Year award.
Caldwell High School graduate Morgan Massaro and Shenandoah High School graduate Etta Ray received Noble County Community Foundation Scholarships, to further their ongoing education.
Chairman Terry Rataiczak outlined the prosperous and exciting year that the Chamber has experienced, and thanked area business owners and organizations for all their contributions. Executive Director Jill McCartney invited anyone interested to join the 104 members in the Chamber.
Noble Co. farm receives new designation
Everly Farms named a "Century Farm" by Dept. of Ag.
by Z. Daniel Barnett - Published: January 28, 2013
One Noble County farm was recently recognized for more than 100 years of operation
Everly Farms - which sits on top of Perryopolis Hill, near Caldwell - is the first to receive the "Century Farm" designation from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Lorin and Eleanor Sanford, who own the 370 acre farm, say that the property has been passed down from generation to generation since 1819, before Noble County was established.
Century Farms are agriculture operations that have been owned by the same family for more than 100 years.
Last year, Noble, Athens, and Pike Counties were the last three in the state to be honored with the designation. The Agriculture Department says that there are currently 950 Century Farms across the state - at least one in each of the 88 counties. Seventy-eight were added in 2012.
