WHO HAS DONE MORE FOR SCIOTO COUNTY: TED STRICKLAND VS. VERN RIFFE

In just six months in office as Governor of the State of Ohio Scioto County has seen two companies preparing to move in and open or reopen shops in Portsmouth. The first company is Norfolk Southern Railroad bringing back the car repair shop that left many years ago. The second is a new electric company preparing a new building on the old Harbison Walker brickyard on Eight Street.

In the decades that Vern Riffe was the Ohio House Speaker, how many jobs did he bring to Scioto County? I can't think of nothing really big like Governor Strickland has done. With the exception of creating Shawnee State University to put up buildings as his personal legacy what did Vern Riffe do for the community? Even the floodwall mural shows Riffe with his personal legacy, Shawnee State University. Riffe should be shown as the man that did nothing to save our industrial base. Look at all the pictures on the floodwall that left the area under Riffe's watch at the helm in Columbus. It's not a pretty legacy to leave behind. He was really a disgrace for the entire community. I wonder why the floodwall mural doesn't say "convicted criminal, resigned in disgrace!"

Some may say that its because Strickland is the governor and he has more power. That is not true. The real power is with the Ohio House Speaker. No bill moves without the Speaker of the House giving it his blessing. So why did Riffe neglect his hometown area? It appears he did it to line his personal pocket.

Remember Riffe was one of the gang that was caught making deals that put illegal finances in his war chest. Riffe was indicted and pled out his case and then resigned in disgrace. Governor Strickland has had a reputation of working for the people and not for his personal glory. That's a big difference. Governor Strickland has not let power go to his head. Strickland has remembered his roots and openly embraced the impoverished few that still remain in the area.

Close to 200 jobs coming to the local area in the new governors first six months in office. So I believe it is obvious who cares more for the area: Governor Ted Strickland.

When you get a chance, send a note, email, letter or some form of communication to our new governor and say thank you. He deserves the support of the people! He truly is one of the people!!!! I think the Vern Riffe Country signs welcoming people to this area should be removed and replaced with Strickland Country. Remember, Riffe is a convicted criminal. We get bashed because of our criminal records even though we are just pointing out corruption in the area.

It is hypocritical to leave the Vern Riffe Country up knowing the welcome sign is from a well known convicted criminal. Then again, Portsmouth and Scioto County are controlled by unindicted felons so maybe the Riffe sign is appropriate.

John Welton (DD)

FORMER NEW BOSTON POLICE SGT. MATT POWELL SEEKS REVERSAL OF CONVICTION AT SUPREME COURT! Chief Horner may testify after all!

Will the citizens of Scioto County finally get to hear Portsmouth Police Chief under oath in the Matt Powell case? If the Ohio Supreme Court throws out the Powell conviction, we might get that day, the day when Chief Horner is forced to tell his reasons why he went after Powell back in 2003 and 2004.

Former New Boston Police Sgt. Matt Powell is seeking to have his criminal conviction for tampering with evidence thrown out at the Ohio Supreme Court. In motions filed within the last month, Sgt. Powell's attorney, James Banks, of Dublin, Ohio claims that the judge that was sent in to hear the case was without standing to hold a jury trial in the State of Ohio.

According to Attorney Banks, the Ohio Supreme Court has ruled that a "private judge" can not be sent in to do jury trials. The judge that the Ohio Supreme Court sent in to preside over the State of Ohio vs. Matt Powell was Judge Richard Markus, a retired judge. Does this make Judge Markus a "private judge" as defined by the Ohio Supreme Court? It sounds like it does to me.

In rulings passed down by the Ohio Supreme Court in the last few months the Supreme Court Justices stated that private judges can only preside over "bench trials" which means their is no jury present to hear a case. The judge is the decision maker in the case. This case could set precedence in state law if the Powell case is reversed.

Powell was convicted of tampering with evidence. The Powell case originated because of a feud started by Portsmouth Police Chief Charles Horner. Chief Horner was upset with Powell because Powell and officers of the Portsmouth Police Department chased a suspect into Kentucky and then returned the man to Ohio without proper extradition papers from Kentucky.

Chief Horner became annal retentive against Sgt. Powell and started a secret investigation against Powell, his girlfriend Teresa Blankenship, and their friend, Attorney Eric Wrage. Chief Horner issued secret memos ordering that any of his officers that had any contact with Powell to write a memo and send it to Horner.

Chief Horner fought to stay off the witness stand during Powell's first trial. I believe this was judicial error. Chief Horner caused the investigation and then hid like a coward refusing to testify, fighting at every turn to not get on the stand. I believe the big reason Chief Horner didn't want to testify was because he would have had to admit under oath that his son was a drug abuser/dealer in Scioto County area. Sgt. Powell claims he was investigating the actions of Chief Horner's son at the time he was put under investigation by Horner up to and including the day Powell was arrested.

It is unclear when the Ohio Supreme Court will decide the case. If you want to monitor the filings in the appeal click on the following link and scroll down to the pleadings. If a document has been scanned in you can open it up and read it.

http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/clerk_of_court/ecms/resultsbycasenumber.asp?type=3&year=2007&number=0851&myPage=searchbypartyname.asp

More on this story later.

John Welton (DD)

WOMAN WANTS OUR HELP TO SMEAR LOCAL POLITICIAN! SEEMS THIS WOMAN LIKES SLEEPING AROUND THEN CAUSING TROUBLE!

I have received emails and telephone calls from a woman named Olivia Kelly (picture above)seeking my help and the help of others to smear/expose a local politician that she claims she had a baby with. This individual allegedly is a Scioto County Commissioner who Olivia claims she has had a romance with for quite some time. This woman seems to be, in my opinion, "weird", to put it mildly. Some of the phone calls from this woman to me have stated, "I need your help finding someone but I can't tell you who the person is." Then within a couple of minutes I get an angry return call claiming I'm ignoring her because she somehow learned I'm friends with the politician she claims fathered her child. I have saved the phone call messages and emails she sent me so she can not state that she did not contact me asking me for help. This woman has also been writing on local internet forums about her trist with this local politician.

Now I find on the internet another story about Olivia Kelly. This story states that she has another child out of wedlock and that she and that son have filed a case for her son to have visitation with his father's other children. What strikes me with this new story is how this woman claims that she wants to "keep her kids out of the public eye." Her public action makes me doubt her private statements. For those of you that have had contact with this woman in the past, I wonder if you knew this was going on in a county up north? Here is that story for you to read:

Teen suing father for visitation rights Friday, May 5, 2006 BY Shane Hoover REPOSITORY STAFF WRITER
BOB ROSSITER


Mark Brigham and his mother, Olivia Kelly, show pictures of Mark with his half sisters. The Washington Township teen is suing his father in Columbiana County for visitation rights with the girls.


WASHINGTON TWP. - Mark Brigham wants to see his half sisters, so the 14-year-old Washington Township boy is taking the bold step of taking his father to court in an attempt to make it happen. Brigham is a freshman at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. He runs track and is hoping to play football next year.


What he wants most, he said, is to be able to visit his two half sisters who live in Minerva.
“I’m asking to see them on weekends and on holidays,” Brigham said. “Just normal brother-sister stuff. To be able to hang out together.”



Brigham was born after his father — who also is named Mark Brigham — had an affair with a woman, Olivia Kelly. The teen said he first learned he had three half sisters — one is an adult, the other two are teens — a few years ago. Kelly introduced him to one of the girls at a soccer game. “Mark could tell who his sisters were,” Kelly said, flipping through a photo album with pictures of her son with the girls. “They all look alike.”


For a while, Brigham had contact with his sisters, but that ended after a dispute between Kelly and the elder Mark Brigham over child support, Kelly said.
Brigham and the girls now keep in touch through meetings at high school sporting events and e-mail. If the girls’ parents find out, they get grounded, she said.


“I don’t understand why they can’t let these kids be together,” Kelly said.
The girls’ parents, Mark and Mary Brigham, could not be reached for comment. Messages were left at a phone listing for the couple. Both sides will meet before a Columbiana County judge next week in Lisbon for a hearing.


“I’ve never heard of a case like this,” the boy’s attorney, Thomas J. Tangi, said.
The attorney said he took the case because it presents a chance to expand the limits of the law, “and he’s a nice kid.” Dick W. Mount Jr., attorney for Mark and Mary Brigham, said the case brings up an interesting issue, but declined to comment further with the case pending.
Reach Repository writer Shane Hoover at (330) 580-8338 or e-mail: http://us.f379.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=shane.hoover@cantonrep.com

If the local politician is the father of this woman's second child then he should step up and take care of the baby. It's my understanding this woman was around the Scioto County Area right before the November 2006 elections. She claims that the elected official told her to stay quiet until after the election and that he would then take care of her. If this is true, the Commissioner should resign his office.

My question to Olivia is: What does she want from this married man?? What happened, if true, was wrong by both of them. Looking at what this woman is doing up north leads me to believe that this politician should step forward soon and explain this story. If not, I expect we will see this woman, her baby, and a story in the local press very soon. Seems she knows how to play the game! Especially the political game!

Just for the record: The Scioto County Commissioner is NOT Commissioner Mike Crabtree! (Thought I would ensure Crabtree's wife/family doesn't accuse him!) Oh well, as much as I hat to clear him, it's not Tom Reiser either.

So, can you figure it out now??? There's only 3 of them!

John Welton (DD)

FIRST WARD CITY COUNCILMAN MIKE MEARAN LIES TO PUBLIC! HIS CLIENT HAS VESTED INTEREST IN ADELPHIA BUILDING!

Why would First Ward Portsmouth City Councilman Mike Mearan tell a bold face lie to the citizens that attended the Portsmouth City Council Meeting last night, June 11, 2007? Councilman Mearan was questioned by a local citizen as to why he did not recuse from the vote on placing the new city building at the Adelphia site due to his representation of the man seeking a 10 year tax deduction on the property if it is used by the City of Portsmouth.

Councilman Mearan stated that "he" doesn't have an interest in the Adelphia building therefore he could vote on the matter. The problem with that statement is that he is the "agent" of the man that does own the property therefore he does have a vested interest in seeing that his "agent" is taken care of. So, First Ward Councilman Mearan is a liar! But we all knew that anyway didn't we.

Let's look at the entire background on the Adelphia building and I think you will see the truth behind Mike Mearan. First, Attorney Mike Mearan appeared at Portsmouth City Council offering the building to City Council for the fee of $1.00 with the one condition that the building be used for 10 years so his client could get a tax abatement/break/refund, etc. on the building.

The Adelphia building had been on the local market for sale for many years by local realtor Neal Hatcher but no buyers came forward to purchase the building. It appeared that City Council had no interest in the building either.

So, what happened next?

Second, the First Ward City Council Seat became vacant. Step into the picture, Attorney Mike Mearan. Mearan had not attended City Council Meetings (at least not more than once or twice in the times I had attended the meetings since 2003) but now he wants to become a City Councilman. Attorney Mearan is blessed by City Council President Howard Baughman and welcomed on board.

Third, First Ward Councilman Mearan actively persued being placed on the Portsmouth Building/Planning Committee. One of their first actions was to choose a site for the new City Building. The choice made was the Adelphia Building. Any big surprise? Not to me. The moment Councilman Mearan took his seat on City Council I could see the writing on the wall.

So, now Councilman Mearan, the agent of a Californian, has completed his job for his personal client. This decision is one of the dirtiest ever perpetuated on the citizens of Portsmouth but nothing appears to be happening to force Councilman Mearan to come clean with his true reason for pushing the Adelphia Building.

Councilman Mearan is known for getting behind closed doors and getting his way. Many court cases have been decided on Mearan's behalf by local judges only to be overturned as illegal by the 4th Court of Appeals.

Then again, what else could we expect when Attorney Mearan is willing to work one of his personal clients against the other to take away personal property of one to give to the other. That's exactly what Attorney Mearan did to a man and his mother in Wheelersburg. Mearan got his personal and former business partner to give a small loan (around $3,000 to another client of Mearan's) and forced the client to sign a note using his and his mother's home as collateral. The home is valued at around $50,000. When the young man and his mother couldn't come up with the money, Attorney Mearan moved in for the kill and took over the house.

With actions such as this why would it surprise anyone that Councilman Mearan would act unethically in the city building decision? It didn't surprise me one bit.

Maybe people should take notice. A guy picking his nose as much as Councilman Mearan isn't trustworthy. He has something to hide!

John Welton (DD)

FORMER SCIOTO COUNTY SHERIFF DEPUTY CHARGED WITH SEX CRIME GIVEN OKAY BY JUDGE TO GET EMT LICENSE! 4th Court of Appeals Says No-way!

A couple of years ago Scioto County Deputy Sheriff Billy J. Cantrell pled guilty to having sex with a female inmate at the Scioto County Jail. Deputy Cantrell claimed that the sex was consensual but after pressure was put on by local internet site owners, including the Sentinel and Dougdeepe, Deputy Cantrell was eventually charged with the crime of sexual imposition.

With this conviction Deputy Cantrell lost his job as a deputy sheriff but Sheriff Marti Donini paid this sex offender unemployment compensation. While serving his jail time Cantrell was observed in his jail jumpsuit sitting behind the desk of Sheriff Donini with his feet up on top of the desk. It appeared Cantrell was receiving special treatment inside the jail. Was this because Cantrell was not the only deputy having sex with female inmates? Or was he just the only one we have caught so far?

On May 26, 2000 Billy Cantrell filed a motion with the State of Ohio in an attempt to get his EMT license reinstated. Cantrell was a certified EMT when he was found guilty of the sex case and lost his license as an EMT.

In his application for his licensure as an EMT Cantrell stated that he had never been convicted of a crime that involved "moral turpitude". Cantrell was granted his EMT license back in 2000. Then on August 30, 2004, Cantrell was required to file an application for re certification for his state EMT license. On this renewal certification Cantrell admitted he had been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor which initiated an investigation by the Ohio State Board of Emergency Medical Services. The hearing officer ruled that Cantrell's sex conviction was a conviction involving "moral turpitude" and Cantrell's EMT license was revoked. The hearing officer tried to give Cantrell a 90 day suspension of his license but the full board revoked his license permanently.

On May 17, 2006 Cantrell went in to Scioto County Common Pleas Court seeking a reversal of the EMS Board decision. It is unclear at this point which judge handled the case. Unbelievably, the judge presiding over this case ruled that having sex with an inmate in custody did not reach the level of "moral turpitude" and ordered Cantrell to be reinstated as an EMT putting the public at risk with a sex offender possibly arriving on the scene of an emergency call.

The Ohio 4th District Court of Appeals disagreed with the judge. On January 5, 2007 the 4th District Court of Appeals issued an order reversing this crazy decision by one of the Scioto County Common Pleas Court Judges. The court of appeals justices cited that while Cantrell's sex with the woman may have been consensual, it put the Scioto County Sheriff and the judicial system in a bad public perception. The justices were not convinced that Cantrell didn't use his position as the jailer of the woman to get sex with her.

Why would local judges consider giving a license to such an individual as this former Scioto County Deputy? This man violated the public's trust as a law enforcement officer. Why would he be given another chance with the public trust? That should never have been an option. Did Cantrell have something on the judge that heard his case? Something smells in this case! Cantrell had free reign of the jail while incarcerated and then was being helped to obtain a high paying job! In fact, his criminal record is no longer in the judicial files. Did the judges expunge this record as was done with Sheriff Marti Donini's criminal record? Judge Harcha illegally sealed up Donini's criminal past to make Donini eligible to run for Scioto County Sheriff. It seems like the same thing is happening with Billy Cantrell. We will find out what judge sealed up Cantrell's record and publish it sometime next week.

More on this story later!

John Welton (DD)

WHY DID JUDGE HOWARD HARCHA III SEAL UP THE JANUARY HEARING FOR IMPRISONED MURDERER JOHN ADAM'S EVIDENTIARY HEARING? Is he hiding something?

Is Judge Howard Harcha III hiding information from the citizens of Portsmouth concerning the evidentiary hearing of convicted murderer John Martin Adams? Judge Harcha held an evidentiary hearing in January 2007 trying to see why his court reporter (I believe it is a woman named Connie Porter) can't seem to get the original trial transcript in order.

The 4th Court of Appeals ordered this evidentiary hearing and has threatened to give John Martin Adams a new trial if the trial record is not properly corrected. Adams was convicted of the murder of Portsmouth Community Development Director Bob Burns a couple years ago. Adam's attorney James Banks has been fighting for an appeal for his client but can not get a true and accurate transcript from Judge Harcha's court reporter. The court reporter normally sits in the courtroom and takes her information using shorthand. Many people that witness this in the courtroom complain that there is no way her hand can get all the information down with 2 or 3 or more people talking at one time.

Why would Judge Harcha III allow such an error to occur? Now why has he sealed up the transcript of the hearing in January 2007 to prevent the public from reviewing what went on in the hearing? What is Judge Harcha III hiding?

We will eventually get that record and report to you what we find. Until then Judge Harcha's courtroom should be scrutinized by anyone that enters the doors! Are fair trials being ran in that courtroom? Evidently, NOT!

John Welton (DD)

PORTSMOUTH PASTOR SCOTT RAWLINGS BLASTS LOCAL FELONS BUT SUPPORTS NATIONAL FELON IN HIS NEWSPAPER!

The other day I learned that Portsmouth Pastor Scott Rawlings was publishing a weekly newspaper in the Portsmouth area and that myself and other internet writers were the target of one of his stories. It seems that Pastor Rawlings had a problem with local felons such as myself, Lee Scott (now owner of the Columbia Music Hall), and Danny Baker leading the charge for change in the Portsmouth City Government. Pastor Rawlings (and I use the term Pastor with serious reservation) believes that it was our purpose to somehow take over the City of Portsmouth when in fact our goal was to simply bring out the facts as to why Portsmouth remains in the terrible financial condition because of some local mafiaosa type individuals.

Then I find out that under the article where Pastor Rawlings is attacking us, in his own newspaper, titled "Battle Strategies, How to Win The Culture War", authored by a man named Charles Colson. How many of you remember "Chuckie" Colson? If you forgot let me remind you. (A copy of his story is at the left of the screen.)

HE IS A CONVICTED FELON THAT HELPED PRESIDENT RICHARD NIXON COVERUP THE CRIME CONCERNING WATERGATE!

Oh my, Pastor Rawlings newspaper supporting a convicted felon. Now how hypocritical is that? Or, is the fact that Chuckie Colson is a fellow "Republican", right wing moral majority believer, that gives him special favors of Pastor Scott Rawlings? Once again we have a so called pastor speaking out of both sides of his mouth. What Rawlings and his newspaper are all about is the continuation of the Right Wing Moral Majority Cause. Rawlings wants to become a force in that movement. The movement has some just causes but many of the leaders of that group are pure loony tunes! What better example of how crazy many of the leaders in that group are than to see Rawlings yapping about felons yet publishing stories by a national felon.

Look around Portsmouth. The SOGP gangsters are a mixture of both Democrats and Republicans. Both groups are stealing the citizens blind, not just one of the parties, both are doing it. They have joined forces to keep Portsmouth and Scioto County in a blight condition so they can control multi million dollars in federal grant money which ends up in their collective pockets. There really is a mafia group in the City of Portsmouth and its name is the Southern Ohio Growth Partnership. The majority of the loans are to members of the gang. They make you swear an oath of silence to keep membership business quiet. If that's not the MOB, then what is? Now we learn Scott Rawlings is a mouthpiece for the mob. What better cover than having a pastor in the pulpit doing your bidding? A fox in sheep's clothing, Scott Rawlings. Read his paper with this in mind and it comes into a clear picture. Rawlings is trying to pollute the public through his religious affiliation but in reality it is just another political plot.

It appears that Rawlings believes that it is okay to support a "national felon" who happens to find religion in prison. I'm not doubting Colson's claim to finding the Lord in prison. Many people inside the prison walls do find their way to Christ in prison. That's about the only rehabilitation that goes on inside the walls of most prisons inside this country. The problem is that just because a man claims he has found the Lord doesn't clean his slate from being a convicted felon. Chuckie Colson is still and will always remain a convicted felon.

Colson's crime involved helping the President of the United States Richard M. Nixon attempt to cover up the crimes of the Watergate breakin. Colson worked closely with the Watergate burglars such as G. Gordon Liddy and helped facilitate illegal cash payments to these men to keep them quiet. Colson was involved in a situation that went to the core values of this country. Colson obstructed the law at the highest levels of government which eventually led to the demise of a sitting U.S. President.

Rawlings seems to overlook these facts and helps publicize Colson's attempt to tell others how to win future battles. I find this amazing coming from a supposed man of God like Rawlings.

A felon is a felon, no matter what type of new wrapper you put around him. So where does Rawlings come off attacking us claiming that because we are prior felons that we don't have a right to expose corruption in the City of Portsmouth and Scioto County? Is Rawlings afraid that sometime the path of corruption may lead us to the doors of his church???? Usually those that come out and yap about us believe we are getting very close to uncovering something about them. I expect to start receiving more emails about Rawlings church and Rawlings the man once my readers see he is now on our radar screen.

Well, another hypocrite exposed. Does it really surprise you?

John Welton (DD)