Martins Ferry Appoints New Safety Director

MARTINS FERRY — Safety services took center stage at Wednesday’s Martins Ferry City Council meeting as Melissa Yeso was appointed safety director and officials reflected on last week’s catastrophic Pearl Street fire that claimed the life of one resident. “Unfortunately, we had ...

Powhatan Point Man Arrested On Drug Trafficking Charges

A Powhatan Point man, arrested last week on an outstanding warrant, stands accused of possessing approximately 69 grams of fentanyl at his home, according to the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office. Jonathan Hawthorne, 44, was taken to Belmont County Jail on charges of possession and trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine, according to a BSCO release. According to the release, detectives with the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Interdiction Unit assigned to the Attorney General’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission learned that Hawthorne had an active warrant ...

A.I. Errors Cited In Denial Of Injunction Over Parkersburg Sanitation Contracts

PARKERSBURG ­— A Wood County judge on Tuesday denied a petition seeking an injunction to prevent Parkersburg officials from moving forward with potential contracts for trash and recycling services, in part because it contained inaccurate citations generated by AI. Circuit Judge J.D. Beane’s order was released ahead of public meetings in which members of Parkersburg City Council and the administration were expected to hear questions and concerns from residents then vote on the first readings of ordinances authorizing the contracts with Waste Management and Rumpke. Carole ...

Discussion Over Grant Funds Turns Contentious During Steubenville Council Meeting

STEUBENVILLE—Mayor Ralph Petrella made it clear Tuesday he won’t hesitate to step in to maintain order on council floor. During Tuesday’s meeting, his first as presiding officer, Petrella struck his gavel off his desktop twice in quick succession to get control of what was turning into a tense back-and-forth between Council members Royal Mayo and Tracy McManamon. McManamon had reminded council of an upcoming meeting with their grant-writing consultant and the regional director of Ohio Mid-eastern Governmental Association, prompting Mayo to question how they could give the ...

Randy Chamberlain Sworn In as Moundsville Mayor

Moundsville’s government remained in the hands of experienced leaders as Randy Chamberlain was sworn in as mayor by City Clerk Sondra Hewitt on Tuesday as his son Randall and wife Becky looked on. Chamberlain first joined city council in 1975 and served multiple terms in the 1980s before ...