Round-up: Strays and Penny Candy

Sad news – a baby, Beca Cunningham, was killed in a mobile-home fire Wednesday morning on Morgan Road in Elk Township near McArthur, according to the Vinton County Coroner's Office. Few details about this tragedy have been released.

McArthur Volunteer Fire Department was assisted by Zaleski Fire Dept, Hamden Fire Dept, Vinton County EMS, Vinton County EMA, Vinton County Sheriff’s Office, Ohio Division of State Fire Marshal’s Office, United Way of Vinton County and Hopewell Health.

Gregory Leibbrand said someone dropped off two stray dogs at his place of the airport on Pumpkin Ridge Road in Vinton County. He said neighbors first saw these dogs running loose in the area on Saturday morning, Nov. 26. He said the dogs, both Dobermans, were getting into the neighbor’s trash because they were starving. Dogs were running around standing on the road – lost & looking for their owner.

Leibbrand said he notified the proper authorities but he said the response was slow so he contacted Jackson County Dog Warden due to a response on that website advising these two dogs may have been re-homed from Jackson County. He said the Jackson County Dog Warden replied saying that she would look into finding out something.

I hope and pray this matter gets resolved and that these dogs find a loving home.

Speaking of dogs, the dog case from the attack on Shea Road near Lake Hope in early November is still percolating up through the court system in Vinton County.

Dogs’ owners Shaun Bartoe and Cassandra Rhoads face misdemeanor charges for the attack that sent Eva Simons to the hospital where she endured multiple surgeries and had her left leg partially amputated.

Dogs’ owners are seeking a jury trial but nothing has been set in stone yet.

Simons, 64, underwent surgery, reconstructive surgery on her right leg and her left leg had to be partially amputated, according to her GoFundme page.

A conviction of each of these misdemeanor charges would be $50 fine for each count, plus $82 in court costs – a total of $382 – no jail time.

In other news, Barry Ames reached out to me about matters he’s been dealing with. I need to get more information before I can say more, but his case looks rather interesting.

Changing the subject – when I was in Hamden the other day at Hammond’s Hardware, I made a note to reach out to Mayor Chuck Boyer. We connected and the good mayor talked comings and goings in his neck of the woods. I need to visit the water treatment plant.

Mayors of Wilkesville and Zaleski, please reach out to me at mlayton@vintonjacksoncourier.com so I can put news from your villages in our paper.

Speaking of Hamden, Hammond Hardware sells candy by the bin – you can pick and choose what you want. My kids will like that.

And they got a new knife case – lot of cool knives for sale there.

Got a drink cooler too – I think it costs $1.50 for Coke in the bottle.

That hardware store has been there a long time – sort of an icon for the community.

Found Cornelius Chapel the other day as I was traveling by Creola. Pastor Jerry Griffith writes those columns that we publish in the paper.

Remember to go to Christmas in Downtown McArthur on Saturday. Looks like it’ll be a good time. We’ll be open and handing out Letters to Santa forms that can be filled out, published in the newspaper.

On that note, send any Letters to Santa to my email address. I’m planning to reach out to the school system to see if they would be interested in helping me get kids’ letters.