Court of appeals to convene in Lawrence County

IRONTON — The Fourth District Court of Appeals will convene on Thursday, April 5, in the Lawrence County Common Pleas Courtroom, at the Lawrence County Courthouse, to consider appellate cases from Lawrence and Scioto counties.

Cases will be argued before Presiding Judge Peter Abele and Judges William Harsha and Roger Kline.

The Fourth Appellate District is comprised of Abele, of Athens; Harsha, of Chillicothe; Kline, of Circleville; and Judge Matthew W. McFarland of Portsmouth.

The Court of Appeals directly reviews all cases heard or tried in lower courts in which a decision is being appealed. These cases may have been tried in common pleas, probate, juvenile, municipal or county courts, and may be either civil or criminal cases.

The Fourth District Court of Appeals serves the following 14 counties in Southern Ohio: Adams, Athens, Gallia, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton and Washington.

 

Chocolate event to benefit children’s advocacy center

ASHLAND, Ky. — Hope’s Place, the regional children’s advocacy center for child victims of sexual abuse, will sponsor the 14th Annual Chocolate Extravaganza Saturday, March 31 at the Ashland Town Center Mall.

Chocolate vendors will sell tastes of chocolate from local bakeries, restaurants and organizations. In addition to the opportunity to sample several varieties of chocolate specialties, Easter Baskets will be on sale. This event will begin at 10 a.m. and run until 2 p.m.

Hope’s Place is seeking chocolate vendors and basket donations from the community to assist with this event. If you or your organization is interested in participating in this event, please contact Hope’s Place.

“This special event is very important to Hope’s Place because it helps fund our general operations,” said Erica Brown, executive director. “The money raised allows us to continue to provide quality services to children and their non-offending caregivers who have been affected by sexual abuse.”

Hope’s Place provides medical exams, forensic interviews, counseling and advocacy services to children who have been sexually abused.

In 2011, Hope’s Place served 319 alleged child victims of abuse and provided services to 499 non-offending caregivers and family members affected by the abuse.

All of those services were offered at no cost to the victim or their family at Hope’s Place facility, located in downtown Ashland.

For more information about the Chocolate Extravaganza or to sign up to donate an Easter Basket or to be a Chocolate Vendor, please call Hope’s Place at (606) 325-4737 or email Erica Myers at Erica@hopesplace.org.

 

Senator announces WNF roadways to be repaired

WASHINGTON, D.C. — New federal resources have been awarded to the U.S. Forest Service in Lawrence County following weather-related damage to federal roads in Wayne National Forest.

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced resources from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration will help repair and reconstruct roads to pre-disaster conditions.

The roadway damage was caused by heavy rains and winds that began in late March 2011 until May 2011.

“Wayne National Forest is an important part of Ohio’s heritage and America’s landscape. That’s why it’s important to ensure safe road access to this important Ohio treasure,” Brown said. “These new resources will repair and reconstruct roads damaged in last year’s storms.”

Since the first land purchase in the 1930s, the Wayne National Forest has grown to more than 241,000 acres with lands in 12 counties.

Today, 70 full-time employees manage the forest for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife.

Since 2001, the Forest has completed 32 abandoned mine land projects that have improved the water quality for area watersheds.

Today, more than 500,000 visitors come to the forest annually to experience the great outdoors.

In the early 1990’s, the forest opened a designated off-highway vehicle trail system that is visited by thousands of people from across the region helping the local economy.