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THE BROWN COUNTY
PRESS
The Brown County Press Sunday, September 11, 2016 • Volume 44 No. 6 Sun Group NEWSPAPERS
Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973
www.browncountypress.com info@browncountypress.com
THE NEWS DEMOCRAT
Mt. Orab Phone (937) 444-3441 Mt. Orab Fax (937) 444-2652
Judge closes book on coroner’s inquest BY Wayne Gates Brown County Coroner Dr. Judith Varnau may not investigate the death of Zachary Goldson any further and must pay $7500 in attorneys fees. She is also prohibited from changing her ruling on his mode manner and cause of death.
That was the ruling issued on Sept. 8 by Brown County Common Pleas Judge Scott Gusweiler. “We are reviewing and studying the ruling and considering further options, including a possible appeal,” said Varnau Attorney Thomas Eagle. Plaintiffs attorney John Phillips said, “I thought it
was a well thought out, well reasoned and appropriately drafted opinion regarding the coroner and the limits on her authority.” The ruling comes after a nearly two year battle with current and former members of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office over Goldson’s death. Goldson died in custody
on October of 2013. He was found hanging in his cell. Varnau ruled the death a homicide in December of 2013. After a lengthy investigation, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation concluded that Goldson’s death a suicide in December of 2014. A Brown County Grand
Jury did not indict anyone in connection with Goldson’s death. In January of 2015, five current and former members of the Brown County Sheriff’s Office filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent Varnau from opening a coroner’s inquest into Goldson’s death.
That request was granted, along with a ruling by Gusweiler in April of 2015 that the coroner may not continue her investigation pending a final decision. A hearing on the matter was held in March of this year, with Gusweiler ruling on the case on Sept. 8. In the ruling, Gusweiler CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Ripley’s Ohio Rural Heritage Festival closes on a high note BY Martha B. Jacob Brown County Press Another Ohio Rural Heritage Festival has come and gone, but not without leaving behind, some wonderful memories. Members of the Ohio Rural Heritage Committee are pleased with the outcome of this years Sept. 1-3 festival. Just a few of the highlights of the festival include the beautiful quilt show which was enjoyed by all. Some of the winners at the festival included: • Split the Pot winner was Candy Campbell, who took home $262 • Duck Race Winners inCONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Provided
This huge pumpkin, grown by Ripley resident Al Liggett was one of the many sights seen by participants in the Garden Tour held in Ripley during the 2016 Ohio Rural Heritage Festival. The giant pumpkin weighed in at just over 600 pounds.
B R O A D S H E E T O D D
Wayne Gates/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS
A new Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins store will be opening in Mt. Orab next month. It will be on Glover Drive near LaRosa’s Pizza.
BY Wayne Gates
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Coffee, doughnuts and ice cream will soon be on the menu in Mt. Orab. Local business owner Tim
O’Hara will open a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins store on Glover Drive near LaRosa’s Pizza on October 26. O’Hara said that he saw a
need for a drive through breakfast and doughnut store, so he made the commitment. “I think they (Dunkin CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
September marked as ‘recovery month’ BY Wayne Gates September is known in the mental health and addiction treatment community as “recovery month”. “It’s a celebration of those in recovery to bring awareness to the citizens as a whole about the process. We often celebrate recoveries from physical conditions like cancer, but recovery in mental illness can get swept under the rug because no one wants to talk about it.
Recovery month brings awareness to the public that it takes hard work to recover from mental illness and we need to celebrate it,” said Brown County Board of Mental Health & Addiction Services Director Deanna Vietze. She said that a public celebration can also help those who are not affected by mental illness. “Seeing the faces of the people in recovery and seeing that they are the same
kind of people you see at work or the grocery store helps remind people that anyone can struggle with addiction or mental illness,” said Vietze. Part of the observance of recovery month will include the first 5K Recovery Run/Walk Color Explosion on Saturday, Sept. 17 in Georgetown. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m with the race beginning at 9 a.m. CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
Bob Flischel/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS
The McCafferty Farm near Fayetteville has been owned and farmed by the late Robert and Mary (McConn) McCafferty family since 1894 and is still an agricultural farm. The farm was recently named to the list of Ohio Century Farms.
‘Century Award’ presented to McCafferty farm family BY Martha B. Jacob Brown County Press Century Farms in Ohio are those farms that have been in operation under the same family for more than 100 years in the United States or Canada. In most states the require-
Index Classifieds ....16-17 Death Notices.......6 Legals ................7-9 Opinion .................4 Sports ............13-15 219 South High St. Mt. Orab, OH 45154 937-444-3441
ments for the award is that the property must have remained in the same family continuously for 100 years or more and currently be a working farm or ranch. On Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016, the McCafferty Farm near Fayetteville, known as Grandview Farm, was rec-
ognized by the Ohio Department of Agriculture as a Century Farm. State Representative Doug Green attended a special 100 year celebration at the farm. Green presented the Century Farm Award to the curCONTINUED ON PAGE 5
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Dunkin Donuts store coming to Mt. Orab