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PRESS

The Brown County Press Sunday, December 15, 2013 • Volume 41 No. 19 Serving Brown County, Ohio since 1973

Sun Group NEWSPAPERS

www.browncountypress.com bcpress@frontier.com Phone (937) 444-3441 Fax (937) 444-2652

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THE BROWN COUNTY

Smith deaths ruled murder-suicide BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press Andrew Smith shot his estranged wife Genevieve Smith once in the head and then killed himself the same way. That information was provided by Brown County Coroner Dr. Judith Varnau. Varnau also discussed the circumstances around the discovery of the two bodies on Schwallie Road near Ripley on Friday, December 6. “I found two individuals. The male was in the drivers seat and both of them were buckled in. It appeared to be a suicide and a homicide, and it appeared that he had been the perpetrator”, Varnau said by telephone. Varnau said via e-mail that the Smith’s were declared dead by her at 10:40

p.m. on Friday night, but they may have been dead for up to 36 hours prior to that. The bodies were sent to the Montgomery County Coroner for autopsy on December 8. Varnau reported via e-mail that they have already been released back to the family for burial. Meanwhile, details are emerging about the possible reasons why Andrew Smith violated two protection orders against contacting Genevieve Smith. According to statements to police by Andrew Smith, Jr., his father had terminal cancer and was trying to talk to his estranged wife about spending more time with his children before he died. In a statement to Mt. Orab police, Smith junior wrote that his father had

taken him to Hillsboro to see his girlfriend and on the way back “he decided to stop and try to talk to her about seeing the kids. My father has cancer and only has about three months to live, he hadn’t talked to them in a while and wanted to let them know they wouldn’t have him around much longer, and try to spend as much time with them as possible.” Smith senior was pulled over by Mt. Orab Police Officer George Baker on November 25. Genevieve Smith reported to police that she had seen Smith senior and her son in the area of First State Bank where she was employed. “I saw my estranged husbands car drive by the bank on Tri-County Highway, turn around in the Dollar

General parking lot and turn into Howser’s”, she wrote. She said she told the officer that she had planned to stop at Kroger on her way home. “I was on my way to Kroger when my co-worker called and said she was right behind him and that my son was with him. I called 911.” Genevieve Smith then stated that Smith senior pulled ahead of her into the Kroger parking lot, but he fled the area when we saw a Mt. Orab police officer approach her car. Genevieve Smith also apparently had requested a protection order against her son, writing “also protection order against him”, when discussing Andrew Smith, Jr., in her statement.” CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

Provided/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Genevieve Smith

Four charged in separate Mt. Orab Gold Star home invasions/burglaries Chili giving $50 gift certificates out to kids BY Wayne Gates The Brown County Press

Two separate home invasion incidents are making their way through Brown County courts. Eric Widmeyer, 24 of Williamsburg, is facing multiple kidnapping, robbery and burglary charges after allegedly breaking into the home of a former girlfriend and kidnapping her and her two young children in November, forcing them to leave their home with him. The children were five and three years old. Widmeyer is also charged with Felonious As-

BY Martha B. Jacob The Brown County Press Every Tuesday at the Mt. Orab Gold Star Chili, kids age 10 and under eat for free, when accompanied by a paying adult. Now, according to Gold Star, and The Mt. Orab Food Court owners, Gary and Kathy Wallace, they will also be offering $50 Toys “R” Us® gift cards at Gold Star to one lucky child, 10 and younger, every Tuesday from now until Christmas. “We have a lot of parents and children every Tuesday, supporting Gold Star,” Gary Wallace said, “this is just our way of showing our support for them for the holidays. It’s something we can do for our community.” According to Kathy Wallace, each child who comes in to Gold Star with an adult can sign up for the drawing and are given a ticket which is entered into the Tuesday drawing. “We start all over again on Wednesday, for the next week, and all the tickets are thrown away,” Kathy said.

Provided/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Hunter Asbury, Williamsburg is one of the recent $50.00 Toys “R” Us® gift certificates winners at Mt. Orab Gold Star.

“We had our first drawing on Tuesday Dec. 3 and one child was given the $50 gift card to Toys “R” Us®. It was really a lot of fun and we look forward to doing it again on Tuesday Dec. 10, 17 and 24. All the winners will be announced in the paper after Christmas.”

But the Christmas Spirit doesn’t stop there for the Wallace family. For the past few years, the businesses at The Food Court CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

sault for striking his former girlfriend and Tampering With Evidence. Brown County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Zac Corbin said Widmeyer “showed up and made entrance to her home by force, he threatened her, demanded money, caused harm to her and then he removed them from the home and forced them to go with him. Fortunately, the mom got away, she was quick thinking and managed to save herself and the kids and get away.” Widmeyer faces three first degree felony Kidnapping counts, and one first degree felony count each

Provided/ THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Eric Widmeyer

of Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Burglary. Widmeyer is also CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

B R O A D S H E E T O D D

Georgetown Schools awarded $384K in state grant funding BY Martha B. Jacob The Brown County Press The Georgetown Exempted Village School District will share in a $15

million Ohio Department of Education Straight A Fund Grant along with 25 other school districts in the Ohio Appalachian Collaborative Personalized

Learning Network (OACPLN). According to Eric Toole, treasurer for the board, the Georgetown district has CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

2013 Georgetown Christmas Parade

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Index Classifieds...........22, 23 Court News................20 Death Notices..............6 Education...................11

Opinion ........................4 Social .........................10 Sports ...................18,19

219 South High St. Mt. Orab, OH 45154

Provided/THE BROWN COUNTY PRESS

Participants and spectators alike braved the elements on Saturday, December 7 for the 2013 Georgetown Christmas Parade. Pictured above is Doug Green and friends on the Hometown Heroes float. See more pictures and story on page 15.


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