C o n t i n u i n g To P r o u d l y S e r v e C a r r o l l C o u n t y S i n c e 1 8 3 1 $1.00
Thursday, March 5, 2020
freepressstandard.com
Commissioners learn preparations are being Judge Repella sentences Lee to year in prison for sex offense made in case of a coronavirus outbreak By NANCY SCHAAR FPS Correspondent
Carroll County Emergency Management Director Tom Cottis advised the Board of Commissioners at the March 2 meeting, that he is taking an inventory of personal protective equipment to make sure the county is ready if there is an outbreak of the coronavirus. Cottis said that the Ohio Department of Health is taking the lead in preparing for an outbreak. The EMA office will be the site of a call center to handle the increase in calls as concern grows in the community regarding the virus. Cottis said that volunteers will be available to handle calls if needed. Job and Family Services Director Kate Offenberger reported that two social workers have resigned. One left to work in another county and one resigned to take a job closer to her home. Offenberger said that retaining staff is getting more difficult. She said her department has seen a significantly higher turnover since 2016. Offenberger said she has been advertising for three open positions in her department but only a few people have shown interest. “Social workers average a year and a half before deciding they cannot do the work,” said Offenberger, explaining that the staff is young and the case load is very large. In another matter, commissioners were asked by resident Judy Berkley if the Common Pleas courtroom would
be available for one or two days for filming of a movie that she is producing. Wirkner said permission must first come from Judge Repella, then the Courthouse Security Committee would have to approve the plan, and then the issue would come to commissioners for final approval. Commissioner Jeff Ohler suggested perhaps the filming could be done on a Saturday so that it would not interfere with court schedules and court business. Beckley said she would follow up on their recommendations. Commissioner Clerk Supervisor Christopher Modranski told the board that he had attended the pre-construction meeting for the Amsterdam sewer project. Arcadis Design and Consultants portion will total $1,575,046. Contract 1 will be with Workman Industrial at a cost of $2,419,780. This portion will run from April 6, 2020 for 545 days. Contract 2 will be with Rudzik Excavating, Inc. at a cost of $7,190,203 and will run from March 16, 2020 to Aug. 31, 2020. Contract 3 will be with Alex E. Paris of Atlasburg, PA, in the amount of $1,867,785. Mobilizing will run from March 16, 2020 to April 6, 2020 and demobilization will conclude on March 16, 2021. The total cost of the project is estimated at $13,047,815, with funding coming from the Appalachian Regional Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority, United States Department of Agriculture, Community Development Block Grant Funds, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Carroll County Auditor Lynn Fair-
clough informed commissioners at the March 2 meeting that Rover Pipeline had submitted a tax payment to the county based on the reduced property valuation for which they had applied. Wirkner said the full amount would be due until the court makes a decision regarding Rover’s application for a reduced valuation. He will meet with Fairclough to review the situation. In other business commissioners: - MET in executive session with Prosecuting Attorney Steven Barnett to discuss imminent litigation with no action taken. - APPOINTED Captain Cheryl Keyser to the Airport Zoning Board of Appeals for a three year term ending March 31, 2023. - WILL accept bids up to 9:30 a.m. on March 30, 2020 for resurfacing projects. Specifications may be obtained at the county engineer’s office. - ACCEPTED the quote from J. Green Excavating for $3,592 to connect the existing septic tank at the dog pound to the tie-in of the new sewer line. - GRANTED a special hauling permit to M-M Sawmill and Lumber for portions of Avalon and Bedrock roads. A $50,000 bond has been posted per County Engineer Brian Wise. - APPROVED the appointment of Jennifer Burns as the Family and Children First Council’s administrator. Jessica Ailing will serve as the FCFC services coordinator. Burns advised that the FCFC has moved to the Ohio Means Jobs building. - RECEIVED the dog pound report with one impounded, four adopted out, one redeemed, zero destroyed, two citations for no license and one citation for running at large.
ALEX DEATON Carrollton
JACELYN GRIFFITH Carrollton
ZOE SIKORSKY Malvern
Five area spellers to compete at regional bee this Saturday Students from four area schools will represent their respective school district in the annual Repository’s regional spelling bee to be held this Saturday, March 7, at GlenOak High School Theater starting at 1:30 p.m. Representing the Carrollton Exempted Village School District will be Alex Deaton, a 6th grader who won the Feb. 19 local spelling contest, and Jacelyn Griffith, a 7th grader and the runnerup. Zoe Sikorsky, a 6th grader and winner of Malvern’s Middle School spelling bee held Jan. 22, will represent Brown Local School District. Minerva’s local Feb. 3 spelling bee winner, Kayley Duncan, an 8th grader, is representing the Minerva Local School District. Lincoln White, a 7th grader at Sandy Valley, will represent the Sandy Valley Local School District. The winner of Saturday’s regional spelling bee will be eligible to participate in the national spelling bee to be held in Washington, D. C. in May. Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. bee is open to the public and free admission.
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By NANCY SCHAAR FPS Correspondent On Monday, March 2, Gary D. Lee, Jr. was sentenced in Carroll County Common Pleas Court by Judge Michael V. Repella II, on one count of importuning, a Tier I sex offense. In a hearing held Feb. 25, Lee had changed his plea on the importuning charge to guilty and waived his right to a trial. Lee had been found guilty on Tier II charges of pandering and pandering obscenity involving a minor and was sentenced Feb. 13, 2020, for a minimum of 10 years in prison for those charges. Judge Repella sentenced Lee to one year of additional prison time to be served consecutively after the first ten years have been served. At Monday’s hearing, Carroll County Prosecutor Steven Barnett told Repella that the importuning plea resulted from negotiations with court-appointed defense attorney, Mike Boske and Lee. Barnett recommended that Lee be sentenced to 12 months. By accepting the plea agreement, the child will not have to testify. Judge Repella said he had read the victim impact statements. Repella explained that Lee will face community sanctions when he is released from prison, including having to register as a Tier I and Tier II sex offender for a total of 25 years. The victim’s mother asked to address Lee before sentencing. She asked Lee to turn around and face her but he would not. She told Lee, “I don’t know what to say to you. There are so many things. I pray that God has mercy on your soul, but I also hope you rot in hell.” Saying she had to endure going through the disgusting photos Lee had in order to identify her daughter, she reminded Lee that he will have to register as a sex offender for many years. “My daughter was not your first victim, but I will somehow make sure she was your last,” she said. She thanked Judge Repella for doing what he promised voters he would do and told Lee, “The judge is protecting
GARY LEE JR. other children and the community from men like you.” Judge Repella said this sentencing had been deeply on his mind in the last week. “I must protect our society. I will make sure these sentences are consecutive and not concurrent. You have to serve time for this count. This crime was different from the others. This can’t be understated. I won’t put up with it. Only one year disturbs me. If I could give you longer, I would,” said Judge Repella. Judge Repella said he will protect the community from future crimes from Lee. The judge said the longer Lee is in prison, the better off the community will be. The judge explained that Lee has to report as a sex offender for 15 years on the previous charges and he must now register as a sex offender for an additional ten years. The judge explained the plea agreement before asking Lee to sign the document. “We will take a DNA sample, you will have 5 more years of post-release controls. You are to have no contact with the victim. I mean no contact. I will not mess with that. Stay away,” concluded Judge Repella.
Sunday, March 8, 2020 EMA deputy director resigns, search begins for replacement By NANCY SCHAAR FPS Correspondent
KAYLEY DUNCAN Minerva
classified pg. 15
LINCOLN WHITE Sandy Valley
obits pg. 4
Emergency Management Agency Director Tom Cottis submitted EMA Deputy Director Brett Lee’s resignation to the Board of Commissioners Feb. 27. “Brett has accepted a position with Portage County as their deputy director,” said Cottis. Cottis asked the board to accept the resignation and to advertise the vacancy. “Mr. Lee has done a lot for the county and will be missed,” said Commission-
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er Lewis Mickley. Commissioner Bob Wirkner said he feels that position is a revolving door, with individuals hired, trained, and moving on to a better job. Cottis said he agreed but other counties can pay much more than Carroll County is able to pay at this time. Wirkner said that commissioners did make a counter offer to Lee but that it didn’t come close to what he was offered from Portage County. Commissioners accepted the resignation and authorized Cottis to advertise the position as available. Wirkner said that Lee has served the county well. Lee, whose last day will be March 20, has been deputy director for 18 months.
sports pg. 8