Jury finds man innocent after trial
STEUBENVILLE - A Jefferson County Common Pleas Court jury deliberated about 90 minutes Friday before returning with innocent verdicts in favor of a Toronto-area man charged with fondling two girls.
William M. Arnold, 31, of state Route 152, Toronto, was charged with unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, involving a then 13-year-old girl in January 2008, and sexual imposition, involving a then 14-year-old girl in June.
Defense attorney Francesca Carinci said the girls have a history of making the same allegations.
"It is all over custody and divorce issues. I'm just glad justice was served," she said.
County Assistant Prosecutor Edward Littlejohn Jr. said, "Trials are always a search for justice. Today, justice was served."
County engineer sets work schedule
STEUBENVILLE - Jefferson County Engineer James Branagan released the work schedule for the county highway department for next week
Pavement patching - Cow Path Road (county Road 24); Pine Valley Road (county Road 12); and Smithfield Station-Weems Road (county Road 25)..
Pavement repairs - Warren Ridge-Smithfield-Rayland Road (county Road 15).
Culvert replacement - Warren Ridge-Smithfield-Rayland Road.
Full depth pavement repairs - Elkhorn Road (county Road 49).
Road closings will be announced.
County Road 15 to be closed
RAYLAND - Warren Ridge-Smithfield-Rayland Road (county Road 15) will be closed in a section from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday for culvert replacement, the county engineer's department reported.
The road will be closed from state Route150 west about 1.5 miles. There will be no through traffic.
Country Friends to host Eldorays
COLLIERS - Country Friends will host the Eldorays band today at the Memorial Hall located at 402 Old Police Lodge Road.
Country Friends has events every Monday, Friday and Saturday at the hall. The doors open at 6 p.m. each Saturday, and the dance starts at 7 p.m.
On Monday and Friday, the doors open at 4 p.m., the covered-dish dinner begins at 5 p.m., and the open mike starts at 6 p.m.
Country Friends Foundation Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting Christianity, friendship and brotherly love through music. All proceeds go to charity. For information call (304) 527-4253 or (304) 479-1270.
State route 213 culvert work set
TORONTO - A culvert replacement originally scheduled to begin Wednesday has been postponed until Monday, the Ohio Department of Transportation reported.
ODOT's Jefferson County maintenance crew will replace one culvert on state Route 213 between county Road 46 (Island Creek Church Road) and state Route 152 in preparation for the upcoming resurfacing project between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday.
Beginning at the south junction of state 213 and state Route 7, traffic will be detoured north on state Route 7 to state Route 152 at Empire, then west on state Route 152 back to state Route 213, and reverse, ODOT reported.
