As of 3:19 a.m. on a May morning, the J.M. Stuart Power Plant, seen here in the distance of a morning fog, fed its last supply of coal. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Patricia Beech-

As the year comes to a close, The Defender looks back with a review of some of the top stories from 2018. It was an eventful year for Adams County and surrounding areas filled with ups and downs, and a few unexpected twists and turns.
While most of our top news story choices represent singular news events, others are still unfolding and have yet to be concluded.
When choosing the year’s top stories, we focused on those that could potentially have a long-lasting impact on Adams County’s communities.
Commissioner Baldridge elected to the State Legislature
In February, Adams County Commissioner Brian Baldridge announced his candidacy for State Representative of Ohio’s 90th District. A farmer, firefighter, and former Township Trustee, who was elected to the Board of Commissioners in 2007, Baldridge says the decision to run for state office was driven by his passion for local government.
“I’ve come up through local government and at each level I’ve become involved with the next level up,” he says. “I believe there’s a disconnect between the statehouse and local governments, and I think it’s crucial that our representative keeps local issues front and center in Columbus.”
Ohio’s 90th District includes Adams, Scioto and part of Lawrence County. While Baldridge may have begun the race with a geographic disadvantage, he was the only candidate not from Scioto County where most of the district’s voters live, and he nonetheless began trending ahead in the polls very early in the race.
“I think that’s because we ran a very grass roots campaign,” says Baldridge. “We had to get our name out there. People here at home know me but not so much in the other counties. We had to knock on a lot of doors, and we were encouraged by folks we talked with.”
While his opponents – Gina Collinsworth, Justin Pizzulli, and Scottie Powell – all had the advantage of being from Scioto County, Baldridge had the advantage of being the only candidate to hold elected office.
“People are receiving our message very well because they like that local government experience,” he says. “You have to know how you effect townships, and villages, and counties when you cast a vote in Columbus. If you haven’t been there and done that, you might not understand the impact it will have here at home.”
Baldridge is certainly familiar with the twists-and-turns of state politics. When DP&L announced its intention to close Adams County’s two coal-fired power generation plants in June 2018, he became a frequent visitor to Ohio’s statehouse acting as watchdog for Adams County’s interests.

Governor appoints Lafferty to State Fair Board
Lizabeth Lafferty, the President of the Adams County Agricultural Society, was appointed by Governor John Kasich to a seat on the Ohio State Fair Expositions Commission.
The 14-member commission oversees nearly 200 shows each year, including the Ohio State Fair.
Lafferty will represent all of Ohio’s County Fair Boards on the Commission.
She says she was approached earlier this year to gauge her interest in the position.
“I told them I’m always interested in taking a better seat at the table,” she says. “I never want to close a door, especially if it’s going to better our county or better our fair.”
She is the second Adams Countian in 10 years to be appointed to the Ohio State Fair Commission.
Doug White of Manchester served as a member of the Ohio Expositions Commission from Feb. 2011 through Dec. 2016. White also previously served as president of the Ohio Senate from 2003 to 2005 and as Director of the Ohio Department of Commerce in Governor Bob Taft’s Cabinet.
Lafferty’s term on the Commission’s board began Dec. 2, 2018 and will end Dec. 1, 2024. As an Ohio State Fair Commissioner, she will be required to attend one meeting per month and spend 10 days of the Ohio State Fair on the state fairgrounds in Columbus.
In addition to her new position, Lafferty is the Superintendent of the Adams County Board of Developmental Disabilities, Vice-President of the Adams County Medical Foundation, and President of the West Union High School Athletic Boosters. She is a lifelong resident of Adams County, residing in West Union with her husband, Dane Clark and their daughter Alexandria.
“There’s a lot to cover,” she says. “But I believe everything happens for a reason and I’m excited to get started.”
Shuttering the county’s coal powered generation plants
In operation for more than four decades, Adams County’s two coal-fired power generation plants – the Killen Station and the nearby J.M. Stuart Power Station – were both permanently closed by the end of June 2018.
In the months prior to the closures, local residents held out hope that the plants might sell, and some even appealed to the White House to intervene, asking President Trump to fulfill his campaign promise to save jobs in the nation’s coal-fired generation plants.
The J.M. Stuart Power Plant dominated the Ohio River skyline in southern Adams County for nearly 50 years. In the early morning hours of May 27 the towering smoke stacks ceased operation and as the sun rose over the Ohio Valley, their billowing pillars of white smoke faded to wispy tentacles in the morning fog. Less then two weeks later, the 618-megawatt Killen Station followed suit, signaling the end of an era for Adams County.
According to sources at the plant, the last of the coal supply was fed into the 2,318-megawatt Stuart facility at 3:19 a.m., bringing more than four decades of power generation and local job security to an end.
The plants employed nearly 400 people and had a total of $60 million in annual payroll.
After ceasing operations only skeleton crews remains to sell off equipment and prepare the facilities for permanent retirement.
Commissioners face severe budget cuts
While in operation, the power plants provided millions in tax revenue to the county.
Now that money is gone and local government leaders are forced to make hard budget choices.
Adams County Commissioners Brian Baldridge, Diane Ward, and Ty Pell responded by asking county agency directors and staff to find creative and collaborative ways to trim their budgets, cut their expenses, and hang on to services and personnel as long as possible.
“We’re encouraging the agency directors to streamline their departments so we get more bang for our buck,” said Commissioner Ward. “We’re thankful no one has been laid off, but that’s just one of the possibilities we have to face going forward.”
The Commissioners met in early February with representatives from several county agencies impacted by the plant closings, including the Senior Citizens Council, the Council for Aging, Children’s Services, the Wilson Children’s Home, the Health Department, the Board of Developmental Disabilities, the Adams County Library, and the County EMS.
Discussion centered around the need for department personnel to streamline operations, explore other potential sources of income, and prepare to sustain their offices without the addition of new tax levies.
“We’re looking for information about how this loss of revenue will affect each department,” Commissioner Ty Pell said. “Unknown variables prevent anyone from presenting factual estimates of the loss of capitol, but the board wants to prepare for the worst.”
County Auditor David Gifford provided projected budgets for each department. “The further along we go in this process, the more concrete the numbers get,” said Gifford. “Right now, we’re in uncharted territory.”
Manchester: Out of the red, into the black despite plant closings
While the village of Manchester and the Manchester Local School District were extremely hard hit by the county’s power plant closures, there were bright spots for the village in 2018.
After 21 years navigating the longest financial crisis in Ohio history, Manchester was officially released from fiscal emergency on Tuesday, Oct. 16 by Ohio State Auditor Dave Yost.
Kevin Walters, Assistant Fire Chief for the Manchester Fire Department, broke the news on social media.
“Today the village of Manchester has something to be very proud of,” Walters wrote. “The determination and hard work of our village leaders has put our village in a better place than we have been in a long time.”
In a news release, Auditor Yost praised the work done by village leaders to make the town financially solvent.
“Manchester’s success story is a good reminder that fiscal emergencies are not resolved overnight,” Auditor Yost said. “But more importantly, the village is a model of the perseverance, collaboration and sacrifices that are necessary to restore a government’s financial health.”
Manchester Village Council member Christine Henderson said it was good to have the village back in control of its own operations.
“It’s a great feeling,” Henderson said. “However, we have to be very careful because we’re on a forecasted budget, and we have to stick to that budget to make sure we stay out of fiscal emergency.”
Local school districts take action to defend against potential shooters
The Florida school shooting that left 17 people dead reignited safety talks among school leaders across the U.S.
The Valentine’s Day killing spree at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, left many parents and guardians concerned about the safety of their own local schools.
According to Superintendent Richard Seas of the Ohio Valley School District (OVSD) every precaution is taken to keep students and staff safe.
“We all know that there is no way to plan for any and all emergencies that may occur,” Seas said. “However, having a safety ‘mindset’ is critical when dealing with any kind of school emergency.”
The Ohio Valley District has contracted with safety consultant Don Rabold of the Brown County Educational Service Center (BCESC).
“With the cooperation of the staff and students, and by running various drills at the schools, Don has helped us to have a much better mindset toward school emergencies,” Seas said, adding, “Nonetheless, more work is needed.”
Brian Rau, Superintendent of the Manchester Local School District, announced in November that the district is planning to put guns into the hands of five trained staff members. He says it’s necessary to prepare for “when” a shooting happens, not “if”.
“I know that these shootings cannot be eliminated, which is why it is extremely important to prepare the best you can to minimize the casualties should one occur in your district,” he said.
Rau announced the decision on Nov. 19 during a meeting of the Manchester Village Council.
He said he believes it’s important each school has someone ready to respond with deadly force in the event of a mass shooting.
“The objective is to adopt a resolution in the spring permitting the arming of staff commencing next school year,” Rau said. “Our district is in a very vulnerable predicament since our community does not have local law enforcement.”
The Manchester Police Department was disbanded in 2017. The town’s only law enforcement is provided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, a Sheriff’s Deputy serves as the only Resource Officer for the school’s 800-plus students, pre-K through 12th grade.
Rau told the Defender in a phone interview that arming staff is something he’s been considering for several months.
“The average school shooting last four minutes – if we did have a school shooter, it could take a half hour or longer for first responders to arrive, so there’s no way law enforcement would have time to respond to the scene in four minutes,” he said. “I am tasked with doing everything possible to protect the students and staff in this district, and the Board and I strongly believe that arming the staff is the next step in that assurance.”
Since August, Rau and the MLSD board have also made several changes in their safety protocols including: Implementing the ALICE (Alert, Locate/Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) safety procedure; collaborating with Rabold; rewriting building and district Emergency Action Plans; conducting more real-world and relevant safety drills; establishing better collaboration with external agencies such as the Manchester Fire Department, the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, and the Brown County Highway Patrol; and re-keying all the schools’ external and interior doors, while decreasing the number of keys and key (scan) cards distributed to individuals.
Suspects arrested in Rhoden family murders
Four members of a family were arrested and charged with planning and carrying out the execution-style killings of eight members of the Rhoden family more than two years ago in Pike County.
George “Billy” Wagner III, 47, Angela Wagner, 48, George Wagner IV, 27, and Edward “Jake” Wagner, 26, of South Webster were arrested and charged in mid Nov. with eight counts of aggravated murder with death penalty specifications. The eight counts represent each victim found dead on April 22, 2016.
Also arrested were Angela Wagner’s mother, Rita Newcomb, 65, of South Webster; and Billy Wagner’s mother, Fredericka Wagner, 76, of Lucasville. Both face felony charges of obstructing justice and perjury for allegedly misleading investigators over the course of the investigation. Newcomb is also charged with forgery.
Appearing in Pike County Court, Fredericka Wagner pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was given a $100,000 bond and placed under house arrest with a monitoring device. Rita Newcomb also pleaded not guilty and was given a $50,000 bond and house arrest with a monitoring device.
At a press conference in Pike County, Ohio Attorney General/Governor-elect Mike DeWine revealed what authorities believe partially motivated the 2016 murders.
DeWine said the custody of a young child played a role in the brutal killings. Sophia Wagner, age five, is the daughter of murder victim, Hanna May Rhoden, and her accused killer, Edward “Jake” Wagner.
DeWine said there was a “fixation” and “obsession” regarding custody of Sophia, who was staying with the Wagners on the night the homicides took place.
DeWine said “tough police work solved the case”.
“We promised the victims’ families that the day would come when this case would be solved,” he said. “Today is that day.”
The Wagners are charged with killing seven members of the Rhoden family, plus the fiancee of one of the Rhoden victims, at four locations across Pike County.
Killed were Christopher Rhoden Sr., 40; his ex-wife Dana Manley Rhoden, 37; and their three children, Hanna May Rhoden, 19; Christopher Rhoden Jr., 16; and Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 20; Frankie Rhoden’s fiancee, Hannah “Hazel” Gilley, 20; Christopher Rhoden Sr.’s brother, Kenneth Rhoden, 44: and cousin Gary Rhoden, 38.
Most of the victims were killed as they slept. Three young children at home at the time of the murders were left unharmed.
DeWine said the Wagners plotted the killings over an extended period of time.
“The indictments allege that these suspects developed a calculated plan to execute the victims in the middle of the night and then carefully cover their tracks,” DeWine said. “Their alleged plan was sophisticated, but not sophisticated enough for our team of investigators and prosecutors.”
Pike County Sheriff Charles Reader said despite their efforts to conceal the crime, the Wagners “left evidence behind”.

Adams County Commissioner Brian Baldridge was successful in a run for the Ohio House of Representatives, winning election in November. (Provided photo)
Lizabeth Lafferty, the President of the Adams County Agricultural Society, was appointed by Governor John Kasich to a seat on the Ohio State Fair Expositions Commission. (Provided photo)