OHIO VALLEY — Several court, public safety and education stories are developing across the Ohio Valley, including an upcoming Belmont County murder trial, the search for a missing Barnesville teenager and a legal challenge involving West Virginia’s school funding system.
Andrew Isaac Griffin is headed to trial after a plea deadline passed without an agreement. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Oct. 21, with opening statements set for Oct. 26. Griffin is accused of killing Thomas and Angela Strussion at their Belmont home and faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
In Barnesville, law enforcement agencies are asking for the public’s help locating 17-year-old Taylor Stine. Police say she has been missing since Sept. 24. Stine is described as 5 feet, 2 inches tall with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact Barnesville Police at 740-425-1976.
In Marshall County, an explosion and fire occurred Friday morning at the EQT Hines Pad near Limestone. Marshall County Emergency Management Director Tom Hart said a condensate tank exploded. No injuries were reported, and firefighters extinguished the fire in less than an hour.
Meanwhile, the West Virginia chapter of the ACLU has filed a lawsuit asking the state Supreme Court to order changes to the formula used to fund the state’s 55 county school systems. The organization argues the current funding structure violates the West Virginia Constitution, while the governor’s office has characterized the lawsuit as premature.
Across the river in Ohio, State Senate Education Chairman Andrew Brenner is raising questions about how taxpayer dollars are distributed among school districts. Brenner said on the Senate Majority’s podcast that rural and suburban taxpayers pay higher property taxes to finance urban districts.
In Harrison County, two new cemetery markers in Cadiz are honoring veterans from early periods of American history. One recognizes a veteran of the American Revolution, while the other honors a veteran of the War of 1812. The Ohio Sons of the American Revolution assisted in acquiring the markers.
