https://history.meigslibrary.org/files/original/59f5c3a14d2f392698430c86e5cf0e32.pdf e0feaebdbe2fd685f03e80e03240e547 PDF Text Text log onto www.mydailysentinel.com for archive • games • features • e-edition • polls & more Middleport•Pomeroy, Ohio INSIDE STORY WEATHER SPORTS Dr. Brothers .... Page 2 Mostly sunny. High near 32. Low around 17.... Page 2 Local, regional sports .... Page 6 OBITUAIRES Janice Davis, 67 Eloise Hall, 87 Billy J. Johnson, II, 49 Ellen M. Keller, 71 David T. Napper, 31 Nancy Pope, 80 Otho G. Wolfe, 84 50 cents daily WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2013 Vol. 63, No. 2 Eighteen arraigned on meth charges in 2012 Sarah Hawley shawley@heartlandpublications.com MEIGS COUNTY — The methamphetamine epidemic is becoming increasingly present in Meigs County, as is the case in much of the Ohio Valley region. Meigs County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Meigs County Drug Task Force responded to 21 meth labs in 2012 according to reports from the Sheriff’s Office. In 2012, a total 17 individuals were arraigned on charges related to the manufacture or posses- sion of methamphetamine in 22 cases in Meigs County Common Pleas Court. Six individuals, involved in eight cases have entered guilty pleas to the charges filed against them in 2012, while cases remain open against the other 11 defendants. The most recent cases involve Stacy L. Williamson, Ralph David Thurman Jay Day, Jr., Raymond Sayre, Matthew A. Athey and Julee G. Athey. Sayre, 40, of Racine was arraigned on six felony counts in connected to a meth lab found at his residence earlier in the fall. He was charged with illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, a felony of the first degree; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for manufacture off methamphetamine, a felony of the second degree; and four counts of endangering children, third degree felonies. Matthew A. Athey, 34, of Pomeroy, and Julee G. Athey, 36, of Pomeroy, were each charged with illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, a felony of the first degree; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for manufacture off methamphetamine, a felony of the second degree; and three counts of endangering children, third degree felonies. Pretrial hearings for Matthew Athey, Julle Athey and Sayre are scheduled for February. Williamson, 32, of Rutland, was charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a felony of the first degree. Williamson was previously charged in a different case with illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the first degree; illegal cultivation of marijuana, a felony of the third degree; and endangering children, a felony of the third degree. Williamson is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 4, with a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 10. Day, 35, of Rutland, was charged with aggravated possession of methamphetamine, a felony of the first degree. Williamson was previously charged in a different case with illegal See CHARGES ‌| 5 Names released in fatal Meigs ATV-car crash Staff Report mdsnews@mydailysentinel.com RUTLAND — A crash involving a passenger vehicle and an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) claimed the lives of two Meigs County men on New Year’s Eve. According to a press release issued early Tuesday morning by the Gallia-Meigs Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the crash occurred at 8:34 p.m. on December 31 on Happy Hollow Road near Rutland in Meigs County. David Hubbard, 24, and his passenger, David Napper, 31, both of Middleport, were killed when the Can Am sideby-side ATV they were riding and a 1999 Hyundai four door collided head-on. The driver of the Hyundai, Michelle French, 29, of Middleport, was uninjured. Her passenger, John Buzzard, 29, sustained minor injuries and was taken to Holzer Medical Center by a relative. The crash remains under investigation by the Ohio State Highway Patrol. Photos by Stephanie Filson | Daily Sentinel Several local youth groups came together to create a recent holiday exhibit at the French Art Colony called ‘Trees of Imagination’. The idea behind the exhibit, now in its second year, was to showcase the creativity of regional children while raising money for area charities. Trees of Imagination FAC lends space to kids’ creativity Stephanie Filson sfilson@heartlandpublications.com GALLIPOLIS — Several local youth groups came together to create a recent holiday exhibit at the French Art Colony (FAC) called ‘Trees of Imagination’. The idea behind the exhibit, now in its second year, was to showcase the creativity of regional children while raising money for area charities. The main rule regarding the creation of the exhibit was that all ornaments must be created or embellished by the kids. Each of the six trees were decorated according to a theme of each youth group’s choosing. One tree, decorated by students at Buckeye Hills, was decorated with ornaments made entirely of recycled materials. The exhibit included six trees decorated by six groups including: ‘The Angel Tree’, decorated by Kingdom Kids Children’s Ministry at Vinton Baptist Church with proceeds going to the Children’s Ministry; ‘The Multi-Cultural Tree’, decorated by Gallia Academy High School foreign exchange students with proceeds going to the Gallia County Animal Shelter; ‘The Holy Spirit Tree’, decorated by the Young Eager Episcopalians Helping America (YEEHA) with proceeds going to YEEHA; ‘The Christmas SugarMonster Tree’, decorated by Alyssa and Abby Marxen representing the Riverby Theater Guild Kids with proceeds going to the Riverby Theater Guild Kids’ Program; ‘The Blessed Tree’, decorated by Saturday Night Slam, Vinton Baptist Church with proceeds going to the Saturday Night Slam program; and ‘Renewed Spirit’, decorated by Buckeye Hills - MI with proceeds going to Buckeye Hills. FAC Executive Director Joseph Wright said the gallery plans to showcase the exhibit again next year, as well. Anyone who missed the exhibit but would like to donate to any of the featured charities may do so The large tree stationed in the French Art Colony window by stopping at the FAC on Jan. 2-4 during open gal- is decorated beautifully and is flanked by a stunning doll collection on loan to the FAC from Corinne Wright. lery hours. Trio sentenced for involvement in 2012 burglary spree Amber Gillenwater agillenwater@civitasmedia.com GALLIPOLIS — Prison sentences were recently handed down to three men charged in connection with a string of 2012 residential break-ins. Donald C. Wray, 34, Gallipolis, Matthew J. Gilbert, 24, Bidwell, and Keith A. Skidmore, 20, Bidwell, all recently appeared before Gallia County Common Pleas Judge D. Dean Evans and were sentenced after pleading guilty to eight counts of burglary and one count of breaking and entering. Eighteen-count indictments were filed against all three men in late June and each suspect subsequently pleaded not guilty to eight counts of burglary, nine counts of theft and one count of breaking and entering. Wray, Gilbert and Skidmore were identified as suspects in seven burglaries that occurred in April 2012, as well as one burglary that occurred in November 2009. They were alleged to have stolen multiple firearms and other items from the homes and were also alleged to have illegally entered a barn this April. The identical indictments filed against the suspects specify that the defendants burglarized a Gallia County residence on April 17 and allegedly stole a 20 gauge New England Pardner shotgun, a .22 caliber Winchester Model 67A rifle, a Stevens .22 caliber auto rife, as well as Percocets from the residence. The suspects were further charged with entering a residence on Williams Hollow Road between April 13-15, 2012 and allegedly stole a 12 gauge Remington pump shotgun, a 16 gauge bolt action shotgun, a .410 gauge single shot shotgun and a .22 caliber rifle with scope. A residence on Cargo Road was also burglarized on April 5, and miscellaneous jewelry was taken from that home, according to the charges. Additionally, the indictment states that the three men entered a residence on Bulaville Pike between November 7 and November 26, 2009, and also burglarized the same residence between April 19-21 of this past year. A burglary at a Yellowtown Road home on April 4 is also listed in the indictment, as well as burglaries at residences on Ohio 160 and Kerr Road on April 23. On December 11, Wray appeared before Judge Evans and pleaded guilty to all eight counts of burglary as specified in the indictment, as well as the breaking and entering charge. The nine counts of theft were dismissed by the See SPREE ‌| 5 Seasonal Affective Disorder is common but treatable Carrie Wolfe Special to Ohio Valley Newspapers OHIO VALLEY — As winter wears on, the days grow darker, and for some, the lack of sunlight means dealing with seasonal foe. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that coincides with seasons. Typically, the symptoms lessen and go away as the darker days of winter give way to the sunny days of summer. “The winter blues do not have to be the winter blues,” said Bobbie Jo Rockey, D.O., with Family Healthcare in Pomeroy. Dr. Rockey said the symptoms of SAD can include: fatigue, tearfulness, sleeping more, craving food such as carbohydrates, low energy and trouble concentrating. The symptoms are similiar to depression. “The theory is the reduction of sunlight exposure causes a reduction in saratonin. This is indicated in other types of depression,” Rockey said. Treatment does not have to be all medicinal. Rockey said there are other options including simply getting some sunlight. She suggests increasing the exposure to natural light, especially in the morning. Spending 15 to 30 minutes in the sun can help, especially with milder cases. Artificial sunlight through light boxes can help, too. She suggests placing the lamp in an area where it is easy to sit down for 30 minutes in the light. This will help stimulate the body to naturally produce saratonin. “It must be a bulb of 10,000 lux to be effective,” she noted. Such treatment has proven to be as effective as treating with medication. She also noted that with any type of depression, counseling can be beneficial, as well. “If you are having more serious symptoms, such as thinking about suicide, talk with your doctor. Do not isolate yourself. Seasonal depression is very common. The symptoms of seasonal depression can be a part of a more complex psychiatric picture,” Rockey said. Dr. Rockey practices at Family Healthcare. The phone number is (740) 992-0540. Along with contacting a family physician, there are several mental health providers in the area including: Prestera in Point Pleasant at (304) 675-2361; Woodland Centers Meigs (304) 992-2192; and Woodland Centers Gallia (740) 446-5500. Rockey said that most patients realize how much better they feel after treatment. The winter blues do have to be so blue with a little help. �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 Community Calendar Wednesday, Jan. 2 OLIVE TWP. — The Olive Township Trustees will hold their year end and re-organizational meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the township garage. Thursday, Jan. 3 POMEROY — The Leading Creek Conservancy District will hold an organizational/special board meeting at 7 a.m. for the 2013 budget. CHESTER — The Chester Historical Society will meet at 7 p.m. at the Chester Courthouse. Everyone welcome. Friday, Jan. 4 POMEROY — Meigs County Pomona Grange will meet on at 7:30 p.m. at the Hemlock Grange Hall. Saturday, Jan. 5 SALEM CENTER — Star Grange #778 will meet with potluck supper at 6:30 p.m. followed by meeting at 7:30 p.m. All members are urged to attend. Tuesday, Jan. 8 TUPPERS PLAINS — The Tuppers Plains Regional Sewer Board will have their regular meeting at 5 p.m. at the TPRSD office. Local Briefs American Red Cross Blood Drive SALEM CENTER — An American Red Cross Blood Drive will be held from 1-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 9, 2013, at Star Grange Hall, 3 miles North of Salem Center on Salem School Lot Rd. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Linda Montgomery at (740) 669-4245. Revival MIDDLEPORT — A revival will be held Jan. 3-5 at the Ash Street Church in Middleport with Rev. David Rahamut speaking. There will be special singing each night. Pastor Mark Morrow invites the public. For more information call 992-6443. Hemlock Grange holds December meeting HEMLOCK GROVE — Hemlock Grange met recently at the grange hall for their December meeting. Rosalie Story conducted the meeting with opening of the Pledge of Allegiance and a patriotic song accompanied on the piano by Ann Lambert. Adell White, family activities chairperson, reminded everyone to work on various contests for the upcoming year. everyone was reminded to save all size batteries, hearing aide batteries, pop tabs, Campbell soup labels, used eye glasses, parts and cases. Non-granger’s may also collect the items and give to any members or call 992*5919 for more details. For the Christmas Project members contributed money for food for a person in need. Membership dues are due in January. Cards were signed for Bill Radford and Sarah Caldwell. Kim Romine, lecturer, presented a program on batteries. A battery is a transportable energy source. The earliest battery was a wet cell and technological advances created the portable dry cell battery. Both battery types have the same three basic components. What distinguishes on from the other is that the electrolyte in the dry cell battery is a thick paste in an aqueous solution. A wet cell, also called a flooded cell, has a liquid electrolyte. A dry cell is specially suited to small electric devices. The zinc-carbon cell was the first commercially successful dry cell. As a simple way to dispose of batteries, the grange is collecting them to be disposed of in a safe way. Hemlock Grange will host the January meeting of Pamona Grange at 7:30 p.m. on the first Friday of the month. The January meeting of Hemlock Grange will be the first Thursday of the month. Refreshments at 6:30 p.m. will be various soups and sandwiches. Fructose may spur overeating Marilynn Marchione and Mike Stobbe AP Medical Writers This is your brain on sugar — for real. Scientists have used imaging tests to show for the first time that fructose, a sugar that saturates the American diet, can trigger brain changes that may lead to overeating. After drinking a fructose beverage, the brain doesn’t register the feeling of being full as it does when simple glucose is consumed, researchers found. It’s a small study and does not prove that fructose or its relative, high-fructose corn syrup, can cause obesity, but experts say it adds evidence they may play a role. These sugars often are added to processed foods and beverages, and consumption has risen dramatically since the 1970s along with obesity. A third of U.S. children and teens and more than two-thirds of adults are obese or overweight. All sugars are not equal — even though they contain the same amount of calories — because they are metabolized differently in the body. Table sugar is sucrose, which is half fructose, half glucose. High-fructose corn syrup is 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose. Some nutrition experts say this sweetener may pose special risks, but others and the industry reject that claim. And doctors say we eat too much sugar in all forms. For the study, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, scans to track blood flow in the brain in 20 young, normal-weight people before and after they had drinks containing glucose or fructose in two sessions several weeks apart. Scans showed that drinking glucose “turns off or suppresses the activity of areas of the brain that are critical for reward and desire for food,” said one study leader, Yale University endocrinologist Dr. Robert Sherwin. With fructose, “we don’t see those changes,” he said. “As a result, the desire to eat continues — it isn’t turned off.” What’s convincing, said Dr. Jonathan Purnell, an endocrinologist at Oregon Health & Science University, is that the imaging results mirrored how hungry the people said they felt, as well as what earlier studies found in animals. “It implies that fructose, at least with regards to promoting food intake and weight gain, is a bad actor compared to glucose,” said Purnell. He wrote a commentary that appears with the federally funded study in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association. www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 2 Ask Dr. Brothers Two weddings make sisters competitive Dear Dr. eryone feeling Brothers: My a little worse parents said than they’d they’d pay for imagined. You my sister’s and are starting my weddings. off with a bad My sister got situation and married two a bad attitude. years ago and You are right had a fabulous in that it isn’t wedding. Now fair that your it’s my turn, and parents used I’m finding out all your wedthat my parents ding money to blew most of buy your sister their budget on Dr. Joyce Brothers a grand event my sister’s wedwithout conSyndicated ding. They even sidering the Columnist said I have to fact that you wear her gown were soon to (if she will let me) because step into bridal slippers they are out of money. This yourself. seems so unfair to me, and Rather than trying to I don’t know why everyone outdo or compete with is trying to ruin the most the kind of wedding your important day of my life. sister had — which only will be an exercise in frus— S.B. Dear S.B.: While every- tration — why not plan a one agrees that a wedding different kind of wedding should be the happiest that won’t lend itself to day of a young bride’s life, being stacked up against everyone also agrees that your sister’s? Many young the stress involved means women are opting for that this lofty goal rarely simple, green, outdoor is realized. Emotions and weddings, which are lovely plans alike can get out of without all the glitz. Shop hand very quickly, and for a flowing non-wedding the lead-up to the wed- dress that you can make ding becomes an endur- into your own with some ance event that leaves ev- embellishments. Embrace the difference, and for heaven’s sake, don’t feel like you have to wear your sister’s dress. That’s just too much! *** Dear Dr. Brothers: My cat, Harold, is my best friend. He’s the sweetest cat in the world. He is very needy, though, and won’t leave me alone. He sits on my legs in bed so I can’t move, or tries to kiss me when I’m sleeping. I feel so guilty when I move him away because he looks at me with big, hurt eyes. I am losing sleep, but I can’t stand to make him think I am rejecting him, because he can’t understand. What should I do? Don’t say to close the door, because he would cry all night! — E.B. Dear E.B.: Thirty years ago, someone advising you might have just told you to take the cat to the pound and get a more independent type. Or they might have considered you rather peculiar to describe your cat in such human terms. But today, it is not at all uncommon to view a cat or dog as one’s best friend. Children have done it since time immemorial, so why not? Still, I am concerned about your emotional temperature when you deal with your cat. Your guilty feelings when you have to move him away just to get some sleep are a little overthe-top. Let’s see if we can work on that. You know that your cat will love you no matter what. Although he is needy, he still spends hours a day doing his own thing, no doubt. Cleaning himself, eating, toileting and playing. Give him plenty of loving when you have time, and when he is begging for attention and you’re busy, ignore him for just a bit. Let him see that he can be on his own (even if he’s near you) and that nothing bad will happen to him or to you. If there’s a chance that you could get another cat, consider doing so. Bonding with a young kitten would really help Harold. If your guilty feelings don’t subside, you might benefit from some therapy and/or anxiety medication. They can help you feel a little less emotional and allow you to enjoy your time with Harold. (c) 2012 by King Features Syndicate For the Record 911 Dec. 28 9:32 a.m., Sellers Ridge Road, kidney stone-possible; 11:03 a.m., Sumner Road, chest pain; 12:47 p.m., Liberty Lane, syncope/passing out; 1:35 p.m., Price Strongs Road, diabetic emergency; 1:37 p.m, Lovett Road, difficulty breathing; 2:37 p.m., Ohio 124, high blood pressure; 6:54 p.m., unknown, motor vehicle collision; 8:49 p.m., Pearl Street, chest pain; 11:17 p.m., unknown, motor vehicle collision; 11:54 p.m., Apple Grove-Dorcas Road, chest pain. Dec. 29 1:18 a.m., North Front Street, police call; 2:23 a.m., Rocksprings Road, chest pain; 2:30 a.m., Lasher Road, seizure/convulsions; 4:36 a.m., Mulberry Avenue, assault/fight; 11:53 a.m., Water Street, fall; 5:35 p.m., Ohio 124, unknown; 8:38 p.m., North Third Avenue, high blood pressure; 8:43 p.m., Eagle Ridge Road, structure fire. Dec. 30 9:23 a.m., Ohio 681, stroke/CVA; 9:39 a.m., Spring Avenue, stroke/CVA; 11:23 a.m., Tornado Road, dehydration; 3:50 p., Yost Road, difficulty breathing;2:49 p.m., West Main Street, nausea/vomiting; 10:26 p.m. Ohio 7, difficulty breathing. Dec. 31 2:25 a.m., New Lima Road, pain general; 5:16 a.m., Smith Road, rapid heart rate. GOP wants more cliff spending cuts David Espo The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Maneuvered into a political corner, House Republicans sorted glumly through unsavory fiscal cliff choices in a New Year’s Day struggle that wore into the night, casting doubt on emergency legislation to prevent widespread tax increases and painful across-theboard spending cuts. “I do not support the bill. We are looking, though, for the best path forward,” said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., reflecting a widespread view among Republicans that the legislation should be changed to add billions in spending cuts. Yet as Capitol lights burned late in an extraordinary second straight night of negotiations, a clamor for revisions became tempered by concerns that the Senate would refuse to consider any changes, sending the bill into limbo and saddling Republicans with the blame for a whopping middle class tax increase. Adding to the GOP discomfort, one Senate Democratic leadership aide said Majority Leader Harry Reid “will absolutely not take up the bill” if the House changes it. The aide spoke on condition of anonymity, citing a requirement to keep internal deliberations private. The legislation cleared the Senate hours earlier on a lopsided pre-dawn vote of 89-8. Administration officials met at the White House to monitor its progress. Despite Cantor’s remarks, Speaker John Boeh- ner took no public position on the bill as he sought to negotiate a conclusion to the final crisis of a twoyear term full of them. It wasn’t the first time that the tea party-infused House Republican majority has rebelled against the party establishment since the GOP took control of the chamber 24 months ago. But with the two-year term set to end Thursday at noon, it was likely the last. And as was true in earlier cases of a threatened default and government shutdown, the brinkmanship came on a matter of economic urgency, leaving the party open to a public backlash if tax increases do take effect on tens of millions. After intensive deliberations — a pair of rank-andfile meetings sandwiched around a leadership session, the GOP high command had not yet settled on a course of action by early evening. Instead, they canvassed Republicans to see if they wanted simply to vote on the Senate measure, or whether they wanted first to try and add spending cuts totaling about $300 billion over a decade. The cuts had passed the House twice earlier in the year but are opposed by most if not all Senate Democrats. “We’ve gone as far as we can go,” said Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Ga. “I think people are ready to bring this to a conclusion, and know we have a whole year ahead of us” for additional fights over spending. The economic as well as political stakes were considerable. Economists have warned that without action by Congress, the tax increases and spending cuts that technically took effect with the turn of the new year at midnight could send the economy into recession. Even with enactment of the legislation, taxes are on the rise for millions. A 2 percentage point temporary cut in the payroll tax, originally enacted two years ago to stimulate the economy, expired with the end of 2012. Neither Obama nor Republicans have made a significant effort to extend it. The Senate-passed bill was designed to prevent that while providing for tax increases at upper incomes, as Obama campaigned for in his successful bid for a second term. It would also prevent an expiration of extended unemployment benefits for an estimated two million jobless, block a 27 percent cut in fees for doctors who treat Medicare patients, stop a $900 pay increase for lawmakers from taking effect in March and head off a threatened spike in milk prices. At the same time, it would stop $24 billion in spending cuts set to take effect over the next two months, although only about half of that total would be offset with spending reductions elsewhere in the budget. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office said the measure would add nearly $4 trillion over a decade to federal deficits, a calculation that assumed taxes would otherwise have risen on taxpayers at all income levels. There was little or no evident concern among Republicans on that point, pre- sumably because of their belief that tax cuts pay for themselves by expanding economic growth and do not cause deficits to rise. The relative paucity of spending cuts was a sticking point with many House Republicans. Among other items, the extension of unemployment benefits costs $30 billion, and is not offset by savings elsewhere. “I personally hate it,” said Rep. John Campbell of California. “The speaker the day after the election said we would give on taxes and we have. But we wanted spending cuts. This bill has spending increases. Are you kidding me? So we get tax increases and spending increases? Come on.” Others said unhappiness over spending outweighed fears that the financial markets will plunge on Wednesday if the fiscal cliff hasn’t been averted. “There’s a concern about the markets, but there’s a bigger concern, which is getting this right, which is something we haven’t been very good at over the past two years,” said Rep. Steve LaTourette of Ohio. House Democrats met privately with Biden for their review of the measure, and the party’s leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, said afterward that Boehner should permit a vote. “That is what we expect. That is what the American people deserve,” she said. For all the struggle involved in the legislation, even its passage would merely clear the way for another round of controversy almost as soon as the new Congress convenes. Ohio Valley Forecast Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 32. Light and variable wind becoming west around 5 mph. Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 17. Light and variable wind. Thursday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. Light south wind be- coming southwest 5 to 9 mph in the morning. Thursday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15. Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 33. Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 16. Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 36. Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 18. Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 38. Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 20. Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 44. �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 3 Senate deal forged in flurry of final negotiations Julie Pace The Associated Press WASHINGTON — They had 80 hours to finish or fail. Stuck in a “fiscal cliff” stalemate, trust nearing tatters, President Barack Obama and Senate Republicans changed the game after Christmas. It took the rekindling of an old friendship between Vice President Joe Biden and GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell, an extraordinary flurry of secret offers, a pre-dawn Senate vote on New Year’s Day and the legislative muscling that defines Washington on deadline. Yet the fate of the final agreement remains in doubt as House Republicans show signs of rebellion against the plan. How the final days of private negotiations pulled the country — maybe only temporarily — back from the precipice of the fiscal cliff marked a rare moment of bipartisanship for a divided government. Several officials familiar with talks requested anonymity to discuss them because they were not authorized to discuss the private details publicly. Obama, having cut short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii, huddled with congressional leaders Friday afternoon at the White House. Talks between the president and House Speaker John Boehner had failed, so Obama put the fate of the fiscal cliff in the hands of McConnell and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. McConnell made the first move. The Kentucky Republican proposed a plan late Friday night that would extend tax cuts expiring Jan. 1 on family income up to $750,000 a year, according to officials. He also wanted to keep tax rates on wealthy estates at 35 percent, slow the growth of Social Security cost-of-living increases, and pay for an offset of the sequester — Congress’s term for across-the-board spending cuts —— by means-testing Medicare. His offer did not include the extension of unemployment benefits Obama had demanded. Democrats balked and began preparing a counteroffer. It called for extending tax cuts for family income up to $350,000, a concession from Obama’s campaign pledge to cap the threshold at $250,000. The Democratic leader also insisted that any deal include a way to deal with the sequester, plus an extension of the jobless benefits for 2 million Americans. The negotiating teams traded ideas back and forth on a wintry Saturday. Shortly before 7 p.m., McConnell presented another offer. He dropped the tax cut threshold to $550,000, put the sequester on the table, and offered a one-year extension of the jobless benefits as long as they were paid for through Social Security savings. Rather than make a counteroffer, the Senate Democratic negotiating team said it was going home for the night. They reconvened Sunday morning — less than two days before the combination of tax hikes and spending cuts were due to kick in — but still had nothing new to present to McConnell. Reid’s inaction, officials said, was due in part to McConnell’s insistence on keeping the tax cut threshold above $500,000, a level Obama refused to agree to. A frustrated McConnell felt he had one last option. He called Biden, his longtime Senate colleague and frequent negotiating partner, and implored him to step in. Seeking to up the pressure on the White House, McConnell publicly announced that he was reaching out to Biden during remarks from the Senate floor during the rare Sunday session. Until this late stage, Biden had played a secondary role in the “fiscal cliff” talks. He spent Saturday at his home in Wilmington, Del., and was planning to travel to the Caribbean island of St. Croix with his family for the New Year’s holiday. Obama and Reid both agreed that Biden, a 36-year veteran of the Senate, should take the lead. And once he did, negotiations with McConnell rapidly accelerated. Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Obama, Biden and staffers met in the Oval Office to discuss what the vice president would deliver to McConnell as the administration’s final offer. The president set the upper limit for the tax cut extension at family income of $450,000. The sequester must be dealt with, he said, and any delay must be offset through a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases. And Obama demanded that the jobless benefits be extended for one year without a way to make up the $30 billion cost. Shortly after midnight, Biden had McConnell’s consent on nearly all of the outstanding issues. Only the sequester was unresolved, though both men were open to a plan that called for a separate vote on the sequester, pending Reid’s consent. The president, vice president and senior staff met in the Oval Office until 2 a.m. to talk through the final details. Obama’s legislative director, Rob Nabors, then headed to Capitol Hill to join Senate negotiators in drafting the outlines of a bill that could be moved on quickly Monday. Nabors worked continuously throughout the final stages, stopping at home only to change his shirt after leaving the Capitol and before heading to the White House before 7 a.m. Monday. By then, the White House had spoken to Reid, who rejected the notion of holding a separate sequester vote. Biden broke the news to McConnell in a pre-dawn phone call. The sequester remained the sticking point throughout Monday, with Biden trading proposals with McConnell’s office for much of the day. By early evening, discussions coalesced around delaying the automatic spending cuts by two months and paying for the move through a combination of new spending cuts and revenue increases. A hiccup over the estate tax was also resolved. Shortly before 9 p.m., with three hours until the deadline, Biden and McConnell agreed to the final deal. After Obama called Reid and Pelosi to get their sign-off, the vice president headed up to Capitol Hill to sell the bill to Senate Democrats. Lawmakers and staff rang in the new year in cramped offices in the West Wing and on Capitol Hill, surrounded by empty pizza boxes and the stray bottle of cheap champagne. Midnight also marked the moment the government technically went over the “fiscal cliff,” although financial markets were closed Tuesday for the holiday. But optimism ran high on both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue that the impact would be negligible. The Senate overwhelming approved the Biden-McConnell deal in the early hours of Tuesday morning and sent the bill to the House for final approval. Sandy Hook students, teachers head back to school John Christoffersen and Pat Eaton-Robb The Associated Press NEWTOWN, Conn. — Since escaping a gunman’s rampage at their elementary school, the 8-year-old Connors triplets have suffered nightmares, jumped at noises and clung to their parents a little more than usual. Now parents like David Connors are bracing to send their children back to school, nearly three weeks after the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. It won’t be easy — for the parents or the children, who heard the gunshots that killed 20 of their classmates and six educators. “I’m nervous about it,” Connors said. “It’s unchartered waters for us. I know it’s going to be difficult.” Classes are starting Thursday at a repurposed school in the neighboring town of Monroe, where the students’ desks have been taken along with backpacks and other belongings that were left behind in the chaos following the shooting on Dec. 14. Families have been coming in to see the new school, and an open house is scheduled for Wednesday. An army of workers has been getting the school ready, painting, moving furniture and even raising the floors in the bathrooms of the former middle school so the smaller el- ementary school students can reach the toilets. Connors, a 40-year-old engineer, felt reassured after recently visiting the new setup at the former Chalk Hill school in Monroe. He said his children were excited to see their backpacks and coats, and that the family was greeted by a police officer at the door and grief counselors in the hallways. Teachers will try to make it as normal a school day as possible for the children, schools Superintendent Janet Robinson said. “We want to get back to teaching and learning,” she said. “We will obviously take time out from the academics for any conversations that need to take place, and there will be a lot of support there. All in all, we want the kids to reconnect with their friends and classroom teachers, and I think that’s going to be the healthiest thing.” Teachers are returning as well, and some have already been working on their classrooms. At some point, all those will be honored, but officials are still working out how and when to do so, Robinson said. “Everyone was part and parcel of getting as many kids out of there safely as they could,” she said. “Almost everybody did something to save kids. One art teacher locked her kids in the kiln room, and I got a message from her on my cellphone saying she wouldn’t come out until she saw a police badge.” After the evacuation, teachers grouped their children at a nearby fire station, Robinson said. One sang songs, while others read to the students, she said. Julian Ford, a clinical psychologist at the University of Connecticut who helped counsel families in the days immediately following the shooting, recommended addressing it as questions come up but otherwise focusing on regular school work. “Kids just spontaneously make associations and will start talking about something that reminds them of someone, or that reminds them of some of the scary parts of the experience,” Ford said. “They don’t need a lot of words; they need a few selective words that are thoughtful and sensitive, like, ‘We’re going to be OK,’ and ‘We really miss this person, but we’ll always be able to think about her or him in ways that are really nice.’” It will be important for parents and teachers to listen and be observant, Ford said. “Each of the boys and girls are going to have different reactions to different aspects of the environment, different little things that will be reminders to them,” he said. Parents might have a harder time with fear than children, Ford said. Before the shooting, a baby sitter would take Connors’ children to the bus stop. But Connors said he’ll probably take the third-graders to the bus the first few days. “I think that they need to get back into a normal routine as quickly as possible,” Connors said. “If you’re hovering over them at all times, it almost intensifies the fear for them.” His children, who escaped unharmed, ask questions about the gunman. “It’s hard for us to say why,” Connors said. “That’s kind of what we tell them. This person wasn’t well, was sick and didn’t get the help he needed.” Connors said his children are excited to go back to school but predicted they might be nervous as the first day approaches. He hopes the grief counseling services continue, he said. “It’s going to be a long road back,” Connors said. “Back to what I guess is the biggest question. Everyone keeps throwing that word around the new normal. What does the new normal look like? I think everybody kind of has to define that for themselves.” Stampede after fireworks kills 61 in Ivory Coast ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — A crowd stampeded after leaving a New Year’s fireworks show early Tuesday in Ivory Coast’s main city, killing 61 people — many of them children and teenagers — and injuring more than 200, rescue workers said. Thousands had gathered at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan’s Plateau district to see the fireworks. It was only the second New Year’s Eve fireworks display since peace returned to this West African nation after a bloody upheaval over presidential elections put the nation on the brink of civil war and turned this city into a battle zone. With 2013 showing greater promise, people were in the mood to celebrate on New Year’s Eve. Families brought children and they watched the rockets burst in the nighttime sky. But only an hour into the new year, as the crowds poured onto the Boulevard de la Republic after the show, something caused a stampede, said Col. Issa Sako of the fire department rescue team. How so many deaths occurred on the broad boulevard and how the tragedy started is likely to be the subject of an investigation. Many of the younger ones in the crowd went down, trampled underfoot. Most of those killed were between 8 and 15 years old “The flood of people leaving the stadi- um became a stampede which led to the deaths of more than 60 and injured more than 200,” Sako told Ivory Coast state TV. Desperate parents went to the city morgue, the hospital and to the stadium to try to find missing children. Mamadou Sanogo was searching for his 9-year-old son, Sayed. “I have just seen all the bodies, but I cannot find my son,” said a tearful Sanogo. “I don’t know what to do.” State TV showed a woman sobbing in the back of an ambulance; another was bent over on the side of the street, apparently in pain; and another, barely conscious and wearing only a bra on her upper body, was hoisted by rescuers. There were also scenes of small children being treated in a hospital. One boy grimaced in pain and a girl with colored braids in her hair lay under a blanket with one hand bandaged. The death toll could rise, officials said. After the sun came up, soldiers were patrolling the site that was littered with victims’ clothes, shoes, torn sandals and other belongings. President Alassane Ouattara and his wife Dominique visited some of the injured in the hospital. Mrs. Ouattara leaned over one child who was on a bed in a crowded hospital ward and tried to console the youngster. The president pledged that the government would pay for their treatment, his office said. 60381834 �The Daily Sentinel Opinion Page 4 Wednesday, January 2, 2013 Governors walk balance Housing and jobs key to beam on health law Bill Barrow The Associated Press ATLANTA — Florida Gov. Rick Scott, who made a fortune as a health care executive, long opposed President Barack Obama’s remake of the health insurance market. After the Democratic president won re-election, the Republican governor softened his tone. He said he wanted to “have a conversation” with the administration about implementing the 2010 law. With a federal deadline approaching, he also said while Florida won’t set up the exchange for individuals to buy private insurance policies, the feds can do it. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie held his cards before saying he won’t set up his own exchange, but he’s avoided absolute language and says he could change his mind. He’s also leaving his options open to accept federal money to expand Medicaid insurance for people who aren’t covered. The caveat, Christie says, is whether Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius can “answer my questions” about its operations and expense. Both Republican governors face re-election in states that Obama won twice, Christie in 2013 and Scott in 2014. And both will encounter wellfinanced Democrats. Their apparent struggles on the issue, along with other postures by their GOP colleagues elsewhere, suggest political uncertainty for Republicans as the Affordable Care Act starts to go into effect two years after clearing Congress without a single Republican vote. The risks also are acute for governors in Democratic-leaning or swing-voting states or who know their records will be parsed should they seek the presidency in 2016 or beyond. “It’s a tough call for many Republican governors who want to do the best thing for their state but don’t want to be seen as advancing an overhaul that many Republicans continue to detest,” said Whit Ayers, a consultant in Virginia whose clients include Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee, a Republican who didn’t announce his rejection of a state exchange until days before Sebelius’s Dec. 14 deadline. Indeed, cracks keep growing in the near-unanimous Republican rejection of Obama’s health care law that characterized the GOP’s political messaging for the last two years. Five GOP-led states — Idaho, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah — are pressing ahead with state insurance exchanges. Ongoing monitoring by The Associated Press shows that another five Republican-led states are pursuing or seriously a partnership with Washington to help run the new markets. Democrats, meanwhile, hope to use the law and Republican inflexibility to their advantage, betting that more Americans will embrace the law once it expands coverage. The calculus for voters, Democrats assume, will become more about the policy and less about a polarizing president. “It shouldn’t be complicated at all,” said John Anzalone, an Obama pollster who assists Democrats in federal races across the country. Anzalone said Republicans could use their own states-rights argument to justify running exchanges. Instead, he said, “They are blinded by Obama-hatred rather than seeing what’s good for their citizens.” Governors can set up their own exchanges, partner with Sebelius’ agency or let the federal government do it. The exchanges are set to open Jan. 1, 2014, allowing individuals and businesses to shop online for individual policies from private insurers. Low- and middle-income individuals will get federal premium subsidies calculated on a sliding income scale. Eighteen states plus Washington, DC, most led by Democrats, have committed to opening their own exchanges. The law also calls for raising the income threshold for Medicaid eligibil- The Daily Sentinel Reader Services Correction Policy Our main concern in all stories is to be accurate. If you know of an error in a story, call the newsroom at (740) 992-2156. Our main number is (740) 992-2155. Department extensions are: News Editor: Charlene Hoeflich, Ext. 12 Reporter: Sarah Hawley, Ext. 13 Advertising Retail: Sarah Thompson, Ext. 15 Retail: Brenda Davis, Ext 16 Class./Circ.: Tonya Balser, Ext. 10 Circulation Circulation Manager: David Killgallon, 740-446-2342, Ext. 12 General Information E-mail: mdsnews@mydailysentinel.com Web: www.mydailysentinel.com (USPS 436-840) Ohio Valley Publishing Co. Published Tuesday through Friday, 111 Court Street, Pomeroy, Ohio. Second-class postage paid at Pomeroy. Member: The Associated Press and the Ohio Newspaper Association. Postmaster: Send address corrections to The Daily Sentinel, P.O. Box 729, Pomeroy, Ohio 45769. Subscription Rates By carrier or motor route 4 weeks . . . . . . . . . . . .$11.30 52 weeks . . . . . . . . . .$128.85 Daily . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50¢ Subscribers should remit in advance direct to The Daily Sentinel. No subscription by mail permitted in areas where home carrier service is available. Mail Subscription Inside Meigs County 12 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$35.26 26 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$70.70 52 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$140.11 Outside Meigs County 12 Weeks . . . . . . . . . . .$56.55 26 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$113.60 52 Weeks . . . . . . . . . .$227.21 ity to cover people making up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, or about $15,400 a year for an individual. That could add more than 10 million people, most of them childless adults, to the joint state-federal insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans. Together, the exchanges and the Medicaid expansion are expected to reduce the number of uninsured by about 30 million people within the next decade. A Supreme Court ruling last summer made the Medicaid expansion voluntary, rather than mandatory for states. At least eight governors, all of them Republicans, have already said they have no plans to expand Medicaid. The complexity is obvious. National exit polls from last month’s election showed that 49 percent of voters wanted some or all of Obama’s signature legislative achievement rolled back. Among self-identified independents, that number was 58 percent. Among Republicans, it spiked to 81 percent. When asked about the role of government, half of respondents said the notion that government is doing too much fits their views more closely than the idea that government should do more. Before the election, a national AP-GfK poll suggested that 63 percent of respondents preferred their states to run insurance exchanges, almost double the 32 percent who wanted the federal government to take that role. And the same electorate that tilts toward repealing some or all of the new law clearly re-elected its champion. That’s not the most important consideration for governors who face re-election in Republican states. Georgia’s Nathan Deal and Alabama’s Robert Bentley, who also face 2014 campaigns, initially set up advisory commissions to consider how to carry out the health care law, but they’ve since jumped ship. But, unlike others, Deal and Bentley aren’t eyeing national office. lifting S&P toward record Steve Rothwell AP Business Writer NEW YORK — It may be a big if, but assuming Washington lawmakers can get past the “fiscal cliff,” many analysts say that the outlook for stocks next year is good, as a recovering housing market and an improving jobs outlook helps the economy maintain a slow, but steady recovery. An advance of 10 percent in 2013 would send the S&P 500 toward, and possibly past, its record close of 1,565 reached in October 2007. A mid-year rally in 2012 pushed stocks to their highest in more than four years. Both the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average gained in 2012. Those advances came despite uncertainty about the outcome of the presidential election and bouts of turmoil from Europe, where policy makers finally appear to be getting a grip on the region’s debt crisis. “As you remove little bits of uncertainty, investors can then once again return to focusing on the fundamentals,” says Joseph Tanious, a global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. “Corporate America is actually doing quite well.” Although earnings growth of S&P 500 listed companies dipped as low as 0.8 percent in the summer, analysts are predicting that it will rebound to average 9.5 percent for 2013, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. Companies have also been hoarding cash. The amount of cash and cash-equivalents being held by companies listed in the S&P 500 climbed to an all-time high $1 trillion at the end of September, 65 percent more than five years ago, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices. By the time trading ended Monday, Republicans and Democrats still hadn’t reached a budget compromise — but investors were betting that they would — after President Barack Obama said that a compromise was “within sight,” but not finalized. Without a budget agreement, millions of Americans face the prospect of higher taxes and the government would be forced to slash spending, measures that would probably push the economy into recession, economists say. Assuming a budget deal is reached in a reasonable amount of time, investors will be more comfortable owning stocks in 2013, allowing valuations to rise, says Tanious. Stocks in the S&P 500 index are currently trading on a price-to-earnings multiple of about 13.5, compared with the average of 17.9 since 1988, according to S&P Capital IQ data. A lower-than-average ration suggests that stocks are cheap. The stock market will also likely face less drag from the European debt crisis this year, said Steven Bulko, the chief investment officer at Lombard Odier Investment Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution Letters to the Editor Letters to the editor should be limited to 300 words. All letters are subject to editing, must be signed and include address and telephone number. No unsigned letters will be published. Letters should be in good taste, addressing issues, not personalities. “Thank You” letters will not be accepted for publication. Managers. While policy makers in Europe have yet to come up with a comprehensive solution to the region’s woes, they appear to have a better handle on the region’s problems than they have for quite some time. “There is still some heavy lifting that needs to be done in Europe,” said Bulko. Now, though, “we are dealing with much more manageable risk than we have had in the past few years.” Next year may also see an increase in mergers and acquisitions as companies seeks to make use of the cash on their balance sheets, says Jarred Kessler, global head of equities at broker Cantor Fitzgerald. While the number of M&A deals has gradually crept higher in the past four years, the dollar value of the deals remains remains well short of the total reached five years ago. U.S. targeted acquisitions totaled $964 billion through Dec. 27, according to data tracking firm Dealogic. That’s slightly down from last year’s total of $1 trillion and about 40 percent lower than in 2007, when deals worth $1.6 trillion were struck. M&A deals are good for stock prices because the acquiring company typically pays a premium for the one it’s buying. Falling interest rates also set off a rally in the bond market. Concerns about swings in stock prices prompted investors to switch money out of stocks and into bond funds. If investors decide that the bond rally may be nearing an end, that flow of funds may be reversed, providing a support for stocks. “Equities are the best house in a bad neighborhood,” says Cantor’s Kessler. “Bonds are, not priced to euphoria, but they are definitely rich compared to equities right now.” Not all investors are as sanguine about the prospects for 2013. The rally in stocks in 2012 had less to do with company earnings and the economy and more to do with monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world, says David Wright, a managing director and co-founder at Sierra Investment Management in Santa Monica, Calif. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced Sept. 13 that the central bank would add another round to its bond-purchase program, known as “quantitative easing” on Wall Street, which is intended to lower borrowing costs and boost growth. Speculation that more stimulus was coming had pushed the S&P 500 index to 1,466, its highest close of the year, a day earlier. The Dow peaked for the year at 13,610, Oct. 5. “The Fed has done everything it can do and is probably pretty close to having used its last bullet,” said Wright. “It’s been a good year for stocks, but we think that’s an artifact of monetary stimulus.” The Daily Sentinel Ohio Valley Publishing Co. 111 Court Street Pomeroy, Ohio Phone (740) 992-2156 Fax (740) 992-2157 www.mydailysentinel.com Sammy M. Lopez Publisher Stephanie Filson Managing Editor �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 The Daily Sentinel • Page 5 www.mydailysentinel.com Obituaries David Thomas Napper David Thomas Napper, 31, of Middleport, Ohio, went to be with the Lord following an accident, December 31, 2012. Born at Pt. Pleasant, W.Va. to Raymond and Christine Vincent Napper, Middleport, Ohio, Dave was a laborer for Enersys Co. Besides Dave’s parents, he is survived by sisters, Penny Napper and Jeanie Arms; brothers Woody, Mike and Jerry Gilkey, Jason Miller, Justin Jeffers and Cody Vincent; daughter, Alexis Moon; uncles, George Vincent, Darrell Napper and Lonnie Taylor; aunts, Betty and Christy Vincent, Bonnie Napper, Betty Taylor, Shirley Might and Judy Gilkey; cousins, Kenny and Bobbie Sue Napper, Annett and Henry Cade; special friends, Melvin and Robin Duff, Gene White, Meleah Durme, Tony Jacks and Jeremy Counts, with many more cousins and friends. Dave was preceded in death by grandparents, Nellie and Jacob Vincent, David and Mary Napper, Violet Riggleman and Jeremy Vincent. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2013, at Birchfield Funeral Home, Rutland, Ohio, with Pastor Ed Barney officicating. Burial will follow at Bradford Cemetery, Pomeroy, Ohio. Family will receive friends Friday from noon until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, the family ask that donations be made to help with Dave’s expences. Online condolences can be made at birchfieldfuneralhome.com. Nancy Pope Nancy Pope, 80, Wellston, Ohio, died Tuesday, January 1, 2013, at Holzer Medical Center, Gallipolis. Arrangements are to be announced by the McCoyMoore Funeral Home, Vinton Chapel, who is honored to serve the Pope family. Janice Davis Janice Davis, 67, Vinton, Ohio, died Monday, December 31, 2012, at Holzer Medical Center, Gallipolis. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, January 4, 2013, at the McCoy-Moore Funeral Home, Vinton Chapel, with Pastor Mickey Maynard officiating. Burial will follow in the Vinton Memorial Park. Friends may call from 5-7 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Billy Joe Johnson, II Billy Joe Johnson, II, 49, of Crown City, Ohio, died Wednesday, December 26, 2012, from injuries received in a work-related accident in Jamestown, New York. Services will be 1 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2013, at Willis Funeral Home with Pastor James Wells officiating. Burial will follow in Kings Chapel Cemetery. Friends may call from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at the funeral home. Eloise Hall Eloise Hall, 87, of Point Pleasant, W.Va., died De- Ohio clinic tackles Appalachian dental needs MARIETTA, Ohio (AP) — A dental clinic that takes Medicaid and bills people with no insurance on a sliding scale is a rarity in Appalachia where unmet dental care is rampant. Some adult patients at the Southeastern Ohio Dental Clinic in Marietta never saw a dentist as children, some children as young as 5 have had all their baby teeth pulled and some patients in their 20s need dentures. The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/Z0bk0k) that children in Appalachia have a nearly 60 percent higher rate of tooth decay than elsewhere in Ohio while about half of working-age adults don’t have dental insurance. The staff at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus sees many patients who can’t find care in Appalachia, said Dr. Paul Casamassimo, the hospital’s chief of dentistry. “You’re talking about this hot spot of tooth decay in Ohio that is the result of many things — social deprivation, lack of fluoride, lack of access to care, just general poverty,” Casamassimo said. “Ultimately the solution, whatever the constellation of approaches is, really is going to cost money, and I think that’s something that’s a very, very high hurdle to get over.” The Marietta clinic is run by the Washington County Health Department, where those with no insurance might pay about $30 an appointment, office manager Karita Miller said. Dental care in southeastern Ohio is a priority for Ohio State University’s College of Dentistry, said college dean Dr. Patrick Lloyd, who wants to recruit a higher percentage of students from the region. Currently, about 3 percent of Ohio State dental students come from Appalachia, but Lloyd wants that to increase to 6 percent with the next freshmen class. New dentists who grew up there are more likely to return, he said, and if the state helps more dentists get rid of debt if they practice in the region, they’ll be lured there. Dentists graduate with an average debt of $195,000, he said. In Ohio, there is one dentist for every 1,874 people, but in Appalachia it’s one for every 3,138 people, according to the Ohio Department of Health. Dr. William Gable, of McConnelsville in Morgan County, said the only way he sees more of his colleagues setting down roots in Appalachia is if Medicaid reimbursement increases. Gable, who accepts Medicaid, chose his practice almost three decades ago because he thought it had a lot of potential. “The practice brought me here, but the people kept me here,” he said. More than half his patients are on Medicaid, and things can get tight for him financially, Gable said. The state has had some success luring dentists to poorer areas with its existing loan-repayment program, but most don’t stay in Appalachia for the long term, said Barbara Carnahan, an oral-health information specialist with the Ohio Department of Health. A task force convened by the department recommended in 2009 that the state explore higher Medicaid reimbursement for the region’s dentists. Some patients at the Marietta clinic say they can’t afford toothpaste and toothbrushes, while others say they don’t understand why they should worry about their children’s baby teeth. Adessa Jackson, a clinic dental technician, said she tries to educate as much as she can during appointments, stressing the importance of a low-sugar diet and regular oral hygiene. cember 30, 2012, at her home. Funeral services will be held on Thursday, January 3, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Deal Funeral Home in Point Pleasant, W.Va., with Pastor Jonathan Pinson officiating. Burial will follow in Montgomery Memorial Park in Montgomery, W.Va. Friends may visit the family on Wednesday, January 2, 2013, from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home in Point Pleasant. Ellen M. Keller Ellen M. Keller, 71, of Jackson, Ohio, died Monday, December 31, 2012, at the Regency Hospital in Columbus. Funeral services will be held 1 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2013, at the Lewis & Gillum Funeral home with Rev. Rick Smith and Rev. Randolph Hall officiating. Burial will follow in Bethel Cemetery in Oak Hill. Friends may call Thursday, January 3, 2013, from 5-8 p.m. with a DAV service at 7:30 p.m. Otho Gus Wolfe Otho Gus Wolfe, 84, of Gallipolis, Ohio, died Saturday, December 29, 2012, at his residence. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Saturday, January 5, 2012, at Willis Funeral Home with burial following in Centenary Cemetery. Friends may call on Friday from 6-8 p.m. at the funeral home. Military rites will be given at the graveside by the Gallia County Funeral Detail. School cafeterias join fight against childhood obesity Eric Whitney Colorado Public Radio Kathy Del Tonto started cooking school food 30 years ago in the Montrose school district at the foot of Colorados San Juan Mountains. Back then, the cafeteria workers made everything from scratch. My first kitchen that I managed was a little country school out south of town, and we made our own ketchup and everything, she says. But times changed. Families started eating more fast food, and processing companies started offering schools fast-food kinds of choices. The companies would take the food that the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives to schools, turn it into chicken nuggets and other processed items kids want, and then send it to cafeterias — for less than cooking it on site would cost. Del Tonto went along with it. By doing processed food you can cut your labor because you dont have to do the hard cooking, or youre just reheating and that kind of thing, she explains. Increasingly, though, the movement to reduce childhood obesity by improving what kids eat in school has changed the game. It means schools are now required to serve more fresh fruits and vegetables. And theres a movement within the movement that promotes the retro notion of cooking meals from scratch. And that takes a change in the hearts and minds of those behind the lunch line. Mike Shethar, a chef from Boulder, Colo., wants Del Tonto and all other cafeteria workers onboard. He says with a little training, food staff can cook the food on site. I ask them if they cook chicken at home and theyre like, Of course I cook chicken at home, and I say, Is it difficult? No, I do it all the time, says Shethar. And so I think about transferring the love you give your food at home — why shouldnt it be in the schools? Despite the rap that its more expensive to cook, Shethar believes it can be done for the same price as having the food processors do it. Shethar travels around Colorado with a group called LiveWell Colorado, which teaches districts like Del Tontos how to switch to more healthful food. Think of it as a boot camp for the lunch lady set. At first, Del Tonto was not pleased. I didnt like somebody coming in and telling me I was doing it wrong. We were giving kids what they loved. We had huge lunch counts; they were happy. Nobody was complaining, she says. That was two years ago. Del Tonto was in charge of food for all 11 schools in her district, and she had them serving processed foods almost exclusively. But by the end of the school food training, she was a changed woman. When I sat there in that classroom and knew the obesity rate had increased 30 percent, when I saw photos of kids and knowing that that generation doesnt have the life expectancy that their parents [have] — as a mom, thats a shock-and-awe moment, she says. I remember thinking in my head, if its not me, whos it gonna be thats going to take that on? And if not now, when? Two years later, Del Tontos schools have switched from mostly processed foods to making 95 percent of what kids eat from scratch. But it wasnt easy. It required training staff members, educating them about healthful eating, and lots of repetition to get the kids to make the more healthful choices. Those challenges, and others, are more than most schools want to take on, says Joe Pawlak, a school food industry analyst. It takes money, new equipment and retraining cafeteria staff. Del Tontos school had financial help. Del Tonto remains committed to serving nearly all meals in her schools cooked from scratch. She says lunch ladies feel better serving things theyve made themselves. Just knowing the love and the care we put in that food, hoping that it makes a difference for some of those kids. This story is part of a collaboration that includes NPR, Colorado Public Radio and Kaiser Health News. Kaiser Health News is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan health policy research and communications organization not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente. Charges From Page 1 manufacture of drugs, a felony of the first degree; illegal cultivation of marijuana, a felony of the third degree; and endangering children, a felony of the third degree. Day is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 4, with a jury trial scheduled for Jan. 10. Other ongoing cases involve Cynthia M. Casteel, Tina L. Rayburn, David B. Dillard, Emily Dillard and Mark A. Fooce. Casteel and Rayburn are each charged with illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the first degree; illegal assembly or possession of chemicals, a felony of the first degree; endangering children, a felony of the third degree; and illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the third degree. Casteel is to appear for a pretrial on Jan. 23 and Rayburn is to appear on Jan. 28. Emily Dillard and David Dillard are both charged in connection with a methamphetamine lab located at their residence on Ohio 143 early in the fall. Both face charges of illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the first degree; illegal cultivation of marijuana, a felony of the third degree; and endangering children, a felony of the third degree. Emily Dillard is scheduled for a trial in Meigs County Common Pleas Court on Jan. 22, while David Dilalrd is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 20. Fooce is charged with one count of illegal manufacture of drugs, a aggravated felony of the second degree.He is scheduled for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 23. Six people were sentenced in 2012 following guilty pleas on methamphetamine charges. Kodi Murphy, 24, of Long Bottom, entered a guilty plea to one count of illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs, a felony of the third degree. Murphy was sentenced to 24 months of community control. Michael Bing, 31, of Pomeroy, plead guilty to illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree. He was sentenced to four years in prison. Tara R. Adkins, 29, plead guilty to charges in two separate cases. Adkins entered guilty pleas to one count illegal assembly of drugs, a felony of the third degree; two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, a felony of the fifth degree; and one count of illegal manufacture of methamphetamine. Adkins was sentenced to 54 months in prison. Ricky D. Adkins, 33, plead guilty to illegal manufacture of drugs, a felony of the second degree; two counts of aggravated possession of drugs, felonies of the fifth degree; and illegal manufacture of methamphetamine, a felony of the second degree. Adkins was sentenced to six years in prison. Donald P. Carnahan, 31, and Leann Dill, 30, both entered guilty pleas in connection with a meth lab discovered at Meigs Motel on June 14. Carnahan plead guilty to two counts illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of methamphetamine, felonies of the third degree. He was sentenced to two years in prison on each count to be served concurrent. Dill entered a guilty plea to illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for manufacture of methamphetamine, a felony of the second degree, and child endangering, a felony of the third degree. She was sentenced to 96 months with all time suspended and five years of community control. Spree From Page 1 state in accordance with the plea agreement. On December 20, Wray was sentenced to three years of incarceration for the first charge of burglary and 12 months of imprisonment for each of the remaining seven counts of burglary, as well as 12 months for the charge of breaking and entering. All sentences were or- dered to be served consecutively for a total of 11 years of imprisonment. Wray was given credit for a total of 112 days served. Gilbert was present in court on December 27 and was sentenced to two years as to count one of the indictment and 12 months of incarceration for each additional charge of burglary and the charge of breaking and entering. These sentences were ordered to be served consecutively. Gilbert also pleaded guilty to a count of burglary in a 2011 common pleas case in which he was charged with breaking into a Brick School Road home on September 27, 2011. A one-year sentence was handed down in relation to this case and was ordered to be served consecutively with the sentence in his 2012 case for a total of 11 years of incarceration in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction. Gilbert was given credit for time served. Similarly, Skidmore pleaded guilty to the eight counts of burglary and one count of breaking and entering on December 21 and was subsequently sentenced in the common pleas court. A five-year prison sentence was handed down against Skidmore for the first count of burglary, a 36 month sentence was handed down as to the second charge of burglary. Thirty-month sentences were handed down for the remaining six counts of burglary in addition to an 11 month sentence for the charge of breaking and entering. The sentences were ordered to be served concurrently for a total of five years. Skidmore received credit for 91 days served. All three defendants were ordered to pay one third of the total restitution owed, or $14,352.66 each, to the victims in this case. Each defendant was also ordered to have no contact with the victims of this case. �The Daily Sentinel Sports WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2013 mdssports@heartlandpublications.com Regular season winners don’t always make champions DENVER (AP) — The Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons, who tied for the league’s best record at 13-3, are well aware of one of the NFL’s biggest truisms: more often than not, the regular season is for suckers. Over the last decade, just two of the 13 teams that had the best regular season record — or tied for the best mark — went on to win the Super Bowl: the ‘02 Buccaneers and the ‘03 Patriots. The last eight teams to enter the playoffs with the best record bowed out before they could put their fingerprints on the Lom- bardi Trophy and revel in a rain of confetti. Both the Broncos and Falcons are promising to practice like champions this week and not allow rest and relaxation to turn into rust and ruin. In the last seven seasons, three No. 6 seeds and a No. 4 seed ended up winning it all, giving hope to the likes of the Ravens, Redskins, Bengals and Vikings in this year’s playoff pool. A year ago, the Green Bay Packers rested their regulars in the season finale and they lost their edge, becoming the first 15-1 team to lose its first playoff game — to a New York Giants team that was 7-7 in mid-December and went on to win it all. “That’s kind of what it was for us when I was in Indy,” Broncos wide receiver Brandon Stokley said of the ‘05 Colts, who went 14-2 but lost to Pittsburgh in the divisional round. “We kind of rested the last week, then we had a bye. It’s too much. So, I like just grinding every week, just playing football.” That’s exactly what Peyton Manning’s new team did, securing the AFC’s top seed Sunday with its 11th straight win. Along with the Falcons, Patriots and 49ers, the Broncos get a break this week, one that can prove a pitfall as much as a profit. “We’ve just got to practice like we’re playing this week,” Denver receiver Eric Decker said. While the Broncos stormed into the playoffs, the Falcons, who already had the NFC’s top seed secured, didn’t gain any momentum Sunday, losing to Tampa Bay. “Before this game was played, we were the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, at the end of the game, nothing has changed,” Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez reasoned. “We’re a very good team; we’ll just use this as a wake-up call.” Says another Atlanta veteran, Asante Samuel: “We’re going to practice like champs. And we’re going to play like champs from now on.” So will the Broncos. Coach John Fox is using the bye week to stay sharp, calling for short, crisp practices on Wednesday, See WINNERS ‌| 8 Submitted photo | URG athletics Rio Grande’s Dominick Haynes splits a pair of UC-Clermont defenders in pursuit of a rebound in Sunday’s 78-49 win over the Cougars at the Newt Oliver Arena. Haynes finished with 14 points and nine boards in the victory. RedStorm blast UC-Clermont, 78-49 Randy Payton Special to OVP RIO GRANDE, Ohio — The University of Rio Grande bolted to a 23-point first half and never looked back, rolling to a 78-49 win over the University of Cincinnati-Clermont, Sunday afternoon, in men’s basketball action at the Newt Oliver Arena. The RedStorm improved to 5-9 with the victory, snapping a three-game losing slide in the process. UC-Clermont fell to 4-16 with a seventh straight loss. Rio Grande jumped to a 16-4 lead inside the game’s first five minutes and continued to pull away from the outmanned Cougars, opening up a 23-point cushion at 42-19 following a jumper by junior forward Karl Moore (Detroit, MI) with 3:53 left before the intermission. The RedStorm settled for a 46-24 advantage at the break and Clermont, which scored the first four points of the second half to slice the deficit to 18 points, got no closer the rest of the way. Rio’s biggest lead of the day was 34 points, 78-44, following a bucket by junior center Makka Garba (N’Djamena, Chad) with 2:16 left to play. Senior center Dominick Haynes lead five RedStorm players in double figures with 14 points. He also pulled down nine rebounds. Freshman guard D.D. Joiner had 13 points and a gamehigh four steals, while Moore finished with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Freshman forward Austin McMaster and junior forward Bruce Komakech netted 12 and 10 points, respectively, in the winning effort and junior guard Jermaine Warmack dished out nine assists. Rio Grande shot 44.8 percent from the field (30-for-67) and enjoyed a whopping 53-25 edge in rebounding. Kendall Beamon had 16 points to lead UC-Clermont, while Davyne Davis had nine points, five rebounds and five assists. Darwin Tolliver also had nine points and five boards in the loss. The Cougars, who dressed just eight players for the game, hit just nine of their 32 first half shots from the field for 28.1 percent. Alex Hawley | file photos Southern junior Hunter Johnson (4) dribbles the ball on a fast break during this December 18 file photo of a TVC Hocking boys basketball contest against Federal Hocking at Charles W. Hayman Gymnasium in Racine, Ohio. Tornadoes fend off Wahama, 49-46 Bryan Walters bwalters@civitasmedia.com RACINE, Ohio — A 13-3 third quarter surge ultimately provided enough breathing room for the Southern boys basketball team Saturday night during a hardfought 49-46 victory over visiting Wahama in a TriValley Conference Hocking Division matchup at Charles W. Hayman Gymnasium. Both the Tornadoes (44, 3-3 TVC Hocking) and White Falcons (2-5, 1-3) battled through numerous ties and lead changes in the opening half, as the contest was knotted up at 12 after eight minutes of play. SHS followed with a small 14-13 second quarter run to claim a slim 26-25 edge at the intermission. The hosts, however, turned up the defensive pressure out of halftime and used a favorable 10-point swing to establish a sizable 39-28 lead headed into the finale. WHS made a heroic comeback effort in the fourth quarter, but even an 18-10 surge ultimately came up short at the end of regulation — allowing Southern to claim a one-possession triumph. The Tornadoes outrebounded the guests by a 50-37 overall margin, includ- Wahama senior Jacob Ortiz (42) hauls in a rebound while being fouled by Hannan ing an 18-10 edge on the of- defender Ty Paige (32) during this December 28 file photo of a boys basketball See TORNADOES ‌| 8 contest in Mason, W.Va. OVP Sports Schedule Wednesday, Jan. 2 Boys Basketball Eastern at Gallia Academy, 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 3 Girls Basketball Athens at Gallia Academy, 6 p.m. Chesapeake at River Valley, 6 p.m. South Gallia at Southern, 6 p.m. Eastern at Wahama, 6 p.m. St. Albans at Point Pleasant, 6 p.m. Wrestling Wahama at Fairland (tri), TBA URG Sports Women’s Basketball vs Campbellsville, 6 p.m. Men’s Basketball vs Campbellsville, 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 4 Boys Basketball Portsmouth at Gallia Academy, 5 p.m. Coal Grove at River Valley, 6 p.m. Buffalo at South Gallia, 6 p.m. Belpre at Wahama, 6 p.m. Meigs at Vinton County, 6 p.m. Southern at Trimble, 6 p.m. OVCS at Harvest, 7 p.m. Hurricane at Point Pleasant, 6 p.m. Hannan at Sherman, 6 p.m. Girls Basketball Hannan at Calhoun County, 5:45 Wrestling Wahama at Ravenswood, TBA Point grapplers compete at Wheeling Park Duals Bryan Walters bwalters@civitasmedia.com WHEELING, W.Va. — It was tough weekend for the Point Pleasant wrestling program, as the Big Blacks finished sixth in its bracket during the two-day, 32-team Wheeling Park Duals held Friday and Saturday at WesBanco Arena in Ohio County. The Big Blacks posted a team record of 2-5 in Pool 1 of the Red Division, then claimed a victory over Cabell Midland (51-21) in their final match on Saturday to complete the two-day event with a 3-5 overall mark. CMHS was the sixth-place finisher in Pool 2 of the Red Division, which led to the final matchup. Point Pleasant posted team wins over Clinton-Massie (44-27) and Morgantown (66-17) in Pool 1, but also suffered setbacks to Parkersburg South (40-22), University (51-20), Ringgold (44-29), Massilon Washington (48-36) and Austintown-Finch (45-26) within the Red Division. Against Clinton-Massie, Point received pinfall victories from John Raike (120), Guy Fisher (126) and Josh Hudson (152). Noah Searls (138) and Colby Sayre (145) both posted majority decisions, while Scotty Wilcox (113), Austin Rutter (160) and Jacob Starcher all won by forfeit. Against Morgantown, the Big Blacks got pinfall wins from Raike, Searls, Hudson, Starcher and Brycen Reymond (182). Wilcox, Fisher, Sayre, Rutter, Caleb Leslie (106) and Zach Stewart (132) all collected forfeit wins in their respective divisions. Against Cabell Midland, PPHS received pinfall wins from Raike, Fisher, Searls and Reymond. Hudson won a 9-7 decision, while Stewart, Rutter, Starcher and Derrick Jackson (285) all won by forfeit. Parkersburg South won the 2012 Wheeling Park Duals tournament, followed by runner-up Harrison and third-place Steubenville. Woodward Academy and Maple Heights rounded out the top five spots overall. Parkersburg South won Pool 1 in the Red Division, Steubenville came away with top honors in Pool 2. Woodward Academy (Pool 3) and Harrison (Pool 4) won their respective pools in the Blue Division. Complete results of the 2012 Wheeling Park Duals are available on the web at wvmat.com �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 Legals Legals SHERIFF’S SALE, CASE NO. 12 CV 011, PEOPLES BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, PLAINTIFF, VS. RONALD P. CASCI AKA RONALD PAUL CASCI AKA RON CASCI, ET AL., DEFENDANTS, COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO. By virtue of an Alias Order of Sale issued out of said Court in the above action, Keith Wood, the Sheriff of Meigs County, Ohio, will expose to sell at public action on the front steps of the Meigs County Courthouse in Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio, on Friday, January 25, 2013, at 10:00 a.m., the following lands and tenements: Situated in the State of Ohio, County of Meigs and in the Village of Middleport. Being Lot Number Seventeen (17) of BEHAN’S ADDITION, as the same is numbered and delineated upon the recorded plat thereof, of record in Recorder’s Office, Meigs County, Ohio. The above described lot being 68 feet in width and 83 feet in depth. Reference Deed: Volume 43, Page 323, Meigs County Official Records. Auditor’s Parcel No.: 1501063.000 The above described real estate is sold “as is” without warranties or covenants. PROPERTY ADDRESS: 693 S. Second Avenue, Middleport, OH 45760. CURRENT OWNERS: Ronald P. Casci and Anne Lowry Casci. REAL ESTATE VALUE SET BY COURT AT: Minimum Bid Not Less Than $20,000.00. No interior examination has been made of any structures, if any, on the real estate. TERMS OF SALE: 10% (cash only) down on day of sale, balance (cash or certified check only) due on confirmation of sale. ORC 2327.02(C) requires successful bidders to pay recording fees and associated costs to the Sheriff. ALL SHERIFF’S SALES OPERATE UNDER THE DOCTRINE OF CAVEAT EMPTOR. PROSPECTIVE PURCHASERS ARE URGED TO CHECK FOR LIENS IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS OF MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO. ATTORNEY FOR PLAINTIFF: Jennifer L. Sheets, LITTLE, SHEETS & BARR, LLP, 211213 E. Second Street, Pomeroy, OH 45769, Telephone: (740) 992-6689 (1) 2, 9, 16 SHERIFF’S SALE, REAL ESTATE CASE NUMBER 12CV076 Bank of America, N.A., Successor By Merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP fka Countrywide Home Loans Servicing, LP Plaintiff -vsKeith A. Barnhart, et al. Defendants COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, MEIGS COUNTY, OHIO In pursuance of an Order of Sale to me directed from said court in the above entitled action, I will expose to sale on the front steps of the Meigs County Courthouse on Friday, January 25, 2013 at 10:00 A.M., the following described real estate: Real property in the Township of Scipio, County of Meigs, State of Ohio, and Is described as follows:Being a tract of land transferred to Mildred D. Lee as recorded In Official Records Volume 075 at Page 569, Meigs County Recorder's Office Meigs County, Ohio: also being a part of Section 16, Township-7North, Range-14-West, Scipio Township, Meigs County, State of Ohio and more particularly described as follows: Beginning at a 5/8" iron pin set, which is assumed to bear South 02°12'09" West, a distance of 882.93 feet from the Northwest corner of said Section 16, T-7, R-14, also being a point on the boundary of an 18.29 acre more or less tract as recorded in Deed Book 306 at Page 037; Thence along the assumed boundary of said 18.29 acre more or less tract South 89°51'51" East, passing through an existing iron pipe at a distance of 418.92 feet and going a total distance of 441.50 feet to a point in the centerline of State Route 692; Thence leaving said boundary and along said centerline, the following seven courses: 1. South 00°26'59" West, a distance of 107.36 feet to a point; 2. South 00°12'43" West, a distance of 173.99 feet to a point; 3. South 00°13'41" West, a distance of 97.40 feet to a point being the Intersection of said centerline, and the centerline of State Route 684; 4. South 77°39'48" West, a distance of 105.43 feet to a point 5. South 78°35'20" West, a distance of 103.63 feet to a point 6. South 80°01'50" West, a distance of 152.01 feet to a point; 7. South 79°52'02" West, a distance of 104.96 feet to a point at the assumed West line of said Section 16, and the boundary of said 18.29 acre more or less tract; Thence leaving said centerline and along said West line North 02°12'09" East, passing through a 5/8" iron pin set at a distance of 30 feet and going a total distance of 467.95 feet to the principal point of beginning, containing 4.377 acres more or less, subject to all legal easements and rights of way. CURRENT OWNER: Keith A. Barnhart PROPERTY ADDRESS: 40909 State Route 692, Albany, Ohio PERMANENT PARCEL NUMBER: 1700497000 and 1700233M00 PRIOR DEED REFERENCE: OR Book 222, Page 263 APPRAISED AT: $50,000.00 TERMS OF SALE: CANNOT BE SOLD FOR LESS THAN 2/3RDS OF THE APPRAISED VALUE. 10% OF PURCHASE PRICE DOWN ON DAY OF SALE, CASH OR CERTIFIED CHECK, BALANCE ON CONFIRMATION OF SALE. KEITH WOOD, Sheriff Meigs County, Ohio 1/2 1/9 1/16 Sheriff's Sale of Real Estate Revised Code, Sec. 2329.26 The State of Ohio, Meigs County. Bank of America, N.A., as successor by merger to BAC Home Loans Servicing, LP Plaintiff`s vs. No. 10 CV 108 Eric T. Toops aka Eric P. Toops, Defendant(s) In pursuance of an Alias Order of Sale in the above entitled action, I will offer for sale at public auction, at the door of the Court house or on the premises in the above named County, on Friday the 25th day of January, 2013, at 10:00 AM., the following described real estate, situate in the County of Meigs and State of Ohio, and in the Township of Chester to-wit: *Said Premises Located at 34230 Ingels Road, Pomeroy, OH 45769. Said Premises Appraised at $75,000 and cannot be sold for less than two-thirds of that amount. TERMS OF SALE: 10% day of the sale, balance due upon confirmation of sale. Sheriff Keith Wood Ryan Hemmerle Meigs County, OH Attorney 1/2 1/9 1/16 distance of 56.18 feet; South 15 deg. 32’ 02” East, as distance of 42.08 feet; South 10 deg. 13’ 31” East, as www.mydailysentinel.com distance of 78.43 feet; South 02 deg. 18’ 31” East, as distance of 61.64 feet; South 02 deg. 24’ 13” East, as distance of 70.65 feet; Thence North 56 deg. 29’ 36” West a distance of 172.98 feet to an iron pin set, passing an iron pin set at 23.25 feet for reference; Thence North 77 deg. 08’ 02” West, a distance of 185.06 feet to an iron pin set; Thence North 60 deg. 23’ 21” West, a distance of 246.36 feet to an iron pin set; Thence North 85 deg. 48’ 46” West, a distance of 141.32 feet to an iron pin set; Thence North 61 deg. 58’ 18” West, a distance of 215.43 feet to an iron pin set; Thence North 80 deg. 19’ 16” West, a distance of 1388.43 feet to an iron pin set; Thence North 01 deg. 13’ 50” East, a distance of 165.74 feet to a point of beginning; said described tract containing 15.00 acres, more or less, excepting all legal utility easements and rights of way. The above description is based on survey in November, 2003, by E & E Borderline Surveying, Robert R. Eason, Ohio P.S. No. 7033. Excepting unto the Grantors, Harold D. Graham and Janet Graham, the oil and gas underlying the above described real estate with the right to remove the same. Parcel Number: 1700324002 Property Located at: 39325 Honer Hill Road Pomeroy, OH 45769 Prior Deed Reference: Book 269, Page 681 Property Appraised at: 150,000 Terms of Sale: Cannot be sold for less than 2/3rds for the appraised value. 10% certified check (personal checks are not accepted) is due at the time of the sale by individuals buying the property. No deposit is required by the bank. The appraisal did not include an interior examination of the house. Robert E. Beegle, Meigs County Sheriff Kirk Sampson Ohio Supreme Court Reg. Legals Legals #0012999 Sheriff Sale of Real Estate Attorney for the Plaintiff Case Number 12-CV -062 Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss JPMorgan Chase Bank, NaP.O. Box 5480 Cincinnati, OH tional Association successor 45202-4007 (513) 241-3100 by merger to Chase Home Fin- 1/2/13, 1/9/13, 1/16/13 ance, LLC SHERIFF’S SALE OF REAL Vs ESTATE Dennis C. Jones, II, et al. CASE NUMBER 10-CV-024 Court of Common Pleas, BAC Home Loans Servicing, Meigs County, Ohio. L.P. FKA Countrywide Home In pursuance of an order of Loans Servicing, L.P., Plaintiff sale to me directed from said -vscourt in the above entitled acJeremy K. Roush, et al., Detion, I will expose to sale at fendants public auction on the front Court of Common Pleas, steps of the Meigs County Meigs County, Ohio Court House on Friday, JanuIn pursuance of an Alias Order ary 25, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. of of Sale With Reappraisal in the said day, the following deabove entitled action, I will ofscribed real estate: fer for sale at public auction in Situated in the Township of the above county on the 25th Scipio, County of Meigs, and day of January, 2013 at 10:00 State of Ohio and being in a.m. at the door of the courtSection 8, Town 7 North, house, the following described Range 14 West of the Ohio real estate: Company’s Purchase and beSEE LEGAL DESCRIPTION ing described as follows: ATTACHED HERETO AS EXBeginning at an iron pin set, HIBIT “A” said iron pin being set at the Said premises also known as assumed Northwest corner of 30410 Nichols Road, MiddleSection 8; port, OH 45760 Thence South 89 deg. 04’ 46” PPN: 1101177003 East, a distance of 2049.26 Appraised at: $40,000.00 and feet to a point in the centerline cannot be sold for less than of Township Road 141, two-thirds (2/3) of that amount. passing an iron pin found at Terms of Sale: Cannot be sold 2011.95 feet; for less than two-thirds of the Thence the following Eight (8) appraised value, 10% down on calls along the centerline of the day of sale, cash or certisaid Township Road 141: fied check, balance due on South 44 deg. 36’ 55” East, as confirmation of sale. The apdistance of 40.21 feet; praisal (did or did not) include South 39 deg. 35’ 29” East, as an interior examination of the distance of 68.33 feet; house. South 33 deg. 03’ 501” East, Robert E. Beegle as distance of 78.92 feet; Sheriff of Meigs County South 25 deg. 19’ 49” East, as THE LAW OFFICES OF distance of 68.84 feet; JOHN D. CLUNK, CO., LPA South 17 deg. 40’ 28” East, as John D. Clunk #0005376 distance of 56.18 feet; Ted A. Humbert #0022307 South 15 deg. 32’ 02” East, as Timothy R. Billick #0010390 distance of 42.08 feet; Robert R. Hoose #0074544 South 10 deg. 13’ 31” East, as 4500 Courthouse Blvd, #400 distance of 78.43 feet; Stow OH 44224 South 02 deg. 18’ 31” East, as PH: 330-436-0300 distance of 61.64 feet; FAX: 330-436-0301 South 02 deg. 24’ 13” East, as 10-00597 distance of 70.65 feet; EXHIBIT A Thence North 56 deg. 29’ 36” West a distance of 172.98 feet THE LAND REFERRED TO IN THIS COMMITMENT, SITUto an iron pin set, passing an ATED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF iron pin set at 23.25 feet for RUTLAND, COUNTY OF reference; MEIGS, STATE OF OHIO, IS Thence North 77 deg. 08’ 02” West, a distance of 185.06 feet DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: SITUATED IN THE TOWNto an iron pin set; SHIP OF RUTLAND, COUNTY Thence North 60 deg. 23’ 21” West, a distance of 246.36 feet OF MEIGS, AND STATE OF OHIO, IN SECTION 12 TOWN to an iron pin set; 5 NORTH, RANGE 14 WEST: Thence North 85 deg. 48’ 46” West, a distance of 141.32 feet BEGINNING FOR REFERENCE AT THE SOUTHEAST to an iron pin set; CORNER OF SECTION 12; Thence North 61 deg. 58’ 18” West, a distance of 215.43 feet THENCE WEST 1,830 FEET TO A POINT; to an iron pin set; THENCE NORTH 2,360 FEET Thence North 80 deg. 19’ 16” TO THE INTERSECTION OF West, a distance of 1388.43 NICHOLS ROAD AND LEADfeet to an iron pin set; ING CREEK ROAD, BEING Thence North 01 deg. 13’ 50” East, a distance of 165.74 feet THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING FOR THE FOLLOWING to a point of beginning; said DESCRIBED REAL ESTATE; described tract containing THENCE FOLLOWING NICH15.00 acres, more or less, exOLS ROAD NORTH 01 DEG. cepting all legal utility ease00' 54" EAST, 349.84 FEET ments and rights of way. The above description is based TO A POINT; THENCE LEAVING NICHOLS on survey in November, 2003, by E & E Borderline Surveying, ROAD AND FOLLOWING THE COMMON PROPERTY LINE Robert R. Eason, Ohio P.S. OF CAPEHART OFFICIAL No. 7033. RECORDS 15 PAGE 87 AND Excepting unto the Grantors, STOUT & OWENS OFFICIAL Harold D. Graham and Janet Graham, the oil and gas under- RECORDS 10 PAGE 679 SOUTH 88 DEG. 29' 06" lying the above described real EAST, 163.95 FEET TO AN estate with the right to remove IRON PIN SET AND PASSING the same. AN IRON PIPE FOUND AT Parcel Number: 1700324002 19.80 FEET; Property Located at: 39325 THENCE CROSSING THE Honer Hill Road LOTS OF STOUT AND Pomeroy, OH 45769 OWENS OFFICIAL REPrior Deed Reference: Book CORDS 10, PAGE 679, 269, Page 681 Property Appraised at: 150,000 SOUTH 16 DEG. 03' 40" Terms of Sale: Cannot be sold WEST, 142.54 FEET TO AN IRON PIN SET; for less than 2/3rds for the apTHENCE CONTINUING TO praised value. 10% certified check (personal checks are not CROSS THE LOTS OF STOUT AND OWENS OFFIaccepted) is due at the time of CIAL RECORDS 10 PAGE the sale by individuals buying 679, SOUTH 13 DEG. 48' 15" the property. No deposit is reEAST 138.83 FEET TO THE quired by the bank. CENTERLINE OF LEADING The appraisal did not include CREEK ROAD AND PASSING an interior examination of the AN IRON PIN SET AT 110.16 house. FEET; Robert E. Beegle, Meigs THENCE FOLLOWING LEADCounty Sheriff ING CREEK ROAD THE Kirk Sampson NEXT FOUR (4) BEARINGS Ohio Supreme Court Reg. AND DISTANCES; #0012999 THENCE SOUTH 57 DEG. 24' Attorney for the Plaintiff 32" WEST, 33.95 FEET TO A Lerner, Sampson & Rothfuss POINT; P.O. Box 5480 Cincinnati, OH THENCE SOUTH 61 DEG. 41' 45202-4007 (513) 241-3100 15" WEST, 51.55 FEET TO A 1/2/13, 1/9/13, 1/16/13 POINT; THENCE SOUTH 67 DEG. 13' 11" WEST, 33.76 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE SOUTH 73 DEG. 44' 50” WEST, 64.23 FEET TO A POINT AND BEING THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING. CONTAINING 1.0831 ACRES, MORE OR LESS. Said premises also known as: THIS COMMITMENT, SITUATED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF RUTLAND, COUNTY OF The Daily Sentinel • Page MEIGS, STATE OF OHIO, IS DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: SITUATED IN THE TOWNSHIP OF RUTLAND, COUNTY OF MEIGS, AND STATE OF OHIO, IN SECTION 12 TOWN 5 NORTH, RANGE 14 WEST: BEGINNING FOR REFERENCE AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 12; THENCE WEST 1,830 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE NORTH 2,360 FEET TO THE INTERSECTION OF NICHOLS ROAD AND LEADING CREEK ROAD, BEING THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING FOR THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED REAL ESTATE; THENCE FOLLOWING NICHOLS ROAD NORTH 01 DEG. 00' 54" EAST, 349.84 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE LEAVING NICHOLS ROAD AND FOLLOWING THE COMMON PROPERTY LINE OF CAPEHART OFFICIAL RECORDS 15 PAGE 87 AND STOUT & OWENS OFFICIAL RECORDS 10 PAGE 679 SOUTH 88 DEG. 29' 06" EAST, 163.95 FEET TO AN IRON PIN SET AND PASSING AN IRON PIPE FOUND AT 19.80 FEET; THENCE CROSSING THE LOTS OF STOUT AND OWENS OFFICIAL RECORDS 10, PAGE 679, SOUTH 16 DEG. 03' 40" WEST, 142.54 FEET TO AN IRON PIN SET; THENCE CONTINUING TO CROSS THE LOTS OF STOUT AND OWENS OFFICIAL RECORDS 10 PAGE 679, SOUTH 13 DEG. 48' 15" EAST 138.83 FEET TO THE CENTERLINE OF LEADING CREEK ROAD AND PASSING AN IRON PIN SET AT 110.16 FEET; THENCE FOLLOWING LEADING CREEK ROAD THE NEXT FOUR (4) BEARINGS AND DISTANCES; THENCE SOUTH 57 DEG. 24' 32" WEST, 33.95 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE SOUTH 61 DEG. 41' 15" WEST, 51.55 FEET TO A POINT; THENCE SOUTH 67 DEG. 13' 11" WEST, 33.76 FEET TO A POINT; Legals73 DEG. 44' Houses For Sale THENCE SOUTH 50” WEST, 64.23 FEET TO A 921 13th Street, Huntington, POINT AND BEING THE WV. 2-story brick, needs TLC. TRUE POINT OF BEGINAssessed price $51,400. NING. CONTAINING 1.0831 Priced for quick sale, $29,500. ACRES, MORE OR LESS. Call for additional information. Said premises also known as: 304-295-9090. 30410 Nichols Rd, Middleport, OH 45760 Lots PPN: 1101177003 1/2 1/9 1/16 Lot For Sale, 1.92 Acres. Lot 307, Whitten Estates, Milton, ANNOUNCEMENTS WV. Great location for doublewide. Nice area. Utilities available. Reduced for Lost & Found quick sale! $4950.00 304-295 LOST: Small male beagle, be-9090 ing missed, almost all blk w/tan face, short legs and nose, REAL ESTATE RENTALS wearing blue collar, lost on Morning Star Rd, Racine, OH. Apartments/Townhouses 740-949-1016, Katie Notices $200 REWARD For info leading to the arrest & conviction of the persons who kicked my door down & stole my Vizio TV, Robert Tripp, Tuppers Plains, OH. Call Meigs Co Sheriff, 992-3371 GUN SHOW Marietta Comfort Inn Sat Jan 5, 9-5 Sun Jan 6, 9-3 I-77 Exit 1 North 1/4 mi Adm $5 100-6' tables OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Front Sight Promotions, LLC 740-667-0412 www.ohiogunshows.net NOTICE OHIO VALLEY PUBLISHING CO. Recommends that you do Business with People you know, and NOT to send Money through the Mail until you have Investigated the Offering. Pictures that have been placed in ads at the Gallipolis Daily Tribune must be picked within 30 days. Any pictures that are not picked up will be discarded. 1 & 2 bedroom apartments & houses, No pets, 740-992-2218 RENTALS AVAILABLE! 2 BR townhouse apartments, also renting 2 & 3BR houses. Call 441-1111. Clean 1 bdr. furnished apt. Deposit and references req. 304-593-5125 FIRST MONTH FREE 2 & 3 BR apts $425 mo & up sec dep $300 & up AC, W/D hook-up tenant pays elec EHO Ellm View Apts 304-882-3017 Furnished 1 bedroom Apartment - Racine Oh, NO PETS, 740-591-5174 NICE - 2 bedroom Apartment. Gallipolis $575.00/mo w/s/g washer/dryer included. NO PETS 740-591-5174 Nice 2BR Apartment - water & trash included - $600mo plus $600 deposit - 446-9585 SERVICES Professional Services SEPTIC PUMPING Gallia Co. OH and Mason Co. WV. Ron OH Evans Jackson, 800-537-9528 J & C TREE SERVICE 30 yrs experience, insured No job too big or small. 304-675-2213 304-377-8547 Repairs Joe's TV Repair on most makes & Models. House Calls 304-675-1724 FINANCIAL Money To Lend NOTICE Borrow Smart. Contact the Ohio Division of Financial Institutions Office of Consumer Affairs BEFORE you refinance your home or obtain a loan. BEWARE of requests for any large advance payments of fees or insurance. Call the Office of Consumer Affiars toll free at 1-866-278-0003 to learn if the mortgage broker or lender is properly licensed. (This is a public service announcement from the Ohio Valley Publishing Company) EDUCATION Business & Trade School Gallipolis Career College (Careers Close To Home) Call Today! 740-446-4367 1-800-214-0452 gallipoliscareercollege.edu Accredited Member Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools 1274B ANIMALS RENT SPECIALS Jordan Landing Apts-2, 3 & 4BR units avail. You pay electric. Minorities encouraged to apply. No pets 304-674-0023 304-444-4268 Spring Valley Green Apartments 1 BR at $425+2 BR at $475 Month. 446-1599. Twin Rivers Tower is accepting applications for waiting list for HUD subsidized, 1-BR apartment for the elderly/disabled, call 304-675-6679 Houses For Rent 4 BR, NO PETS, Syracuse, OH. $575/mo 304-675-5332 or 740-591-0265 MANUFACTURED HOUSING Sales Repo's Available 740)446-3570 Call EMPLOYMENT Government & Federal Jobs Now Hiring: Customer Representative for both sales & service. Strong Communications Skills, Friendly & Honest, Enthusiastic. Apply In Person: Smith Chevrolet Buick 1900 Eastern Ave Gallipolis OH SERVICE / BUSINESS DIRECTORY AGRICULTURE MERCHANDISE Miscellaneous Jet Aeration Motors repaired, new & rebuilt in stock. Call Ron Evans 1-800-537-9528 Want To Buy Want to buy Junk Cars, Call 740-388-0884 Absolute Top Dollar - silver/gold coins, any 10K/14K/18K gold jewelry, dental gold, pre 1935 US currency, proof/mint sets, diamonds, MTS Coin Shop. 151 2nd Avenue, Gallipolis. 446-2842 Manufactured Homes 2 bdrm, 2 bath, trailer for rent $450 mo, plus $450 deposit. Ph 740-367-7006 3 BR 2 bath Mobile home on farm, All Appliances, $600 mo, Plus $300 utility allowance, 540)729-1331 Miscellaneous BASEMENT WATERPROOFING. Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. Local references. Established in 1975. Call 24hrs (740)446-0870. Rogers Basement Waterproofing 7 �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 8 OVP Sports Briefs Mason County Youth Wrestling signups POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — The signups dates for the Mason County Youth Wrestling League are as such: First Point Weigh In from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on January 3 at Hartley Wrestling Building. Second Point Weigh In from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. on January 8 at Hartley Wrestling Building. Last Chance Weigh in from 6 p.m. until 7 p.m. on January 15 at Hartley Wrestling Building. There is a registration fee. Chiefs with first pick in April’s draft, Jags next NEW YORK (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs own the No. 1 pick in next April’s draft, with the rest of the order set for non-playoff teams. Kansas City and Jacksonville finished 2-14 each, but the Chiefs had the weaker schedule, earning them the top selection. The rest of the top 20 picks were announced Monday by the NFL. Oakland is third, followed by Philadelphia, Detroit, Cleveland, Arizona, Buffalo, the New York Jets and Tennessee. Then come San Diego, Miami, Tampa Bay, Carolina, New Orleans, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Dallas, the New York Giants, and Chicago. The remainder of the selections will be determined by playoff results. The draft will be April 25-27. Buckeyes hope they’re ready for Big Ten start COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State’s Deshaun Thomas talks of the impending conference season as if it’s a series of hand-to-hand battles. In a way, maybe it is. “Right now it’s just all about the Big Ten,” said the Buckeyes’ and league’s leading scorer after his team’s 87-44 win over Chicago State on Saturday. “Every night is going to be a fight night and everybody is going to compete.” It’s time for Ohio State to open play in the rough, rugged — and talented — Big Ten. The Buckeyes (10-2) host Nebraska (9-4) on Wednesday night. There will be little time to take a breath until they close the regular season with a home game on March 10 against Illinois. It’s also the dawn of a new segment of the season for the Cornhuskers and first-year coach Tim Miles. He inherits a team that went 4-14 in league play last season former coach Doc Sadler. Ohio State, co-champs of the Big Ten last year, is a prohibitive favorite. “We’re the underdog, so we’ve got nothing to lose,” Miles said. “Let’s go figure it out and try to win the game.” Despite being a threetime defending Big Ten champion, Buckeyes coach Thad Matta takes nothing for granted. “You’re going into 18 straight games that are going to be brutal, there’s no doubt about that,” he said. “We’ve (played) some pretty good basketball. There’s still a lot of areas we have to clean up.” The principal areas of concern are the post position and shooting. Matta has juggled his only senior, Evan Ravenel, 6-foot-11 sophomore Amir Williams, who is limited offensively, and Trey McDonald, with very little experience. Combined, they’re averaging 12 points and 10.2 rebounds a game. Still, they have been erratic against a non-conference schedule that was weak except for the two losses — against No. 1 Duke and No. 6 Kansas. Also, keep in mind that’s a considerable drop-off from two-time All-American Jared Sullinger, who averaged 17.6 points and 9.1 rebounds by himself last season before leaving early for the NBA. More troubling is Ohio State’s shooting woes. In their only losses (73-68 at Duke, 74-66 at home against Kansas), the Buckeyes shot 33 and 31 percent, respectively, from the field. Thomas, who is averaging just under 20 points a game, can only do so much. Aaron Craft, the reigning Big Ten defensive player of the year, has struggled with his shot. He and his teammates have put in extra time on shooting in practice. They’re confident they’ve worked out the kinks and are ready for the rigors of the Big Ten. “I really hope so. If not, we’re in for a rude awakening,” he said. “Going 10-2 in non-conference, we’ve played some pretty good teams that have set us up to be competitive in the Big Ten. (We have the) understanding that every team is a great team and every team has the potential to win each game. We have to find a way to get better each and every day and understand that every game is vitally important and every game we need to bring it.” Three times the Buckeyes will play back-to-back road games; only once will they have two home games in a row. In a fortunate turn, they’ll play second-tier teams Purdue and Penn State only on the road, and get toughies Minnesota and Wisconsin just at home. Everybody’s steeling for what’s ahead. This could be a vintage year for the conference — ranked No. 1 in the RPI — with four teams currently in the Associated Press’ top nine and six among the top 18. “We just need to put together 40 minutes,” Nebraska big man Brandon Ubel said. “We’ve done that this season. We get up 10 (points) or down 10, but the game’s not over. You just kind of have to have that mentality.” Tornadoes From Page 6 fensive glass. Neither team shot 30 percent from the field and both squads committed 17 turnovers in the contest. Southern connected on 16of-60 field goal attempts for 27 percent, including a 4-of-14 effort from three-point range for 29 percent. The hosts were also 13-of-20 at the free throw line for 65 percent. Tristen Wolfe led SHS with a game-high 17 points, followed by Adam Pape with 11 points and Chandler Drummer with six markers. Trenton Deem, Zac Beegle and Casey Pickens each contributed four points to the winning cause, while Taylor McNickle and Dennis Teaford respectively rounded out the scoring with two points and one point. Pickens led the Tornadoes with 12 rebounds, while Drummer hauled in 10 caroms. Wolfe added team-bests of four assists and two steals. The White Falcons made 17of-59 floor shots for 29 percent, including a 4-of-21 effort from three-point territory for 19 percent. WHS was also 8-of-13 at the charity stripe for 62 percent. Wyatt Zuspan paced the guests with 12 points, followed by Austin Jordan with 10 points and Trenton Gibbs with nine markers. Derek Hysell chipped in five points, while Hunter Brad- ley and Jacob Ortiz both added four markers apiece. Dakota Sisk rounded out the Wahama scoring with two markers. Gibbs hauled in team-high 12 boards, followed by Bradley with 10 rebounds. Bradley and Jordan both led the White Falcons with three assists each, while Gibbs had a game-high five steals in the setback. Winners From Page 6 Thursday and Friday and a mandatory weightlifting session Saturday, mainly to keep the team “focused, not concerned with flights to other states and those type of things, especially close states.” Like Nevada, where oddsmakers have made the Broncos the favorite to win the Super Bowl. Of course, the Packers were in this position last year. It’s not just the NFL where the season’s best team usually falters in the playoffs. In the last 10 seasons, only two teams in each of the other major pro sports leagues parlayed the best regular-season record into a championship, according to STATS, LLC. They were: the 2007 Red Sox and the ‘09 Yankees, the 2002-03 Spurs and the ‘07-08 Celtics and the Red Wings in 2001-02 and ‘0708. Since the first Super Bowl, the team with the best regular-season record has won just 21 of 46 championships, or 46 percent, which is more than in the NHL (42 percent), NBA (41 percent) and MLB (28 percent), according to STATS. “Everyone wants to have the best record, win the division and play at home for the playoffs, but in my opinion, the team that is playing the best has the best opportunity,” said NFL Network analyst Kurt Warner, a former MVP and Super Bowl champion. “This game is always about confidence and momentum. If you have it, you’re tough to beat, nobody wants to play you and it gives you a distinct advantage. It starts in the regular season and you want to be playing well down the stretch.” With that in mind, here’s how the dozen playoff teams rank from hottest to coolest: 1. Broncos (13-3) — They haven’t lost since a 31-21 setback at New England on Oct. 7, before Manning got his bearings and found a comfort zone with his new teammates. 2. Redskins (10-6) — They’ve won seven straight games since coach Mike Shanahan’s comments about playing for next year (well, it is 2013 now!) after a loss to Carolina on Nov. 4 dropped them to 3-6. 3. Patriots (12-4) — Their only loss in their last 10 games was to San Francisco two weeks ago that snapped their 21-game home winning streak in December. Even in defeat, Tom Brady was spectacular as New England nearly became the first team since 1980 to win a game after trailing by 28. 4. Seahawks (11-5) — Forget the “Fail Mary” t o u c h d ow n / t o u c h b a c k ending that gave Seattle a disputed win over the Packers in Week 3 and hastened the return of the regular officials. The real robbery was the selection of QB Russell Wilson in the third round of the draft. He’s guided them to five straight wins. 5. Bengals (10-6) — Cincinnati matched the best finish in club history, winning seven of its last eight games behind Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, who will now try to secure the Bengals’ first playoff win since 1990. 6. Colts (11-5) — Indy won nine of its last 11 despite a soft defense, rallying around assistant coach Bruce Arians, who took over while coach Chuck Pagano was treated for leukemia. Pagano is back and the Colts have gotten over their breakup with Manning and moved on with rookie Andrew Luck. 7. Packers (11-5) — Green Bay won nine of its last 11 but couldn’t close out the season with a win at Minnesota that would have ensured them a firstround bye. Maybe that’s a good thing for a team that won it all as a wild card two years ago. 8. Vikings (10-6) — Al- Miscellaneous though Adrian Peterson came up just short of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record, he carried the Vikings into the playoffs with wins in their last four games. 9. 49ers (11-4-1) — San Francisco lost to division rivals St. Louis and Seattle in December, but Colin Kaepernick and Michael Crabtree put the 49ers into the playoffs with some much-needed momentum with dazzling performances in a win over Arizona on Sunday. 10. Falcons (13-3) — Atlanta lost two of its last four, but they didn’t rest their regulars Sunday, when they lost to the Buccaneers and also lost two key defensive players to injuries in pass-rusher John Abraham and cornerback Dunta Robinson. 11. Ravens (10-6) — Baltimore lost four of its last five and changed offensive coordinators in December. The Ravens used their regular-season finale at Cincy to rest their regulars, sitting bangedup playmakers Anquan Boldin, Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs while pulling Joe Flacco and Ray Rice after only two series. 12. Texans (12-4) — For much of the year, they were the NFL’s darlings behind J.J. Watt, Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, but they caved in December, losing three of their last four and falling from the top seed in the AFC to the third. Instead of a bye week to rest up, they get a short week to play Cincinnati. All of this isn’t to say the hottest team will be crowed champion or the coolest one has no shot. “I think there are a lot of formulas,” Fox said. “If you look at history, there are plenty of different scenarios. At the end of the day, you want to be playing your best football in January so you can get to February. That’s really the only formula I know that’s 100 percent.” �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 Wednesday, January 2, 2013 www.mydailysentinel.com COMICS/ENTERTAINMENT BLONDIE Dean Young/Denis Lebrun BEETLE BAILEY FUNKY WINKERBEAN HAGAR THE HORRIBLE HI & LOIS Mort Walker Today’s Answers Tom Batiuk Chris Browne Brian and Greg Walker THE LOCKHORNS MUTTS The Daily Sentinel • Page 9 William Hoest Patrick McDonnell Jacquelene Bigar’s HOROSCOPE ZITS THE FAMILY CIRCUS Bil Keane DENNIS THE MENACE Hank Ketchum Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman CONCEPTIS SUDOKU by Dave Green HAPPY BIRTHDAY for Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2013: This year you could experience unusual tension involving your work and its direction. The wise Goat would take a class or two in order to finetune his or her specialization even more. You’ll want to become more of an expert in your field and increase your abilities. If you are single, you will be drawn to a foreigner or someone quite bohemian. What an interesting bond! If you are attached, the two of you might choose a new mutual hobby or pastime. You’ll enjoy each other and make a point of spending more time together. VIRGO can get fussy with you when he or she is tired. The Stars Show the Kind of Day You’ll Have: 5-Dynamic; 4-Positive; 3-Average; 2-So-so; 1-Difficult ARIES (March 21-April 19) HHHH You finally are able to recuperate. You might be anxious to get into a project, yet you enjoy the return to a normal pace. Don’t forget to touch base with an important person with whom you have not been able to spend time this past holiday season. Tonight: Nice and easy. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) HHHHH You go with the flow, and your good intentions come through. Don’t indulge in an overserious conversation, especially if you are working through some issues. Sometimes people talk too much about a situation and ruin the naturalness of a bond. Tonight: Add some spice. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) HHHH You’ll enjoy relaxing right now, but you also might experience an uneasiness, as boredom could appear on the horizon. You are not a sign that can stay in the same place mentally for any length of time. Toss plans in the air and regroup. Tonight: Get enough sleep. CANCER (June 21-July 22) HHHHH Return calls, and finalize details involving the end of the holidays. Once you clear up all of the issues at hand, you finally will be able to relax. A serious conversation with a child might be rather uncomfortable, but it is necessary. Tonight: Visit with a friend. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) HHHH Be sure to take stock of your financial standing in order to assess what you have to offer. Rethink how you handle your budget in the near future. Be direct when dealing with an associate or partner. Your serious mood emerges, to others’ dismay! Tonight: Stay within your budget. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) HHHHH You have a few remaining calls and thank-you notes to complete. Your feelings toward a neighbor or sibling emerge. Could it be this person’s energy that evokes a reaction? Only you can decide. Make sure you leave a lot of time for a child or loved one. Tonight: Make it easy. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) HHH Your pace is about to radically change. You might want to take advantage of the slow period right now. A depression or a sense of being off can be combated by getting some exercise. Consider yourself in transition. A family member needs to talk. Tonight: Postpone a decision. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) HHHH Try to relax with friends. Remember, it is not often that you have so many people around you. Fatigue could play into this situation. Schedule a few extra days off, if possible. Your communication style is concise when dealing with others. Tonight: Only where the fun is. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) HHH Others demand and expect a lot from you. Can you meet their expectations? You know what you will not do, but on the other hand, you might not want the alternative either. Use care when committing any funds at present. Tonight: A force to be dealt with. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) HHHH Reach out to someone knowledgeable for an opinion. You could be investing too much in a situation that involves a friend. Try assuming a more laidback position. You might need some distance from the here-and-now. Tonight: Put on a favorite piece of music. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) HHHH Don’t keep switching from one subject to another. Focus on one person and one topic at a time, even if your mind seems to be running away from you. An older friend or associate demands more of your time. Follow your instincts. Tonight: Talk and dinner. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) HHHH Defer to a partner, family member or dear friend. You have been very active, and now you need some time just for you. Say no to an invitation, unless you really want to be there. Honor your desires, and let someone else carry the responsibility. Tonight: You know what you want. Jacqueline Bigar is on the Internet at www.jacquelinebigar.com. �Wednesday, January 2, 2013 www.mydailysentinel.com The Daily Sentinel • Page 10 Bengals try to break playoff futility in Houston CINCINNATI (AP) — The Bengals are taking one of the longest streaks of playoff futility in NFL history back to the scene of their latest postseason loss. A year older, they’re hoping they’ve grown up enough to pull off a significant breakthrough. Cincinnati (10-6) opens the postseason Saturday at Houston (12-4), where the young Bengals imploded during a 31-10 loss in the first round last year. Quarterback Andy Dalton was a rookie then and threw three interceptions that turned a close game into a blowout. The drubbing kept the Bengals without a playoff victory since 1990, the league’s longest current streak and tied for the ninth longest in NFL history, according to STATS LLC. They beat the Houston Oilers 41-14 at Riverfront Stadium in a firstround game in 1990, then lost to the Raiders in Los Angeles. They’ve been back to the playoffs only three other times since then, losing lopsided games to the Steelers in 2005, to the Jets in 2009 and to the Texans last season. Winning in Houston would be a huge step for the franchise. “No doubt,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “I think our guys realize that just being in the playoffs is not what we’re here for.” Their second straight season as a wild card team represents a major step by itself. It’s only the second time in franchise history that they’ve made the playoffs in back-to-back years. The other time was 198182. “This young team expected to be in the playoffs,” offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “In a year where we expected to be in the playoffs, we did.” They’ve got a few things in their favor the second time around. The Bengals were taken aback by the loud crowd at Reliant Stadium a year ago, caught up in the Texans’ first playoff appearance. “I think the atmosphere is the biggest thing,” safety Chris Crocker said. “It’s like wow, Houston, that was crazy, that was nuts. I think guys saw that. I ain’t never seen an atmosphere like that — regular season game, playoff game, never. That was just, wow. But once it gets going, it gets going.” Cincinnati lost the 2005 and 2009 playoff games at Paul Brown Stadium. Last year was the first time that most of their players were on the road for a postseason game. It’ll seem more familiar this time — 38 of those players are still on the roster. “The difference is we know the atmosphere from when we went down there last year,” Lewis said. “(It was) the first time we had a playoff game on the road for any of the people here.” Dalton, who grew up in suburban Houston, has learned how to win pressure games in his second season. Dalton’s interceptions turned last year’s game into a blowout, starting with J.J. Watt’s 29-yard return for a touchdown. If Dalton can avoid mistakes, the Bengals will have a chance to end that drought. “We just have to take care of our business,” Dalton said. “If we do that, all of that stuff will take care of itself. We’ve done some good things. We went 10-6 this year and had a good year. We made the playoffs again. That was our goal going into it, and now our goal is to make a run at it.” The biggest change for Houston is Matt Schaub will be at quarterback instead of T.J. Yates. The biggest change for the Bengals is their defense, which set a club record with 51 sacks and has steadied them down the stretch. In wins over Pittsburgh and Baltimore the last two weeks, the defense scored two touchdowns — Leon Hall and Carlos Dunlap returned interceptions — while the offense managed only one. “We are probably playing better this year than we have been in the past heading into the playoffs,” said Mike Zimmer, in his fifth season as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator. “This defense is salty right now.” Unlike last season, the Bengals head into the playoffs with a lot of confidence. They lost three of their last five games last year, getting the final wild card because other teams lost even more. This time, they pulled out of a 3-5 start by winning seven of their last eight games, one of the best closing stretches in team history. It was only the third time they’d won seven of their Gene Sweeney Jr. | Baltimore Sun | MCT photo Cincinnati Bengals’ Carlos Dunlap (96) celebrates with the crowd after he intercepted a pass for a touchdown at Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Baltimore Ravens, 23-17. last eight games. They won their final seven in 1970 to reach the playoffs for the first time. They won seven of the last eight in 1981 and went on to play in their first Super Bowl, where they lost to San Francisco. “It gets us going in on a big hot streak, that’s for sure,” defensive tackle Geno Atkins said. “We are more mature this year. It’s also not our first trip, so we can learn from our mistakes from last time as well.” Browns fire coach Pat Shurmur, GM Tom Heckert BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Before the ball dropped on a new year, the Browns said goodbye to another coach. The same thing happened after seasons in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2010. One day after another dismal, double-digit loss season ended, the Browns fired coach Pat Shurmur and GM Tom Heckert, the initial offseason moves by new owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner, who intend to put a stop to the franchise’s never-ending cycle of change. The Browns’ next coach will be their sixth since 1999. “We’re well aware that this has been a carousel,” said Haslam. “It’s our job to find the right coach and the right GM and bring stability long term for the organization. That’s our role. Our goal is to get the best person.” Haslam was matter of fact when asked what attribute he was looking for in a coach. “Strong leadership,” he said. Shurmur went 9-23 in his two seasons with the Browns, who were still in the playoff mix before closing the season with three straight losses to finish 5-11. Shurmur, who followed Eric Mangini into Cleveland, developed one of the NFL’s youngest rosters this season despite an undercurrent of change. His first season was made more difficult by the lockout, preventing him from learning about his players. The bottom line, though, is that he didn’t win enough. “I’ve never seen a coach with that much on his plate in two years,” linebacker Scott Fujita said. “To handle it the way he did and to manage it day-to-day the way he did and to not let the distractions from outside come in and infiltrate the locker room, you couldn’t have asked for more out of him.” Haslam said the decisions to dismiss Shurmur and Heckert were finalized in the “last week or two.” It’s expected both men will quickly find jobs with another teams, and it’s possible they could be reunited with coach Andy Reid, who was fired Monday in Philadelphia. The trio worked together with the Eagles. Haslam and Banner will immediately begin their coaching search. During a 35-minute news conference that turned into a sales pitch for a new coach, they did not disclose any potential candidates. However, Banner is confident the Browns, who have lost at least 11 games in each of the past five seasons — the second-longest streak of futility in league history — will land a quality coach. “Most of these coaches are fo- cused on finding a place where they think they can win,” Banner said. “We think we can make a very good case why this is the best opportunity in the league right now.” Already, the list of possible candidates to take over for Shurmur includes Alabama’s Nick Saban and Oregon’s Chip Kelly, college football’s two hottest coaches who both have bowl games ahead. One of them could be lured to Cleveland with the promise of having complete control of the roster. Saban worked as an assistant in Cleveland under Bill Belichick in the ’90s, and although many believe he’ll retire at Alabama, that doesn’t mean Haslam won’t try to hire him. “I would love for him to be here, but I doubt if he would come to the NFL and leave Alabama,” said rookie running back Trent Richardson, who played for Saban with the Crimson Tide. “I can’t see him leaving.” Kelly’s up-tempo offense is intriguing to the Browns. With Richardson, quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Josh Gordon, they have a young nucleus to build around. Penn State’s Bill O’Brien, who served as New England’s offensive coordinator before taking over in Happy Valley, is also believed to be on the Browns’ short list. There is also reported interest in several NFL coordinators including Indianapolis’ Bruce Arians, New England’s Josh McDaniels, Denver’s Mike McCoy and Washington’s Kyle Shanahan, Fox Sports reported Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter will interview with the Browns this week. Haslam promised a thorough search. “We’re going to explore all avenues, college coaches, coordinators and head coaches,” he said. “The key is to get the right person.” Among the GM candidates expected to be considered are: Atlanta player personnel director David Caldwell, San Francisco director of player personnel Tom Gamble, Baltimore assistant GM Eric DeCosta and NFL Network analyst Mike Lombardi, who worked with Banner in Philadelphia and for the Browns when Belichick was Cleveland’s coach. Banner said it’s possible the Browns would hire a player personnel director, not necessarily a GM. Shurmur, who has two years left on his contract, was emotional when addressing the Browns for the final time. “It’s unfortunate, very unfortunate,” Weeden said of the changes. “When you don’t win games, it’s not on Pat, it’s not on Mr. Heckert, it’s all on us and we all feel a sense of responsibility.” Following Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh, Shurmur said he had not spoken to Haslam or Banner in “quite some time,” a clear sign the team was moving on without him. Shurmur was not available for comment. Not long after leaving the team’s facility, he attended a movie at a cinema complex with his family. He departed the Browns with some satisfaction. “I am extremely proud of the players on this team, who I felt made tremendous strides and helped to make the Cleveland Browns relevant again,” Shurmur said in a release. “This group of players will achieve success soon, and there will be a part of me that will feel very good when that happens.” Shurmur’s fate may have been sealed on the first day of training camp when Haslam’s intent to buy the Browns was announced. It may not have mattered how Shurmur did this season because Haslam, a former minority owner with the Steelers, was intent on bringing in his own people. He wants to find his first coach “sooner than later,” but he’s willing to wait. “Whatever timetable it takes to get the right person,” he said. “We’re going to take.” Steelers bracing for changes after 8-8 season PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers spent all fall claiming the chatter generated by various off-the-field issues was only so much background noise. Through Mike Wallace’s contract status to the relationship between quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and Todd Haley to the injury problems that kept bold-faced players out of the lineup for long stretches, the Steelers insisted they were focused. Standing in the corner of a quiet locker room after an 8-8 season ended with a 24-10 win over rudderless Cleveland, wide receiver Antonio Brown begged to differ. “We wasted a lot of energy worrying about things that were out of our control, pointing a finger here, pointing a finger there,” Brown said. “People mad here. People mad there. And as a team collectively you can’t have that.” And the Steelers know they can’t have another season like 2012, one that included flashes of brilliance but also too many times where they shrank from the task. Pittsburgh lost five games by a field goal, most of them the result of uncharacteristic mistakes in critical situations by players used to the guys in the other uniform being the ones who fail to deliver in the clutch. “The good teams, the dominant teams, aren’t necessarily dominant inside stadiums but they are dominant largely in moments, and they do what is required to get out of stadiums with victories,” coach Mike Tomlin said. “We didn’t do that consistently enough.” The revamped offense brought in by Haley designed to take some of the pressure off Roethlisberger operated in fits and starts over the second half of the season. Having the franchise quarterback miss three games with a sprained shoulder and dislocated rib didn’t help. Neither did injuries along the offensive line that made getting any sort of rhythm in the running game impossible. Still, Tomlin refused to place blame in any one specific place, be it the relationship between Roethlisberger and Haley or the running back rotation that failed to produce consistently. Taken as a whole, it just wasn’t enough. The Steelers finished 21st in total offense — down from 12th in 2011 — and averaged 21 points a game, less than a point more than the year before. “Offensively I thought we started off on the right foot in terms of dominating time of possession and converting third downs,” Tomlin said. “We did what was required in those areas to possess the ball and win football games. Obviously we didn’t ascend in the second half of the season in those areas. It was an Achilles’ heel for us.” The defense finished No. 1 overall for the fifth time in the last decade but had issues generating turnovers. Pittsburgh’s 10 interceptions were tied for the second fewest in franchise history and the Steelers needed seven takeaways in the final two games to reach 20 on the season. Safety Troy Polamalu, linebackers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley and cornerback Ike Taylor — fixtures on a team that’s made two Super Bowl appearances in the last five seasons — all missed extended time with injuries and the backups were disciplined but not exactly dynamic. The lack of playmakers enabled opponents to take advantage late in games, namely road losses to woeful Oakland and Tennessee that put Pittsburgh in an early 2-3 hole. “It was a really good defense in the latter portions of season, particularly in those settings,” Tomlin said. “I think the statistics show that. But again, not enough significant plays in those moments at the early portion of the season that produced wins.” Even so, don’t expect 75-year-old defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to go anywhere. LeBeau pledged to return in 2013, a decision Tomlin endorsed on Monday. “He’s a special guy, a special man and a special coach,” Tomlin said. He’s also one of the reasons Pittsburgh remains a sea of calm in a constantly evolving league. Pittsburgh is perhaps the best team in the NFL in providing continuity, there is a sense significant change is coming. Fixtures like nose tackle Casey Hampton, linebacker Larry Foote and running back Rashard Mendenhall will become unrestricted free agents. So will Wallace and cornerback Keenan Lewis. Wallace pledged Sunday he would love to return, though the math could make that impossible. The Steelers will have to get creative to get under the salary cap next year, and Wallace is expected to be in high demand on the open market. “It’s a business, but at the end of the day this is all I’ve known,” Wallace said. “I want to be here.” If Wallace does come back, he won’t holdout as he did during training camp, the start of a seasonlong list of distractions that led to four months George Bridges | KRT photo Pittsburgh’s Casey Hampton is shown during a game against Baltimore on Sunday, September 19, 2004, in Baltimore, Maryland. where things never really fell into place. If he bolts, the Steelers believe they have the parts in place to return to their usual spot in the postseason. Starting in 2000, the Steelers have missed the playoffs every three years — 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2012. If the pattern holds, they’ll be playing into January next year, hopefully a wiser group than the one that let this season slip away. “The best team that I’ve been on is when a group is collectively a team, people not playing for money or playing for (themselves),” Brown said. “A collective effort for the team and that’s the mentality we’ve got to carry around next year.” � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 01. January Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 2, 2013 davis hall johnson keller mapper pope wolfe