Latest news with #TimesRecorder
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Board of Elections expecting light turnout for May election
ZANESVILLE ‒ Lindsay Peadon, director of the Muskingum County Board of Elections, does not anticipate a large turnout for the May 6 primary, which features tax issues but no candidates. "We currently have 1% of voter turnout for early voting," she told the Times Recorder on April 30. "We are not expecting the polls to be busy." As of April 30, 307 absentee ballots had been sent out. Of those, 186 have been returned. The deadline to apply for an absentee ballot was April 29. If not returned by mail, absentee ballots must be returned in the BOE's drop box by 7:30 p.m. May 6. If returning by mail, they must be postmarked by May 5. There have been 326 early in-person voters, as of April 30. There are two school district levies are on the ballot. The Franklin Local School District is asking voters to approve a five-year, 2-mill levy renewal for permanent school improvements commencing in 2025 and due in 2026. It generates $652,000 a year, which is helped by pipelines in the district. The renewal will cost the owner of a $100,000 home $12.54 a year. The River View Local School District is looking to pass a five-year, 1.8-mill operating levy renewal. The levy could collect around $425,000 annually, through a Muskingum County auditor estimation, for permanent school improvements. At 1.8 mills, the levy would collect around $20 per $100,000 of appraised property value. A small portion of the district overlaps into Muskingum County. Two townships will have levy renewals on the ballot. Perry Township's 5 years and 3 mill renewal is for fire and EMS services. Springfield Road District's 5 year and 2 mills renewal is for construction, resurfacing and repair of streets, roads, and bridges. Voters statewide are being asked to approve a bond issue that would allow the state to issue up to $2.5 billion in general obligation bonds or $250 million annually over 10 years. This money can be spent on roads and bridges, waste water treatment systems, water supply systems, solid waste disposal facilities, storm water and sanitary collection, storage and treatment facilities. There is still time to take advantage of in-person early voting at the board of elections. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 2, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 3 and 1 to 5 p.m. May 4. There are no early voting hours on May 5. Election Day on May 6 has hours from 6:30 7:30 p.m. The board is located at 627 Market St. All polling places in Muskingum County will be open from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Election Day. Residents will need state- or federally issued photo identification to vote. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Voter turnout expected to be light for May election
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
ONEi sponsors Muskingum County Speedway opening night; event honors the late Ronnie Moran
PATASKALA — The Ohio Natural Energy Institute is sponsoring the Muskingum County Speedway's opening night on April 26, according to an announcement. The event, dubbed Essential Ohio Energy Opening Night, will feature the ONEi team educating attendees about the natural gas and oil industry, with hands-on activities for kids. Advertisement The Speedway, located at 7985 Frazeysburg Road in Dresden, has been a community staple for years. 'The Muskingum County Speedway has been a pillar in this community for years,' Bruce Tague, executive director of Ohio Natural Energy Institute, said in the release. 'We're thrilled to kick off the season under the lights — supporting a legacy of speed, skill, and community that mirrors the energy driving our industry forward.' Devin Moran and brother Wylie, left, stand in front of Devin's car prior to the 2021 Lucas Oil Prime 50 Late Model race at Muskingum County Speedway in this Times Recorder file photo. The two sons of local racing legend Donnie Moran were carrying on the family legacy in dirt track racing, with Devin driving and Wylie serving as crew chief. Late owner to be honored The event will also honor the late Ronnie Moran, a longtime owner and promoter of the Speedway, who passed away last year. Moran was a self-employed oil well driller and a supporter of the industry. His son, Donnie, and grandson, Tristin, the current owners and promoters of the track, will host a memorial race for Ronnie later this year, also presented by ONEi. Advertisement 'Dad loved racing and was able to support our family's passion through the oil and gas industry,' Donnie Moran said in the release. 'Partnering with Ohio Natural Energy Institute for opening night feels as though we are not only supporting the industry that lifts our community, but also honoring dad.' General admission opens at 4 p.m., with hot laps at 5 p.m. and races starting at 6 p.m. For more information, visit This story was created by Jane Imbody, jimbody@ with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at or share your thoughts at with our News Automation and AI team. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Muskingum County Speedway opens April 26; late owner will be honored
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Who is the artist of Trump portrait in Colorado controversy?
President Trump doesn't appear to be a fan of Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman, or at least her portrait of him hanging in the Colorado Capitol for nearly six years. Trump trashed the image in a social media post on Sunday as 'truly the worst' and demanded its removal. '(Boardman) must have lost her talent as she got older,' he added on Truth Social. British-born Boardman, who is in her 70s, has painted many portraits, including one of President Obama that hangs alongside Trump's in the Colorado Capitol. According to the biography on her website, she worked in airline travel and business before shifting her focus to art. She began studying at the Wiesbaden Herzfeld School of Art in Germany in 1986, focusing on the techniques of the Old Master Painters. 'Sarah has always been passionate about painting portraits, being particularly intrigued by the depth and character found deeper in her subjects,' her website reads. 'Sarah believes that the ultimate challenge is to capture the 'personality, character and soul' of an individual in a two-dimensional format.' Boardman didn't immediately respond to The Hill's requests for comment, but she told the Colorado Times Recorder in a 2019 interview that she wanted the portrait to be neutral. In her submission for Colorado's national competition to paint Trump's likeness, she described his expression in her preferred image as 'serious, non-confrontational, thoughtful.' 'The portrait is not designed for just one faction of the population,' she told the Times Recorder while the painting was underway. 'I love painting portraits, and each one brings different challenges and highlights.' The Colorado Capitol Building Advisory Committee selected Boardman for the job after she presented two Trump sketches and four photos of the president with different expressions and stylistic features, the Times Recorder reported. The artist described the image in the submission as 'direct and show(ing) confidence, courage and purpose.' The depiction initially faced backlash from some Colorado Democrats who opposed honoring Trump because of his policies. Boardman acknowledged that portraits often elicit anger 'directed at the subject, not the actual piece of art.' 'There will always be dissent, so pleasing one group will always inflame another,' she said. 'I consider a neutrally thoughtful, and non-confrontational, portrait allows everyone to reach their own conclusions in their own time, in addition to that approach being more durable over time.' Boardman compared the Democrats' criticism to Republicans' opposition to her painting of Obama when it was first displayed. 'Being president is the qualification for entry into the gallery, and I respect that qualification on face value as I did with the portrait of President Obama,' she said. Colorado Senate Republicans led the ceremony when the portrait was added to a third-story wall alongside past presidents at the state Capitol in 2019. Boardman later expressed her gratitude online to 'all the dignitaries, staff, donors and visitors who attended and made this a wonderful event!' 'Feeling very grateful for this opportunity,' she wrote. Republican lawmaker Kevin Grantham, president of the state Senate at the time of the portrait's initial planning, spearheaded an online fundraiser in 2018 to get the $10,000 needed to commission Trump's portrait after the nonprofit Colorado Citizens for Culture was unable to secure donations. 'It's only fitting that a populist, such as the president, would have the first crowd-funded campaign for a presidential portrait,' Grantham said at the time. Grantham, a Trump supporter who was a member of the advisory committee that picked Boardman for the job, wasn't immediately available to speak with The Hill about Trump's criticism. During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images. Trump wrote in his Truth Social post Sunday evening that he would rather have no portrait up in the Colorado Capitol than the image currently displayed and claimed that 'many people from Colorado have called and written to complain.' He blamed Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) for issues with the image. 'Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,' Trump wrote. Polis, who took office in January 2019, was not governor at the time of the bipartisan group's selection of Boardman and wasn't involved in the portrait's unveiling ceremony. A Polis spokesperson told The Hill, 'Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork. The State Capitol was completed in 1901, and features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado, and includes portraits of former Presidents and former governors. We appreciate the President and everyone's interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Who is the artist of Trump portrait in Colorado controversy?
President Trump doesn't appear to be a fan of Colorado Springs artist Sarah Boardman, or at least her portrait of him hanging in the Colorado Capitol for nearly six years. Trump trashed the image in a social media post on Sunday as 'truly the worst' and demanded its removal. '(Boardman) must have lost her talent as she got older,' he added on Truth Social. British-born Boardman, who is in her 70s, has painted many portraits, including one of President Obama that hangs alongside Trump's in the Colorado Capitol. According to the biography on her website, she worked in airline travel and business before shifting her focus to art. She began studying at the Wiesbaden Herzfeld School of Art in Germany in 1986, focusing on the techniques of the Old Master Painters. 'Sarah has always been passionate about painting portraits, being particularly intrigued by the depth and character found deeper in her subjects,' her website reads. 'Sarah believes that the ultimate challenge is to capture the 'personality, character and soul' of an individual in a two-dimensional format.' Boardman didn't immediately respond to The Hill's requests for comment, but she told the Colorado Times Recorder in a 2019 interview that she wanted the portrait to be neutral. In her submission for Colorado's national competition to paint Trump's likeness, she described his expression in her preferred image as 'serious, non-confrontational, thoughtful.' 'The portrait is not designed for just one faction of the population,' she told the Times Recorder while the painting was underway. 'I love painting portraits, and each one brings different challenges and highlights.' The Colorado Capitol Building Advisory Committee selected Boardman for the job after she presented two Trump sketches and four photos of the president with different expressions and stylistic features, the Times Recorder reported. The artist described the image in the submission as 'direct and show(ing) confidence, courage and purpose.' The depiction initially faced backlash from some Colorado Democrats who opposed honoring Trump because of his policies. Boardman acknowledged that portraits often elicit anger 'directed at the subject, not the actual piece of art.' 'There will always be dissent, so pleasing one group will always inflame another,' she said. 'I consider a neutrally thoughtful, and non-confrontational, portrait allows everyone to reach their own conclusions in their own time, in addition to that approach being more durable over time.' Boardman compared the Democrats' criticism to Republicans' opposition to her painting of Obama when it was first displayed. 'Being president is the qualification for entry into the gallery, and I respect that qualification on face value as I did with the portrait of President Obama,' she said. Colorado Senate Republicans led the ceremony when the portrait was added to a third-story wall alongside past presidents at the state Capitol in 2019. Boardman later expressed her gratitude online to 'all the dignitaries, staff, donors and visitors who attended and made this a wonderful event!' 'Feeling very grateful for this opportunity,' she wrote. Republican lawmaker Kevin Grantham, president of the state Senate at the time of the portrait's initial planning, spearheaded an online fundraiser in 2018 to get the $10,000 needed to commission Trump's portrait after the nonprofit Colorado Citizens for Culture was unable to secure donations. 'It's only fitting that a populist, such as the president, would have the first crowd-funded campaign for a presidential portrait,' Grantham said at the time. Grantham, a Trump supporter who was a member of the advisory committee that picked Boardman for the job, wasn't immediately available to speak with The Hill about Trump's criticism. During his campaign for reelection in 2024, Trump, who turns 79 in June, sold digital trading cards that featured virile depictions of himself as a cowboy, superhero and astronaut, among other images. Trump wrote in his Truth Social post Sunday evening that he would rather have no portrait up in the Colorado Capitol than the image currently displayed and claimed that 'many people from Colorado have called and written to complain.' He blamed Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) for issues with the image. 'Nobody likes a bad picture or painting of themselves, but the one in Colorado, in the State Capitol, put up by the Governor, along with all other Presidents, was purposefully distorted to a level that even I, perhaps, have never seen before,' Trump wrote. Polis, who took office in January 2019, was not governor at the time of the bipartisan group's selection of Boardman and wasn't involved in the portrait's unveiling ceremony. A Polis spokesperson told The Hill, 'Gov. Polis was surprised to learn the President of the United States is an aficionado of our Colorado State Capitol and its artwork. The State Capitol was completed in 1901, and features Rose Onyx and White Yule Marble mined in Colorado, and includes portraits of former Presidents and former governors. We appreciate the President and everyone's interest in our capitol building and are always looking for any opportunity to improve our visitor experience.'
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Yahoo
Codey Starkey and Chiquita Rush sentenced one year after drug trafficking arrests
ZANESVILLE ‒ The Zanesville Times Recorder's top news story of 2024 recently reached a conclusion when a man and woman were sent to prison for a combined 34 years after being found with more than 900 grams of illicit drugs. Codey Edward Starkey, 40, and Chiquita Irene Rush, 38, both of Zanesville, were sentenced a year after their drug dealing operation was uncovered. Starkey, given 20 to 25.5 years in prison, pleaded no contest to four felonies: trafficking cocaine, first degree, trafficking methamphetamine, first degree, having weapons after being previously banned from owning them, third degree, and attempting to destroy evidence, third degree. Rush was sentenced to 14 years and pleaded no contest to two felonies: trafficking fentanyl, first degree, and possessing weapons while previously banned, third-degree. No contest pleas meant Rush and Starkey acknowledged the evidence against them but not admitting guilt. They accepted the consequences as if guilty, according to the Ohio Revised Code. They did so to preserve their ability to appeal, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle told the Times Recorder. "Rush admitted to helping Starkey sell cocaine and was present during drug deals. "Her sentence was shorter because she played a smaller role in the operation," stated an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office. In February 2024, the Central Ohio Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Zanesville and Muskingum County Drug Unit launched an investigation after an undercover drug-purchasing operation. "Police got a search warrant for their house and discovered large amounts of drugs and weapons," noted the prosecutor's announcement. Investigators found and confiscated more than 500 grams of marijuana, 300 grams of methamphetamine, more than 100 grams of fentanyl, and more than 30 grams of psychedelic mushrooms, the prosecutor's office explained. The narcotics' value totaled between $700,000 and $1 million, noted Times Recorder reports. During the search, Starkey tried to flush the drugs down the toilet to hide the evidence. Officers found fentanyl in the toilet and sink. At least three guns were seized, including an AK-47, AR-15, and 9mm handgun, along with ammunition. Other forfeitures included two vehicles, a Ford F-150 and Nissan Maxima, and around $3,700 in cash. The indictment also listed a third vehicle forfeiture, a Buick Verano. "These assets were determined to have been purchased with drug money and will be used to support future drug investigations and community programs," the prosecutor's office added. Starkey and Rush had been held in the Muskingum County Jail on $1 million bonds. Both had prior criminal records that banned them from owning a gun. Starkey's drug-related history and connected prison sentences were cause for concern. Common Pleas Judge Kelly Cottrill "agreed that a long sentence was needed to protect the public and punish Starkey for his continued criminal activity," the announcement said. Starkey and Rush were indicted February 2024 on 16 felony counts and 14, respectively. They were listed as co-defendants for 11 of them. Initially, they had each been looking at 40-plus years if they had been convicted on all counts. Other joint felony charges originally included illegal manufacturing, aggravated possession of drugs, and possession of cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana. More: Zanesville council moves step closer to taking Anchor Church property by eminent domain Shawn Digity is a reporter for the Zanesville Times Recorder. He can be emailed at sdigity@ or found on X at @ShawnDigityZTR. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Zanesville pair linked with drug dealing operation sentenced
