Latest news with #ZanesvilleTimesRecorder
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
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Today, farmers planting corn and soybean are using less acreage and seeing higher yields
For the last month and a half, tractors have been pulling fertilizer carts, tillage equipment and planters on our roads and in the fields as planting season begins. Corn and soybeans are the primary focus of spring planting in Muskingum County. Based on the latest completed statistics from 2023, some 24,000 acres of corn and 20,000 acres of soybeans will be planted. In line with these statistics, more than 10% of Muskingum County's 424,960 acres will be used for growing these two crops this summer. During the past more than 80 years, significant changes in crop production have taken place in the ever changing farming industry. In 1950, Muskingum County had approximately 26,000 acres in corn, just a little more than the 24,000 current acres. But a big change has taken place in county wheat production, which declined from the14,000 acres reported in 1950 to 680 acres reported in 2023. In 1950, soybeans were pretty much an afterthought in agriculture production with fewer than 600 acres planted. In fact, soybeans did not even show up in the county agricultural report until 1940 when 100 acres were planted. As soybean profits increased in the 1970s and 1980s to the present, so has the acreage planted, seemingly replacing wheat acreage on county farms. The decreased wheat acreage has had several side effects including a decrease in the supply of straw for livestock bedding, making the straw more valuable than in the past. Total crop acreage in Muskingum County seems to have remained fairly consistent over the last 75 years, even though the crops planted have changed. An additional factor that has changed is the yield per acre. The 26,000 acres of corn planted in 1950 produced only an average of 50 bushels per acre, or about 650,000 bushels total, while the 24,000 acres of corn planted in 2023 had an estimated average of 175 bushels an acre for a total of 4.2 million total bushels. The soybeans of 1950 produced only 20 bushels per acre. Soybeans in 2023 were reported to be averaging 50 bushels per acre. Going back to the Civil War era, corn is reported to have averaged 33 bushels per acre and wheat only 10 bushels per acre. Some sources say that during the Civil War more than 80,000 acres, almost twice the current crop acreage, were in production growing additional crops such as rye, buckwheat, oats and barley. I have trouble even thinking about feeding the armies, let alone the family members at home on crop yields of 33 and 10 bushels per acre. Agriculture is always changing. What you saw yesterday growing, planting and harvesting in the fields may not be what you see tomorrow. Exciting changes have taken place and more are just around the corner as our farmers continue to produce more on less land than ever before. Chuck Bell is a former 4-H educator for Muskingum County. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Farmers see higher yields for corn and soybean planted on less acreage
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
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Zanesville man who helped conceal his deceased father's body sentenced to nine years
ZANESVILLE ‒ One man saw his wife go to prison for murder earlier this year when a dead body was discovered in a backyard shed, but he also received a lengthy sentence for his ancillary role. David Ralph Cole Jr., 44, of Zanesville, received nine years in prison when he went before Judge Gerald Anderson May 28. He was convicted on five counts after entering a plea bargain on April 16, including tampering with evidence, obstructing justice, and endangering children, all third-degree felonies, and gross abuse of a corpse and possessing criminal tools, fifth-degree felonies. On Feb. 10, Zanesville police responded to Cole's Somers Street address. They found the body of his father, David Cole Sr., 80, wrapped in a tarp and plastic mattress cover and hidden in a shed. On Dec. 24, Cole's wife, Brittany Lee Cole, 38, gave her father-in-law double doses of Zzzquil and Tylenol No. 3, a combination of codeine and acetaminophen, after he became ill and bedridden and complained of pain. She had been his primary caretaker, noted an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's office. Brittany found Cole Sr. dead the next morning. Cole didn't check on his father often, the prosecutor's office noted, and he didn't discover his body until Jan. 8, after the family returned home from a trip. He then reportedly worked with Brittany to wrap the body and relocate it several weeks later, the prosecutor's office added. His body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, and his death was attributed to the medications, confirmed the Licking County coroner in February. Police later found incriminating texts messages, videos and Google searches from the Coles. "Although David Cole was not involved in his father's death, the evidence shows he wasn't much involved in his father's life," said Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle. "We hope that this sentence brings some closure to David Sr.'s remaining family and gives what dignity we can for a helpless victim who was badly mistreated both in life and in death." On Feb. 26, Brittany was convicted of murder, an unclassified felony, and gross abuse of a corpse, a fifth-degree felony. She was received life in prison with parole possibility after serving 16 years. She claimed she'd been helping her father-in-law, who had sunk into a depression and wished to be with his late wife. More: Philo woman who pleaded guilty to trying to run over victims is sentenced to four years 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 man who helped conceal father's body sentenced to 9 years
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
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Dresden man acquitted on rape charges after his wife was found guilty on lesser charges
ZANESVILLE – A Dresden man has been acquitted on seven sexual abuse charges originating from a three-person sexual relationship in March 2024. The jury found Wesley James Stotts, 40, not guilty on three counts of rape, first-degree felonies; three counts of sexual battery, third-degree felonies; and gross sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony; according to court documents. The trial ended on May 21. Stotts was indicted on Jan. 8, along with his wife, Ashton Whitney Stotts, 37, who was also accused of the same seven crimes. Ashton was found guilty on three counts of sexual battery after a trial May 29. The case's one female victim alleged that she was drunkenly raped by both during the encounter, noted Samuel H. Shamansky, a Columbus-based attorney representing Stotts. He was also counseled by Donald L. Regensburger. "Wesley was extremely grateful for the manner for which Judge Cottrill ensured a fair trial," Shamansky noted. He also applauded the jury for its ability to follow instructions and produce a fair environment. The prosecutor's office had no comment. Wesley and Ashton were both booked and briefly detained in the Muskingum County Jail Feb. 10 on $100,000 bonds. More: Zanesville police waiting for autopsy results of skeletal remains found on Adams Street 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: Dresden man not guilty of rape; wife found guilty on lesser charges
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Columbus man incriminated by security system pleads guilty to felony assault
ZANESVILLE ‒ A shooting at a Wheeling Avenue house earlier this year involved a Columbus man, who was partially incriminated by the residence's own security system. Chaison Dewayne Suber, also known as Yak, 28, recently pleaded guilty to two counts, felony assault with a firearm, a second-degree felony, and possessing a weapon while under disability, a third-degree felony. Suber could receive up to $15,000 in fines and eight years for felonious assault, plus another mandatory three for the count's gun specification. He could also be given up to three years and a $10,000 fine for gun possession. In January, Zanesville police responded to Wheeling Avenue address for a medical emergency. There, responders found a male victim with a gunshot wound to his lower left leg, explained an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office. Suber was quickly identified as a suspect after witnesses reportedly told investigators that he and the victim had gotten into an argument before the shooting. A security camera at the house also showed the two arguing and Suber pulling a gun from underneath a pillow and shooting the victim. The victim was transported to Genesis Hospital, where he underwent surgery. Police retrieved the firearm, a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine behind paneling in an upstairs bedroom, the announcement added. "He also admitted to having a weapon illegally since he was already on supervised release from a federal drug case involving meth and fentanyl," the announcement said. Two of Suber's initial charges were dismissed as part of his plea deal, including two tampering with evidence counts, both third-degree felonies. Suber was represented by defense attorney Christopher Signil, while the state by Assistant Prosecuting Attorney John Litle. More: Escape Goats' puzzle rooms include speakeasy heist, Western showdown and murder mystery 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: Columbus man pleads guilty to Zanesville shooting captured on camera
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman pleads to money laundering charge after investigation into drug deals inside jail
ZANESVILLE ‒ One of two Nashport residents who authorities say used a money transfer app to aid in drug deals while incarcerated appeared in court, 10 months after an inmate died of a fentanyl overdose. The other remains in jail. Dakota McCormick was found unresponsive in the county jail on May 7, 2024, which prompted an investigation, according to an announcement from the Muskingum County Prosecutor's Office. Investigators found Antonio C. Cannada Sr., 44, and Chantay Lynn Dobbins, 57, had been brokering internal deals and receiving external payments through Dobbins' Cash App account. Cannada directed Dobbins to handle money for methamphetamine and fentanyl deals, which were later corroborated through jail phone calls, dorm videos, and Cash App records. Cannada was charged on seven felony counts: murder, an unclassified felony; involuntary manslaughter, first degree; corrupting another with drugs, first degree; illegal conveyance of drugs, third degree; money laundering, third degree; fentanyl trafficking, fourth degree; and fentanyl possession, fifth degree, in January. He plead not guilty on Feb. 5 and his bond was set at $1 million. Dobbins recently appeared in court, where she pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, a third-degree felony. Dobbins could be sentenced to three years in prison and sanctioned up to $10,000 in fines. There's an optional post-release control of up to two years after her sentence. She is out on a recognizance bond. Inmates can't legally earn money while in jail or prison, the prosecutor's office said. The only legal way to transfer money or deliver gifts is by using a facility's commissary system. Money transferring apps have facilitated illicit drug purchases and illegal payments, which can lead to money laundering charges for those that assist. "This sad case shows how dangerous it can be when people assist with illegal money transactions for inmates. Drug dealing and helping drug dealers takes lives," said Assistant Prosecutor John Litle. "This is just one of many cases we're working on right now. We're going after girlfriends, wives, moms, sisters, and others tied to drug dealers in jail. We'll hold everyone accountable, inside or outside the jail," he added. This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Investigation into Muskingum Co. Jail drug deals leads to conviction
