A Google Earth image of a retail development. — The Highlands has attracted a lot of attention from deputies of the Ohio County Sheriff's Office long before Schultz became a chief deputy with the department. (Image: Google Earth)

An OPEN LETTER to … The Ohio County Commission …

April 10, 2021

Commissioners Wharton, Nickerson, Abraham:

You need to – have to – tell the public something pertinent concerning the county’s separation with Greg Stewart. Mr. Stewart served as the county administrator for 25 years, for goodness sakes, and over the past three months residents have heard about the need to retain his services in some capacity. But then suddenly Thursday evening, not so much?

There’s chatter, fellas. Lots of it, and it’s not favorable for Mr. Stewart, all three of you, and anyone else connected to the Commission. Who did what? Were laws broken? Is an indictment coming? Is the county broke?

The public’s imagination is possible of producing unspeakable speculation, so a statement needs to be released to squelch the damage. Here’s the thing … we all have to live here., and it’s the right thing to do.

Sincerely,

The County’s Concerned

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Steve Novotney

Steve Novotney has been a professional journalist for 33 years, working in print for weekly, daily, and bi-weekly publications, writing for a number of regional and national magazines, host baseball-related talks shows on Pittsburgh’s ESPN, and as a daily, all-topics talk show host in the Wheeling and Steubenville markets since 2004. Novotney is the co-owner, editor, and co-publisher of LEDE News, and is the host of “Novotney Now,” a daily program that airs Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. on River Talk 100.1 & 100.9 FM.