A1 log onto www.portsmouth-dailytimes.com for archive • games • features • e-edition • polls & more Serving the Ohio Valley since 1852. INSIDE STORY WEATHER SPORTS ONLINE flatwoods, Ky., man partly sunny. high doctor optimistic visit the portsmouth arrested on drug of 53. low of 44 after RGIII’s daily times at charges .... Page 3 ........ Page 3 surgery .... Page 6 portsmouth-dailytimes.com Vol. 161, No. 202 THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 2013 50 cents daily/$1.50 Sunday Authorities investigate U.S. Bank robbery Ryan Scott Ottney portedly ordered everyone a white, Ford F-150, with West Portsmouth. During PDT staffw riter on the ground and de- the word “Ford” written that incident, the suspect manded money. After tak- across the front wind- drove away in a bank tell- Scioto County Sheriff’s ing the money he fled the shield and a pink breast er’s vehicle and later aban- Office responded Wednes- bank using an employee’s cancer sticker in the back doned it in West Ports- day to a robbery at U.S. vehicle parked on the bank window. The vehicle was mouth. The suspect was Bank in Minford, and the lot. Officers from the FBI last seen traveling south never found. Scioto Coun- suspect remained at large office in Portsmouth said on East Street in Minford ty Sheriff’s Capt. David as of Wednesday evening. they also responded to as- and was not located. The Hall said at this time they According to Chief sist the Sheriff’s Depart- suspect remained at large have no way of knowing if Deputy Todd Miller at the ment at the scene. Wednesday evening. the two robberies are con- Scioto County Sheriff’s The suspect was de- As precaution, nearby nected, but noted the sus- Office, a bank employee scribed as a white male Minford School initiated pects have different builds. called the Sheriff’s Office with medium build, a lockdown while authori- There was also some to report the robbery at wearing blue jeans, ten- ties searched for the sus- speculation that a bomb submitted photo 11:15 a.m. Wednesday. nis shoes, a dark colored pect. threat at Wheelersburg This security photo from U.S. Bank in Minford shows a rob- No weapon was ever sweatshirt, and dark ski In a similar robbery on School Wednesday morn- bery suspect as he entered the bank Wednesday morning. seen or indicated, Miller mask covering his face. Dec. 7, an unidentified The suspect fled the bank in a stolen Ford F-150 and remains said, but the suspect re- He was last seen driving man robbed Wesbanco in See ROBBERY | 3 at-large. Influenza cases on the rise in Scioto County Frank Lewis PDT staffw riter “Most of these According to the Cen- ters for Disease Control, people recover and probably to the guy and never hacking next to you on the subway, this year’s flu has get treated, impacted people sooner and more severely than in and once in a previous years. Over 2,250 people have while they stay already been hospitalized sick, go to the Bob strickley | daily times this season and 18 pedi- Authorities had to turn away students and parents looking to pick up belongings left behind during the evacuation be- atric deaths have been re- doctor and get cause of the ongoing search by a detection dog from the Columbus Division of Fire. No threat was found. ported nationwide. That flu bug is alive and well diagnosed and in the Scioto County area, get treated too, but not to the extent that it is in areas with a with Tamiflu or Wheelersburg Schools evacuated more dense population. “There have been a lot Rulenza.” of people sick with the Scioto Co. Sheriff’s Office “The kids did a wonderful job and the staff as flu,” Scioto County Health — Aaron Adams Commissioner Dr. Aaron scioto county received bomb threat well evacuating. We notified our bus drivers Adams said. “That has ac- health commissioner tually been going on since Bob Strickley who were pulled in right in the middle of the the first of December.” PDT content manager day. It all went smoothly.” Adams said officials at has died that I’m aware of. Southern Ohio Medical Most of these people recov- Wheelersburg Schools evacuated Center and other facilities er and never get treated, students Wednesday afternoon — Mark Knapp testing for influenza are and once in a while they after the Scioto County Sheriff’s wheelersburg superintendent seeing an increase in posi- stay sick, go to the doctor Office received a telephoned bomb tive results, particularly and get diagnosed and get threat targeted at the school. among those sick enough treated with Tamiflu or Ru- The call to the Sheriff’s Office difficult. We are trying to take care were only speculation as of 2:15 to seek medical attention. lenza,” Adams said. “If the came at approximately 10:50 a.m. of each one of those as they come to p.m. Wednesday. Adams was quick to add situation is several days Wednesday and authorities worked the building,” Knapp said. “It is not confirmed. It is only a that most of the people into the course, they will with the Wheelersburg School Capt. Robert Woodford of the possibility because of the coinci- who get the flu recover. generally give the patient District to efficiently react to the Scioto County Sheriff’s Office said dence of the time lapse. No more “I have not heard any sto- an antibiotic for a second- threat, according to Wheelersburg the call was received by the Sher- than that,” Woodford said. ries of any significant casu- ary bacterial infection.” Superintendent Mark Knapp. iff’s Office and authorities immedi- Porter Township workers and alties from that. Nobody “The school district received a ately began working with district the Ohio State Highway Patrol See FLU | 2 phone call from the Sheriff’s Of- officials. blocked portions of Pirate Drive in fice this morning, they received the “We all responded and gathered Wheelersburg while students were bomb threat, the school district did together with the schools and law evacuated to scripted locations and not,” Knapp said. “They notified us enforcement and a decision was then loaded onto buses to be taken of the situation so we implemented made to evacuate the school and home early. Scioto schools our emergency procedures and Highway Patrol has assisted with “We had practiced this before we evacuated all students to their that and offered their resources to so it went pretty smoothly and we evacuation sites. Since then we get the children over there safely,” appreciate the cooperation of all have been in communication with Woodford said. those involved,” Knapp said. “The to get $277,500 law enforcement.” Minford High School was also kids did a wonderful job and the Knapp said parents of students in a state of lockdown during the staff as well evacuating. We notified received updates through the same time period Wednesday due our bus drivers who were pulled in school’s messenger service. to a robbery at the nearby U.S. right in the middle of the day. It all from casino tax “Obviously the most difficult situ- Bank location in Minford. Wood- went smoothly.” ation is parents want to come to the ford said that any reports of the Ryan Scott Ottney Included in this site, so the volume of traffic makes it bank robbery and the bomb threat See THREAT | 3 PDT staffw riter first round of Ca- sino Tax school fund- The state of Ohio an- ing is $39,354.24 for nounced Wednesday Portsmouth Schools, nearly $38 million will go $33,729.21 for North- Portsmouth water and sewer rates increase to Ohio schools as their west, $31,924.16 share of the Ohio Casino for Wheelersburg, Frank Lewis “I’m planning on getting rible, every year. I’m think- Tax. Included in that, $31,126.58 for Minford, PDT staffw riter it on the ballot the way ing about the elderly peo- the Ohio Department $28,440 for Washington- the water rates are raised, ple and people trying to of Taxation said Scioto Nile, $22,164.31 for Val- Residents of Portsmouth that it has to go through survive in this economy.” County schools will re- ley, $18,994.98 for Bloom- are opening their water Council, not to (continue Daub said another ob- ceive $277,536.64. Vernon, $12,803.25 for and sewer bills to find to) let the mayor have that jection he has to the rate The funding comes Clay, $12,635.34 for Sci- their rates have gone up. authority,” Daub said. “I increase is the fact that from taxes levied on ca- oto County Career Tech- “The water rates have hope to have it on the next Portsmouth residents have sinos in Cleveland, Co- nical Center, $11,396.99 gone up three percent,” election. That has kind of just had their income taxes lumbus and Toledo, and for Green, $10,326.55 Portsmouth Mayor David been a stickler with me for increased from 1.5 to two is distributed on a per- for New Boston, and Malone said. “The sewer a long time, that they can percent. pupil basis twice each $6,296.68 for Sciotoville rates have also gone up Malone said sewer rates just raise our water rates, “Then, our Social Secu- year to school districts Community School. three percent.” went up ten percent last and initially that raises the rity tax rate just went up in Ohio. Schools receive The remaining money “When (former mayor) year, and now three per- sewer rates too, because two percent more, thanks 34 percent of the tax rev- is shared between the Jane (Murray) was on, cent more this year.