🎵 Ironton's riverfront explodes with summer creativity and music. The Summer Solstice Music and Arts Festival, hosted by nonprofit Third and Center, celebrated its fourth year with a packed 12-hour schedule of activities. Local artists like What's Up Betsy? and Sasha Colette performed on the main stage while vendors sold everything from handcrafted items to 3D-printed cryptid figures. Young artist Nina Shaffer from Ironton Middle School proudly displayed her artwork, describing them as "scribbles and doodles out my brain." The day kicked off with a children's fishing event and included a juried art show, community talent showcase, and songwriter's round.
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📚 Gallia County School Board plans for future with major financial decisions. The board approved a series of fiscal measures including insurance renewal at $152,299 and significant fund transfers to support textbooks and technology. Personnel changes featured new teaching contracts, resignations, and the hiring of an EMIS Coordinator at $65,000 annually. Coaching positions for River Valley Middle School were filled, while a comprehensive list of substitutes was approved for the upcoming academic year. The board will consider rehiring retirees at its next meeting on July 28.
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🌀 Portsmouth's mentally ill woman trapped in a revolving door of neglect. A 45-year-old homeless woman with severe mental illness was arrested multiple times in a single week, highlighting the city's broken mental health system. Despite causing disturbances—from yelling at children to trespassing and public exposure—she's repeatedly arrested then released with nowhere to go. Police recognize her condition isn't substance abuse but untreated mental illness, yet the nearest psychiatric facility is counties away. While officers try to help, Portsmouth continues debating task forces instead of creating real solutions for its most vulnerable residents.
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Secluded wilderness retreat near city: Priced at $179,000, this 32-acre retreat in the Scioto River Valley offers seclusion, wildlife, and prime outdoor amenities including two building sites with septic, water, and electric hookups, all just minutes from Downtown Portsmouth.
Spacious rural retreat with extras: For $275,000, this cozy 3-bedroom, 2-bath home sits on a sprawling 1.42-acre lot with two 2-car detached garages, a chicken house, and garden space on level ground.