A Great Idea!

I think this is a wonderful idea! Way to go Detective Fickes!!


Prosecutor picks Liverpool officer as first award recipient
By MARY ANN GREIER
POSTED: November 3, 2009

LISBON - Veteran East Liverpool police officer Det. Don Fickes received some attention he wasn't expecting Monday - a plaque recognizing his excellence in the line of duty from Columbiana County Prosecutor Robert Herron.

Herron praised his work ethic and said he was a natural choice for the first Outstanding Law Enforcement Office Award, although a modest Fickes said he was "just shocked" and gave all the credit to his co-workers.

"You're only as good as the guys you work with. Right now we have an excellent crew, guys who know how to preserve the evidence," he said.

He specifically pointed out the excellence of his fellow detective, Darin Morgan, saying they keep each other in check and balanced.He also acknowledged a strong working relationship with the prosecutor's office.

"Year in and year out, Don's a guy who knows what to do, goes out and does it and gets the job done," Herron said, adding he's committed to his community, to making it a safe place to live.

Too often, he said they're always hearing about the problems and incidents where there's a lack of evidence or problems with investigations.

"In all that, we've lost the fact that there are a lot of police officers that do excellent work, that are committed to doing good work and are committed to their community," Herron said.

He explained that his office will begin recognizing good police work with the outstanding officer award, honoring different police officers who have demonstrated in their career the commitment to do excellent work.

The first award was presented during a prosecutor's workshop for local police officers held at the Emergency Management Agency building in Lisbon.

Herron said they try to get together on an annual basis to offer officers information on search and seizure, the taking of statements, testifying in court and other fundamental issues for law enforcement. He said they like the face-to-face contact, giving officers a chance to ask questions and receive answers.

The workshop gives them a better idea of what the prosecutor's office expects and what the law allows them to do.

At one of the sessions Monday, a representative of the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which handles analysis of evidence from crime scenes, talked about identity theft. Herron said officers were eligible to receive continuing education credits for attending. More than 60 area officers attended.

Fickes joined the East Liverpool Police Department in 1981 and was named detective in 1990. He resides in East Liverpool with his wife, Debbie Callen-Fickes, and has two daughters, Nicole and Jennifer.

mgreier@salemnews.net

A Balloon Launch For Victims Of Domestic Violence

Belinda and I went to a Balloon Launch today for Victims of Domestic Violence In Lisbon.
It was here at the Catholic Charities Building. There was a nice gathering inside and we were treated to coffee and donuts. We listened to some great speakers and one very brave woman who told her story of abuse by her X-husband and how she has become a survivor. Her courage and strength to get through her ordeal has been amazing. She worries that, while her abuser got 5 years in jail for what he did, he gets out in 2012. What will she do then?
This is the wreath in front of the court house that helps to remind people of the need for support for the victims of Domestic Violence in Columbiana County.
Here is Belinda, waiting for every one to arrive at the Gazebo to launch their purple balloons.
As we have seen with our red heart shaped balloons, we watched them soar into the sky.
And right into this tree. For me, I won't soon forget the reason for them being there and how important it is to help support the people in our lives who have gotten the courage to get out of a violent relationship, or worse, the ones still trapped in them. CCFHV will be there to offer what ever support we can.

Update on Kylee and Noah

Kylee Houshour and her infant son Noah have been found safe and sound!!!!
A special "Thank you" goes out to Sheriff's Deputy Michelle Wiley and of course lead detective on the case Officer Joseph Brophey of St. Clair Township!
Great job everyone!!!

The family would like to also thank all of the friends, family and people of the community that were so helpful in providing information, and being supportive threw this very difficult time!!!

A Letter To Kylee Houshour

Kylee,
My name is Belinda and I am the founder of the Columbiana County Families of Homicide Victims and Missing Persons.
I am writing this letter to you in the hopes that you will receive it or word about it.
First let me say that I don't know anything about your situation and what if anything caused you to leave home.
My ONLY concern is for your safety and the safety of Noah.
I met with your parents and friend Beth yesterday. Reguardless of your reasons for leaving if that is in fact what you did, I did find that everyone had different opinions on why but EVERYONE did have the same common desire and that was that you please contact someone in your family or Beth and let them know that you are okay.

I hope that you and Noah are okay Kylee and if you would rather contact me, my phone number is 330-424-5603. You can just leave a message that you are okay.
I hope that this letter finds you safe.
Belinda


And if anyone out there has any information on Kylee or Noah, please contact the St. Clair Township Police Department.

Joey Gilmore October 24, 2000

Today is the anniversary of the unsolved hit and run homicide of Joey Gilmore. He was 17 years old. He was hit while riding his bike down by Pondi's in Lisbon and his body was drug 1000 feet to down by Carter Lumber. He was then kicked out from underneath the car and left by the side of the road. He had no heals, buttocks and the back of his head were gone. He lived for 3 days in unbearable pain. His family and friends come to every event we have and they are all very sweet people. Help them get answers! Please notify the Lisbon State Highway Patrol if you have any information about Joey's case.

Missing Person in East Liverpool

Family concerned about missing teen and her baby
By KATIE SCHWENDEMAN/Staff Writer


CALCUTTA - Friends and family members are asking for the public's help in locating Calcutta woman and her infant son who have been missing since Monday.

Eighteen-year-old Kylee Houshour was last seen at her Walker Road home just before 10 p.m. Monday, when her mother, Katherine, returned from a trip to the bank to pick up her granddaughter.

"I came home to get a gallon of milk to take to my oldest daughter's house. Kylee brought me the gallon of milk at 9:55 p.m. When I returned at 10:15 p.m., she was gone," Katherine said.

Houshour and her 18-month-old son, Noah, were both gone and have not been seen since.

Houshour's mother and elder sister, Angela, both said such behavior was not typical for the young woman. "She has never gone away for this long and not contacted me," Angela said.

According to family and friends, Houshour has not tried to make contact with anyone since she was last seen. They also expressed concern that at the time she went missing, the doors to the house were left open, and her bedroom lights were on.

Katherine said the family and a few neighbors on Walker Road have searched the woods for Houshour, finding nothing. Neighbors took it upon themselves to pass out a missing person flyer with Houshour's photograph on it.

Katherine said Houshour does not have a car or a driver's license, so she would have been traveling on foot unless someone else had picked her up.

A missing person report has been filed with the St. Clair Police Department, but Officer Joseph Brophey, who responded to the report, hasn't ruled out that Houshour left voluntarily. In fact, his report states Houshour left voluntarily. However, Brophey was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Kylee Houshour has dark brown hair and weighs around 100 pounds. The family is asking that anyone with information about Houshour call 330-385-7299.

kschwendeman@reviewonline.com

Show Support Against Violence tomorrow!

Thanks so much Beckie Brown for passing along this information to us!!You are the best!!!!!!!!


Don purple, show support against violence
By MARY ANN GREIER, Staff Writer
POSTED: October 19, 2009


LISBON - Area residents can show their support against violence in any form by donning the color purple all day Tuesday.

That's the color the YWCA adopted as a way to signify the fight without banners or badges because it's a way everyone in the community can participate by wearing something purple, even if it's just a purple pin on a lapel.

"The idea is making people aware," Salem YWCA Executive Director Susan Hays said.

The Columbiana County Commissioners designated this week as YWCA Week Without Violence, described as a national public awareness campaign which "provides a series of national and local forums that focuses on building practical and sustainable alternatives to violence," according to the proclamation.

The weeklong observance also challenges "all Americans to spend seven days without committing, condoning or contributing to violence," the proclamation said.

Hays spoke with commissioners recently about the YWCA and its efforts to stem violence, both at home and in the workplace.

In May, an orientation session was offered for businesses regarding violence in the workplace and "we were quite pleased that we had 14 companies represented," she said. The session was co-sponsored by the Salem YWCA, the Tri-County Family Violence Prevention Coalition and the Salem Area Chamber of Commerce.

Training sessions were then held in June for companies who wanted additional information and six companies took part.

According to a workplace violence fact sheet she presented, "workplace homicide is the number one cause of death for women in the workplace in America. Women are also at a higher risk of being stalked and harassed." The fact sheet also said workplace violence was the second leading cause of death for men in the workplace.

Of the people committing the acts of violence in the workplace, 80 percent were male, with 66 percent strangers such as customers or clients, 20 percent current employees and 3 percent former employees, the fact sheet said. The violence can include threats or intimidation.

She said a new law passed in September requires some businesses to post telephone numbers regarding family violence protection. The Salem YWCA received a grant from the Pearce Foundation to make posters listing telephone numbers for places where people can get help in domestic violence situations.

Hays noted the Columbiana County had 137 domestic violence incidents reported to police agencies in 2007, with 83 never going forward with charges.

"When the economy is tight, incidents of domestic violence go up," she said.

She also said it's not exclusive to any one type of person or class. She said there's a stigma that people affected by domestic violence are poor or low-class, but that's not the case. Professionals can be affected, too, at both ends of domestic violence, as victim or perpetrator.

"Family violence, domestic violence can affect anyone," Hays said.

The Salem YWCA can be reached at 330-332-9944.

Mary Ann Greier can be reached at mgreier@salemnews.net

This case is bazaar...

This case is bazaar.

Still no murder charge for Miller
By JO ANN BOBBY-GILBERT/jgilbert@reviewonline.com


TORONTO - A man suspected of killing his father appeared in court Tuesday afternoon on theft charges and was bound over to the grand jury.

Travis Miller, 27, has not been charged in the death of his 56-year-old father, Shelby F. Miller of East Liverpool but is the prime suspect, according to Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla.

A preliminary hearing was held Tuesday in District Court No. 1 Tuesday and Miller was bound over the Jefferson County Grand Jury on auto theft and credit card theft charges, according to Assistant County Prosecutor Mike Calabria.

He said the Grand Jury generally convenes the first Wednesday of each month.

Meanwhile, the investigation of his father's death continues.

The elder Miller's body was found along Yellow Creek in Saline Township Sept. 24 after his daughter reported him missing to East Liverpool police. She told police her brother advised he and their father were en route to North Carolina.

After her brother sent a photo of himself holding a fish to her cell phone, a search began of their father's favorite fishing holes, leading to discovery of his body.

He had been shot once in the back of the head with a small-caliber gun which has not yet been found, despite an extensive search of the area, including the creek waters.

Travis Miller was located in Tennessee, along with his father's truck, and was charged with the two theft offenses before being returned to Ohio.

County Prosecutor Tom Straus is waiting for the results of lab analysis before deciding whether additional charges will be filed against Miller, who remains in county jail under $250,000 bond.