Staff Writer
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MARTINS FERRY Police Chief John McFarland hands out free box lunches to members of the Belmont County Staying Clean Club in St. Clairsville.
MARTINS FERRY The Belmont County Staying Clean Club is celebrating another year of encouraging local students to stay off drugs.
Club organizers, including Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, are rewarding participating students about 1,200 children in grades 7-12 with free boxed lunches from Chick-fil-A and sweet treats from Jack’s Snacks at their respective schools.
The club’s Facebook page has posted numerous photos of students receiving their treats handed out by McFarland during the past few days.
Times Leader Staff Writer
MARTINS FERRY Anthony L. Hocker, 31, no address available, was arrested Monday for allegedly abducting a woman and her 1-year-old child from a Martins Ferry residence.
According to information from Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, police dispatch received a call Sunday that a woman and her child had been abducted from 1043 Broadway St., Apt. 3F, Martins Ferry, by Hocker.
Hocker allegedly demanded to enter the residence, according to the witness who was hiding inside the apartment. The witness continued hiding for the next 30 to 60 minutes while he heard “muffled conversations between the victim and Hocker.” After the witness heard the talking stop, he came out and called 911 to report that he believed the woman and child were forced to leave with Hocker.
Sports writer
MARTINS FERRY Two Weirton residents are facing drug charges following a traffic stop in Martins Ferry on Sunday.
According to information provided by Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland, Jenard M. Young, 31, of 3429 Orchard St., Weirton and Craig D. Elmore, 32, of 3632 Orchard St., Weirton both were arrested on charges of possession of drugs and trafficking in drugs.
McFarland said an officer was performing traffic enforcement on Ohio Route 7 and stopped a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The vehicle, occupied by Young and Elmore, was traveling 72 mph in a 50 mph zone, he said.
“When the officer made contact with the occupants of the vehicle, a strong odor of burnt marijuana was coming from the vehicle,” McFarland said via news release on the matter. “After a search of the vehicle, officers located four plastic bags containing suspected cocaine. The weight of the cocaine was 152 grams.”
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Times Leader Staff Writer
MARTINS FERRY police Officer Shamus Nixon on Tuesday scrubs away the road salt left behind on a cruiser from recent snowy weather.
MARTINS FERRY Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland said 2020 proved to be a challenging year for his department, but his officers still did a lot of great work.
“The pandemic has caused giant changes on how we operated in the police department,” he said, referring to the COVID-19 virus. “The police department employees have done an outstanding job at protecting themselves and everyone around them. Our caseload has continued to be the same as recent years.”