Athens Deputy Pleads + County Meeting + Senator Hillbilly Elegy

Up and at 'em, Marietta! Let's get you started on this Friday with everything you need to know going on today.

First, what the next three days of weather look like:

• Friday: Partly cloudy. High of 75, low of 54.
• Saturday: Mostly sunny. High of 79, low of 62.
• Sunday: Partly cloudy. High of 86, low of 65.

Marietta fun fact of the day:

The past attitude in Marietta towards foreigners seems pretty discriminatory by today's standards. However, some historians maintain that the attitude here wasn't unusual and was actually more tolerant than average. On July 4, 1890, a local judge made a speech at the local festivities calling for the exclusion of the "criminal classes of Europe", and the "half-civilized pagans of Asia." A publication from the Marietta Trades and Labor Council in 1900 carried a somewhat anti-Asian sentiment too, they said anyone who patronized a Chinese laundry had committed a moral crime. Because helping to employ "heathen Chinese" would lead to the unemployment of good men and women of "their own race" in support of "dirty, leprous, asiatic, the lowest, and most unenlightened of any of the races that makes any pretense to civilization."

Cheapest gas in town:

• Go Mart on Pike Street, $3.09
• The Loading Zone in Williamstown, $3.09
• Marathon on Muskingum Drive, $3.09
• Marathon on Gilman Avenue, $3.09
• Marathon on State Route 7, $3.09

A full list can be found here.

The average gas price in Ohio today is $3.07

Here are the top stories today in Marietta:

1. The former Athens deputy charged in the Bellar case has pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. He had been charged with tampering with evidence. He will now testify against the family members facing serious charges. He has also lost his job. (WTAP)
2. The Washington County Commissioners had some prepared statements this week, and a prominent local businessman touched on a pressing issue for the area. (Patch)
3. Famous Ohio author JD Vance is running for Senate. The author of Hillbilly Elegy announced yesterday that he would be a contender for the seat being vacated by Senator Rob Portman. (Statehouse News Bureau)
4. Governor Mike DeWine signed Ohio's 2-year budget, but he vetoed 14 items. One of them would have refunded bars fined for COVID-19 violations. (Statehouse News Bureau)
5. The Ohio State Highway Patrol is warning folks not to drink and drive this holiday weekend. They will be out in force and have a zero-tolerance policy. The increased enforcement period will begin at midnight Friday, July 2, and run through midnight Monday, July 5. (OSHP)

Today's Marietta Daily is brought to you by our friends at Verizon. They're building the fastest 5G network in the country. To learn how 5G is going to change life for you and your community — and to get access to this amazing technology — click here. And thank you Verizon for sponsoring this community resource in Marietta!

Events today in Marietta

• Science with Author Diana Perry (1:00 PM)
• June First Friday: Art Walk (5:00 PM)
• Historic Harmar Ghost Trek (8:00 PM)
• Anchorage Flashlight Tour (10:00 PM)
• Hidden Marietta Anchorage Flashlight Tour (10:00 PM)

From our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Upcoming events:

• On Saturday there will be a historic tour hosted by the Castle. It is called the Patriots Tour and it begins at 10 a.m. at the Mound Cemetery. Details here.
• On Saturday Levi Westfall and Hannah Miller will be playing at the Adelphia. Details here.
• On Monday the Castle will be hosting a Virtual History Camp at 9:30 am. Details here.

TLV Mediterranean Restaurant on Front Street, amazing Middle Eastern cuisine. If you've never tried them, you're missing out. They just opened a killer bakery too.

Advantage Real Estate, great people over there, if you're looking for a house around town, call them first.

Washington State Community College, anyone looking to pursue higher education early or later on in life should check out their course offerings, which are always expanding.

Peoples Bank. Working Together. Building Success.

And our newest sponsor, KMA Auto. In the market for a car or golf cart? Check them out.

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow with a new update.

— Christopher Schmitt

About me: Hey there, I'm the community publisher for Patch.com/marietta. I've lived in Marietta for most of my life. I graduated from Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism in 2014. I wrote for a community newspaper before moving to New York to be a national correspondent for IHeartRadio. I'm looking forward to bringing my experience back home with me and providing Marietta with the outstanding journalism she deserves. You can email me at christopher.schmitt@patch.com or call me at 740-516-4969.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Marietta Daily? Email all inquiries to me at marietta-oh@patch.com.