Belpre House Fire + Stuck Sternwheeler + Fair Fireworks Canceled

Good morning Marietta. This is the Marietta Daily, the best way to stay up-to-date with the goings-on of your community. We have everything, weather, news, and events. There will be more additions coming in the future. Let us know what you think. This is your news, you have a say in what it should be.

I would like to give special credit to WTAP today. Their exemplary coverage of the Marietta area is noticed. I personally respect solid journalism and original reporting. I can say without hesitation that WTAP consistently provides high-quality and timely reporting for the region. I bring this up today only because it appears that all of the top stories for Monday morning come from them. I like to present the top stories from a range of local news outlets including ours, but today it looks like a clean sweep, they have them all. So props to the whole news staff over there.

What the next three days of weather look like:

• Monday: Partly cloudy, 60% humidity. High of 90, low of 69.
• Tuesday: Partly cloudy, light showers possible. High of 92, low of 71.
• Wednesday: Scattered thunderstorms. High of 86, low of 68.

Marietta fun fact of the day:

Rufus Putnam, Marietta's founder, is buried in Mound Cemetery. The original grave slab isn't there anymore, it became so worn that it was taken down and enshrined at the Campus Martius Museum. It reads simply (per his instruction) General Rufus Putnam, Died May 4, 1824 in the 87th year of his age. It has been called a monument to restraint and resignation to the inevitable. The monument of an 18th-century man.

Cheapest gas in town:

• GetGo on Pike Street, $2.82
• Kroger on Acme Street, $2.82
• Speedway on Seventh Street, $2.82
• Go Mart on Pike Street, $2.82
• Marathon on Muskingum Drive, $2.82

A full list can be found here.

The average gas price in Ohio today is $2.96

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For sponsorship inquiries, email christopher.schmitt@patch.com.

Here are the top stories for the day:

1. A Sunday evening fire destroyed a Belpre house. No one was injured and the cause of the fire is under investigation. (WTAP)
2. The Valley Gem Sternwheeler got stuck near the Devola Dam Sunday night. The Marietta Fire Department stepped in to help out. (WTAP)
3. The Washington County Fairgrounds fireworks show has been canceled. The cost of fireworks has spiked and since the fair board is dealing with budget cuts they just decided to scrap it this year. (WTAP)
4. Southeast Ohio has a new human trafficking task force. They served their first warrant this past week. They cover Washington, Noble, Morgan, Monroe, Meigs, and Athens counties. (WTAP)
5. Former Ohio State Trooper Kevin Miller will take the seat vacated by former House Speaker Larry Householder. Miller was chosen by a special committee to represent the 72nd Ohio House District. He will be sworn in later today. (WXIX)

Marietta Community Calendar:

- The BB2C Makerspace is holding an intro to stained glass class in Harmar on Monday evening. Details here.

-Washington State Community College is hosting its Dollars to Degrees event on Tuesday evening. They will be helping students with degrees see how they can use them to get some of that sweet cheddar. Details here.

-The Washington County Public Library will be hosting a science event. It's called science with author Diana Perry. On Friday from 1-3 p.m. kids from 6-12 can learn from the best. Space is limited. Sign up here.

I would encourage any reader who wants to promote a local event to click here and post it on Patch. It's easy and free! The idea is to have a solid community calendar where any and all can come to see what's going on in Marietta.

That's it for today, you're all caught up on what's happening in Marietta. See you again tomorrow.
-Chris

I would like to shout out a few of our sponsors who should be supported for supporting local journalism.

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

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.

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.

A little about me, I'm Chris Schmitt; I grew up in Marietta, went to Marietta High School, and graduated from Ohio University's Scripps School of Journalism. I worked at a number of newspapers before becoming a national correspondent for IHeartRadio in New York. A few years ago I made the decision to move back to Marietta and be closer to family.