Dignitaries and citizens turned out Friday for the dedication of the Lewis County Justice Center, among them State Chief Justice Joseph Lambert, who served as the keynote speaker for the event.

Lambert said the facility is a monument to justice, noting the monument dedicated to Union soldiers a short distance away on the courthouse lawn.

Circuit Judge Lewis Nicholls remarked on the facility and noted that the important thing will be the decisions and verdicts from the judges and juries who will serve in the facility for many years to come.

State Representative Robin Webb quoted Daniel Webster by saying, "Justice, sir, is the greatest interest of man on earth," a remark made in 1845 to Justice Joseph Story.

Judge Executive George Plummer noted that ". . . things are looking up.

Plummer made reference to an earlier ceremony held in the courthouse in which the flag on the courthouse lawn was turned upside-down as a sign of distress. He referenced the location of Coroplast and Northern Contours to Lewis County.

Near the end of the ceremony a flag was raised, this time right-side-up, by Sheriff Bill Lewis and deputies. The flag was given by Althea Rommes, whose husband, Bill, was a Korean War veteran.

Rommes, from her post as a cook at Osman Pharmacy, witnessed the work progress on the Justice Center from the time the home of W.T. Clark was razed to make way for the new facility.

The American Flag is returned to its right-side-up status during the dedication ceremony of the end Justice Center, signally the end of the county's economic "distress".

The dedication ceremony marked the official opening of the facility housing the courtrooms and circuit clerk's office.

Meeting in regular session last week, the Lewis County Fiscal Court learned that the 2000 Census figures show a population of 14,092 for the county.

Magistrates moved to accept the report submitted by County Clerk Shirley A. Hinton on behalf of the Lewis County Reapportionment Commission.

The commissioners are Gary Thomas, Harvey Denham and Dale Bentley, with Hinton serving as an ex-officio member. The commission met June 4, June 25 and July 9.

The report states: "This committee believes that he present three magisterial districts should remain the same, as they are as compact and evenly populated as could be reasonably be expected and that the creation of other districts would not be feasible or practical or enhance the interest of the citizens of Lewis County."

The numbers reveal that District One in the Tollesboro area has a population of 4,208; District Two covering the Vanceburg area has a population of 4,833; and District Three in the Garrison-Laurel area has 5,051 residents.

Lewis County Attorney Clayton "Buddy" Lykins Jr. gave the second reading to an ordinance that will establish a contract agreement for a TV/cable franchise in the Firebrick area with Adelphia Cable.

Highlights of the five-year contract call for cable to be installed on any road with a density of 25 homes per linear mile in the agreement area. Any home within 200 feet of the system is entitled to service. And all construction is to be in compliance with the codes established by the state.

Furthermore, the cable company will repair any damage to roads or property that results from their service. Adelphia has the authority to trim any trees on the county right-of-way that might damage cable lines.

The company will also continue to maintain a local office.

A Lewis County Grand Jury has indicted three people in connection with the theft of furniture and other items from the home of Virginia "Bess" Whitt, 89, at Happy Hollow.

Robert C. Botsford and Jennifer A. Botsford, both of Riply, Ohio, and Phillip Clay Gamble of Tollesboro were charged with theft by unlawful taking or disposition over $300, a felony. Deputy Bryon Walker said Gamble is a nephew of Whitt.

The indictment charges that items were taken from Whitt's home between April 6 and April 27.

Walker said a break in the case came early in the investigation when his sister, Vanessa, told him a Lewis County Deputy Sheriff's badge was being offered for sale at eBay, an Internet auction site.

Walker, who collects such items, went to the site and discovered the badge was inscribed with Cecil Whitt's Name. Cecil Whitt is Virginia Whitt's late husband.

Walker confirmed with Mrs. Whitt that the badge was one of the items taken from her home.

Walker and Brown County, Ohio, Detective John Schadle went to the Botsford home in Riply in early May and were able to recover several items of jewelry and glassware. Larger items of furniture had already been sold, many of them locally, Walker said.

The Botsfords said the items were obtained by them legally and they added that they did not know the items were stolen, Walker said.

Among the items taken from Whitt was a four-poster bed that had been used on a gambling river boat in the 1800s. Walker said the headboard is seven feet tall and is carved with hearts, diamonds, clubs and spades. The bed was purchased by Mrs. Whitt in the 1950s.

Other furniture included a cherry rolltop desk, walnut settee, walnut wash stand, marble top coffee table, two cherry corner cupboards and a plantation desk.

Also taken were jewelry, Fostoria and Willow Ware glassware, and vintage Christmas decorations.

Meeting in regular session last Monday, the Lewis County Board of Education met the new Director of Pupil Personnel for Lewis County Schools.

Superintendent Maurice Reeder Jr. introduced Kevin Duff, former principal at Lewis County Middle School, as the new staff member.

Duff succeeds Rachel Edington who has just retired. He will also assist in school food services.

Reeder asked Belinda Forman to report on the recently received CTB test scores.

In 2000 the Kindergarten scored 55.0, in 2001, 62.7. The first grade improved from 53.5 to 66.5. The second grade did not fare so well overall but still moved in the right direction by improving its NMP from 44.4 to 44.6. Nationwide a score of 50 is average.

Forman emphasized that the school system puts a lot of emphasis on reading. In that category, Garrison first grade scored a 63. Laurel jumped from 39 to 64; Central Elementary moved from a score of 54 to 61; and Tollesboro scored excellently in reading, improving from an already high score of 71.5 in 2000 to 85.0 in 2001.

Meeting in regular session last week the Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg learned that a new controversy with Grayson RECC might be brewing.

As a result of court action in December 1999, Grayson was given the authority to provide electric service for the St. Paul area, while Vanceburg was permitted to retain its existing customers.

Kennedy maintains that the local utility company is abiding by the court's decision based on his definition of existing service customers.