Wednesday International Jewel heist on Riviera raises security questions PAGE 11
It’s Where You Live! www.troydailynews.com July 31, 2013
Volume 105, No. 179
INSIDE
Troy man sentenced for gas station robbery
By Will E Sanders
Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
TROY — A Troy man will spend the next two years in prison for his involvement in robbing a Troy gas station at gunpoint last September. Kody A. Francis, 19, was convicted of robbery June 11 at the conclusion of a change of plea hearing where a gun speci-
fication was dropped by pros- and ordered money from a ecutors, who agreed to cashier. stand silent at the man’s Police reports state sentencing hearing. the cashier handed over On Tuesday the teenthe money to Francis, ager received a two-year who then fled from the prison sentence. scene on foot. He was Authorities said that apprehended a few days on Sept. 27, that Francis later. entered the Valero gas Investigators utilized station, 322 W. Market surveillance camera St., Troy, at 12:40 a.m., Kody Francis footage in investigating brandished a handgun the armed robbery.
A co-defendant in the case, Spencer R. Goodrich, 20, of Troy, has also been charged in the gas station robbery. Goodrich is scheduled to waive a grand jury’s consideration at a hearing today in common pleas court. He is expected to enter a plea to the charge of attempted conspiracy, a felony of the third-degree. He faces a maximum prison sentence of five years in prison.
EU’s top diplomat says Egypt’s Morsi doing ‘well’
Sex offender suspects plead not guilty
CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s detained ex-president is well and keeping up to date with developments through news media, the top EU diplomat said Monday after she made the first visit since a military coup deposed him July 3. See Page 11
By Will E Sanders
Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
Massive explosions rock central Florida gas plant TAVARES, Fla. (AP) — A series of explosions rocked a central Florida propane gas plant, igniting a 200-foot high fireball, and sent the sound of “boom after boom after boom” through the neighborhood around it. Eight people were injured, with at least four in critical condition. See Page 4
INSIDE TODAY Business..................2 Calendar....................3 Entertainment.................9 Comics...................10 Deaths.......................6-7 Rita L. Gallagher James L. Dembski Sharon Swabb Thomas R. Manning Dr. James Stockstill Sandra T. Shollenberger Anthony L. Cooke Carma R. Merkert Craig Bryant Adah Johnson Reogene Johnson Opinion......................5 Sports........................14
OUTLOOK Today Chance of storms High: 80º Low: 64º Thursday
Chance of storms High: 80º Low: 65º Complete weather information on Page 11 Home Delivery: 335-5634
Staff Photo | MELANIE YINGST
Emily Oldham, 16, of Troy, represented Miami County at the Ohio State Fair this week. Oldham showed her breeding gilt “Jellybean” in the open breeding show at the O’Neill Livestock building on Monday. Oldham is the 2013 Miami County Jr. Fair Pork Queen and is a member of the Miami County Junior Fair Board.
Pig tales: County teen lives dream at state fair By Melanie Yingst Staff Writer myingst@civitmedia.com
COLUMBUS — For Miami County Fair, Pork Queen Emily Oldham representing her beloved industry and the county fair has always been a dream of hers. Oldham showed her breeding gilt “Jellybean” for the first time Monday at the Ohio State Fair. Representing Miami County’s pork industry, Oldham donned her crown and sash to help pass out ribbons and prizes in the Ohio Stat Fair show ring. “I’ve never shown at the Ohio State Fair, so I really wanted to give it a try this year,” said Oldham on Monday at the O’Neill Livestock Building at the Ohio State Fair. “I wanted to get more
experience at a higher competition level.” Oldham said she enjoyed seeing the competition at the state level in the show ring and finished fifth in her class. “It’s just a whole different level out there,” Oldham said. “I get more nervous at the county fair because you know everybody and there’s a lot of great (pigs) out there.” Yet, Oldham said she wanted to share her experience showing pigs and help others appreciate the pork industry by running for the Miami County Fair’s Pork Queen contest in May. Oldham, 16, of Troy, shared how she has always looked up to past Miami County Fair’s pork queens over the years and wanted to give the contest a shot earlier
this spring. “I’ve been showing since I was 5 years-old,” Oldham said. “I have always looked up to our fair’s pork queens and how they represent the county and our pork industry.” Oldham also is a junior fair board member at the Miami County Fair. “It’s a lot of responsibility, but you also get to enjoy all the behind the scenes stuff,” she said. The hard work and dedication it takes to raise livestock is something that Oldham looks forward to each year. Oldham plans on breeding and raising market barrows to show and sell to local 4-H club members next year. “I’m planning on to breed the
• See PIG on page 2
TROY — A Troy man who allegedly sexually battered a female teen for two years and a Piqua man who allegedly possessed child pornography entered pleas of not guilty at their arraignments in common please court on Monday. Timothy A. Griffieth, 31, of Troy and formerly of Covington, has been charged with with one count of sexual battery, a third-degree felony. According to Griffieth’s Norman Foster indictment , he committed the alleged sexual assaults on Dec. 26, 2010, through June 17 of this year. C o u r t Timothy Grifieth documents further state the victim was 14 years old when the abuse first started. He was arrested after a family member of the victim contacted members of law enforcement. If convicted as charge he faces up to five years in prison. He remains behind bars at the Miami County Jail on a half-million bond, according to the county’s jail website. Also pleading not guilty at his arraignment was Norman D. Foster Jr., 27, of Piqua, who has been charged with two counts of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor, second-
• See PLEAD on page 2
WM man sentenced to prison By Will E Sanders
Staff Writer wsanders@civitasmedia.com
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TROY — A West Milton man is heading to prison following a Tuesday sentencing hearing stemming from his actions in May where he used a steak knife to rob a gas station and then a bicycle to make a brief escape. Joshua L. Watts, 22, was sen-
tenced by a common pleas court judge to serve one year in prison for his heist and robbery conviction. Watts was originally charged with aggravated robbery but later had the charge amended to robbery after waiving a Josh Watts grand jury’s consider-
ation of his case June 6. Authorities said that on May 3 Watts walked into Certified Oil, 891 S. Miami St., West Milton, and used a steak knife to rob the gas station. Police reports disclose that Watts fled the scene with approximately $100 and used a bicycle in an
attempt to flee the scene, but was later apprehended a short time later by members of the West Milton Police Department. Upon his capture police found some of the stolen money on Watts, who told police he hid the knife, reports state. Following his release from prison Watts will be subject to post release control.
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