Hello everyone! This is Amy (from In the News) again,  with today's news bite. It left me so incredulous, I just had to "go live" on the blog. I feel safe sharing, since most people sit to use their computer. I don't anticipate too many injuries. 

Rob has received a  summons for jury duty.          Yes, really.
This falls under the categories of, "They can't realize who they've called",  and, "aren't computer generated picks ironic?"

Rob has done a LOT of fact-finding, detail-oriented questioning and investigative reporting in the last six months. And it's not over. He has become a self-educated journalist who has darn near been embedded in a war zone. Yes, I know there is no comparison between Dresden and Afghanistan.  It 's a war of a different caliber, pardon the pun. 

He may be one of the most thoroughly prepared jurors ever. He understands how to ask a question, where to look for reference material and what may or may not be a valid point. The guilty don't stand a chance.

 At the very least, he is more than positioned to write the modern day detective novel. He doesn't quite look like Erin Brokovich, but the mission is the same. (movie starring Julia Roberts released in 2000, based on a true story). 

I can already hear the private investigator's office phone in my head:
*Ring, Ring* "Ripple investigations, how can we make your day better?"
Anyone who has read Robert Parker can appreciate this. He's at the library if you're interested in a fun detective novel.

A life lived by a big river will give you some water wisdom and Rob says that if you mix clean water with dirty water, you don't end up with more clean water. I think the same goes with people.  Rob has been sorting wheat from chaff in the town for quite some time to get to that truth. I am a sci-fi X-files fan, and I believe in the show motto, "The Truth is Out There". The convoluted insidiousness of the self-aggrandized scheming that has been uncovered is staggering. Heck, I need bigger words to describe it clearly. The tendrils keep reaching out, to cover a fairly vast area of East Central Ohio. 

Stay tuned everyone. This party's just getting started. 
​Amy

The preceding explanation: I took a plea deal and one of the things that was stipulated was an  apology to Kurtis Rogers?!
There were no stipulations as to the content of the apology letter. I readily agreed. 

Forthwith:
For the past five months I have been interviewing people (probably about two dozen by now), who have
had exposure to officer Rogers on and off duty. I had a concern that he possibly suffered from some mental instability.

It is perhaps regrettable that I have made this belief public, thinking this should be a concern relating to the public safety. In retrospect, I probably should have continued to try to bring these concerns to the remaining village council members (three) that I had not talked to. 

While I stated my opinions were from a lay person, and I certainly am not qualified to make a professional judgment, the matter obviously should have been addressed by someone who is. 

While anyone who works in the public eye is subject to scrutiny, I understand that my being vocal about these concerns might have caused officer Rogers some emotional distress. This was not my intention and if this were the case, I am truly sorry. I certainly would not want to make any situation worse.

I hope officer Rogers has not suffered unduly from my public speculations. 

Robert K. Ripple