Wood County Commission honors deputy, discusses library book
Charlie Johnson, left, who has served 46 years with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, was honored Thursday by the Wood County Commission with a Spirit of Wood County Award. Johnson will be retiring March 31 after serving as a deputy, chief deputy and court security. Wood County President Blair Couch presented the award. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
The Wood County Commission swore in new Wood County Sheriff’s Deputies Taylor Basnett (white shirt and tie) and Brandon Wolfe (green shirt and khaki pants) and Home Confinement Officer Kaitlynn Fletcher (black shirt and khaki pants) during Thursday’s commission meeting with friends, family, representatives from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
Charlie Johnson, left, who has served 46 years with the Wood County Sheriff’s Department, was honored Thursday by the Wood County Commission with a Spirit of Wood County Award. Johnson will be retiring March 31 after serving as a deputy, chief deputy and court security. Wood County President Blair Couch presented the award. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
The Wood County Commission swore in new Wood County Sheriff’s Deputies Taylor Basnett (white shirt and tie) and Brandon Wolfe (green shirt and khaki pants) and Home Confinement Officer Kaitlynn Fletcher (black shirt and khaki pants) during Thursday’s commission meeting with friends, family, representatives from the Wood County Sheriff’s Department. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)
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PARKERSBURG -- The Wood County Commission honored a long-serving deputy, swore in new deputies and discussed concerns about books at local libraries during Thursday's commission meeting.
The Wood County Commission honored long-time Wood County Sheriff's Department Deputy Charlie Johnson Thursday with a Spirit of Wood County Award.
Johnson, who has served 46 years with the Wood County Sheriff's Department, will be retiring at the end of the month. During his time with the department, he has been a deputy and the Chief Deputy (under Sheriffs Ken Merritt and Stephen Greiner). He was sworn in as a deputy on March 1, 1977. He retired as a road deputy in 2006 and has worked in court security since. He will officially retire March 31.
"We have the unfavorable experience of having to say goodbye to Charlie Johnson," Commission President Blair Couch said.
Couch joked the commission wanted to decline his resignation, but his years of service to the county prompted them to accept it.
In presenting the award to Johnson, Couch talked about Johnson's achievements and accomplishments and community spirit demonstrated throughout the county.
As for his plans next, Johnson said he would spend time with his family and he has a growing "honey-do" list to take care of. As far as the job, he said he will miss the people he has worked with.
"I have had a pretty good career," Johnson said."I have gotten to see a lot and do a lot.
"It was all worth it."
In other business, new Wood County Sheriff's Deputies Taylor Basnett and Brandon Wolfe and Home Confinement Officer Kaitlynn Fletcher were sworn in during the commission meeting with friends, family, representatives from the Wood County Sheriff's Department and Wood County Sheriff Rick Woodyard.
In other business, local residents Jeff Smith and Jessica Rowley spoke about the availability of books geared towards teenagers at the library some in the community view as being inappropriate for children due to a sexual nature.
Rowley gave the commissioners printed excerpts from a book called "Let's Talk About It" by Erika Moen and Matthew Nolan which she said is available at the Parkersburg-Wood County Public Library on Emerson Avenue and at the library in south Parkersburg.
"Some of these are images children can see in the library which is very concerning," Rowley said.
The commission appoints two board members to the library board, she said.
"The current board members are not protecting the children," she said, adding there are state laws regarding pornography that are not being followed. "We want board members that actually follow state law."
They want to make sure the board members are protecting the children.
The parts of state law they are referring to are 61-8A-2 and 61-8A-3.
Smith, who had talked to Parkersburg City Council recently about this matter, said the book was found in the teen section at the library and easily accessible to anyone. He pointed out excerpts about taking pictures of their private parts and he had concerns with those getting on social media as well as children making contact with the wrong people online in chat groups and so on who would exploit them. The pictures in the book are drawn like a cartoon, but show sexual material, he added.
"It is sexual grooming of children," Rowley said. "It could open them up to predators and pedophiles."
They said they have found multiple books which they had concerns over.
They have faced arguments of this being a First Amendment issue, but Smith said the placement of the books in the library has been where kids could have easy access to them.
They have been accused of wanting to ban books and burn books.
"We never said that," Smith said. "We just said for kids not to have easy access."
She has challenged some books and if the library was going to do nothing about them, she would take the matter to the Parkersburg Police Department for an investigation.
Couch said they will bring up the issue with the library director.
The commission will be meeting in the Boreman Room at the Judge Black Annex at 9:30 a.m. today to work on the county budget. Officials expect to finalize the budget early next week.
Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com