Child Death Charge, Athens Family Indicted, School District Lines

MARIETTA, OH — Happy Wednesday Marietta. This is the Marietta Morning, where we take a good look around the city’s news ecosystem and feature the best stories from around town. Of course, we give credit to the outstanding journalists around here who wrote those stories, we encourage you to click the link if you want more details, or just want to hear the story from the horse’s mouth!

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Juvenile accused of killing his little brother admits to reckless homicide: Samantha Cavalli of WTAP reports that 14-year-old Mason Platt admitted to killing his 11-year-old brother. The boy was shot and killed at a Nelsonville home in March. Mason was accused of playing with a gun when it went off. He admitted to the crime today in Athens County Juvenile Court. His father Donald Platt was indicted today with a number of felony charges including involuntary manslaughter. The gun that killed the boy was his, and prosecutors say the crime was committed only because he committed the crime of child endangerment.

Family members of an Athens County runaway indicted: Cole Behrens of the Athens Messenger reports that about a year ago, 16-year-old Serah Bellar went missing from a home in Athens. Last month she emerged on social media under a pseudonym, she accused family members of sexual assault. Prosecutors looked into the allegations and indicted two of her big brothers. Her parents are accused of covering up sexual abuse in the home and face child endangerment charges. The prosecutor said Serah was failed by the system and fled the state as a minor to seek safety.

New Marietta City School District lines: Kyle Nichols of the Marietta Times reports that Marietta City Schools have just released their new school district lines. He reports that since Harmar and Putnam Elementary Schools will be closing, K-2 students will be going to either Phillips or Washington.

Johnson votes for VA transparency bill: This week, Southeast Ohio's U.S. Congressman Bill Johnson voted in favor of the VA Transparency & Trust Act of 2021. It was a bipartisan bill that supporters say will give veterans, taxpayers, and lawmakers insight into how the VA is spending COVID relief money. The bill passed the House and now moves to the Senate.

New mural in Marietta: Laura Bowen of WTAP reports that Marietta is sporting some fresh paint. Graphic designer and local artist Alix Northrup just finished a mural on the side of the MOVE building in downtown Marietta. It says "Rooted In Kindness," and "Good Things Grow Here." She just finished a big piece in Belpre and she says they have other projects in the works.

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