Million$ Bond For Athens Abuse, Viral Mask Case,Music In The Park

MARIETTA, OH — Happy Thursday 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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Mother of Athens runaway faces $1,000,000 bond: 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 and accused family members of sexual assault. Cole Behrens and Ben Peters of the Athens Messenger report that she said there was a cult-like religious aspect to the family with routine sexual abuse. Zach Shrivers of WTAP reports that her mother, Deborah Bellar is accused of covering up sexual abuse and was given a $1,000,000 bond this week.

Motion to dismiss mask case: In October of last year, a video went viral of a woman being tased at a middle school football game for refusing to wear a mask. That woman was Alecia Kitts, and she has since turned down a plea deal. Jesse Wharff, Phyllis Smith, and Zach Shrivers of WTAP report that there has been a motion to dismiss the case. The motion was filed this week, a judge will consider the motion, but no hearing has been set.

Music in the Park to make its Marietta return: Jacob Krantz of WMOA reports that the Music in the Park series is back this year. It was canceled last year due to COVID-19. The Marietta Welfare League recently announced that they're back on schedule. They'll be running shows from June 3rd to August 26th.

Kroger to lift mask mandate: Maggy Mcdonel of WXIX reports that Kroger will no longer require folks to wear masks if they're fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Starting Thursday, vaccinated customers and most vaccinated associates can forget the mask. They won't be asking for proof of vaccination, but they do ask those who are unvaccinated to wear a mask.

The Ohio State Senate is okaying cameras in nursing home rooms: Karen Kasler of The Statehouse News Bureau reports that this week, the state Senate voted for a bipartisan bill that would allow the families of those in nursing homes and long-term care facilities to put cameras in their rooms. This is expected to cut down on the neglect and abuse of elders. The bill is called Esther's Law after a 90-year-old woman whose assault by health care "professionals" was caught on hidden camera. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, there's a simiar bill in the Ohio House.

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