There’s a new face in town, and by town, I mean Ansonia.
Yes, upon the retirement of Police Chief Frank Shapiro a couple of months ago, the village council named John Puckett the new police chief.
I had the opportunity to interview him last week after some “chasing down.” I was doing the chasing, so I wasn’t in trouble.
Yes, I saw him pull into the Ansonia Food Mart one morning, and while I was waiting for my son Jamie to go into the business, a fellow stepped out of the police car. I approached him and asked him if he was our new chief, and he said yes, with a big smile on his face.
I asked him if I could interview him, and he agreed. However, I wasn’t available that week, and he agreed that we could do it the following week.
Since I was not sure when he wanted to do it, I figured I would call him one afternoon when I finished with what I had on my agenda. To my surprise, when I was traveling through Ansonia en route to another neighboring town, I saw the cruiser at a local restaurant. I wanted to hurry and get back home so I could call him before he left town for the day, so when I returned to Ansonia that day, I saw the police cruiser pulling into the police station, and I followed right in behind him.
We each got out of our vehicles, and there was that smile once again and we set the time and date up to get the interview finished.
Whew! I am glad he agreed to it.
I showed up at his office on the day and time we set. He willingly answered my questions, and I could tell he is going to be an asset to this community. He seems genuinely interested in small towns and the people in them.
This is his sixth law enforcement assignment, but you will read that in his article when it appears soon on My County Link.
I want to welcome him to Ansonia, where I’ve lived most of my life. I think residents will find out that he is a kind young man who knows what he’s doing. At least, that’s what I got out of our conversation.
He even has a sense of humor, but I’m sure he could get serious in certain situations. And that’s his job, right?
Good luck here in Ansonia and Darke County, Chief Puckett!
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Jamie and I extend our condolences to the families and friends of Pete Trocano, Steve Didier, Ed Minnich, Carol Ball, William Alexander, Richard Sommer, Delorse Mote, and Patricia Haines.
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Please pray for these people: Kara Didier, Cindy Lovejoy, Carl Francis, Janet and Troy Kammer, Slug Midlam, Bob Peters, Phyllis Brumbaugh, Sonny Custer, D’Arleen Waymire, Judy Collins, Linda Gasper, Carol Hemmerich, Stephanie Klingshirn, Alice Knick, Brenda Schlechty, Dennis and Theresa Wein, Ineke and Larry Henderson, Betty Burnfield, Dan Lockhart, Roberta Hall, Pam Norman-Penticuff, Kelly Kelch, Mike Mayse, Greg Moody, Kelly Jo Eikenberry (kidney transplant) and son Allen (donor), Larry Linder, Steve Waymire, Jamie Knick, Nikole Baldridge, Chester Bryant, Lester Beisner, Delores Beisner, Kermit Foureman, Chuck “C.W.” Cruze, Mark Lovejoy.
Also, Judy York, Donald Booker, Dennis Leeper, Connie Stachler, Randy Heck, Ronnie Norton, Jeremy “Jerm” Burke, Gary Eichler, David Pretzman, Clinton Randall, Ralph Byrd, Doug Winger, Sonja and Dan Coppess, Bruce Kaiser, Amanda Mote, Gary Francis, Paul Gigandet, Doug Whittington, Tracy Pratt, Zach Urbancic, John Rimmer, Joan Keen, Larry P. Fitzwater, Jim Thomas, Neal Gray, Judie Hathaway, Randy Garrison, Jannie Barrow, Kathy Gragorace, Becky Everhart, Donna Bixler, Linda Subler, Cathy Melling, Scott Clark, and all of those who are suffering from other life-altering illnesses.
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Happy birthday:
Jan. 12 to Kasey Byrd Brandenburg, Tim Bertke, Jean Young, Deanna York, Tim Cook, Valerie Kuntzman, Dave Webb, Tricia Oliver Leichty, Kendra Brewer, Michelle Dotson, Kelly Hileman, Danny Saintignon and Meladi Brewer.
Jan. 13 to Susan Butts, June Miller, and Betsy Nisonger.
Jan. 14 to Christy Turner, Sammy Holsapple, Aaron Sebring, Joy Roseberry, Christy Turner-Smith, Jeff Wirrig, Amber Biddlestone, and Brad Shafer.
Jan. 15 to Jane Faller Hole, Tyler Neal, and Mike Meckes.
Jan. 16 to Ida Noggle, Jim Grant, Dorothy Sanders. Jeff Byram, Nancy Linebaugh, Gary Hummel, Tish Hodson Shepherd, Brian Jones and Miranda Weist Flora.
Jan. 17 to Tyler Hiestand, Wanda Burke, Anita Unrast, Kenton Moore, Lois Drew, and Karen Young.
Jan. 18 to Ralph Byrd, Tom Moody, Jeff Wappelhorst and Tonya Francis Riffell.
Happy anniversary to Zane and Connie Keller on Jan. 12.
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