Only burn your tires at night

We've really turned into a police state, if all we are worried about is burning a tire.

I thought I'd never say this, but I agree with a Public Defender.

Athens New Story here

Sheriff Pat Kelly hired a felon as an "Environmental Officer".

The need for an "environmental officer" is dubious anyway. That's what the OEPA and Mike Cooper at the Athens County Health Department's job is already.

So, 2 issues:

1. Our top law enforcement officer should not be hiring felons, no matter if it's a law enforcement job or not. There are many law abiding folks that don't have felonies that could use a job.
2. It certainly looks like this fellow was impersonating an officer. When will he be charged with that crime? He's wearing a shirt that says "Deputy Jay Barrett". He signs official paperwork "Deputy Jay Barrett". Yet he is not a police officer. Looks like an open and shut case. That is, if someone chooses to enforce the law.
3. Don't we have more important things to worry about than a private citizen burning a tire on his own private property?

Looks like a position that is funded via some grant. We really get ourselves into dumb positions by agreeing to take grant money.

Our Sheriff needs to worry about real crimes in this county, like theft and robbery, rather than someone using a tire to burn brush with.