New Waterford probe nearly done

LISBON — Columbiana County Sheriff David Smith said Friday his office has almost completed a probe into allegations of wrongdoing in New Waterford.

Smith said Alan Young, one of his department’s detectives, had one more person to talk to before finishing his investigation.

Police Chief Dan Haueter turned to the sheriff’s office in a probe of what village Mayor Sherry Felger said focused on alleged “misappropriation of village property.”

William Yereb, village administrator, and Joe McCreary, his administrative assistant, were given unpaid suspensions by village council Nov. 15.

Having an outside agency do the investigation would prevent any conflicts of interest in village hall, village officials said.

The mayor has declined to elaborate about the property and how the alleged problem came to light.

Yereb has worked for the village for about 1 1 „2 years, and McCreary has worked for the village for about 10 years.

Smith, who has said his department is understaffed, planned to turn the case over to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation but chose not to since the probe is being wrapped up.