Stone switches from police chief to sheriff

STAFF REPORT

LISBON — Ray Stone will switch from Perry Township police chief to Columbiana County sheriff at 3 p.m. today.

Stone, a Republican, is to be sworn in as sheriff by Judge C. Ashley Pike of common pleas court in the judge’s courtroom.

The county Republican Central Committee voted Monday to name Stone as sheriff.

Stone said Tuesday he will formally resign as township police chief right after he is sworn in.

Stone replaces Sheriff David Smith, who could not run again after he was convicted of drunken driving in his county vehicle.

Smith then resigned as sheriff to take a security job at Mountaineer Race Track Gaming Casino in Newell, W.Va.

Though the charges against Smith were pending, Stone threw his hat into the ring and defeated two former longtime sheriff’s department workers in the primary.

Stone will face Leetonia Police Chief John M. Soldano, a Democrat, in the Nov. 4 general election.

The sheriff’s office has been in Republican hands for 60 years.

Stone said that since winning the primary, he had met with various officials in the sheriff’s department to discuss department operations. Stone said he didn’t plan to make any changes.