Hundreds of poor people in Fairfield and Hocking counties and the lawyers who help them with civil court cases are bracing for the impact in the likely event that Southeastern Ohio Legal Services local office closes.
The nonprofit legal aid organization serves low-income people in 30 counties covering much of the impoverished Appalachian Ohio region. Decreased funding has forced its board to consider closing a third of its nine regional offices. The Lancaster, Zanesville and Marietta offices are to close in January if the 26-member board approves the plan at a meeting on Saturday in Columbus. Read more here.