Judge Walther wins award

Lorain County Probate Court Judge James T. Walther received the Meritorious Service award June 5 from the Ohio Association of Probate Judges, according to a news release.

The award was presented by the association’s president Judge Jan Michael Long during its annual conference in Warren, the release said.

As part of the conference, Walther gave a lecture to over 70 probate judges on conducting jury trials in Probate Court.

Other conference speakers were Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor a n d Youngstown State University President Jim Tressel, according to the release.

“While I appreciate this acknowledgment, it is important to remember that it is my responsibility to educate others about the essential role Probate Court plays in our community,” Walther said in the release.

The Ohio Association of Probate Judges is an organization dedicated to educating judges, magistrates, deputy clerks and court investigators in Ohio on probate matters. It also promotes legislation that advances best practices in probate law statewide.

Recently, Walther also was the recipient of the Ohio Friend of 4-H Award.

The award he received March 11 recognizes businesses and people who have supported the program, but are not members of it. Frederick and Kathleen Pepple sponsored the award.

According to the Lorain County Advisory Committee’s application for the award, Walther allocated $55,400 for 2012; $60,120 for 2013; $58,132 for 2014; and $30,000 for 2015 and requested Lorain County commissioners put funds into the budget for the Ohio State University Extension Office in 2015 and 2016.

These allocations and requests effectively saved 4-H programs in Lorain County at a time when the county was facing a massive budget shortfall.

Walther