Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame inductees

HANS DIETZ

The late Hans Dietz grew up in Chester, W.Va., and he was a graduate of the National River Academy, being named by his classmates as the “one who had most affected their lives.” He piloted riverboats and later formed a partnership to establish Dietz Tank Cleaning business. A devout Christian, he was a youth leader and president of the Nazarene Youth International.

Hans was very active in the Boy Scouts of America, achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, becoming a troop leader and eventually becoming the youngest person ever elected to the National Executive Council of the Boy Scouts of America. At the age of just 34 he was killed in a barge explosion on the Ohio River.

ROBERT HERRINGTON

A Wintersville firefighter since the age of 14 and the chief since age 25, William Robert Herrington was one of the first paramedics in Jefferson County. He spearheaded the effort to get the Enhanced 911 system in the county and has been the director since its inception. He also coordinated the department’s effort to purchase and renovate the St. Florian Hall – the home of many community events.

DRU JOYCE

A 1973 East Liverpool High School graduate, Dru Joyce was responsible for molding NBA legend LeBron James from a young age as a youth basketball coach and later head basketball coach at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary’s. As the Irish leader, Joyce has led the team to seven state championships. His career head coaching record is 443-119. Joyce is also the head of the Northeast Ohio Basketball Association and founded the Dru Joyce Classic, one of the top five youth AAU basketball tournaments in the country.

MICHAEL TURK

The late Michael Turk was born in Russia to Lithuanian parents and came to this country age the age of 11. He graduated from East Liverpool High School, and his work ethic began early with a car washing job that later developed into a career he was passionate about – selling cars. He opened his own dealership and he attended 54 consecutive National Automobile Dealers Association conventions. Through it all, he also became a farmer, a radio station operator, a cattle breeder, an air raid warden and an accomplished pilot, once saving the life of a drowning boater with his sea plane. Until his death in 1971, he was very active in campaigns on behalf of the Red Cross, cerebral palsy, cancer and heart funds and was a member of several area service organizations.

BOB DUFFY

The 1953 graduate of East Liverpool High School is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and will be the final person inducted into Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame. Duffy is most known for his nearly 20-year stint with The Evening Review in which he spent 17 years as the sports editor covering local high school and collegiate sports in the Tri-State area. Duffy’s weekly column “The Sports Bench” was a popular item and kept local readers informed of local goings-on.

In high school as part of the Potter baseball team, Duffy played against future Pittsburgh Pirates’ star Bill Mazeroski in a district final as Mazeroski’s Warren Consoldiated team beat the Potters 3-1. Seven years later as sports editor of The Evening Review, Duffy was in the press box at Forbes Field as Mazeroski smacked a home run to win the 1960 World Series.

Duffy also had a hand in publishing a pottery union publication, serving as East Liverpool municipal housing inspector, working as a delivery driver for Robin’s Flower Shop as well as being a founding member of East Liverpool Athletic High School Hall of Fame Committee.