A Beaver County judge has decided the administrator of a large Facebook “news” group in the county can be evicted from the public housing complex where she resides.
Deanna Marie Romigh, 35, of Beaver Falls, is the founder and administrator of “The News Alerts Of Beaver County,” a Facebook group boasting more than 40,000 followers.
The Housing Authority of the County of Beaver (HACB) alleged Romigh violated the terms of her lease by operating the Facebook group and an accompanying website as a business out of her apartment. HACB also alleged Romigh operated a cleaning business out of the apartment, created a disruptive atmosphere for her neighbors, and allowed her child’s father to live in the apartment after he was denied permission to be added to the lease.
Romigh’s Facebook group has been a regular source of controversy and concern in the county due to the misinformation and false accusations that routinely originate from it. Police chiefs, county officials, and emergency services personnel have all issued public warnings about Romigh and her group, and have urged the community to not rely on either for information.
A hearing in the case was held on Tuesday before District Judge Dirk Goodwald.
Tish Tokarski, who manages the apartment complex for the county, testified that Romigh used the $83 per month government-subsidized apartment for commercial purposes in violation of her lease. Tokarski told the judge that Romigh advertised sponsorships of her Facebook page and website for $600, and that two businesses, including Beaver Supermarket, took her up on the offer. Tokarski also said Romigh was operating “Busy D’s Cleaning” service out of the apartment, had advertised the business was licensed and bonded, and that she was hiring 2 employees to work for her.
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