By Mark Shaffer
Ironton Grandstand

Joshua Collins, the man accused of stabbing South Point Mayor Bill Christian on Oct. 24, was extradited back to Lawrence County and had his first hearing on multiple charges Friday and is being held in jail on $2 million bail. dollars.
Collins appeared in Donald Capper’s Lawrence County Common Pleas Court Friday morning and learned he faces one count of first-degree attempted murder, second-degree criminal assault, first-degree felony telecommunications harassment and two counts of … misdemeanor menacing by stalking two different female victims.
He faces up to 32 years on the attempted murder and felonious assault charges and up to 18 months on the misdemeanor charges.
He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Capper set Collins’ bond at $2 million and granted temporary protection orders for all three victims, meaning Collins has no contact with them.
Collins will have a preliminary hearing in Capper’s court Tuesday morning.
According to reports, Collins was upset over a custody issue and created a scene in the lobby, and Christian came out to defuse the situation. When Christian turned away from the man, Collins stabbed Christian in the neck and upper torso.
Christian ran back into the office behind a locked door, at which point Collins broke the glass in the door window and entered the office. Collins followed Christian through several parts of the office and finally into the cafeteria area. It was here that the South Point police officer confronted Collins and took him into custody.
Christian was treated at the scene by the school nurse and then by Lawrence County EMS, who transported him to the hospital.
Collins suffered cuts to his arms possibly from the window he smashed and had to be taken to the hospital as well.
South Point schools have been closed since the incident and will reopen Wednesday.
Christian has been the principal of South Point Elementary School since April, prior to that he was the school’s assistant principal for 12 years. He replaced Chris Mathes as principal after Mathes became superintendent of the school district.