Man pleads not guilty in river rock case

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — An historian who pulled an 8-ton rock from the Ohio River has pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of removing a protected archaeological object.

Steve Shaffer of Ironton, Ohio, appeared Thursday in a Kentucky courtroom. A trial in Greenup County was scheduled for Oct. 16.

The rock, known as the Indian Head Rock, was once a navigation marker and an attraction for locals.

The rock’s removal caused a dispute with officials in Kentucky who insist it belongs in their state. Shaffer says he saved it from being damaged or lost forever. It now sits in a city garage in Portsmouth, Ohio.

Also Thursday, a diver who helped Shaffer raise the rock was indicted on the same felony charge.