What legal action should I take to get rid of those who are stalking me on a local newspaper?

There is a person or persons using the online comment section of a local newspaper to stalk me. While I do not know who the person or persons are, they use pseudonyms, they know my real name and use it as a means to threaten, defame and terrorize me. For example, one of them claims "I stopped a school bus with kids on it." You see, I use to work for a school district and I believe this person was a former co-worker. He/she/they also falsely accuse me and other former employees of illicit homosexual activity on school district property. There have been statements like, "do you hear footsteps behind you," "keep looking over your shoulder."They have cited the city I live in. I believe the newspaper has blocked several of the different user names but they just change their name and are right back at it. I need to find out who the person or persons are, file a PPO and then sue them for the usual reasons. Lastly I am nowhere near being a public figure.