Local News
Many will enjoy ‘Summer’s last fling’ at lake
Somerset —
Oh, it's a long, long while From May to December But the days grow short, When you reach September – From September Song ••• Labor Day weekend is steeped in nostalgia, a wistful yearning for the joys of summer to linger: A leisurely cruise along beautiful Lake Cumberland; the heavenly smell of barbecue on a grill; good friends and families; the feel, the sounds, the smells of summer; all stuff of which memories are made. Days are shorter now. Evenings are blanketed with darkness and a tardy sun struggles through morning mist. Autumn is just a breath away; then the doldrums of winter. But the young and young at heart all say, “Let’s have fun while we can. It’s summer’s last fling.”
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Alleged dog killer makes bond
Somerset —
A man accused of killing a puppy in front of several children has posted bond. Larry Benjamin “Benji” Caudill, 35, posted a $10,000 bond this week soon after he appeared in Pulaski District Court. Caudill was arrested Monday, Aug. 16, and charged with torture of a cat or dog with serious injury or death, which is a Class D felony, after he allegedly tortured and killed a 6-month-old Jack Russell terrier puppy, called Toby, in front of at least two young girls. That incident reportedly took place on Sunday, Aug. 8 at a residence on Ky. 235 in western Pulaski County.
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Local CAKY employees charged
Somerset —
Two employees of a local mental health facility have been summoned to court on abuse-related charges, according to the state Attorney General’s Office. Sean Brennan, 41, and Kacie Carlson, 25, both of Somerset and both caregivers at Community Alternatives of Kentucky (CAKY) in Somerset, have been charged with one count each of failure to report suspected abuse. According to a statement released by the AG’s office, the complaint against the two charges that on or about August 10, Carlson and Brennan became aware of numerous scratches and marks of an unknown origin on the back of a male resident at CAKY.
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Dobbs: Ferguson fighting for its future
Somerset —
The mayor of Ferguson said he appreciates concerns of Somerset and Burnside about Ferguson’s annexation plans, but he said the action is being taken to keep his city from being completely encircled, threatening its survival. Mayor Allen Dobbs reacted to concerns expressed by Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler and Ron Jones, a Burnside city councilor, about Ferguson’s plans to annex highway corridors. The annexation, if effected, would block Somerset’s expansion to the southeast and Burnside’s growth to the northeast. Ferguson’s unique annexation proposal would extend the fifth-class city’s corporate limits along new Ky. 1247 south from Ferguson, almost to or possibly adjacent to Burnside city limits. Also, it would annex Ky. 914 (southeastern bypass) from Ferguson’s southern limits east to Rush Branch Road. Only the highways and rights-of-way would be annexed; no private landowners or businesses are affected. Dobbs indicated he is aware that annexing the highways into the city limits of Ferguson would form an incorporated curtain to prevent Somerset from taking in property southeast of Ferguson.
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Repairs to Wolf Creek Dam back in full swing next week
Somerset —
Engineers say Wolf Creek Dam appears to be stable and rehabilitation is expected to resume next week in a 600-foot area where work has been suspended since March. A preliminary report from laboratory tests of samples taken from a critical area in the dam indicates no deep instability within the earthen structure. Engineers with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also have concluded that widening surface cracks in the roadway across the dam were caused by movement of the sheetpile wall, a steel interlocking structure used by contractors to hold vertical dirt on the dam side of the main work platform. As a result of the preliminary findings, contractors next week will be allowed to resume grouting and preparation of a work platform in Critical Area 1. This critical area is one of two in the 4,000-foot-long earthen section of the dam where grouting has not been effective. Apparent earth movement in Critical Area 1 and cracks in the roadway triggered a work suspension in a 600-foot section in March.
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MIFFED
Ferguson annexation draws ‘concern’ from Somerset & Burnside
Somerset — Officials of Somerset and Burnside have expressed concern about the city of Ferguson’s plan to annex highway corridors that would extend its city limits south to Burnside and east to Rush Branch Road. If annexed, the highways would effectively establish a narrow band of Ferguson around Somerset to the southeast and Burnside to the northeast.
Ferguson City Council has unanimously approved ordinances expressing intent to annex almost all of new four-lane Ky. 1247 as well as Ky. 914 (southeastern bypass) from the current city limits east to Rush Branch Road. North Frank Denham Road, an extension of Gover’s Lane, is included in a third annexation ordinance.
The annexation proposals currently are in a 60-day waiting period before two readings of annexation ordinances could make the highways a part of the Ferguson. Only highway corridors are in the annexation proposals; no businesses or residences are involved.
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Gasoline pricing burns city
Officials turn up the heat on fuel suppliers
Somerset — Somerset officials are attempting to get to the root of an issue that has plagued the area for years — gas prices, which seem to almost always be higher than those of surrounding towns.
During a recent Somerset city council meeting, councilman John Ricky Minton called out Murphy Oil USA, Speedway and Kroger, specifically, for setting gas prices as much as 25 cents higher at their Somerset stations than in other towns.
Minton asked City Attorney Carrie Wiese to send letters to the companies in question to attempt to get answers to the question of why prices are higher here. He encouraged county officials to do the same.
Last week, Mayor Eddie Girdler sent a letter to four companies. As of early this week, only one company had provided a response, Girdler said.
Girdler’s letter to Murphy Oil USA states:
“Your company philosophy of humble leadership, listening, and openly communicating are core values that we appreciate in city government. That is the reason we are writing to you to receive comments/suggestions on the difference in the gas prices in our community as compared to all surrounding areas. ...
“An informal survey was conducted that indicated our prices are often 10+ cents higher (per gallon) than surrounding communities and this has been the case for several years. In fact, the prices are higher than interstate sites and areas with more demand. ...
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Man accused of killing puppy pleads not guilty
By HEATHER TOMLINSON, Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A man accused of torturing and killing a six-month-old puppy in front of several children appeared in court this week. Larry Benjamin “Benji” Caudill, 35, appeared in Pulaski District Court Thursday to face an animal cruelty charge after investigators discovered he’d allegedly cut off the tail of a Jack Russell Terrier puppy with an ordinary knife and threw it or slammed it against concrete steps in front of at least three children. The puppy, named Toby, died within minutes after one of the children picked it up. Caudill was arrested Monday.
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I-66 not quite the same as famous highway
By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
If you ever plan to motor west, Travel my way, take the highway that is best. Get your kicks on Route 66. –– Bobby Troup ••• Since Pulaski countians within days will be “getting their kicks on I-66,” somebody wondered if Interstate 66 north of Somerset is an extension of the famous road sometimes called “The Main Street of America” and immortalized in song? Sorry! The stretch of Interstate 66 scheduled to open in Pulaski County early next month is a little piece of still-disconnected thoroughfare that goes down a different path than U.S. Route 66, also known as the Will Rogers Highway. However, U.S. Route 66 apparently was in the back of somebody’s mind when Interstate 66 was named. The number 66 reportedly was chosen possibly to claim some of the fame from historic U.S. Route 66.
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No serious flooding reported
By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A steady rain throughout the day Wednesday and into Thursday morning dropped between 3 and 5 inches of water and kept Pulaski County off and on under a flash flood warning. However, very little damage was reported. Tiger Robinson, public safety officer for Pulaski County, said he did not receive any calls about serious flooding. “I didn’t get a single call,” he reiterated. “We had a few roads under water ... but nothing major,” said Norman Rutheford, chief of the Eubank Volunteer Fire Department. Northern Pulaski County was focus of a flash-flood warning issued early Thursday. The heaviest rain apparently fell in the Woodstock-Dabney area where one gauge collected 5 inches.
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LCADTF agents have police powers restored
Monticello police step in after Somerset’s acting chief stripped that authority
by Tricia Neal Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force Director David Gilbert and two of his drug task force agents once again have their police powers. The three men were sworn in under the City of Monticello’s police department around 4:30 p.m. yesterday.
Their powers had been gone since late July, when Somerset’s Acting Police Chief Doug Nelson followed through on a threat to remove their powers after a disagreement between Nelson and Gilbert over the potential hiring of retired federal marshal Mike Walters. Shortly after Nelson made it clear he didn’t want Walters to be hired, questions arose about the legitimacy of the three agents’ employment with the City of Somerset.
Yesterday, the LCADTF board of directors voted to allow the City of Monticello to swear in the agents and to become the grantee for federal funds for the agency.
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SCC hosts panel chat on education with Gov. Beshear
by Chris Harris Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
Local individuals were able to discuss education issues with Gov. Steve Beshear and a number of other officials in a special forum held Tuesday night at Somerset Community College.
“TEK Talk,” a live interactive community forum, allowed those gathered at several locations around the Commonwealth — including Somerset — to voice concerns or submit questions, which would be transmitted to the studio where the governor and others were filming. A selection of those questions would then be addressed on the air, as the panel discussion was shown live on a big screen at the Harold Rogers Student Commons Building.
“TEK” stands for “transforming education in Kentucky,” part of an initiative by Gov. Beshear to “serve as a catalyst to reinvigorate public support for K-12 education in Kentucky” by creating “a unified and focused vision of what schools in the Commonwealth need to offer in order to better serve students today and tomorrow.”
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Search on for shoplifting suspect
By HEATHER TOMLINSON, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
An alleged shoplifter caused quite a fuss Tuesday after he led police on a foot pursuit across U.S. 27 and promptly disappeared into what can best be described as a large, wooded depression located near Monticello Street. Lt. Shannon Smith, with the Somerset Police Department, said officers first received a report of a suspected shoplifter at Wal-Mart just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. The suspect had already left the store with some items that Smith said can be used to create methamphetamine and was seen walking toward the old Ponderosa building and Ruby Tuesday’s. Once an officer arrived on the scene, the suspect fled on foot, leading the officer, who Smith identified as Officer Daniel Lawhorn, across six busy lanes of U.S. 27, and between Forcht Bank and Bluegrass Cellular, where he disappeared over the edge of a 20- to 30-foot drop into a heavily wooded area, according to witnesses.
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Man charged with brutally killing puppy
By HEATHER TOMLINSON, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A Pulaski County man was arrested on animal cruelty charges this week after he allegedly tortured and killed a young puppy — in the presence of several children — earlier this month. Larry Benjamin “Benji” Caudill was arrested Monday by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department after he allegedly mutilated a six-month-old Jack Russell Terrier puppy and then killed it. The sheriff’s department said the incid-ent happened on Sunday, Aug. 8, at a residence on Ky. 235 in Nancy, and once investigators arrived on the scene, they discovered Caudill had allegedly “taken the six-month-old puppy and cut off its tail with an ordinary knife in the presence of children in the home.” Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood could not say how many children were present at the time of the incident, but he confirmed more than one child was there when the puppy died.
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Missing teen returns home safely
By CHRIS HARRIS, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
One of the two missing Southwestern High School students has safely returned home, according to local authorities. Shawna Lanham, 16, was reported as missing Friday evening, along with Bryan Brock, also 16. The two are juniors at Southwestern High School. On Tuesday, Det. Brett Whitaker of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Lanham had contacted her mother, Princess Wil-son, at about 9 a.m., and that the teenager was indeed safe and unharmed. “We’ve located the girl, but not the boy yet,” said Whitaker. “She’s back home. We’re still looking for the boy.” Whitaker had “no comment” on where the teens had been or on whether or not the girl had said where Brock might be. However, Wilson said that her daughter hadn’t said anything as of Tuesday evening about the specifics of where she and Brock went, or where they might be. Wilson did mention that when Lanham contacted her, she said, “I’m on that road you told me never to be on” — referring to Lost Lodge Road in Burnside.
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Lawsuit against mayor dropped
By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A group of citizens who had filed a restraining order and a temporary injunction against Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler have asked for a voluntary dismissal of their suit. The group — comprised of city council members Pat Bourne, Jim Mitchell, John Ricky Minton, Tim Rutherford and Jim Rutherford, businessman Bill Hamilton, and resident Chad Ellnor — had filed papers in Pulaski Circuit Court in an effort to keep Girdler from interfering with the operations of the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force and to force him to reinstate the police powers of three agents who had their powers removed several weeks earlier. The agents were told by City of Monticello officials that they could be sworn in as police officers there, but the drug task force’s board of directors opted to wait in the hopes that Mayor Girdler would change his mind and reinstate their powers in Somerset. Some have speculated that the LCADTF’s federal funding could be in jeopardy if the officers aren’t sworn in through Somerset — or, more specifically, if Somerset does not serve as the funding funnel for those federal monies.
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A New World Record!
Somerset —
FYI: 1,651. That’s the number to beat if you want to string a bunch of watercraft together to set a world record. Organizers of the Lake Cumberland Raft-Up 2010 were successful Saturday in their goal of making history by gathering the most boats in place tied together in one continuous structure. “I think this is fantastic for the lake,” said J.D. Hamilton, owner of Lee’s Ford Marina and current president of the Lake Cumberland Association. “It shows that we’re working together, shows that there’s fun on the lake and excitement, and it helps get our brand name out there.” The event took place near Conley Bottom Marina in Wayne County, at an area known as Tate Landing. Many folks parked their vehicles at Conley Bottom and then ripped across the waters over to the spot where the action was happening. There had to be one person on each boat, each vessel had to be connected to another by ropes, cords, or cables, and the structure had to stand like that for at least a minute. Representatives from the prestigious Guinness Book of World Records were on hand to monitor the event and determine whether or not the record had indeed been set.
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Injunction issued against mayor
Somerset —
Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force Director David Gilbert and two task force agents walked into Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler's office at 3 p.m. yesterday— and walked out a few seconds later. It was obvious things hadn't gone as planned. The men had been advised by local attorney Joe Travis to go to City Hall at 3 p.m. to have their police powers reinstated. According to Travis and Gilbert, several individuals had been notified of a temporary injunction signed earlier that day by Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey Burdette requiring Girdler to immediately issue orders to have the LCADTF agents sworn in as officers through the City of Somerset's police department. The three individuals had their police powers removed July 26 under the orders of Acting Police Chief Doug Nelson. Gilbert claims he didn't know the powers had been stripped until about two weeks after the deed had been done. He says when he found out they could be stripped of their powers, he approached the City of Monticello about swearing them in there — however, the LCADTF board opted to wait to see if Somerset officials would change their minds.
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Search is on for missing SWHS teens
Somerset —
A search is underway for two Southwestern High School juniors who went missing early Friday mo-rning. Shawna Lanham and Bryan Brock, both 16, are considered “likely runa-ways,” according to Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood. “(Lanham) left her mother’s house early (Fri-day) morning and we’ve been trying to locate her,” Wood said. “We don’t know the exact time frame. Right now, we’re following up on leads on where we believe they could have gone.” Concerned friends and family have posted fliers throughout Pulaski and McCreary counties. Brock is believed to have family in McCreary County. Lanham and Brock were in a relationship, according to friends. “We’re hoping they will contact their parents and let them know, first and foremost, that they are OK,” Wood said. The Pulaski County sheriff added that a note was left behind by one of the missing juveniles. He said no foul play is suspected. But Britany Whitis, Shawna’s cheerleading coach at SWHS, said running away from home would be “totally out of character” for the junior. “I’ve coached Shawna for three years and this just is not like her at all,” Whitis said. “We’re very concerned for her safety.” Shawna is 4-foot-10, 100 pounds with hazel eyes and brown hair. Her father, Shane Lanham, is a candidate for mayor of Burnside and a former professional boxer. “I’m concerned that someone might be helping them ... who is driving the car they’re in?” Shane Lanham said last night. “Shawna is a smart girl — I hope she contacts someone soon and lets us know she’s OK.”
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COURTESY OF THE COMMONWEALTH JOURNAL
World record may fall during Raft-Up
Somerset —
With any luck, Lake Cumberland will be home to a world record after this week-end. On Saturday, the Lake Cumberland Association (LCA) will attempt to gain entry into the Guinness Book of World Records by setting the mark for most boats tied together. Called the “Lake Cumberland Raft-Up 2010,” the event will attempt to gather as many as 2,000 boats of all sizes and types at Tate Landing, just west of Conley Bottom in Wayne County. The current record is 1454 boats, held by an association on Lake Norman in North Carolina.
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Bullock lobbying for 'community development coordinator'
Somerset —
Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock is hoping to get fiscal court’s approval for a new position — but most magistrates were tight-lipped upon hearing Bullock’s idea earlier this week. During a fiscal court meeting Tuesday, Bullock told magistrates he’d like to create a position for a “community development coordinator.” The individual who would be named to the proposed job would “be so much more than a grant writer,” Bullock said, although grant writing would be a vital component of the position. The community development coordinator would seek out funding for local projects, write grant applications for projects, and serve as a liaison to fiscal court concerning ongoing projects, Bullock said. “There is a huge need for this, and it’s more than our office staff can do. It’s more than a full time job,” he added.
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Total Rehab moves into new MedPark West
Somerset —
Despite oppressive heat, the big names still came out Thursday for the groundbreaking of the new Total Rehab facility in MedPark West. The Total Rehab facility, founded in 2001 by physical therapists Jeff Parmelee and Terry Randall, provides rehabilitation services to patients who have had orthopedic injuries, surgeries or fractures, or athletic and work-related injuries. For years, the organization has rented a space on Bogle Street behind Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital, but construction officially began on a new facility owned by Total Rehab with a groundbreaking ceremony in the new MedPark West area off of Hail Knob Road, a collection of medical buildings and state-of-the-art health care technology.
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Feds serve subpoena on City Hall
U.S. Attorney demands documents by the end of August
Somerset — The rumor has been going around for weeks—some might say years—that a federal investigation is targeting Somerset City Hall.
Yesterday, Somerset City Attorney Carrie Wiese confirmed what many had suspected, that a federal subpoena had recently been served to the City of Somerset.
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Adanta conference on suicide begins today
Numbers of lives being lost is sobering, according to organizers
Somerset — “Suicide is an issue that shouldn’t be taboo.”
Yet so many individuals are afraid to talk about their feelings, according to Jamie Burton, CEO of the Adanta Group for the Lake Cumberland region.
The Adanta Group — a community mental health center serving Pulaski, Adair, Casey, Clinton, Cumberland, Green, McCreary, Russell, Taylor and Wayne Counties — is hosting a special conference today and Friday with a specific and very personal topic: suicide awareness.
“The community needs to know that this is a very important issue in all of (Adanta’s service area) and we do have the resources available that we want to share” with those suffering with thoughts of suicide, said Adanta clinical director Beverly Loy.
The numbers are sobering: Though suicide and attempts at it are a problem across the nation — where it cuts across ethnic, economic, social, and age boundaries — it’s especially severe here in Kentucky. The Commonwealth is in the top 10 in the nation in states which have suicide as the leading cause of death, with 531 such fatalities every year. One in 10 deaths among Kentucky high school students is self-inflicted, and there are over five attempts reported every day here.
Moreover, the Lake Cumberland area is particularly troubled by suicide, as it sees more of this activity than anywhere else in Kentucky. The number of attempts in the region has grown in the last six months, according to the statistics provided by Adanta.
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Drug agents have no police powers
Somerset —
There’s good news and bad news — as far as some are concerned — in the continuing saga of the shake-up between the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force and the City of Somerset. Last week, a group of concerned citizens — mainly comprised of Somerset city councilors — issued a restraining order preventing Mayor Eddie Girdler from taking any additional steps in damaging the drug task force. The order requires Girdler to refrain from “interfering with or changing the present operations or administration of the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force.” The courts ruled that Girdler should not take any actions which would remove the City of Somerset as the granting authority for LCADTF funds; that he should not take any actions which would interfere with the arrest powers of LCADTF agents; that he should not interfere with the operation of the LCADTF; and that he should not remove four LCADTF agents as employees of the City of Somerset. Problems began in June, when, after 17 years of a seemingly positive working relationship between the City of Somerset and the drug task force, Mayor Girdler and Acting Police Chief Doug Nelson suddenly decided to drop four drug task force workers who had been working as employees of the City of Somerset from the city’s payroll and insurance and benefit plans.
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Two men charged in Super1 Stop burglary
Somerset —
It’s not that unusual for Belinda Hinton to get a phone call from her security company in the wee hours of the morning when an alarm is triggered at her store, Super 1 Stop Food Mart and Deli, at the intersection of Jarvis and Bourne avenues. Inevitably it’s a false alarm, perhaps an animal or the wind triggering a sensor. But not yesterday morning. At 12:43 a.m. Tuesday, a couple hours after the busy BP station had closed, a motion detector was triggered inside the store.
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Sheriff's office investigating elaborate scam
Somerset —
If you’ve recently made a donation, thinking you were helping supply books to hospitalized children, you may be the victim of a scam — and you’re not alone. Authorities are trying to determine just how many victims six men and one woman left in their path after spending several weeks in the Pulaski County area. Sean L. Arnold and Reese Lynn Yates — the same pair arrested earlier this month after they were caught breaking in to vehicles in the parking lot of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital — have admitted to knocking on doors of homes “pretending to be aspiring college students raising money to further their education by selling books or taking donations for books which would be given or delivered to children’s hospitals,” the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department says.
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Burnside audit: There could be some improvement
Burnside —
Audits are typically considered to be no more fun than a root canal, and the City of Burnside had its financial mouth peered into during the August city council meeting. David Smith of Wilson and Company, the local firm which performed the annual audit for the city (the 2008-09 fiscal year in this case), stopped by at Monday’s meeting to present the list of concerns raised during the review of Burnside’s financial picture. And though that picture is hardly bleak, the city does have some areas where it could improve.
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SHS alum Brinkley takes home 7 Emmys
Somerset —
The name “Emmy” is instantly recognizable to any pop culture devotee as the highest award one can achieve in the area of television broadcasting. Now one Somerset High School alum has seven of them. David Brinkley, a 1986 graduate of the city school system, recently won three Emmy Awards for his work on a pair of PBS informational programs about what is surely Kentucky’s most majestic natural wonder, Mammoth Cave. Brinkley is senior producer and director at WKYU-TV, the public television affiliate associated with Western Kentucky University. He’s also an adjunct faculty member at the Bowling Green, Ky., school, teaching classes in the area of directing, field production, television writing and more.
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Undercover opertion yields narcotics indictment
Somerset —
A Somerset man was arrested by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Thursday after being indicted by a Pulaski grand jury on narcotics charges. Sean O. Campbell, 36, was indicted after an undercover invest-igation by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Division resulted in the purchase of a controlled substance from Camp-bell. Campbell was charged with three counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, first degree, first offense; three counts of trafficking in a controlled substance, third degree, first offense; trafficking in marijuana, less than 8 ounces, first offense; tampering with physical evidence; and four counts of persistent felony offender, second degree.
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Rollyson is new MMS principal
Somerset —
A former Nancy Elementary teacher is the new leader of Meece Middle School. Calvin Rollyson has been hired by the Somerset Independent school board, and has spent the last several days settling into his new office on Barnett Street. Classes begin August 11 — just in time for Rollyson to share his birthday with students and staff members. School officials are hoping Rollyson will be a long-term solution to a recent trend of short-lived stints in the principal’s position at the city’s middle school. David Horseman held the position for just one year before he resigned this summer. In the last decade, the middle school has had four principals. “We thought it was important that (Rollyson) was from this area and that he knew some of the parents and students,” Superintendent Dr. Teresa Wallace said. “We’re hoping he will be here long-term.” Rollyson was raised near Jabez and graduated from Pulaski County High School in 1983. As a young adult, he enlisted in the U.S.
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Heavy storms blow through Pulaski County
Somerset —
Wednesday’s downright oppressive heat was followed by fearsome weather of another kind — damaging storms. Late Wednesday night into the early morning hours, the skies opened up and dumped a lake’s worth of water onto Pulaski County and the surrounding region. This was accompanied by a sky-brightening lightning storm and tremendous, constant thunder. “We started early this morning,” said acting Pul-aski County Road Super-visor Dennis Turner, about his department’s efforts to clear the county’s roads of debris. “They called and got us up and out before daylight.” The first round of storms would leave downed trees and power lines in its wake — but that wouldn’t be the end of Mother Nature’s wrath for Pulaski County. On Thursday, at around 2 p.m., another blast of stormy weather rolled into town. Once again, trees were brought to the ground and power lines downed, and electricity zapped for numerous local consumers. “We had eight to 10 blocked roads this afternoon,” Turner said. The city limits also saw a significant amount of damage from downed trees and other debris.
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Family fortunate as tree crushes porch
Somerset —
"The tree falled down and broke our porch." That innocent observation came from four-year-old Willow Heseman, her baby brown eyes bulging as she surveyed the shattered car-cass of a century-old maple which freakish winds hurled into the entrance of her house shortly after 2 p.m. yesterday. "I heard the winds getting worse and took Willow and my kids into the basement," said Jessica Harpin, who had been baby-sitting at the 145 South Maple Street resi-dence in Somerset. "We heard a really loud crash. When the winds died down and we came out, this is what we found."
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Mayor hit with restraining order
Somerset —
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler has been served with a restraining order preventing him from taking any further actions that would interfere with the operations or administration of the Lake Cumberland Area Drug Task Force. Last month, Girdler and Acting Police Chief Doug Nelson took measures to separate the City of Somerset from the drug task force — removing several individuals as city employees, causing them to lose their retirement and insurance benefits, threatening to remove some agents’ police powers, and allegedly putting the task force in danger of losing federal funding. Yesterday a group comprised of “concerned citizens of Somerset, Ky.” — including Somerset city council members Pat Bourne, Jim Mitchell, John Ricky Minton, Tim Rutherford and Jim Rutherford, local businessman and former Girdler political opponent Bill Hamilton, and citizen Chad Ellnor — filed a restraining order, signed by Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette, preventing Girdler from further widening the divide between the city and the drug task force.
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Woodstock wants community center
Old school at top of the list
Woodstock — It was a sad day for many members of the Woodstock Community when word spread that the community’s elementary school would be closing to make way for a newer facility down the road.
“I love this place,” said Wanda Hood, who worked as an aid for eight years at the school, which began its long history in 1900 as a one-room school house.
Others have shared a larger part of their life with the school, including Wilma Wilburn, who was a cook at the school for 37 years.
Hood and Wilburn’s love for the facility is shared by many, as evidenced by the more than 50 concerned citizens who gathered in the school’s gym Tuesday evening to discuss the fate of Woodstock Elementary, located about 12 miles north of Somerset on Ky. 39.
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National Symphony headed to Somerset
2011 is special year for Kentucky
Frankfort — The National Symphony Orchestra will perfform next February in Somerset and five other Kentucky cities as part of its American Residency program—selecting one state each year to host the orchestra.
The announcement was made in the Capitol Rotunda by First Lady Jane Beshear Wednesday. The Somerset performance will take place on Feb. 24 at the Center for Rural Development and will be the last in the series.
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Holt was synonymous with Pulaski education
Somerset —
A man whose name is synonymous with educ-ation in Pulaski County has died at age 91. Roy E. Holt, former superintendent of the Pulaski County School District, died Monday at his home. An educator most of his life, Holt was superintendent from 1971 to 1978. He followed in the footsteps of his father, James (Jim) Holt, who was superintendent between 1930 and 1938. Holt’s daughter, Jane Whitis, said her father, following his discharge from the Army in the late 1940s, operated a country store for four or five years at Alcalde. “Daddy let everybody have credit (at the store),” Jane said. “He could make more money teaching.” Holt started as a coach and teacher at the then-Shopville High School. Continuing his education, Holt moved through the ranks as principal and director of pupil personnel while eventually obtaining certification to serve as superintendent. It was during Holt’s tenure as superintendent that he led the way to construct the 6,000-seat gymnasium at Pulaski County High School.
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Weyman: Vaccine an option to battle bacterial meningitis
Somerset —
The Lake Cumberland District Health Depart-ment is urging parents to consider allowing their preteens and teenagers to receive vaccines which fight meningitis. LCDHD Medical Dir-ector Dr. Christine Wey-man says two cases of bacterial meningitis have been confirmed in Pulaski County this summer. Bacterial meningitis is a more severe strain of the meningococcal meningitis illness — yet it’s very preventable, Weyman says.
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Couple charged with car break-ins at LCRH
Somerset —
Two Ferguson residents were arrested Sunday night in connection with vehicle break-ins in the parking lot of Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital. Sheriff’s deputies responded to LCRH late Sunday after hearing reports of two individuals acting “suspicious” in the parking lot. Authorities found that one vehicle in the parking lot had had its window broken out. A GPS and Sirius radio were stolen from that vehicle. Another vehicle which had been left unlocked had been entered, and a purse and cell phone were taken from it. Police arrested Sean L. Arnold, 32, and Reese Lynn Yates, 25, following their investigation.
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New CVS/Pharamacy coming to Somerset
Somerset —
Footing is being poured for a new CVS/pharmacy on a four-acre site at the northeastern corner of U.S. 27 and Ky. 80 bypass. Mike DeAngelis, spokes-person for CVS/pharmacy, said the new, much-larger drugs-tore will open about March 2011. He described it as a free-standing store, meaning it will be the only store at that location. Somerset’s current CVS/pharmacy in Cumberland Square shopping center will close when the new drugstore opens. “It will be a seamless transfer,” DeAngelis promised. “Employees, prescription rec-ords, merchandise ... all will move. Somerset CVS/pharmacy currently has about 20 employees. DeAngelis said additional employees will be added as needed at the new store. However, “ ... it’s all about convenience ... more parking, larger selection of merchandise ... better service for our customers,” he emphasized.
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Police continue to probe church break-ins
Somerset —
As the three suspects accused of breaking into numerous churches await their date with the grand jury, local police continue to investigate any and all possibilities in the case. Police continue to investigate a rash of church burglaries that took place in the county within the last month — including the possibility that the suspects now in custody may be connected to incident that took place within the city. Kimberly Beth Flynn, 27, of Parvin Trailer Park, off of Ky. 2227, and Kyle S. Norling, 19, and John L. Lykins III, 19, both of Ky. 1674 in Somerset, appeared in Pulaski District Court for a second time last week for a preliminary hearing. The three were arrested Thursday, July 21 on criminal mischief, burglary and theft charges after an investigation by the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department into the break-ins at least seven rural county churches led officials to Flynn’s home.
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Parkers Mill wins State Firefighter Olympics
The Winter Olympics ended several months ago. The Summer Olympics are still two years away. But the state Firefighter Olympics? It’s all Pulaski County, baby. Once again, local fire departments did extremely well in the annual event, which tests the agility, skills, and teamwork of participating agencies. For the fourth time in five years, Parkers Mill, the volunteer fire department located on the southern end of Pulaski County, took top prize at the Kentucky Firefighter Olympics this past weekend.
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Missing Man Located - Golden Alert Cancelled
A Golden Alert has been canceled for a Somerset man who had been missing since Monday evening. Robert J. Chrisman, age 82, of West Hwy. 80 was located at D & D Food Mart in Science Hill in northern Pulaski County at 11:57 PM today.
Chrisman told a clerk his name was Robert and he was trying to find Somerset. The clerk called 911 since the man appeared confused. Somerset Police Sgt. Greg Martin responded and identified Chrisman as the subject of the Golden Alert.
Chrisman’s family was notified and they responded and brought Mr. Chrisman home.
Sgt. Martin reported Chrisman seemed to be in good health and uninjured.
The Golden Alert was cancelled.
(From the Somerset Police Department)
Power Cruise draws cars from all over to July Somernites
Somerset —
For those who love sunshine and warm weather, Somernites Cruise was the place to be yesterday. With temperatures hovering around the 100 degree mark and plenty of humidity, close to 1,000 cars and their proud owners ventured to the streets of downtown Somerset to participate in the fourth cruise-in of Somernites’ tenth season, the highlight of which was the Holley Performance-sponsored Power Cruise. The Somernites Power Cruise draws cars to Somerset from Bowling Green and Louisville, Ky., Knoxville and Nashville, Tenn., and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Oakwood expecting over 50 layoffs
Somerset —
The news isn’t good for a large number of Bluegrass Oakwood employees, who are expected to be receiving the proverbial pink slip due to the Commonwealth’s budget crunch. Shannon Ware, executive director of the Bluegrass Regional Mental Health-Mental Retardation Board, which oversees operations at the Oakwood mental health facility in Somerset, confirmed that as many as 53 employees are being let go, with those notifications having started going out Thursday
Major Whitley County Drug Bust
A knoxville man is arrested in Whitley County with more than 900 prescription pills in his vehicle.
Hill got off exit fifteen just north of Williamsburg and entered this Shell station. Other customers in the station noticed he was intoxicated and called in again to the Whitley County Sheriff's Department.
Deputy Ron Bowling was the first on the scene.
"I was able to make entry into the store un-announced. I observed the subject standing in front of the register that appeared to be severely impaired, creating a disturbance within the store. I immediately took him into custody and removed him from the store out to the parking lot of the store itself," said Bowling.
Upon searching Hill, police found a seven-inch tactical knife as well as more than one hundred and fifty Xanax pills. When the deputies searched his vehicle, they found much more.
GAS GOUGE?
The signs say it all ... or do they?
The Commonwealth Journal recently began fielding numerous phone calls and at least one letter to the editor from Pulaski County residents voicing their concerns about what appears to be a significant gas price disparity between this area and others.
Taking a quick peek at kentuckygasprices.com shows the price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline can vary widely across the state. One of the lowest prices found is $2.44 per gallon of unleaded at Murphy USA in Corbin ... and a picture snapped at another Corbin station shows a five-cent difference, at $2.49 per gallon.
Full Story: Commonwealth Journal
Texting ban begins in Ky.
If you love to text, you will have to watch your thumbs beginning Thursday. A new law banning drivers from texting while behind the wheel went into effect at midnight. Police will only issue warnings for the rest of year. Fines will begin in January. Kentucky State Police say you won't be able to text, even if you're stopped at a red light. Under the same law, no one under 18 years old will be able to use a cell phone at all while driving. Police say you can still use GPS devices while driving. FULL STORY @ WKYT.COM
Deputy insists obscene graffiti is not a ‘hate crime’
Somerset —
Wayne County Deputy Sheriff Barry Shoemaker also agrees with those sentiments.
Deputy Shoemaker is the sole part-time officer who regularly patrols the remote area of Wayne County that was the subject of a front page article in yesterday’s Commonwealth Journal. During an interview yesterday afternoon, a defensive Shoemaker contended that accusations made by Mill Springs Road resident Daniel Fleagle were overblown. Fleagle has insisted that a racial slur drawn on the road near his house was a “hate crime” directed toward him, and is just the tip of a proverbial iceberg of criminal activities in the area.
“This is no hate crime,” Shoemaker asserted. “It’s a disagreement between two neighbors. ... I’m a U.S. Army veteran just like the Indian, and I don’t think this has anything to do with his ancestry.”
Fleagle, who said he is a Seneca from the Iroquois Nation, said he thinks the message scrawled in Kentucky blue paint above a drawing of a fist with an extended middle finger, “911 Indian” is a gangland reference to the World Trade Center tragedy and is a veiled threat to him.
Corps’ photos show widening cracks at dam
WOLF CREEK DAM —
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the request of the Commonwealth Journal has released photographs of widening cracks in the U.S. 127 roadway atop Wolf Creek Dam. Expanding cracks are the main reason for a partial suspension of the dam’s rehabilitation in a 600-foot area near where the earthen section joins the concrete.
The Corps revealed last month that the cracks have widened between a half inch and an inch since the first of the year. Allison Jarrett, public affairs specialist for the Corps’ Nashville District, said at the time “ ... movement that our engineers are focused on now is not necessarily movement of material, but rather cracks in the roadway over the dam.” Engineers emphasized in a later news release that the cracks are not new, but existing cracks that have widened.
Responding to this newspaper’s request for a more detailed description of the cracks, Jarrett said “ ... our engineering team is getting some numbers together ... on the size of the cracks and should have that ready soon.
Burnside steady on tax rate
New Councilor Thompson-Burton wanted lower rate
BURNSIDE —
In a tough economy, can a city feasibly lower its property tax rate?
Burnside opted not to do so on Monday night — but not for lack of trying.
Three years after taking the bold move of lowering the city’s tax rate to 17.1 cents on the dollar following the swell of new restaurant tax revenue, the Burnside City Council decided to keep the status quo at their July meeting. Headed into the 2010-11 fiscal year, the 17.1 cent figure will remain unchanged.
The tax applies to real and personal property as well as tangible property within the city limits of Burnside. This does not apply to aircraft, documented watercraft, and inventory in transit; while Burnside has an ad valorem tax, the city does not collect the money itself. The tax revenue goes toward the city’s general expenses
Burnside made headlines in 2007 when they lowered the rate by a cent, with councilors stating at the time that it was the “lowest in the county.” Following the 2004 restaurant referendum, the food and alcohol taxes were pulling in $240,000 in tax revenue, giving the city a healthy amount of cash in its coffers, and the freedom to ease the pressure on citizens’ pocketbooks.
Jail request for hazard pay again voted down
Somerset —
Hazard-ous duty retirement pay for jail employees is, by now, a long-discussed topic at Pulaski County Fiscal Court.
But, during this week’s meeting, the resolution to give hazardous retirement coverage to the only three jail employees who don’t yet have it made it to a vote — albeit a one that went unpassed.
“I don’t think they (fiscal court) understand what all takes place in a jail,” Pulaski County Jailer Mike Harris said on Tuesday afternoon after the meeting. “It’s literally like running a little city.”
Right now, the jail is housing 253 inmates — well over the maximum of 223 as laid out by state guidelines. Harris said with all his employees at work, including part-timers, that brings the ratio to about one em-ployee per 5.5 inmates.
Those numbers are dangerous, Harris said, and he said he feels all of his employees deserve to receive hazardous retire-ment pay.
As of right now, all Pulaski County Detention Center employees receive the pay except for three, who were hired after legislative changes were made that now require that hazardous pay be approved through the passing of a resolution by governing city councils and fiscal courts.
ROAD CHILL
Slur scrawled on highway hints of hate
MOULDEN HILL — At a Civil War Union artillery position smack dab on the Pulaski-Wayne County line southwest of Nancy another war is brewing.
Daniel Fleagle, a U.S. Army veteran who traces his ancestry through the Seneca tribe of the Iroquois Nation, has seen little peace since moving to picturesque Moulden’s Hill on Mill Springs Road nestled between rolling farmland off KY 235 and the emerald waters of Lake Cumberland just down the road from his house.
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Crash suspect remains at UK
Toxicology results still pending
by Heather Pyles-Tomlinson Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — State police are awaiting toxicology results on a Somerset man involved in a fatal Lincoln county car crash that left two people dead on Friday.
Brett Whittaker, 27, of Somerset, remains in the UK Medical Center in fair condition, and charges against him are pending in the deadly collision.
The incident happened Friday, shortly after 10 p.m., on U.S. 27 near the Lin-coln/Garrad line when Whit-taker’s southbound truck crossed the center line and struck a northbound Toyota Corolla driven by Lavanda G. Rowland, 48. Her husband, John K. Rowland, 48 was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the collision.
The couple, who lived in Berea and were reportedly in the area to help a family member open a new church, were pronounced dead at the scene by Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum.
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New law targets teen drivers
Reporter: Gabriel Roxas
WKYT.COM
This month a new law allows police to pull over a driver they suspect is texting and driving, but what some may not realize is the law is even stricter for young drivers. To many parents, the new law against cell phones for teenage drivers is a welcome relief. "It's a great idea," Michelle Binkauskas said standing next to her teenage daughter, "When I was growing up, there weren't as many distractions and all, and I think the kids now have too much going on. I think just driving is more than enough. I think cell phones should be in their purses or in the back of the trunk."
New law targets teen drivers
Reporter: Gabriel Roxas
WKYT.COM
This month a new law allows police to pull over a driver they suspect is texting and driving, but what some may not realize is the law is even stricter for young drivers. To many parents, the new law against cell phones for teenage drivers is a welcome relief. "It's a great idea," Michelle Binkauskas said standing next to her teenage daughter, "When I was growing up, there weren't as many distractions and all, and I think the kids now have too much going on. I think just driving is more than enough. I think cell phones should be in their purses or in the back of the trunk."
Nightmare chase ends with suspect behind bars
Pursuit was headed toward double fatality involving Somerset man
Somerset — It’s the stuff of a cop’s nightmare: A high-speed pursuit of a fleeing motorist who is unknowingly hurtling toward the scene of a double-fatality car wreck that’s still being cleared from the highway.
That nightmare unfolded on U.S. 27 Friday beginning with the fatal accident in Lincoln County that occurred about 10:30 p.m. — an accident in which charges are pending against a Somerset man. About an hour later, officers found themselves in hot pursuit of a Burnside motorist.
The pursuit began at around 11:20 p.m. Scott Wall, of Roberts Bend in Burnside, was driving a 1987 Toyota northbound on U.S. 27 when he was spotted weaving in and out of traffic, according to Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood . Pulaski County Sheriff’s Deputy Kyle Wilson attempted to pull Wall over, but Wall sped off. Wilson took chase after him, according to Sheriff Wood.
The pursuit sent Wall, with Wilson in pursuit, speeding toward the Pulaski/Lincoln line. Other officers soon joined the chase. FULL STORY
Rescue effort costs a ‘hero’ his own life
Pulaski native drowns assisting teens in Florida
Gulf of Mexico —
Health department urges caution as temperatures rise
With temperatures moving into the 90s this week, the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reminds everyone to follow safety precautions to avoid heat-related illnesses.
The following tips can help you remain safe during the hot weather:
• Drink plenty of fluids. You will need to drink more fluids than your thirst level indicates. Avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or drinks with large amounts of sugar because they cause you to lose more fluid.
• Wear sunscreen and appropriate clothing. Sunscreen should be SPF 15 or greater and applied 30 minutes before going outdoors. Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing. Wear a wide-brimmed hat that will provide shade and keep your head cool.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully. If you must be outside, try to plan your activities so that you are outdoors either before noon or in the evening.
• Stay indoors and, if at all possible, stay in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat.
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Doctors warn of extreme heat dangers
High temperatures here in the Bluegrass are expected to remain in the 90s at least until the weekend.
Health experts are warning everyone about the dangers.
Doctors say heat stroke can kill.
It can start as heat exhaustion but can elevate into heat stroke.
Experts also warn that victims are not always aware that they are in danger.
Symptoms include high fever, hot and dry skin and rapid heartbeat.
Senior citizens, the young and those who exercise outdoors are particularly susceptible to heat stroke.
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Mayor: SomerBlast was a success
Somerset — It took a village to deliver what everyone wanted, and it seems like this year’s SomerBlast — which was non-existent as of three weeks ago — was a success. “I thought it went tremendously,” said Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler on Monday. “I was just extremely pleased.” This weekend’s July 4th festivities at SomerSplash Water Park, located on Ky. 2227, marked the first time the event wasn’t held at SomerSport Park, and thousands filtered into SomerSplash throughout the day Saturday to enjoy the water, sun and, at around 10 p.m., the fireworks. “We could not have asked for better weather or a better event,” Girdler said. In years past, SomerBlast had been held at SomerSport Park, but organizers announced in mid-June that the event was no more because thousands of dollars had been lost in the expensive undertaking in 2009. What followed was an uproar by concerned Pulaski County residents — and travelers who would be spending the holiday weekend with family in the area — who asked that something be done to bring a fireworks display to Somerset this year.
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Man making epic journey stops in Somerset
Somerset — When you’ve been walking all the way across the country, over mountains, plains, fields and streams, it doesn’t seem as if little Somerset, Ky., would present much of a challenge.You’d be wrong.
A reporter encountered Mr. Al Slusser on the steps of the Pulaski County Courthouse Friday afternoon, as the gentleman found himself a bit lost. He was trying to locate the post office — which is on North Maple Street, as any Somerset denizen knows, though Slusser didn’t because he’s from Cottonwood, Arizona.That’s unremarkable in itself. What is remarkable is how he got here — he came to town on foot.
At a spry 71 years of age, Slusser is the oldest man to attempt the feat of walking coast-to-coast across the country. He knows. He’s checked into it.
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Bribery charges dismissed — for now
Somerset — The case against five local individuals accused of attempting to bribe a public official has been dismissed without prejudice, according to the state Attorney General’s office.Everett Hyden, 64, Noble Hampton, 63, Virginia “Carol” Hampton, 44, Walter Creekmore, 62, and Darmus “Bubby” Dalton, Jr., 44, were all charged with bribery of a public servant, a class C felon, in connection with what Somerset Police have said was an attempt to get Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy Montgomery to secure the release of a family member from prison.
The case was in Pulaski District Court, with Special Judge Michael Loy, when it was dismissed by motion of the Attorney General’s office, according to local defense attorney Scott Foster, who represents Dalton. This dismissal affects all of the above clients involved in the case, though they maintain different legal representation.“I’m thrilled for my client,” said Foster. “Mr. Dalton ... has been exonerated and is free to go about his daily living without this hanging over his head.”
The case is not necessarily over, however. The AG’s office told the Commonwealth Journal that the case could be reinstated in another court and that it is an “ongoing investigation.”The dismissal eliminates the need for a preliminary hearing in District Court.
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Toyota knew about Lexus problem 2 years ago
TOKYO (AP) - A company official says Toyota knew about the engine problem in the Lexus and Crown vehicles two years ago but didn't think a recall was warranted at the time.
The official says the company changed the spring part to correct the problem. A global recall is now under way to repair some 270,000 vehicles to replace engine components that could cause stalling.
A spokesman tells The Associated Press that the world's top automaker previously thought the problem was caused by a foreign substance entering during manufacturing of the valve springs, and beefed up checks so that wouldn't happen.
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Cropduster pilot killed when helicopter hits lines
MADISONVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky State Police say a Georgia
helicopter pilot has been killed while spraying a field in western
Kentucky.
A news release from the KSP states 55-year-old Timothy E. Watson
of Lawrenceville, Ga., was spraying fungicide and fertilizer late
Monday afternoon on a farm field in Crittendon County when his
helicopter struck power lines. The investigating trooper said the
Robinson Model R44 helicopter came down about 200 feet from the
utility lines and burned.
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Man found safe following Golden Alert
A Golden Alert has been canceled after a missing man was found safe.
Emergency workers in Taylor County told 27 NEWSFIRST Tuesday morning that Gilbert Banta, 79, had been found.
Banta hadn't been seen since 6:30 p.m. Sunday, when police say he vanished from his home on Roland Street in Campbellsville.
Police haven't released where Banta was found.
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Family celebrates life of teenage shooting victim on his birthday
The family and friends of Ali Shalash spent Monday night celebrating a life lost too soon. Israh Shalash lost her brother Ali last November. He died from a gunshot wound he got at the home of friend Jamar Mays. Court documents show Mays telling police a man wearing a ski mask tried to come through his window and shot inside his home, but evidence of empty bullet shells in the trash and a gun in a vehicle led police to Mays. Jamar Mays is charged with his friend Ali's death.
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Remains positively identified as woman missing six years
Remains found in Powell County back in January have finally been identified.
The Powell County Coroner confirms the remains belong to Sabrina Vaughn.
Vaughn disappeared from Montgomery County in 2003.
Her ex-boyfriend, Bass Webb, is charged with her murder.
Investigators in Montgomery County presented their case against him to a grand jury this spring without a positive identification of the remains. The told 27 NEWSFIRST at the time they felt they had enough evidence.
Webb's cousin, Jonathan French, has been charged with tampering with physical evidence in the case.
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Child dies at hospital after incident at public pool
A 13 year old, found unresponsive in a public swimming pool, has died.
A lifeguard noticed Timothy Patterson hanging onto the side at Beach Creek pool in Clay County, Friday afternoon. When the lifeguard went to see if he was okay, he discovered the boy was unresponsive. Patterson was rushed to UK Hospital, where he died late last night. The Clay County Sheriff's Department says the boy went into diabetic shock while swimming.
An autopsy has been performed on Patterson, his official cause of death is pending the results.
CLICK HERE for Story at www.wkyt.com
Weather is blistering, but so are the hot rods at June Cruise
Somerset — Somernites Cruise visitors are seeing to seeing plenty of hot rods in downtown Somerset, but on Saturday, the weather was the hottest thing in town.A call to BB&T Bank’s time-and-temperature hotline shortly after 3 p.m. was greeted with the report of scorching numbers: an intimidating 99 degrees. Of course, the temperature was surely raised a little bit by so many visitors traveling the Somerset streets — man and machine alike — but the point stands: It was mighty hot out there.
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Corps clarifies cracks atop dam are not new
Somerset — Cracks do exist in the U.S. 127 surface atop Wolf Creek Dam and the separations are getting wider. However, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers emphasized Friday that no new cracks have developed in the roadway.Some news organizations apparently misunderstood the situation and reported new cracks in the road. This is inaccurate; the Corps is monitoring existing cracks, not new cracks, Corps officials said Friday.
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Police seeking suspects in armed robbery
Somerset — Somerset Police are trying to determine who broke into a North Maple Street home early Thursday morning, alleg-edly looking for pre-scription drugs.SPD patrol units res-ponded to the residence, located at 315 North Maple Street, Somerset, shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday after a report came in that two females had been robbed there.
The women — Rebecca Cromer, 60, and her adult daughter, Michelle McQ-ueary, 39 — claimed three men entered their home armed with a gun and a knife.One man, a white male wearing baggy shorts, came to the door first, asking to use the women’s phone because he was having car trouble. When the door to the residence was opened, two add-itional white males ent-ered the house.
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Woman who was found with pipe bomb pleads guilty
Somerset — A woman charged with several offenses after a crude pipe bomb was discovered in her Jacksboro Street residence last July has pleaded guilty in Pulaski Circuit Court.Ember M. Collins, 20, pleaded guilty to first-degree wanton endangerment, buying or possessing drug paraphernalia and two counts of third-degree possession of a controlled substance.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery said Collins’s case is eligible for pretrial diversion.Collins and Robert W. Ware, 31, were found by Somerset Police in their 716 Jacksboro Street residence smoking what appeared to be marijuana after a 911 hang-up call was made from the home last July 9. Police reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside, and two Darvocet pills, one container of Butorphanol Tartrate, two marijuana smoking pipes, a grinder, a pack of rolling papers, a water bong and a syringe were all located inside. Additionally, Ware was found with 17.5 Suboxone pills in his pocket.
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Flooding delays opening of Eubank seniors center
Eubank — A bursted water pipe in the wall of the new Eubank Senior Citizens Center recently flooded the building, causing hundreds of dollars in damages and delaying opening of the facility for two or three months.Eubank Mayor Frey Todd said the original hardwood floor of the former skating rink building will have to be refinished and tile must be replaced.
“If I didn’t have bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all,” grimaced Todd, referring to frustrations of nearly five years of work on the project and earlier delays caused by three formal bid openings before a contractor could be found.
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Escapee arraigned in Pulaski Circuit Court
Somerset — A man who fled from the Pulaski County Courthouse in April and spurred a four-day manhunt was arraigned yesterday in Pulaski Circuit Court.Gary Wayne Courtney, Jr., 42, of Ky. 192, Somerset, was indicted earlier this month on escape charges in connection with the April 29 incident in which he slipped out of the courthouse unnoticed while awaiting a scheduled date in Pulaski District Court.
Courtney’s new trial is set for July, according to Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery.Courtney fled the courthouse when he and another defendant were pulled into the hallway to discuss their cases with a public defender — a common practice during court days in which a significant number of inmates are shuffled in and out of the courtroom.
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Time In A Bottle
Relics unearthed during drainage project provide hints about Somerset’s history
Somerset —
Local businesses recognized for supporting Guard, Reserve
Somerset — The duties performed by members of the nation’s Guardsmen and Reservists are undoubtedly important — but also important are businesses and members of the community who support those individuals in various ways.Yesterday, during a special luncheon held at the Hal Rogers Regional Fire Training Center, representatives of the Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve — and some guardsmen of the locally-based 149th Infantry themselves — recognized several area individuals and groups for their contributions to Guardsmen, Reservists and their families.
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Child's near drowning prompts probe
Somerset — The near drowning of a small child — reportedly for the second time in a year — has prompted an investigation into the incident by local authorities.
Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood said his department responded to a report of a possible drowning at a residence on Pond School Road outside the Eubank community just after noon on Sunday. When deputies arrived at the residence, they discovered that members of the Eubank Volunteer Fire Department were already performing CPR on the two-year-old girl.
“A family friend had also worked and performed CPR on her,” Wood said on Monday.
Wood declined to identify the girl, stating it isn’t his department’s policy to release the identity of young children involved in incidents investigated by the sheriff’s department.
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GE Plant reports no injuries after weekend fire
Somerset — General Electric employees were able to return to work shortly after a fire at the local plant which appeared harrowing from the outside late Saturday night.According to the Somerset Fire Department, responders were called to the scene on University Drive around 10:20 p.m. Saturday night.
The fire was in the main factory wing of the plant, according to the Somerset Fire Department.
“There was heavy smoke showing from the building on arrival,” said SFD’s Roger Colyer, “and heavy fire showing from the building.”
Flames were visible from the roof of the building, which is where the GE plant operations manager Ron Dowell said the fire was located in a statement released to the Commonwealth Journal.
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Forcht Bank's Hunley celebrates 50 years of service
Somerset — A lot can happen in 50 years — and a lot can change.Yet Donna Hunley keeps right on plugging along.
A familiar face to many in Pulaski County — for more than one reason — Hunley is celebrating a full half a century in the banking business this summer. Over a span of decades, Hunley has been played a hand in helping Pulaskians reach their dreams while other institutions have come and gone around her.Hunley works in the area of loans, but when asked her official title, she responds, “Relationship Officer.” It’s an appropriate moniker, given the bonds Hunley has found herself developing with her clientele over the years.
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Dogs’ deaths being probed
Somerset — The Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the violent death of a pair of dogs in eastern Pulaski County.According to the sheriff’s department. James Bolin and Jessica Bray reported returning to their home in the Piney Grove Road area near Shopville from a trip earlier this week to find that their two canine pets had been apparently killed.
“It’s a cruelty to animals case,” said Sheriff Todd Wood, who noted that authorities do have a suspect in mind, but no arrests have been made as of yet.The sheriff confirmed that a seven-year-old mini Doberman Pinscher and a 4-year-old Jack Russell mix were found dead and wounded. The Doberman had suffered stab wounds and head trauma, and its chain was pinned underneath a heavy piece of wood.
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Bribery suspects plead not guilty
Somerset — Five people who allegedly tried to bribe a local public official into releasing another person from jail pleaded not guilty to those charges in court yesterday.
Everett Hyden, 64, Noble Hampton, 63, Virginia “Carol” Hampton, 44, Walter Creekmore, 62, and Darmus “Bubby” Dalton, Jr., 44, all appeared in Pulaski District Court Friday for their arraignments before Special Judge Michael Loy, who presides in Adair and Casey counties.
Loy is presiding on the case to avoid a conflict of interest, which may have occurred had one of the local district judges presided.
All five are facing bribery charges in connection with what police say was a plot to bribe Pulaski County Commonwealth’s Attorney Eddy F. Montgomery to get an inmate out of prison.
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SomerSplash will host Fourth of July fireworks
Somerset — Does SomerBlast really have to be a blast from the past? After just three years of patriotic summer celebrations held near the Fourth of July, the Somerset-Pulaski Chamber of Commerce announced this year that it would not be sponsoring a SomerBlast event due to a lack of funding and a lack of volunteers.The Pulaski County community reacted swiftly to the news, expressing disappointment on the Commonwealth Journal’s Facebook page over having to scratch the event from their already-small list of things to do in the area.
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'Polite' bank robbery suspect arrested
A man who's already served time for prior bank robberies is now the suspect in another bank robbery in central Kentucky.
The Anderson County Sheriff's Department arrested 34-year-old Jason W. Artrip, of Williamstown, after a robbery at the Town and Country Bank on the 127 Bypass in Lawrenceburg.
Baby Sitter Check
The bank was robbed just before 3 Tuesday afternoon.
Deputies say Artrip never showed a weapon during the robbery, and even apologized to the teller, saying he needed the money.
Deputies say a witness provided them with a description of the vehicle the suspect took off in after the robbery.
Deputies arrested Artrip shortly after at the intersection of the 127 Bypass and the Bluegrass Parkway.
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Kentuckians clean up damage left behind by storms
People across Kentucky will spend Wednesday cleaning up from severe weather.
Overnight, the First Alert Defender tracked a line of storms that moved through, bringing dangerous lightning, strong winds and torrential rains to most of the state.
That was the second line of storms in just a matter of hours.
Tuesday night, a storm left its mark on Stanton, in Powell County.
That is where a roof was blown off a house on North Main Street. It now sits in the home's front yard.
Also in the area, power lines and trees were knocked down.
There have been no reports of injuries.
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New Burnside councilor sworn in
Burnside — Burnside citizens have a new city councilor to whom they can turn for help — one who adds a bit of diversity to an overwhelmingly male city government.Lula Jean Thompson-Burton was chosen by the other five members of the Burnside City Council on Monday to fill the seat vacated by Craig Rich-ardson. She becomes the first woman to serve on the council since Becky Huff, who opted not to run for re-election in 2008.
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Storm-damage jobless benefits available
Somerset — Pulaski Countians who lost work or whose businesses were damaged due to severe weather May 1, 2010, have been added to the list of those who qualify for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DAU). They will have until July 15 to file claims for weather-related unemployment insurance. Some persons who normally would not qualify for jobless benefits may be eligible under this special relief program.Yesterday, the Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that Pulaski was among 46 additional counties to be declared eligible for federal unemployment assistance. That brings to 61 the number of Kentucky counties now eligible for disaster-related unemployment benefits claims.
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Somerset Police angling for boat, other new gadgets
Somerset — If Somerset Acting Police Chief Doug Nelson is successful in getting what he's asking for, the city's police force will have quite a few new toys in the coming months.During this week's Somer-set city council meeting, Nelson obtained permission from the council to apply for several grants which would be used to buy some much-needed gadgets for his department.
The biggest item on Nelson's wish list is a boat, which could be purchased for approximately $62,000 and used for tasks ranging from rescues to incidents of domestic terrorism.Nelson said it has become increasingly obvious that "we need capabilities to have law enforcement on the water."
"With our infrastructure, it makes good sense," he added.The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife already patrols the waters which comprise Lake Cumberland, and the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department and the Pulaski County Rescue Squad own boats as well.
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It's unsure if Burnside Island will fall under state plan
Somerset — A plan to privatize services at some state parks will help save Kentucky money — but might Burnside be involved?It’s hard to say, according to Pulaski County’s own state representative Tommy Turner.
State officials said last week that the operation of state golf courses and selected restaurants is being turned over to private companies. The plan would open Buckhorn Lake, General Butler, Jenny Wiley and Lake Barkley state resort parks to alcohol sales, which could generate about $1 million a year in additional revenue.Could General Burnside Island State Park eventually be involved in this? Given Burnside’s “moist” status, it isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
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Grant will provide several Somerset families with new homes
Somerset — Approximately a dozen Somerset families will soon be getting new, improved homes thanks to a $1 million grant from the Department of Local Government.Homes owned by low to moderate income families which are in bad need of repair will be torn down and rebuilt with funding from the grant. The project, known as the Scattered Site Housing Project, has been completed in Somerset a few times in recent years. Construction on the most recent group of homes should begin this fall, according to Mayor Eddie Girdler.
Girdler learned of the grant approval last week.“I appreciate Gov. Steve Beshear and the staff of the Kentucky Office of Local Government for meeting the housing needs of low and moderate income families in Somerset and the Somerset city council for promoting neighborhood redevelopment,” Girdler said.
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FEMA center now open in Pulaski
Somerset — Federal disaster relief specialists were out spreading the word yesterday that a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center has opened at Hal Rogers Fire Training Center to assist victims of the May 1-2 storm that ravaged Pulaski County.“The registration deadline for assistance is July 1,” said Debbie Simon, FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) publication relations officer, “and we are encouraging those affected by the storms between May 1 through June 1 to register before the deadline. Even if they don’t think damage is severe, we encourage them to register in case hidden damage surfaces in the future. To help them do that, we now have a FEMA Disaster Recovery Center right here in Pulaski County.”
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Courtesy KNN
PINEVILLE, Ky. -- The parents of a 2-year old found dead in eastern Kentucky are now behind bars because of how she died. The autopsy of Kayla Mosely shows she died from acute narcotic intoxication. Mosely died on March 6 after emergency officials were called to the residence of Carrie Brummett and Rondall Mosely about an unresponsive toddler. EMS transported the child to the Pineville Community Hospital where she was pronounced dead. Kentucky State Police found no signs of abuse, neglect or trauma that would indicate why she died. Kentucky State Police Detective Doyle Halcomb says after the toxicology reports came back, he issued arrest warrants and both parents were taken to the Bell County Detention Center and held on $1,000,000 bond. KSP would not release any information on what kind of narcotic was responsible for the child's death. 
Carrie Brummett 
Beshear: Additional Medicaid funding crucial
Somerset — Oakwood, the mental health facility located here in Somerset, is one of the state’s Medicaid babies — an entity largely dependent on federal funding for survival.So what happens if that money is taken away?
It’s a question to ask in the wake of the Medicaid crisis that the Commonwealth of Kentucky currently faces. On Monday, Gov. Steve Beshear contacted federal lawmakers in a plea to swiftly approve a proposal to provide additional Medicaid funding.
At stake is the “federal match rate for Medicaid (FMAP),” which is enhanced by the American Reinvestment and Recovery act. The bill is currently awaiting a decision by the U.S. Senate, meaning Kentucky’s own Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is a key figure to whom Beshear is appealing.
The money would help the state government through its current economic hardship, including an epic budget battle in which Medicaid funding played a role. State lawmakers had counted on additional federal Medicaid funding to balance the $17 billion budget they passed late last month.
Beshear: Additional Medicaid funding crucial
Somerset — Oakwood, the mental health facility located here in Somerset, is one of the state’s Medicaid babies — an entity largely dependent on federal funding for survival.So what happens if that money is taken away?
It’s a question to ask in the wake of the Medicaid crisis that the Commonwealth of Kentucky currently faces. On Monday, Gov. Steve Beshear contacted federal lawmakers in a plea to swiftly approve a proposal to provide additional Medicaid funding.
At stake is the “federal match rate for Medicaid (FMAP),” which is enhanced by the American Reinvestment and Recovery act. The bill is currently awaiting a decision by the U.S. Senate, meaning Kentucky’s own Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is a key figure to whom Beshear is appealing.
The money would help the state government through its current economic hardship, including an epic budget battle in which Medicaid funding played a role. State lawmakers had counted on additional federal Medicaid funding to balance the $17 billion budget they passed late last month.
Fiscal court supports plans for free medical clinic
By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — The county’s budget for the next fiscal year may still be in its early stages, but county officials are prepared to wholeheartedly throw their support behind an initiative to bring a free medical clinic to certain individuals in the area.
Local dentist Dr. Steven Hieronymus appeared before Pulaski Fiscal Court Tuesday to discuss an initiative being planned in cooperation with Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps and the Somerset-Pulaski Morning Rotary Club to bring a three-day free medical clinic to the area in 2011.
The clinic, to be carried out through a U.S. branch of the Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corps called the Rural America (RAM) program, would “provide a free medical, vision and dental clinic to the citizens of Pulaski and surrounding counties,” according to a letter Hieronymus read to the court on Tuesday.
Despite busy weekend in Pulaski County, Grand Prix garners support
By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
Paul breaks recent silence
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul has broken his recent silence with a friendly interview on conservative talk radio, weeks after his negative comments about the U.S. Civil Rights Act set off a political firestorm.
Paul did not discuss that controversy with George Mason University economics professor Walter E. Williams, who served as guest host Monday on the Rush Limbaugh Show.
They talked about the need to rein in Washington spending.
Paul had retreated from the national scene after his May 18 Kentucky GOP primary victory, when he suggested government should not require private businesses to serve minorities.
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Maker's Mark launching first new product
LORETTO, Ky. (AP) - Since the late 1950s, the Maker's Mark Distillery in Kentucky has churned out just one product - its namesake bourbon, known for its red wax seal.
That's changing with next month's introduction of Maker's 46.It's a cousin of the original but with a different aging method. While some competitors have dabbled with bourbon offshoots for years, Maker's clung to a single product until now.
4-year-old hit and killed while playing at birthday party
Christy Passmore knew very quickly that the day of celebration and happiness at her neighbor’s house in Russell County Saturday night quickly took a devastating turn for the worse. “I saw all the adults all gather in one place, that’s not playing, it looks like something has happened,” said Passmore.
What happened was a car had just run over 4 year old Lilla Brizendine and 8 year old Gabrielle York..who were attending a birthday party at their grandparent’s home on McClendon Ridge Rd. Passmore says she knows CPR…and tried to help.
“I just asked if they were breathing and everything, and the one girl, Gabby, she was still breathing, the other girl wasn’t,” she said.
Lilla later died at the Russell County Hospital…Gabby was sent to Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville.
Kentucky State Police are investigating but at this point they don’t expect any charges. They say it was just a terrible tragedy.
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Despite busy weekend in Pulaski County, Grand Prix garners support
Somerset —
SWHS seniors leave on a high note
Somerset —
PCHS Class of 2010 boasts 241 graduates
Somerset — Another school year at Pulaski County High School has come to a close, and with that came the graduation of the 2010 senior class. Hundreds of parents, siblings, other family members and friends crowded into the PCHS gym Saturday morning to witness the 60th graduation ceremony at the school. 241 diplomas were given during the ceremony, which held a sense of finality for the seniors and their loved ones. And while changes are certainly in store for the graduating class, but the ceremony’s students speakers emphasized that those relationships and memories developed among the students don’t have to end with their last high school year.
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Eaton taking state job after retiring from Pulaski
Will oversee school energy managers in eastern Kentucky
by Chris Harris Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
For so many years, the color Tim Eaton was most associated with was maroon. In the near future, however, he’ll be going green.
Eaton is stepping down as superintendent of Pulaski County Schools in less than a month’s time. After 10 years at the helm of the county’s largest school system, Eaton announced his retirement in January. At the time, he stated that he would be pursuing “another career opportunity” after handing the reins over to his replacement (whom was eventually chosen to be Asst. Superintendent Steve Butcher).
As it turns out, Eaton will be staying quite busy following his retirement from Pulaski County Schools: He’ll be a project coordinator for the School Energy Manager Program (SEMP) here in southeastern Kentucky.
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"I want to do all I can ..."
Cancer survivor lights fire for Relay for Life
Somerset —
Benefit held for flood victims
One month after the storms, people in Casey County are still coping with what they call an unbelievable disaster.
Flooding destroyed about 80 percent of businesses in the community of Liberty. The town's mayor predicts it will take at least a year to recover, so Monday night a special event helped raise money to help the flood victims.
A Calipari Maker's Mark bottle is just one of many items going to those bidding to help flood victims. The auction and benefit is the latest example of an outpouring of community support that has helped people like Kevin Smith. Like most of the businesses along the bypass in Liberty, his was hit hard by high waters earlier in the month. "It's completely changed town. Everything's either closed or just trying to replace and get back in business," Smith said.
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Drug use suspected in deadly crash
Police say a driver may have been under the influence of drugs, causing a deadly crash late Monday night.
It happened on KY 7 North, two miles of West Liberty, in Morgan County.
Baby Sitter Check
Police say Brittany Williams, 23, crossed the center line, hitting a Chevrolet Cavalier head-on.
The driver of the Cavalier, Gerry Blackwell, 76, died at the scene.
Her passenger, Terry Blackwell, 59, suffered serious injuries and was flown to U.K. Hospital.
Police say charges in the crash are pending.
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Hip-hop artist's murder trial delayed until September
A local recording artist was set to go on trial Tuesday for the murder of an apartment building's maintenance man.
Police say LaTarra Martin shot Jeffrey Wildburn at Lakeshore Apartments in Lexington in March of 2009.
Instead, Martin's trial was moved to September.
Martin, who also goes by the name "Baby Doll," also faces three charges of wanton endangerment because police say three other people were in the area at the time of the shooting.
Martin is an unsigned hip-hop artist.
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They were people before they were soldiers
Somerset —
There are only so many things which can be said by someone who has been asked to speak at a Memorial Day service held in a national cemetery. Those who have spoken during Mill Springs National Cemetery’s annual Memorial Day ceremony in years past have reminded us to thank those veterans who still walk among us. They’ve told the story of how Memorial Day — in earlier times known as Decoration Day — came to be. They’ve reminded us to exercise our rights, to enjoy our freedoms — and, of course, they’ve told us that we owe all these freedoms to the men and women who have given their lives fighting for our country.
As any good church-goer will tell you, some messages are worth repeating — and that is certainly the case for the words repeated each year during ceremonies such as the one held at Mill Springs yesterday.
We should be reminded to show our gratitude to our veterans. As I overheard one World War II veteran saying following yesterday’s ceremony, his fellow servicemen are dying at an average of about 2,000 per day now. If you haven’t taken the time to talk with a WWII veteran, find one and enjoy some conversation before it’s too late.
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Budget cuts bring end to juvenile drug court
Somerset —
Fewer juveniles will be heading to drug court in the near future, but that’s not necessarily good news.
State budget cuts have forced the closing of several programs, one of which is the 28th Judicial District’s Juvenile Drug Court — which serves youth and their families in Pulaski and Rockcastle counties. Started nearly a decade ago, the court has allowed children under the age of 18 with drug-related criminal charges to have access to counseling, rehabilitation, drug screenings and other resources. Those who complete the program can have their convictions cleared from their records.
Program supervisor Kevin Slone estimates an average of 25 Pulaski youth and 10 Rockcastle youth per year have completed the program.
Slone says the program’s staff, all of whom are not paid for the hours they contribute, attempts to treat all problems the young boys and girls encounter — not just those directly related to their drug charges.
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Pulaski Schools passes budget
Somerset —
The Pulaski County School Board passed a working budget on Friday for the 2010-11 school year, one which shows a more positive outlook than originally anticipated.
Revenue for the school dis-trict’s general fund totals $43,356,950. That’s a smaller amount than Pulaski enjoyed in the current school year’s budget by close to $200,000, giving the school system less money with which to operate.
However, it looks as if there will be enough money available to create a healthy contingency fund. The state requires such a fund of at least 2 percent of total expenses to help cover the district’s costs in the event of an emergency expenditure. In April of 2009, the school district was placed on a “watch list” because it ended the previous fiscal year under that 2 percent threshold, causing some degree of controversy in school board meetings.
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Lexington woman & boyfriend indicted: Stealing thousands from grandma
Lexington Police say this crime went on for nearly a year. They say from November 2008 to July 2009 Nicole Rose and her boyfriend, James Davis, were cashing checks that they were taking from Rose's elderly grandmother.
The indictment states that 24-year-old Nicole Rose and 33-year-old James Davis allegedly cashed 68 checks belonging to the elderly grandmother of Nicole Rose, whom she was supposed to be caring for.
All in all, Lexington Police say they cashed in on $22,121 dollars.
The couple have been staying with the mother of James Davis until they were recently arrested. His mother, Jane Davis, says she knew Nicole was the caregiver for her grandmother, but wasn't aware the two were committing this crime.
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Mother charged with killing toddler
Kentucky State Police have now arrested the mother of a two-year old toddler in his death. Police charged 22-year-old Tiea Jones with murder and criminal abuse.
Her son, 2-year-old Nataniel Jones, died after being found unresponsive in his home in March of 2009. Police say testing and consulting experts conclude the child died of internal injuries from the result of blunt force trauma to the stomach.
Police charged the mother's boyfriend at the time, 30-year old Brian Gallagher, with murder earlier this week. Court records show he created the grave risk of death by abusing the boy.
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Folks in one community fear possible serial arsonist
Investigators in one Kentucky community are dealing with their fourth suspicious fire in just two days. They say it is the seventh suspicious fire this month.
Firefighters battled the fire on Lancaster Street in Crab Orchard Wednesday evening.
Now, people living in an apartment complex next door say they're fearing their building could be next.
"It could happen anywhere," explained Thomas Hendrix.
"I was afraid to go to sleep last night," continued Tonya Hiatt. "I was afraid to go to sleep. Afraid I'd get burned up. Afraid he'd strike again."
The Lincoln County Fire Chief says no one was hurt in the latest fire and no one lives in the home.
The damage is described as minor and is mostly limited to the outside of the home.
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Police say former teacher/coach sexually abused children
Dennis Jackson is no longer in the dugout at the Riverside Christian School baseball diamond. Instead he's in jail charged after a grand jury indicted him on 14 sex related criminal charges, from sodomy and sex abuse to indecent exposure.
The news of Jackson's arrest came as a shock to the school's CEO, Ernie Roberts. "Mr. Jackson's done a wonderful job for us since he's been here working with the team" said Roberts.
Roberts says, a couple weeks ago Jackson approached him after rumors began swirling around the school, saying he wanted to quit before the rumors got out of hand. "He didn't want to do anything to catch us off guard at school."
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Airport to get payroll tax money
Fiscal Court earmarks 2%
Somerset —
The airport’s budget woes may be coming to an end.
During Tuesday’s Pulaski County Fiscal Court meeting, the court voted to approve a first reading of an occupational tax ordinance amendment that would give the Lake Cumberland Regional Airport a percentage of the gross profits from the tax.
“We’ve had several meetings with the airport ... we’ve also talked to the city,” said Pulaski County Treasurer Arlene Young during the meeting.
The amendment would give the airport 2 percent of the gross profit from the tax, which makes up around 20 percent of the county’s budget.
Employers within the county are supposed to withhold 1 percent of employees’ pay for the occupational tax. Along with that, employers also pay around 1 percent of their net profit into the occupational tax.
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Oh Carp!
Lake Cumberland safe from invaders ... for now
Lake Cumberland —
Fisherman in and around Kentucky are finding that they have something to carp about — but what about those who use Lake Cumberland?
Asian carp — a type of fish foreign to regional waters — is becoming a serious problem. A recent article in the Louisville Courier-Journal put a spotlight on the invasive species—the fish can grow to as large as 100 pounds in size—and the dangers they present to the regional eco-system.
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Woman entangled in family's drug business ends up in prison
By CHRIS HARRIS, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A Somerset family involved in a major drug case was sentenced to a combined 400 months in prison last week — and at least one of them represents a “cautionary tale,” according to her attorney.
The Eastern District U.S. Attorney’s Office and Drug Enforcement Administration announced the sentences for involvement in a “meth-amphetamine conspiracy.”
Michael Roy Redmond, 49, received 240 months in prison, and his wife Nanette Redmond, 48, was sentenced to 68 months. Their two children, Casey, 26, and Cornelius, 23, were given terms of 100 months and 60 months, respectively.
A fifth individual, Ami Beckman, 22, was sentenced to 28 months in prison for her role in the matter.
Late last year, all five pleaded guilty in separate proceedings to a conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine. The defendants admitted to buying pseudoephedrine, the cold medicine that is a key ingredient used to create methamphetamine, in a period between June 2007 and July 2008.
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More Kentucky counties designated for disaster assistance
Twenty-five additional counties have been designated for Individual Assistance and twenty-seven (27) for all categories of Public Assistance as part of Kentucky's federal disaster declaration, according to officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
This announcement brings the total number of counties designated for Individual Assistance to 42 with today's addition of Allen, Anderson, Boyle, Barren, Elliot, Fleming, Garrard, Green, Hart, Henry, Jackson, Jessamine, Leslie, Montgomery, Magoffin, Menifee, Monroe, Nicholas, Nelson, Owen, Pulaski, Powell, Simpson, Warren and Washington counties.
Counties previously designated for Individual Assistance are: Adair, Bath, Boyd, Carter, Casey, Franklin, Greenup, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mercer, Metcalfe, Rockcastle, Rowan, and Woodford counties.
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Three men are arrested after meth lab is found
Three Pulaski County men are arrested after a meth lab is found.
It was discovered by sheriff's deputies in an outbuilding on Denton Phelps Road.
22-year old James Wesley Hardwick, 44-year old Dewayne Woodall, and 38-year old Brian Keith Romero were all arrested on drug charges and taken to the Pulaski County Detention Center.
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Woman accused of putting baby in dumpster after birth pleads guilty
A woman accused of giving birth, then putting the baby in a dumpster, changed her plea Tuesday morning.
Tonya Nicole Brown pleaded guilty in Shelby County to second degree manslaughter and tampering with physical evidence.
Police say Brown, who's from Lexington, threw the baby into a dumpster behind a Shelbyville gas station in 2008.
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Toddler drowns in swimming pool
A heartbreaking story in southern Kentucky, after a 2-year-old girl drowned in a family swimming pool Monday.
Investigators say Chloe Collier was visiting her grandparents, at their home in the Lily community of Laurel County, at the time.
The Laurel County Sheriff's Department says Chloe, and three other children, were playing in the backyard of the home, when the little girl wandered away.
When the children were called in for dinner, the family could not find Chloe.
After a quick search, investigators say she was found in the swimming pool.
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Doctor charged with wife's murder rejects plea deal
It was his last chance to take a plea deal.
Doctor Steven Hall, of Harrodsburg, appeared in court Tuesday morning on charges he used a boat to murder his wife on Herrington Lake last year.
But instead of taking the prosecution's offer, Hall decided to fight the charges.
During a quick hearing Tuesday, Hall and his attorney declined the plea deal made to them at the beginning of this month.
It's not known what the terms of the Commonwealth's offer were, but regardless, Hall rejected it.
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EX-SHS teacher, coach indicted on sex charges
Somerset —
A former Somerset High School teacher and coach has been indicted as a result of an incident involving a female student.
A Pulaski grand jury says Bret Howard, 29, of Somerset, “committed the offense of criminal solicitation to the use of a minor in a sexual performance” in January of this year.
The Somerset Police Depart-ment was contacted to investigate the incident earlier this year, and results of the case were presented to the grand jury, Detective Lt. Shannon Smith said yesterday.
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Man sentenced to 20 years for deadly DUI
Somerset —
A man who pleaded guilty to several charges connected with a deadly June 2009 accident was sentenced in court this week.
Jose Santiago Cuevas, 29, of Somerset, appeared before Pulaski County Circuit Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette Thursday for sentencing after he pleaded guilty in April to manslaughter, criminal mischief and wanton endangerment charges.
Cuevas was arrested after he was involved in a June 21 two-vehicle accident on Ky. 39 that left Sheila R. Lovell, 38, of Mt. Vernon dead.
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Sex offender’s verdict overturned
Somerset —
Nearly two years ago, Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Jeremy Bartley made his feelings very clear about convicted sex offender Luther Sexton.
“I hope he draws his last breath in prison,” Bartley said.
Yesterday, however, a ruling by the Kentucky Supreme Court made the 70-year-old Sexton a free man.
The Commonwealth’s high court issued an order reversing Sexton’s 12-year prison sentence, handed down by Pulaski Circuit Judge Jeffrey T. Burdette.
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Families are in disbelief after a jury's decision
Two families are in disbelief after a Clay County jury acquits a man accused of driving under the influence and causing a deadly crash.
53 year old Russell Gray was charged with murder in the crash that happened back in January, 2008.
17-year-old Brandi Napier was killed. Another victim, Scotty Henson, suffered several injuries and is still recovering.
Police say Gray failed several sobriety tests, but a jury found the evidence inconclusive.
A mother of one of the victims says the verdict was wrong.
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State Supreme Court finds no errors in conviction
The state supreme court finds no errors with a conviction in a high profile murder case.
Raymond Harris was found guilty of killing former Harlan County Sheriff Paul Browning Junior in 2002.
He was sentenced to life in prison.
Harris appealed saying there were problems with jury selection.
The court disagreed.
Harris was one of four men who were convicted or pleaded guilty in the case.
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Urgent Care Services CEO is indicted
The chief executive officer of a chain of urgent-care clinics is indicted on drug charges.
The Lexington Herald Reports Michael Leman of Louisiana is accused of taking part in a conspiracy to sell pain pills in the Floyd County area between 2005 and 2007.
Leman was the president of Urgent Care Services.
Two other urgent care employees were indicted earlier.
Leman faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.
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Governor Beshear expands special session agenda
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Gov. Steve Beshear on Thursday added two
more issues to the upcoming special legislative session on the
budget: shoring up the state's unemployment insurance system and
giving visitors more chances to sample Kentucky bourbons.
Lawmakers will reconvene Monday at the Capitol in Frankfort to
try to pass a state spending plan before the current fiscal year
ends June 30. Failure to enact a new budget by then would lead to a
partial government shutdown, and thousands of state employees would
face layoffs.
Beshear has tried to break a House-Senate impasse by offering a
$17 billion, two-year budget proposal.
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Candidates campaign down to the wire before primary election
Kentuckians head to the polls Tuesday to vote in the primary election. Candidates are spending the final hours pushing for every vote they can.
On the Democratic side of the U.S. Senate race, Lt. Gov. Daniel Mongiardo and Attorney General Jack Conway are in a dead heat, according to the latest polls. As for the Republicans, Secretary of State Polls open at 6 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Trey Grayson has won the backing of minority leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, over Rand Paul.
Toy dart guns recalled after two children choke to death
WASHINGTON (AP) - The asphyxiation deaths of two boys prompted
the government Monday to announce the recall of 1.8 million toy
dart gun sets.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said a 9-year-old boy in
Chicago and a 10-year-old boy in Milwaukee died after they chewed
on the one-inch, soft-plastic darts, which slipped into their
throats. The small suction cup part of the dart cut off their
breathing.
The dart gun sets were sold nationwide at Family Dollar stores.
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Hot races expected to draw voters
Somerset —
Voters are expected to flock to the polls tomorrow in what is one of the most hotly contested local elections in years. Polls open at 6 a.m. and voting continues 12 hours, until 6 p.m.
Most of the action will be for Pulaski County’s 28,714 Republicans who have multiple choices in most every contest. There are a total of 103 candidates, mostly of the Grand Old Party persuasion, on primary ballots.
GOP’ers will select nominees for judge-executive, county clerk, county attorney and jailer. Also, they will nominate a magisterial and constabulary candidate in each of the county 5 districts.
Republicans, along with Democrats and independents, who live in Somerset will help choose two mayoral candidates for this fall’s election as well as two councilor candidates in the city’s Ward 3. Statewide, Republicans and Democrats will help select a nominee for the U.S. Senate seat to be vacated by retiring Jim Bunning.
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Four men vying for mayor of Somerset
Somerset —
Two veteran officeholders, a career law-enforcement official and a local businessman want to be mayor of Somerset during the next four years.
If Eddie Girdler, the incumbent, stays in the mayor’s office for another term he must do what he did four years ago; that is, beat JP Wiles again. Two other hopefuls also are seeking the city’s highest elective office.
Girdler upset Wiles by 40-some votes in the 2006 city elections. Wiles says he is knocking on every door in the city limits in an effort to get his job back.
Bill Hamilton, owner of Main Street Deli and Market, is in the primary mix with Girdler, Wiles, and Larry Wesley, former Somerset police chief and currently chief deputy at the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department. The top two vote-getters in the primary will advance to the November general election.
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Blind 3-term county clerk had interesting campaign trail
Somerset —
Darrell Hall may have been blind, but the three-term Pulaski County Court Clerk (1950-62) led a colorful life.
A product of Letcher County, he came here at a very young age with his parents, brother and five sisters.
“His mother was a big believer in education, and she wanted to get her children out of the mountains. They came to Somerset because she had some half-brothers living here,” says Hall’s sister-in-law, Charlotte, wife of former Pulaski and Science Hill school superintendent Charles Hall.
An accident very early in life led to Darrell’s immediately losing sight in one eye, and soon thereafter becoming totally blind.
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Pulaski Garden Tour slated for Saturday
Somerset —
The public is invited to the Lake Cumberland Master Gardeners’ Association’s Pulaski County Garden Tour, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday.
Tickets are $10 in advance, and are available at the Pulaski County Extension Office. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the tour for $13.
The event will feature six gardens in the Somerset and Pulaski County area:
• The Children’s Botanical Garden of South Central Kentucky.
This garden, for children of all ages, is located at the Pulaski County Public Library on South Main Street in Somerset. The garden is not yet a year old, but it is maturing well, and boasts many blooming spring flowers and trees. The garden is an educational spot for the library to hold children’s activities as well as a special place for families to share. The “Garden Quest” game can also be played in the garden.
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FEMA team tours county, views damage from flooding
Somerset —
Some federal money should be heading toward Pulaski County in the near future to aid in flood cleanup and repairs, if yesterday’s visit by federal disaster officials is any indication.
On Thursday, a team with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA toured the county to determine whether both local governments and private citizens will qualify for federal disaster assistance.
While the verdict is out right now, officials are confident the public side of the disaster declaration is met.
“We’ve made our threshold, and there’s lots more they’re going to look at,” said Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock on Thursday.
Bullock said Pulaski County Road Department representative Mark White toured three sites in the county damaged by flood waters during the weekend of May 1 and 2 and on Monday, May 3. As many as between 5 and 6 inches of rain fell on the area on Saturday and Sunday, causing many creeks, streams and other tributaries to swell out of their banks and overtake numerous roads and bridges.
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Budget impasse could affect Oakwood
Somerset —
Oakwood, it would seem, is safe from the problems associated with the state budget deadlock ... but not all of it.
The mental health facility now known as the Bluegrass Oakwood Community Center is expected to continue to receive state funding even if Kentucky lawmakers failure to reach a compromise on a budget plan.
“I think Oakwood’s budget is going to be looked at, but as I know it, the facility itself isn’t going to be in any jeopardy,” said Shannon Ware, executive director of Bluegrass Regional, the non-profit firm that manages Oakwood for the state’s Cabinet of Health and Family Services.
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Pepsi money could aid SWHS raptor center
Somerset —
Pepsi is giving away millions of dollars to organizations with positive ideas — and your help is needed to make sure Southwestern High School’s Conservation Club gets a piece of the pie.
The Conservation Club is planning to build the Liberty Raptor Research Center, which will serve as a permanent, year-round workplace for the school’s Raptor Rehabilitation Center. The center is staffed by students who rescue, rehabilitate, and sometimes release injured birds of prey. Birds that can’t be returned to the wild become permanent residents at the center.
The school has already raised half the money needed to build and furnish the center, but SWHS staff member Francis Carter, who supervises the Conservation Club, says $250,000 from Pepsi would allow the school to complete the project.
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Free trash disposal coming May 15
Somerset —
Pulaski County citizens still cleaning up after the flooding of May 2 and 3 are getting a bit of a break.
During this week’s Pulaski County Fiscal Court meeting, Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock announced a free garbage disposal day is slated for this weekend.
“I talked to Gerald (Hines, Pulaski County Solid Waste Coordinator) about it and he had a little bit of money left over (to hold the event),” Bullock said.
On Tuesday afternoon, Hines said the one-day event, scheduled for this Saturday, May 15, will allow those people still cleaning up after the deluge of rain, which left many area roads and bridges washed out and several homes flooded, to dispose of what they need to — for free.
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Beshear calls lawmakers to May 24 session
Somerset —
Sounds simple. Take a little of what the Senate proposed, add a little of what the House wanted and add those to the 95 percent of a two-year state budget on which both sides always agreed.
That’s basically what Gov. Steve Beshear proposed Wednesday to get beyond the budget impasse between the two chambers of the legislature which threatened a partial government shut-down. He said he’ll call lawmakers back to town on May 24 to pass his proposal in five days. Democratic House Speaker Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, and Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, sounded surpris-ingly optimistic the two sides can agree.
It’s surprising because most of what Beshear is proposing was discussed during the regular 60-day session which ended with each side digging in their heels and blaming the other. Now, taxpayers will foot a $64,000 a day special session to pass at $17.1 billion spending plan.
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Teen originally charged with kidnapping and attempted murder speaks out
She says it's time to move on.
For the first time, one of the high school seniors originally accused of kidnapping and trying to kill a classmate is talking to 27 NEWSFIRST.
Charges have since been reduced against Corinne Schwab and Ashley Sams.
The victim claims the girls, along with a juvenile, tried to push her over a cliff in Jackson County.
Schwab, who's 18 years old, says she's ready to put what she calls a terrible episode behind her. She'll be back in class Tuesday, now that her school suspension has ended.
Schwab says the past few weeks have felt like an out of body experience, following what she calls a misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion.
CLICK HERE for full story at www.wkyt.com
New home burns to the ground
A family's brand new home burned to the ground early Tuesday.
Flames were seen shooting from the roof of the house on Keene Manor Way in Jessamine County around 6 a.m.
Firefighters rushed to the scene, but the fire was so intense, it destroyed the house.
Construction on the house had just been completed. A family was set to move in in two weeks.
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SAIC adding 20 jobs
Jeffersontown —
“Silicon Holler” is getting a little bit bigger.
U.S. Rep. Harold “Hal” Rogers was on hand at the Valley Oak Technology Complex Monday to announce the creation of 20 new “good-paying” jobs in the near future for qualified Pulaski Countians.
“In these times, when people are losing jobs, it’s really thrilling to be able to announce that we have new jobs for people,” said Rogers. “I’m hopeful that (this) will be a precursor of things to come.”
The jobs are the result of plans by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) to expend operations locally.
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Friends hope 'Pick's' death can serve to teach others
Jeffersontown —
The sense of loss is still strong at one local school with the death of senior Jonathan Tyler Pickerell, but friends and family of the popular student are hoping his death can serve as a way to teach others to be safe on the water.
“I thought it would be good to give back so we don’t lose anybody else,” 18-year-old Southwestern High School senior Christine Dodson said. “I don’t want another class to have to go through what we did.”
Dodson, who grew up living down the street from Pickerell, or “Pick,” for many years, said she thought of the campaign while lying in bed Thursday night. Pickerell’s body was still in the cold waters of the Fishing Creek area of Lake Cumberland at that point.
Dodson, like many Southwestern seniors, had visited the ramp to await any news of Pickerell’s fate while rescue crews combed the muddy, debris-filled water for the senior, who disappeared after the kayak he was in capsized.
Dodson spent much of her day on Friday contacting local marinas to discuss the campaign.
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Funeral times set for victim of kayaking accident
Somerset —
Funeral arrangements have been set for a Southwestern High School student who drowned in Lake Cumberland this week after the kayak he was in capsized.
18-year-old Jonathan Tyler Pickerell, or “Pick,” was pulled from the flooded waters of Fishing Creek Friday evening by rescue workers, a little more than 48 hours after he disappeared while swimming toward shore.
Pickerell was kayaking across Fishing Creek between Slate Branch Boat Ramp and “Needlepoint” with a friend late Wednesday afternoon when their boat began taking on water.
Rogers announces new jobs at SAIC operation
Somerset —
Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers has announced that Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is expanding operations in the Valley Oak Technology Complex in Somerset, Kentucky.
This expansion is expected to create a number of new jobs in the Pulaski County area.
A press conference regarding this development will be held at the SAIC facility on Monday, May 10th at 3 p.m.
Flooding has led to a rare scene in Hardin County
About 20 people are living on an on-ram to the Joe Prather Highway.
They've been living there for three days waiting for the water to go down.
They're living in campers, tents and vehicles.
Multiple fire crews, the Red Cross and churches have stepped in to help with food and water.
Hardin County emergency management says the Red Cross is opening an emergency shelter in nearby Elizabethtown.
The city of Radcliffe is promising more help when the waters recede.
Story Courtesy of WKYT.COM.
Police do drug roundup on college campus
Operation UNITE teamed up with Williamsburg police to put some students at the University of the Cumberlands behind bars.
This is only the second time Operation UNITE has ever conducted a drug roundup on a college campus.
Baby Sitter Check
Police used informants so they could catch students buying and selling drugs on campus.
Most students were taking finals but nearly one dozen were arrested on drug related charges.
Officials hoped the alleged drug dealers would come to class on such an important day ...police arrested all the students they were after.
Officials with the University of Cumberlands contacted police about the drug problem. They say they are determined to make the campus drug free.
"We want to make sure we provide the best living and learning environment for our students," said Michael Colegrove with the University of the Cumberlands.
"They could have turned a blind eye to this whole thing. But they choose to take care of the problem and I think what has happened here today sends a strong message," said Wayne Bird, Williamsburg Police Chief.
A message that Operation UNITE officials hope more colleges will follow.
"We would love for all colleges that have a problem to invite us in and basically assist us the way the University of the Cumberlands has," said Dan Smoot with Operation UNITE.
Officials spent a few weeks preparing for this roundup.
Educators say all students that were arrested will likely be suspended.
A list of those arrested has not been released yet.
Story Courtesy of WKYT.COM.
Four Somerset residents have been arrested for making meth.
By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
According to information from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Department, the arrests came as a result of an investigation conducted by sheriff’s deputies Jason Lay and Steve Molen into a complaint about a methamphetamine lab at a residence on Ky. 1003 in the eastern part of the county.
The deputies discovered “numerous components associated with the manufacture of methamphetamine” inside a garage at the residence, the sheriff’s department says.
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Pulaski floodwaters finally subside
By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
The water has mostly receded and the sun has returned, but it may be the end of the week before things will completely return to normal.
On Monday, county and city officials declared a state of emergency to free up federal funds to help with cleanup efforts, which began almost as soon as the deluge of rain stopped late Sunday.
Many bridges in the county were significantly damaged by flood water over the weekend, but Pulaski County Acting Road Supervisor Dennis Turner said many of those should be passable by sometime today.
“We’re accomplishing a lot,” Turner said. “As far as I know, we don’t have anybody blocked in.”
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Midway College to award first Master's Degrees
MIDWAY, Ky. — Midway College is set to make history once again this month as the College prepares to award its first Master level degrees in the institution’s history. Among the 353 students receiving degrees, 24 are receiving their Master in Business Administration (MBA) degrees.
“This has been an incredible year of firsts for Midway College,” said Dr. William B. Drake, Jr., President of Midway College. “In January we announced our plans to open a School of Pharmacy in Paintsville, Kentucky, enrolling the first class in 2011. In February we announced plans to offer degree programs to serve service members and others in the Ft. Knox area. And this month we will celebrate the graduation of our first Master of Business Administration students – a significant milestone for any institution of higher learning, but particularly impressive for our College which only began awarding baccalaureate degrees 20 years ago.”
Heavy rains put Pulaski under water
By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
A nearly constant deluge of rain during the weekend dumped between 5 and 7 inches of water and created dangerous flooding that kept rescue workers busy from Sunday night until early Monday.
The heavy rain Saturday and Sunday followed another 5 inches that soaked the ground the weekend before. Concerns about the effects of 10 inches of rainfall in eight days on troubled Wolf Creek Dam were not abated because the district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was shut down as the result of an historic, devastating flood in Nashville. Neither Tom Hale, operations manager for Lake Cumberland, nor the Commonwealth Journal could reach the Nashville office of the Corps.
The lake level at 9 a.m. yesterday was 693.36 feet above sea level; more than 13 feet above the target of 680 feet and rising rapidly. The water level had risen about 3 feet during the previous seven hours.
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Man who escaped from courthouse caught in Kenton Co.
By TRICIA NEAL, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
The Somerset convict who escaped from the Pulaski County Courthouse last Thursday has been arrested in Kenton County.
Gary Wayne Courtney, 42, was able to escape from the courthouse while he and another Pulaski County Detention Center inmate were talking to a public defender outside a courtroom.
But he was back at the Pulaski County Detention Center last night. Pulaski County Sheriff Todd Wood said detectives from his office worked with numerous other law enforcement agencies to track Courtney’s locations by use of cell phone transmissions as he progressed into northern Kentucky.
Late Sunday, authorities in Kenton County pinpointed Courtney’s exact location and arrested him.
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County, city officials declare state of emergency
By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer Commonwealth Journal
Somerset —
Local officials declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon in hopes of freeing up federal money to help with the cleanup efforts after storm systems dumped as many as 7 inches of rain on the area this weekend.
“We’ve got major, major road damage in my area, I can tell you that,” said Fourth-District Magistrate Glenn Maxey, whose district includes much of Ky. 192 and its secondary roads.
Pulaski County Judge-Executive Barty Bullock signed an executive order Monday declaring a local state of emergency as county and state road crews worked to repair the numerous roads and bridges damaged by the deluge of rain, most of which fell on Sunday night.
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FDA investigating recall of children's medicine
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration said Saturday it was investigating a health-care company for possible other problems following its recall of more than 40 over-the-counter infant's and children's liquid medications.
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, based in Fort Washington, Pa., issued the voluntary recall late Friday in the United States and 11 other countries after consulting with the FDA. The recall involves children's versions of Tylenol, Tylenol Plus, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl, because they don't meet quality standards. The FDA said it was reviewing procedures at McNeil, which appears to be the sole source of the problems. "We are following through with the facility to make certain that everything has been checked," said FDA spokeswoman Elaine Gansz Bobo.
Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Two storm-related deaths confirmed in Kentucky
At least two weather-related deaths have been confirmed since severe weather and flooding swept through Kentucky over the weekend.
In Madison County, the coroner says Carl Rogers, 65, either drowned or was electrocuted at his home on Otter Creek Road, off Red House Road Sunday. Kentucky State Police say a the rescue squad had been called to try and reach Rogers but got to his home after he had already died. Two feet of water was inside Rogers' home at the time. An autopsy is pending to determine if Rogers drowned or was electrocuted.
Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Flood Health and Safety Tips
The Lexington-Fayette County Health Department reminds people to proceed with caution when dealing with floodwater in their homes.
Floodwater can affect homes by damaging materials, introducing unknown contaminants including sewage and creating dampness throughout the home. Please take the following steps during flooding:
Keep children and pets out of the affected area until cleanup is completed.
Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Somerset city-wide yard sale this Saturday
Somerset —
It’s time again to head out on the town for the Somerset city-wide yard sale.
Downtown Somerset Development will once again be sponsoring the annual city-wide yard sale on Saturday, May 1, beginning at 8 a.m.
Free space will be available on a first come, first served basis in the city parking lot off Market Street and sellers may arrive as early as they wish to begin setup.
Click here for full story
Somerset city-wide yard sale this Saturday
Somerset —
It’s time again to head out on the town for the Somerset city-wide yard sale.
Downtown Somerset Development will once again be sponsoring the annual city-wide yard sale on Saturday, May 1, beginning at 8 a.m.
Free space will be available on a first come, first served basis in the city parking lot off Market Street and sellers may arrive as early as they wish to begin setup.
Click here for full story
Amanda's Bill signed into law
Governor Steve Beshear signed Amanda's Bill into law Wednesday afternoon.
The signing ceremony in Frankfort began with a moment of silence for Amanda Ross, whom the bill is named after. "Words cannot express my sincere thanks that my daughter has been honored through this bill," Diana Ross, Amanda Ross' mother said. Amanda Ross was shot to death outside her Lexington home last September, in what's being investigated as a domestic violence case. Her former fiance, Steve Nunn, is accused of the crime. Ross had an emergency protective order against him during the time of the shooting. Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
PPL to acquire E.On Kentucky utilities for $6.7B
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) - Power company PPL has agreed to acquire
the parent company of Kentucky's two major utilities for $6.7
billion in cash.
PPL says it is buying E.On U.S. LLC, the parent of Louisville
Gas & Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, from German
power company E.On AG.
PPL, based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, also will assume $925
million of debt. PPL also says it will get a tax benefit of about
$540 million.
PPL says revenue will total about $10 billion and serve nearly 5
million electricity customers in the U.S. and the U.K. after the
acquisition.
Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Authorities to be on the lookout for voter fraud
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Investigators will be monitoring polling
places on Election Day across Kentucky, a state that has seen its
share of voting irregularities in recent years.
Secretary of State Trey Grayson, a Republican, and Attorney
General Jack Conway, a Democrat, appeared together at a press
conference on Wednesday to reiterate that election fraud won't be
tolerated.
"In recent years, elections and law enforcement officials have
worked together to secure dozens of convictions in federal court,"
Grayson said. "And we hope this sends a message to those who want
to illegally disrupt the election process: 'We are united to stop
you, and these activities will not be tolerated."'
Investigators routinely hear accusations of elections being
tainted by people trading cash or even whiskey for votes.
Four years ago, more than a dozen people were charged in Bath
County in an alleged scheme to pay impoverished residents to vote
for particular candidates. Among those charged were candidates for
judge-executive, county attorney and sheriff, all of whom were
either convicted or pleaded guilty.
Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Woman creates device to fight back on purse thefts
She's just wanting to fight back when it comes to crime. Now a Somerset woman has come up with a creative way, that was sparked after a story on WKYT.
Sally Robinson says she got the idea from a Crime Stoppers story here on WKYT last year. Her new "Purse "You all will have something about purses being stolen out of the shopping cars so I thought I needed to create something to carry my purse and protect it", says Sally Robinson. The device will be launched tomorrow at the Dillard's in Fayette Mall. From 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. there will be tea and cookies for the event, and from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. there will be wine and cheese. You can also pick up the Purse Keyper at the Dillard's at the Mall of St. Matthews in Louisville. Full Story at www.wkyt.com. Click Here.
Keyper" attaches purses to shopping carts and will soon be sold at Dillard's stores at 100 locations across the country.
Census takers going door-to-door as of May 1
Beginning May 1, Census takers will be going door to door to those households that have not mailed back a census form. This operation will continue through June, and your household may receive a visit at any time during this time period.
Census workers will be wearing an identification badge. They will not ask to come into your house, and they will not ask any questions about finances, bank accounts, etc. The Census wor-ker who coll-ects your information is sworn for life to protect your data, and is sub-ject to fines and/or imprisonment for unlawful disclosure of your information.
If no one answers at a particular residence, a census taker will visit again up to three times, and will also attempt to reach the household by phone. A “notice of visit” form will be left that includes a phone number for the resident to schedule an appointment.
Full Story at www.somerset-kentucky.com. Click Here.
SCC set for Earth Day 2010 celebration
By HEATHER PYLES, Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — Earth Day is coming up, and with it comes Somerset Community College’s annual Earth Day Celebration.
Old favorites will be returning for the 2010 celebration at SCC, which is in its fifth year, and organizers are hoping the community will enjoy some of the new events they have to offer this year as well.
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New Ky. 1247 to be open soon
By BILL MARDIS, Editor Emeritus
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — A few years back it would have been an impossible dream to drive through the pastoral and almost remote communities of Elihu and Cabin Hollow on a four-lane highway.
The fantasy is about to be reality. Stephanie Daffron, public information officer for Kentucky Department of Highways’ District 8, said engineers are planning to open the two southbound lanes of new Ky. 1247 by Memorial Day weekend. The northbound lanes, currently accommodating two-way traffic, opened last fall.
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PSC to hold meeting about proposed Kentucky Utilities rate increase
The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) will hold a public meetings in Harlan to receive comments on the request for a rate increase by the Kentucky Utilities Co. (KU).
"These meetings will allow the PSC to hear directly from the public as it prepares to consider whether the proposed new rates are fair, just and reasonable," PSC Chairman David Armstrong says.
Baby Sitter Check
Kentucky Utilities has proposed to increase its electric rates across all classes of customers in order to generate an additional $135 million in revenue per year - an increase of about 11.5 percent.
The company estimates that the average monthly bill for residential customers would increase to $98.11, an increase of about 13.5 percent from the current average of about $86.41.
Full story @ WYMT.com. Click Here
Laura Bush pays visit to Somerset Christian School
Students at a Southern Kentucky school got a very special visitor Friday morning.
Former First Lady Laura Bush spoke to a large crowd at Somerset Christian School.
Her appearance there was part of the first ever Cornell Leadership Conference, an event that also served as a fundraiser for the school.
Bush met with students one on one, and then spoke to several hundred adults and students gathered in the school's auditorium.
She talked a lot about her life now, and how it's different than when she was in the White House.
She and former president George W. Bush are now working on their memoirs and designing the new presidential library.
Those who organized Friday's event say it's designed to benefit the students of Somerset Christian School. All proceeds from ticket sales to the event will go to the school.
Tickets to the event ranged from $50, to several hundred dollars.
Courtesy WKYT.COM Click here to watch video
Pulaski couple arrested for orchestrating elaborate scam
By CHRIS HARRIS, Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — A Somerset couple has been arrested in connection with allegedly orchestrating an elaborate series of scams in the area.
Charles E. Reed, 37, and Valerie L. Reed, 38, both of West Ky. 80, were arrested and each charged with nine counts of theft by deception of an amount under $500 following the issuance of a Pulaski District Court warrant.
The arrests came as the result of a two-month long probe into conducted by Det. Glen Bland of the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division.
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Abner gets life for triple homicides
By HEATHER?PYLES, CJ Staff Writer
Commonwealth Journal
Somerset — SOMERSET—A man accused of killing no fewer than three people pleaded guilty to murder and other charges in court yesterday.
Family and friends of Jack Roerink, Mamie Mercer and Mae Stringer crowded into the Pulaski County Circuit Courtroom Wednesday morning to hear Michael Andrew Abner, 47, plead guilty in the killings of the three victims.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” said Andy Mercer, grandson of Mamie Mercer, who Abner admitted to killing more than 20 years ago.
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